Who was really the best athlete — Mark Spitz, who won seven gold medals in the 1972 Munich Olympics, or Michael Phelps, who won eight gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics?
Phelps had the advantage of a superior body, with an arm span 3 inches longer than his 6-foot-4-inch body length. He is reported to have oversized lungs and a metabolism that produces more energy then most humans. His recovery time, measured by medical scientists, is off the charts. His hands are as big as dinner plates to scoop that water and his size 14 feet are like flippers. He is reported to also have superflexibility in his ankle and knee joints.
Spitz had a normal body with no special physical gifts. Spitz did not have a high-tech swimsuit that has been compared to the skin of a dolphin and produces less drag than other suits.
Spitz did not have the special foods and advanced training methods that Phelps has today with state-of-the-art computers analyzing every minute detail of a swimmer.
The bottom line is that Spitz had fewer physical attributes to work with, but he was able to pull it off and become a great champion. Still, Phelps is an American icon who will be revered by most everyone who has a TV set or can read.
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