Prompt Cast
The Greatest Olympian of All Time: Michael Phelps
TLDR Michael Phelps is widely considered the greatest Olympian of all time, holding the record for the most Olympic medals won with 23 gold medals and 28 medals overall. He surpassed all other athletes by a significant margin and his achievements in swimming are unparalleled.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The debate over who is the greatest Olympian of all time is explored in this episode.
01:57
Determining the greatest Olympian of all time is difficult due to the unequal nature of sports, the variety of events, and the evolution of the Olympics, but using the metric of total medals won, there is one clear winner.
03:45
Michael Phelps holds the record for the most Olympic medals won, with 23 gold medals and 28 medals overall, surpassing the next closest man by 13 medals and the next closest woman by 10 medals.
05:45
Bob Beeman had one of the greatest single performances in Olympic history when he demolished the world record in the long jump in 1968, a record that still stands today.
07:44
Canadian equestrian athlete Ian Miller holds the record for appearing in the most Olympic games, with a total of ten appearances, while Larissa Latinina and Marit Bjorgan are the top female medal winners in the Summer and Winter Olympics respectively.
09:44
American swimmer Katie Ledecky is likely to become the woman with the most Olympic swimming medals, currently two behind American Jenny Thompson, and there is a possibility that Diana Terrasse and Nino Saluc Vadazi could win their sixth and tenth Olympic appearances respectively.
11:36
Several athletes have won medals at both the summer and Winter Olympics, including Eddie Egan, Lauren Williams, Clara Hughes, and Krista Ludding Rotfelsberger.
