is Usain Bolt a top 5 athlete of all time?

[Timmy D for MVP]

Nobody agrees on the definition of a great athlete that can successfully cross sports. What I consider to be a great athlete will be different than what you do.

That said for the second straight Olympics Bolt has impressed me the most out of anyone. And that's by a wide margin. What he has accomplished in two Olympics has been unreal. Michael Phelps gets a slurpfest here in the U.S. but Bolt is the king imo.

[millwad]

People who mention guys like Babe Ruth and Wayne Gretzky are retarded.. There are few countries where people actually play ice hockey, it's a big sport in like 10 countries in the world, maximum of 15 countries and ice hockey is barely played in Asia, not at all in Africa, not in Oceania and not in South America. Therefor Gretzky is irrelevant.

And baseball is a really an irrelevant sport if you go around the world, Babe Ruth is totally irrelevant and people outside the US has no clue what so ever who the guy was..

[Chalkmaze]

Who gives a shit about the long jump? Nobody has been as dominant as Bolt, just crushing world records and winning every major sprint medal.

I'm more impressed by Mike Powel breaking a record that stood for 20 years http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuBkX...eature=related
than Bolt.

[RedBlackAttack]

People who mention guys like Babe Ruth and Wayne Gretzky are retarded.. There are few countries where people actually play ice hockey, it's a big sport in like 10 countries in the world, maximum of 15 countries and ice hockey is barely played in Asia, not at all in Africa, not in Oceania and not in South America. Therefor Gretzky is irrelevant.

And baseball is a really an irrelevant sport if you go around the world, Babe Ruth is totally irrelevant and people outside the US has no clue what so ever who the guy was..

Unfortunately, you happen to be a member of a site whose posters are probably 95-percent American. Of course any discussion is going to favor sports that are popular in America over whatever is going on in Sweden.

Just so you know, there is no 'right' answer to this. So, with that said, let's hear your non-retarded list of GOAT Swedish athletes. I'm intrigued.

[Jailblazers7]

Lewis won gold in the long jump 4 times and almost did what Bolt did by defending gold in the 100 and came up a bit short in the 200. I'd rank him over Bolt.

[upside24]

Like others have said, Ali, Federer, Jordan, Phelps and Tiger all have a case over him. He is however the fastest man ever and dominates to the point that he cruises in the 200 to wins so he is definitely in contention. He also has a badass name if that counts for anything.

[raiderfan19]

How exactly does Ali have a case as goat athlete when he's pretty universally not considered the goat at his sport???

[RedBlackAttack]

Ali should not be included on the list unless you are taking into account things like social significance, charisma and popularity.

If it is strictly based on how great the athlete was and you want to include boxing, Sugar Ray Robinson is your man.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VLWBVpL23k (seriously.... watch this video. It is SRR in HD)

Even Ali called him "The Greatest."

[RedBlackAttack]

How exactly does Ali have a case as goat athlete when he's pretty universally not considered the goat at his sport???

^^^Beat me to it. In fact, I don't even consider him the GOAT heavyweight. Those would be Jack Johnson and Joe Louis.

Ali was a great, great fighter, but he doesn't belong in this conversation.

[NuggetsFan]

How exactly does Ali have a case as goat athlete when he's pretty universally not considered the goat at his sport???

I've seen that mentioned a few times on ISH. I've literally never watched a full boxing match in my life and have no clue about the sport yet I've always just assumed Ali was the GOAT

Funny how things work.

[Chalkmaze]

If it is strictly based on how great the athlete was and you want to include boxing, Sugar Ray Robinson is your man.

Even Ali called him "The Greatest."

Oh really?

[RedBlackAttack]

I've seen that mentioned a few times on ISH. I've literally never watched a full boxing match in my life and have no clue about the sport yet I've always just assumed Ali was the GOAT

Funny how things work.

He's not even in the Top 5.

[tbc]

hard to say man there are so many that dominated their sport

jordan
phelps
federer
tiger
ali
messi
babe ruth
gretzky
....

what is messi doing on that list?


oh wait you're that barcelona dickrider,move along

[RedBlackAttack]

Oh really?

Yes... Many times.

Ali, who described himself as the Greatest, acknowledged that Robinson's ''matador'' style had been his inspiration in dethroning Sonny Liston as the heavyweight champion in 1964. Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, had asked Robinson to be his manager.

''You are the king, the master, my idol,'' Ali was fond of saying to Robinson.

http://www.nytimes.com/1989/04/13/ob...t-is-dead.html

Pretty well known within boxing circles. He didn't have to call him the best, btw... It is universally acknowledged by those who know the sport.

[Maga_1]

hard to say man there are so many that dominated their sport

jordan
phelps
federer
tiger
ali
messi
babe ruth
gretzky
....

What the hell, Messi and Ali?