Which events can spawn the most golds?

[Aiden]

I asked my gymnastics question because I was wondering who could possibly beat Michael Phelps record someday (of course that record may still grow for a while). Swimming allows this possibility, unlike most other sports. That's not to downplay Phelps' accomplishment though.

Could a track athlete do it? Or what about a gymnast? Speedskater? Skier?

[imaginative]

I assume that we talk total golds, not golds in one game.

Skiers could do it. Notably, both Aamodt (alpine) and Bjørndalen
(biathlon) have sufficiently large medal counts to prove the
possibility even in modern times. A skater would also be a
possibility, although the sport may have matured too far by now.

For athletes and gymnasts, I have doubts that they could last
sufficiently long at a sufficiently high level. A second Carl Lewis is
unlikely (although, conceivably, a women could still do something
similar). The only hope would be a long distance runner: It would be
conceivable that a Bekele or Geb could take 3000/5000/10000 at 20 and
24, 5000/10000 at 28, 10000/Marathon at 32, and Marathon at 36---if
everything panned out in near impossible perfection.

(Athletics also has worse schedule problems than swimming.)

All things considered, I think our best bet to beat Phelps would be
another swimmer.

[gh]

I'd have to say that fishing probably has the highest spawning rate.

[ponytayne]

No way a distance runner does it. If it's coming from a track athlete it's going to be a sprint/jump combo guy like a Carl Lewis. 100,200,4x100, and LJ. That's the only way anyone is getting 3 or more medals from track and field at all...of any color. Besides, there is no 3000m race, unless you were talking about the steeple chase, and I dont see a steeple champion becoming a 10,000champ ever. I could POSSIBLY see a 3000SC and 5000 double, but that's it.

[SQUACKEE]

I'd have to say that fishing probably has the highest spawning rate.

You should get the hook for that line and stinker. :P

[imaginative]

No way a distance runner does it. If it's coming from a track athlete it's going to be a sprint/jump combo guy like a Carl Lewis. 100,200,4x100, and LJ. That's the only way anyone is getting 3 or more medals from track and field at all...of any color. Besides, there is no 3000m race, unless you were talking about the steeple chase, and I dont see a steeple champion becoming a 10,000champ ever. I could POSSIBLY see a 3000SC and 5000 double, but that's it.

Oops. I forget that there are no 3000m in the olympics. Nevertheless,
I think that with the increasing competition, the chances of a (male)
Lewis-like ahtlete bettering Lewis are neglible. Distance runners
have the advantage that they have the potential for longer careers,
and in combination with the _relatively_ easy doubles in the 5000 and
10000...

However, without the 3000m (I agree about the steeple-chase) the
chance goes from miniscule to zero.

Possibly, a multiple gold winner in sprints and bob-sleigh?

(Altenatively, with the introduction of indoor athletics competitions
in the winter olympics :-))

[marndar]

I would think a gymnast could do it, especially on the men's side with six individual events. Conceivably a great gymnast on the best team in the world cold win eight in a single Games (team, all-around and each of the six individual apparatus golds). And since men's gymnasts can compete in several Olympiads, perhaps a gymnast could get 12-15 golds over three Olympics. It seems improbable but that's one possibility.

[Halfmiler2]

Doesn't a Russian gymnist have the all-time medal record with 18 ?

[imaginative]

The gymnast are indeed at the top, cf.
http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/
http://www.sports-reference.com/olympic ... ina-1.html

However, could they reach those numbers today? My gut feeling is
``no''---but I have to admit that I know too little about gymnastics.

[bijanc]

Passing Phelps

A speed skater or a great short sprinter/LJ combo. Would take a few Olympaids f/ the latter.

Other great Olympians, but who were limited to one piece of hardware per Games (which NBC is somewhat overlooking in this count frenzy) were Laszlo Papp, Teofilo Stevenson, Theresa Edwards, and now Lisa Leslie.

Nurmi, Virden, Zatopek, Ottey, JJK had far fewer race (or event, in JJK's case)opportunities than Spitz and Phelps, not that the swimmers aren't great. Golds-per-race and medals-per-race would be a nice comparison.

[Mennisco]

I'd have to say that fishing probably has the highest spawning rate.

You should get the hook for that line and stinker. :P

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... achine.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook,_Line_and_Stinker

VERY clever, Mr. Squackee!!

8-)

[Alan Shank]

Here's a question: did Mark Spitz have the option of competing in 8 events, like Phelps is doing? IOW, does Phelps have the opportunity to break Spitz' record because they added an event not available to Spitz?

It seems to me that swimming has a huge number of events that are essentially the same thing.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

[Mennisco]

It seems to me that swimming has a huge number of events that are essentially the same thing.
Cheers,
Alan Shank

Who was the last swimmer, male or female, to hold a WR or win Olympic Golds in the 100 breast and 100 free? 100 breast and 100 back? 100 breast, and 100 fly?

Which is more common, Olympic/WC 100/200 track winners, or Olympic/WC doublers in the 100 breast/100 other stroke?

Or how about these, compared to 100breast/100 other stroke?

Track:

200/400
400/800
800/1500
1500/5000
5000/10,000
100/LJ
SP/Discus
100/110H/100H

Anybody?

[George P.]

Swimming used to be dominated by the very young -- often literally by boys and girls. When they got into their 20s they had to move on because either they needed a job to pay the bills, or because younger "sharks" than themselves were overtaking them.

This paradigm no longer seems to hold. Some swimmers remain elite into their 30s. (The American team includes a 41 year old woman whose first OG was 1988.)

So a guy like Phelps, if he choses to stay with it and doesn't get bored, could still be at it for the next 3 or 4 Games. (But I'm bored with him, so I hope he doesn't.)

[Halfmiler2]

Maybe Olympic Track & Field has to bring a few events back like the standing high jump and standing long jump to create more multiple medal opportunities. :lol: