For an Olympic Games that was freighted with so many drawbacks, Rio 2016 emerged with a load of superlatives. It was so rich with exceptional performances that there were debates about who was the best of the best.
The Greatest Olympian Ever: Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt? I lean toward Bolt, because all of humankind lives and moves on land masses, and he is the fastest ever to set his foot on the ground. He proved it nine times without fail in three Olympics, all the while entertaining us in Muhammad Ali–like fashion. Every time Bolt accelerated away from the rest of the best, it took your breath away. Phelps collected more gold than King Solomon, but comparatively few countries breed swimmers, and all the different strokes and relays presented him the opportunities to collect a staggering 28 Olympic medals. I’ve heard the butterfly compared to the hurdles — something Bolt has never run — but the Jamaican jet still has my vote.
What about the “World’s Greatest Athlete,” the title bestowed on the winner of the Olympic decathlon? Ashton Eaton moved to the forefront of past greats Bob Mathias and Daley Thompson, the only others to win back-to-back gold medals. Eaton’s accomplishments are underappreciated because the decathlon is a drawn-out accumulation of runs, jumps, vaults, and throws. NBC’s Rowdy Gaines made each Phelps race sound like the Second Coming. Trying to explain the scoring of the decathlon, the track announcers were all facts and no fever.