DISCLAIMER: I am a swimmer and slightly, if not extremely, biased. I respect everyone's opinions and ideas but with the Olympic Games in August, it is a fun conversation to have. However, I firmly believe arguing which athlete is the “greatest of all time” is a waste of time. You just cannot compare athletes by skill between different sports. It is like comparing apples to oranges. Each sport has its essential skills. The only way to compare athletes is to look at three different categories, winning, dominance, and longevity. In my opinion, Michael Phelps wins in all of these categories. Whether you play football, baseball, hockey, badminton, or advanced curling winning means everything. Just by winning alone, Michael Phelps should be considered as one of the G.O.A.T. because, like Lil Wayne says, he "wins no matter what."
Winning
Since swimming can be slightly confusing because of how many championship meets there are in a year, we will only be talking about Olympics accomplishments. First, let’s put the Olympics into perspective. Going to the Olympics is similar to going to the Super Bowl. There is a "playoff" to see which swimmers will represent team USA in the Olympics. Hundreds of swimmers qualify, but Michael is one of the few that have qualified and gone to four Olympics. In comparison Michael has gone to four “Super Bowls” (2000, 2004, 2008, 2012). Not only has he gone to the Olympics, he has dominated. In those four "Super Bowls," he has won 18 gold medals. Consider this, Tom Brady has won four Super Bowls and been named MVP three times. In the same time-span, Michael Phelps has been to four Olympics and has won the most gold medals in swimming in three Olympics (2004, 2008, 2012).
Dominance
The trademark of a true G.O.A.T. is how he or she dominates his or her sport. Truthfully, I have tried to think of a good comparison of someone who was just as dominant as Michael Phelps in a major sport. Unfortunately, there isn't. Dominance does not only mean on the athletic field or court, also includes the media. Michael Phelps not only dominated his sport, he made swimming a relevant sport. His dominance in the water made swimming a relevant and a, somewhat, talked about sport in America. Also, Michael is a 39-time record holder. No other swimmer comes close to accomplishing that mark
.
Longevity
The span of an Olympic athlete is small. The Olympic Games only happen every four years. If an athlete is lucky he or she could qualify and make it to two Olympics. Michael has been to four, starting when he was 15. This summer he might qualify for his fifth Olympic game. For over 16 years, Michael has been the best swimming has to offer. Many swimmers peak between the ages of 21-25. Michael Phelps will be 31 this year. Considered to be an "old man" for swimming, might not be as fast as he once was but he could still win several gold medals in Rio this summer.
Again comparing an athlete's skills between sports is impossible. Who jumps the highest or who can hit a ball farthest is irrelevant. In order to compare athletes you need to only look at three categories, winning, dominance, and longevity. Michael Phelps, in my opinion, has won all three categories and, like his races, it is not even close.
