# The "Michael Phelps" of other countries? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 5, 2012, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470 "2012-08-05T00:58:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Alka\_Seltzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c89c15/32.png) [@Alka\_Seltzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alka_Seltzer)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/21 "2012-08-05T18:23:02Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > You’re also the person that decided what they thought about the opening ceremony over an hour before it finished and decided that it was “amatuer”. So forgive me for thinking you don’t ‘get’ a lot, and if I don’t read any further. Try reading for comprehension. I did find parts of the opening ceremony a bit amateurish. I also thought that was a good thing, as I said in that OP. I made many positive comments about it in that thread. I posted that OP after the main artistic part of the ceremony was complete. ---
**Author:** ![Carmady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f04885/32.png) [@Carmady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carmady)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/22 "2012-08-05T21:20:31Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I still don’t get why people are ignoring the OP and posting about athletes from previous Olympics. I think it is supposed to be about media coverage in this Olympics. Unfortunately, most people only read the title of a thread before responding. Reading the OP is considered too strenuous. I was curious which athletes were getting a big media push in other countries as well. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/23 "2012-08-05T21:28:28Z")
I think it’s safe to say Jamaica’s headline athlete is Usain Bolt. The guy can run a little. ---
**Author:** ![RedFury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ec9cab/32.png) [@RedFury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedFury)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2012, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/24 "2012-08-05T21:33:05Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > I think it’s safe to say Jamaica’s headline athlete is Usain Bolt. The guy can run a little. No kidding. I just watched the race and saw everyone _but him_. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/25 "2012-08-06T00:35:00Z")
Has Andy Murray been getting a lot of attention in England or was the focus on that heptathlon girl(who won, by the way)? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/26 "2012-08-06T01:10:43Z")
> [@astorian](#): > > This is as silly as people asserting that Phelps MUST be the greatest Olympian ever just because he has so MANY more gold medals than anyone else. > > Each sport is different. SOME allow a guy to compete for MANY medals in one year. Others don’t. In SOME, it’s possible to remain at the top for over a deacade; in others, that’s impossible. > > Phelps IS a phenomenal athlete and deserves all his accolades… but he’s also very lucky to be a participant in a sport that allows people to compete in so many events every four years. In theory, a superb swimmer can win 7-10 medals at any one Olympiad. Agreed. I’d say the same regarding Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis, which is not to take anything away from either of them or Phelps. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 4:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/27 "2012-08-06T04:44:32Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Has Andy Murray been getting a lot of attention in England or was the focus on that heptathlon girl(who won, by the way)? Murray has had a fair bit of attention, but not much compared to “that heptathlon girl”. Her name is Jessica Ennis, or just plain Jess. She might be Dame Jessica before the year is out, if she wants to be. ---
**Author:** ![PrettyVacant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/49beb7/32.png) [@PrettyVacant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PrettyVacant)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 7:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/28 "2012-08-06T07:42:47Z")
Jess Ennis has had the greatest burden of expectation leading up to the Games but becasue of this conveyor belt of medals GB is picking up, the spotlight isn’t dwelling for too long - “back to” … the velodrome, or Wimbledon, of Eton Dorney, or Weymouth. She was also one third of a truely bonkers night in the stadium and the foucs was as much on the whole as the indiv parts of that 3 Gold haul. I’m quite looking forward to the trainwreck or crowning of Phillips ‘Hatstand’ Idowu now, as well as anything Perri Shakes-Drayton achieves in the 400 or relay. Not to mention Mo Part II. ---
**Author:** ![Novelty\_Bobble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Novelty\_Bobble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Novelty_Bobble)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/29 "2012-08-06T11:54:24Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > I’m quite looking forward to the trainwreck or crowning of Phillips ‘Hatstand’ Idowu now, as well as anything Perri Shakes-Drayton achieves in the 400 or relay. Not to mention Mo Part II. Indeed, though Philips is in grave danger of being “irrelevant” himself! He has been overshadowed by performances elsewhere and maybe he is not as prominent on the radar as he’d like to be. Certainly if he fails to perform at all the public will shrug their shoulders, roll their eyes and say “so what?” (rather like the GB footy team). He has to win to make any real impression at all. Really hope that Mo can do the double, that would be very special indeed. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/30 "2012-08-06T12:55:22Z")
Egads. Three consecutive days of Culson in the front page of San Juan’s main newspaper. Saturday and Sunday for his _heats_ on Friday and Saturday, respectively, and today telling everyone “Tune In At 3:45” Of course once he does medal then I’ll have to stock up for the 3 days I won’t be able to get out on the streets when he returns… ---
**Author:** ![Labrador\_Deceiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7c8e57/32.png) [@Labrador\_Deceiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Labrador_Deceiver)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2012, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470/31 "2012-08-06T16:29:38Z")
> [@PrettyVacant](#): > > He won one event at three Olympics, which means he proved best over an 8-year spread (aged 19 to 27). Still, I’d probably think that his most significant .achievement. He did that in two events, not one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-michael-phelps-of-other-countries/630470.md?page=1)