Quote :

"it's swimmers that have the potential to win a ton of medals. Bro, big difference between potential and actual. Potentially, I could be a totally ripped life guard, but I'm not because water is stupid and science is better."

Maybe the fact that they seem to have the potential to win all those medals but none of them can except one extremely gifted outlier tells us that the potential isn't all that high. Phelps ability to dominate across 2 different strokes and 3 different distances is unprecedented. Phelps dominance is not at all unlike a sprinter who can dominate in the 100-400 as well as the long jump and triple jump. Comparing those events to totally unrelated sports is absurd hyperbole, because world class sprinters have the potential to compete in these events also, and would no doubt be very good, just not olympic gold good. The same is true for swimmers in all but one case.

[Edited on August 17, 2016 at 7:48 AM. Reason : ]

8/17/2016 7:44:26 AM

I don't even think Team USA basketball can pass Spain this time unfortunately. Spain want a revenge badly.

It's like a great achievement for the international teams kicking US's ass nowadays. Team USA get too relaxed once in a while. US invented the game of basketball, but the rest of the world always want to catch up. And this year is their best chance for a decade or two decades. I bet Spain will give them a lot of trouble or at least tire them out, if they can pass Argentina. Then either Serbia or Croatia will get it done. Poor coach K. He deserves a better ending.

8/17/2016 8:25:57 AM

We are talking about absolute dominance here, nobody is calling Phelps a scrub.

People are just arguing that since Bolt has maxed out his potential for events as a sprinter, he is not able to match Phelps' medal count. However, since he has done everything with absolute ease and sheer domination (including pausing at the finish line for a smile and photo op), if his sport had events with technical variations such as swimming, who is to say that he wouldn't be able to crush that as well. It is all speculation at this point because they have both completely dominated their field. If Bolt had picked up a couple silvers here and there, then people wouldn't be bringing this up, but he hasn't and so a bunch of sports analysts can't help but to compare the two and to ask the what if question.

Yes, you could make the argument of Bolt running the 400 or even the mile, but then you are getting into a completely different body type altogether, of which there is really no precedent for that I am aware of. Whereas the standard body types for athletes that perform the 100-200 m breast, backstroke, freestyle and butterfly are all fairly similar. And, it is not like Phelps is doing distance swimming as well, so that comparison is absurd. Phelps is also more of a sprinter, and swimming just has the option of doing different strokes at the same distance.

[Edited on August 17, 2016 at 8:29 AM. Reason : a]

8/17/2016 8:29:23 AM

That play by the 2 seed Brazilian team last night was out of this world. It's true KWJ & April Ross weren't playing at the top of their game and made a lot of unforced errors, but I still have a hard time thinking that it would have been possible for them to win.

And hot damn, the butts on those Brazilians!

[Edited on August 17, 2016 at 8:52 AM. Reason : ]

8/17/2016 8:52:20 AM

swimming and running are two completely different sports.

8/17/2016 9:07:43 AM

Jesus Christ you guys are insufferable.

8/17/2016 9:44:56 AM

Quote :

"However, since he has done everything with absolute ease and sheer domination"

Didn't Justin Gatlin beat him a few years ago? I'm sure Phelps has lost some non-Olympic races too, but let's not act like Bolt is undefeated throughout his career.

8/17/2016 11:34:32 AM

in volleyball you have to run and dive tho so Walsh is more impressive. Carmelo Anthony is prolly the most dominant Olympian ever though.

8/17/2016 11:55:12 AM

Australia masscred Lithuania on the basketball court.

8/17/2016 12:17:47 PM

The Bolt-Phelps discussion got me thinking. In track and field, you have the decathlon and heptathlon to gauge the supposed ultimate athlete.

If you had a similar event but for the whole range of the Olympics (no one dare say the modern pentathlon), what would it include?

A swimming event.
A track event, maybe two (a sprint event and a distance event), or one track event and one field event.
Individual rowing?
Cycling time trial?
Weightlifting?
Wrestling?
Tennis?

[Edited on August 17, 2016 at 12:27 PM. Reason : .]

8/17/2016 12:22:28 PM

If it's swimming, it needs to be open water swimming, not that pussy ass pool stuff.

[Edited on August 17, 2016 at 12:26 PM. Reason : Let's just all agree that the greatest Olympians are the guys that do the rings. Fuck that shit.]

8/17/2016 12:25:41 PM

^ Okay. Just makes it harder to organize.

8/17/2016 12:26:12 PM

^^^ why not just an Ironman type thing?

8/17/2016 12:37:10 PM

after the regular games are over, names need to be pulled out of the hat to have random athletes compete in totally random sports

who is better at fencing, phelps or french equestrian jumper R. Bost? Is the chinese women's boxing athlete better at swimming than the mexican woman's Taekwondo athlete? who can sail better, the south korean archer or american 50m rifleman? etc

8/17/2016 2:36:30 PM

Quote :

"Judge orders seizure of Lochte's, Feigen's passports over Rio robbery report"

too bad he already back in USA

http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/17/sport/olympics-ryan-lochte-robbery-questions/index.html

8/17/2016 2:45:25 PM

^ verbs aren't really your strong suit are they?

8/17/2016 2:53:41 PM

^oh look at you with your book learnin privilege.

8/17/2016 2:59:13 PM

Quote :

"swimming and running are two completely different sports."

I tried pointing this out as soon as this argument was created, but it didn't work. Makes too much sense, I guess.

8/17/2016 3:44:43 PM

you had plenty of cosigners

Quote :

"comparing two athletes who compete in completely different sports is stupid"

8/17/2016 3:49:41 PM

So how many hookers did Lochte kill?

8/17/2016 5:03:09 PM

I'm about positive it had to be drug related.

He's known to enjoy the pepsi.

8/17/2016 5:59:53 PM

So does Bolt break his WR tonight or what?

8/17/2016 6:52:29 PM

tonigjt? no... cause the final is tomorrow

8/17/2016 7:31:16 PM

wow that's bad ass that girl actually ran a mile with a destroyed knee, that was a touching moment between the two although I'm confused how they made it to the final

8/17/2016 7:55:14 PM

Bolt is not breaking any world records this time around. especially not the 200 m.

The men's 100 m world record has been set 19 times post-1980, whereas the 200 m just 4 times.

8/17/2016 9:34:29 PM

Justin Gatlin

Seems American sprinting is just off this Games. Not sure if the numbers bear that out.

[Edited on August 17, 2016 at 11:18 PM. Reason : .]

8/17/2016 11:08:44 PM

He shouldn't even be allowed to compete. It is seriously messed up that people who cheated in the past by doping are allowed to compete in any competition, let alone the Olympics.

They need to have a zero tolerance policy of "one strike, you are done". Otherwise, some will keep doping, thinking they can return after 4 years if caught.

8/18/2016 12:43:01 AM

An apparent current in the Rio pool almost certainly had an effect on results in 50m races:

http://deadspin.com/did-a-current-in-the-rio-swimming-pool-give-some-swimme-1785432774

8/18/2016 1:19:08 AM

Kinda like wind assistance in track events

8/18/2016 1:24:35 AM

Quote :

"@mattgutmanABC #BREAKING Brazil sources: #RyanLochte + 3 swimmers fabricated robbery story. Video shows swimmer "fighting" w/security at gas station @GMA"

8/18/2016 9:50:24 AM

^rut roh

8/18/2016 10:11:42 AM

Quote :

""fighting""

8/18/2016 10:12:38 AM

Quote :

"Kinda like wind assistance in track events"

Brah, depends on the direction of the current, just like the wind

8/18/2016 10:18:03 AM

If the Lochte et al story is true, why did they ever say anything? Why would you draw attention to yourself? Did they think Brazilian police would not ask to investigate if they said "hey, we got mugged?"

8/18/2016 11:24:37 AM

In theory doesn't that really only affect the 50 meter race? The rest of the races all resulted in the swimmers always returning back no matter the distance so it would essentially cancel itself out(one direction with current but then have to go back against it). And if that is the case the American won from lane 3 in the 50 meters which wasn't suppose to be the lanes assisted with the current. Seems like a lot of wasted scientific energy for something that at this point is totally irrelevant anyway. They won't use that pool ever again for a meaningful race and the medals aren't being taken away.

8/18/2016 11:28:01 AM

Is the sequence of events clearly established here?

[Edited on August 18, 2016 at 11:29 AM. Reason : ^^]

8/18/2016 11:28:30 AM

Ah. Deadspin:

Quote :

"...the important thing to remember is that we never would have heard a word about this if Ryan Lochte hadn’t told his mother. Lochte said they didn’t initially report the robbery “because we were afraid we’d get in trouble,” and it was only after Lochte’s mother talked to the media that the IOC, USOC, and police got involved. Ryan Lochte talked to his mom and started an international incident."

8/18/2016 11:44:47 AM

I bet there is a prostitute angle in Lochte's story.

8/18/2016 11:49:57 AM

8/18/2016 11:55:33 AM

^^He's dating a playboy model who was with him on the trip so...doubtful.

8/18/2016 12:08:34 PM

Brazilian police account:

Say the four went into a gas station, went to use a bathroom, door locked, someone smashed it down. Security guard confronted them, had a pistol, voices raised, but never pulled it out. Store manager comes in and through a customer that acted as interpreter, the swimmers paid the manager to cover the damages. A customer though had phoned the police, who when they showed up, the swimmers had left. There may be video of the whole thing.

The U.S. Olympic Committee and the Rio U.S. Consulate are taking care of the 3 swimmers still there. Lochte’s Florida-based lawyer meanwhile was quoted in the New York Times furiously painting Brazil as a corrupt third-world cesspool.

8/18/2016 12:51:43 PM

You guys watched the completed 360 dunk at the last minutes under coach K's guidance? It's cruel.

8/18/2016 1:32:27 PM

link?

8/18/2016 1:53:08 PM

A part of me thinks:

"It's dudes like Lochte that make Americans look so bad"

But then I am like:

"Wait a minute, the USA tech industry basically spawned what has now become known as the digital revolution"

So, yeah, fuck those Europeans that want to use a couple sour apples like Lochte and the Kardashians to define our entire ethos.


[Edited on August 18, 2016 at 2:21 PM. Reason : a]

8/18/2016 2:20:30 PM

I know plenty of Americans who get drunk, piss on stuff and vandalize it. Europeans too for that matter.

8/18/2016 2:45:27 PM

Quote :

"^^He's dating a playboy model who was with him on the trip so...doubtful."

Gadi Schwartz ?@GadiNBC 6m6 minutes ago
Chief says they believe a motive for the lie may have to do with two young women who bragged about being with swimmers at the party.

8/18/2016 3:22:17 PM

#jesuisbathroomdoor
#notallstalls
#bathroomlinesmatter

8/18/2016 3:30:37 PM

^ I admit... I giggled

8/18/2016 3:48:08 PM

turns out USA never payed for some sugar cane in 1964 so obama is going to fly down a pallet of cash. also plan to get our swimmers back which is unrelated of course

8/18/2016 3:57:22 PM

trying way too hard

8/18/2016 3:59:55 PM