Michael Phelps breaks Olympic record set by Leonidas of Rhodes in 152 BC
26 replies, posted
[t]http://i.imgur.com/eYhxdJx.jpg[/t]
[url]http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/12/sports/olympics/michael-phelps-200-im-ryan-lochte-leonidas.html[/url]
[quote]The 200-meter individual medley field was chasing Michael Phelps, who powered past Leonidas of Rhodes.
Leonidas won 12 individual events over four Olympics. At 36, five years older than Phelps, he won his last three golds in 152 B.C, in races of about 200 and 400 meters and in a shield-carrying race. Phelps surpassed Leonidas, winning his 13th individual gold (and 22nd gold overall and 26th medal). With the victory, Phelps also joined the track and field Olympians Al Oerter and Carl Lewis as the only Americans to win an individual event four times.[/quote]
That's 2168 years for those wondering.
I'm astounded they have Olympic records that go back that far.
modern Olympics needs to bring back shield carrying races. or maybe the modern equivalent: running with a full military loadout
I like how this is impressive regardless of the veracity of the initial record.
Either Leonidas of Rhodes really did get this record back then and it's amazing it took anyone this look to beat him, or the record was completely made up and humanity has effectively risen to the point where we can beat legends with real people.
Michael Phelps is a fucking machine and this record is completely insane to break.
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;50870488]or the record was completely made up and humanity has effectively risen to the point where we can beat legends with real people.[/QUOTE]
The Mountain did it.
[url]http://ironmind.com/news/Hafthor-Wins-Worlds-Strongest-Viking-Sets-Sights-on-Worlds-Strongest-Man/[/url]
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;50870488]Either Leonidas of Rhodes really did get this record back then and it's amazing it took anyone this look to beat him, or the record was completely made up and humanity has effectively risen to the point where we can beat legends with real people.[/QUOTE]
Sort of like [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpUrXJNcS_8]Hafthór Björnsson[/url] beating that 1,000 year old record from the Icelandic Sagas for carrying a 1,500lb log. And according to the sagas, the dude even broke his back in the process.
[editline].[/editline]
Damn you OvB
[QUOTE=Ninja Gnome;50870478]modern Olympics needs to bring back shield carrying races. or maybe the modern equivalent: running with a full military loadout[/QUOTE]
I just want them all naked again
[QUOTE=OvB;50870535]The Mountain did it.
[url]http://ironmind.com/news/Hafthor-Wins-Worlds-Strongest-Viking-Sets-Sights-on-Worlds-Strongest-Man/[/url][/QUOTE]
I'm pretty sure Hafthór Björnsson actually is a fictional character who accidentally ended up in our own realm of existence so I'm not sure he counts.
[QUOTE=Ganerumo;50870598]I'm pretty sure Hafthór Björnsson actually is a fictional character who accidentally ended up in our own realm of existence so I'm not sure he counts.[/QUOTE]
seeing as how he's half-thor, you might be onto something.
To think people thought this guy lost it after that whole pot smoking incident.
[QUOTE=pentium;50870656]To think people thought this guy lost it after that whole pot smoking incident.[/QUOTE]
iirc he just lost a few promotions and got taken off the wheaties box.
He also had two DUI's.
[editline]11th August 2016[/editline]
He said himself in a pre-race interview that he had hit rock bottom.
[QUOTE=pentium;50870656]To think people thought this guy lost it after that whole pot smoking incident.[/QUOTE]
The magical powers of weed and eating a lot.
He's going for another gold tomorrow as well. This man is insane.
This guy
[t]https://usatftw.files.wordpress.com/2015/12/screen-shot-2015-12-16-at-3-47-36-pm.png?w=1000&h=550[/t]
beating a 2,000 year old record.
Fucking amazing times.
Weed is truly the miracle leaf.
It was probably sea weed.
Despite all the shittiness of pre-Olympics, the real Olympics seem to be going fairly good. But I don't think we've got to the river events yet.
I remember watching the race actually. He was his full body length ahead of the other swimmers, and that's realllllly fucking impressive. Imagine being the world champion at something... and by such a large margin.
Imagine being the best person at something that there ever has been in all of the human race's history.
[QUOTE=DaCommie1;50870466]I'm astounded they have Olympic records that go back that far.[/QUOTE]
Considering they obviously didn't have stopwatches back then :v:
What the fuck? How did they track time so precisely back there and then?
[QUOTE=Bat-shit;50872868]What the fuck? How did they track time so precisely back there and then?[/QUOTE]
Hellenic magic. :v:
They didn't, Leonidas just held the record of most Olympic crowns (gold medals) till now. He wasn't even a swimmer, he just competed in three types of foot races in 4 different Olympiads.
It's even more impressive if you consider the fact that Leonidas was restricted to three events, whereas Phelps has way more options.
[QUOTE=phaedon;50872928]Hellenic magic. :v:
They didn't, Leonidas just held the record of most Olympic crowns (gold medals) till now. He wasn't even a swimmer, he just competed in three types of foot races in 4 different Olympiads.
It's even more impressive if you consider the fact that Leonidas was restricted to three events, whereas Phelps has way more options.[/QUOTE]
Doesn't that actually kind of make it less impressive?
I mean it's still totally incredible but wouldn't that give Phelps way more opportunities to beat the record?
--edit--
My bad, misread.
[QUOTE=Colliseemoe;50873416]Doesn't that actually kind of make it less impressive?
I mean it's still totally incredible but wouldn't that give Phelps way more opportunities to beat the record?[/QUOTE]
Yeah, I meant that Leonidas' record was even more impressive considering that there weren't a ton of variants. The same applies to the Modern Olympics, most athletes won't be able to compete in as many events as swimmers do.
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