Top Individual Performances of the Decade

1. Usain Bolt - 2008 Olympics

Michael Phelps ....hands down!!! Never been done before, probably won't be done again.

Originally posted by shortcircuit
Michael Phelps ....hands down!!! Never been done before, probably won't be done again.

Yes, I think you are right. I change my vote.

Here's a breakdown of his performance during the 2008 Olympics:

Gold - 400 individual medley; 4:03.84 (WR)
Gold - 4×100 freestyle relay; 3:08.24 (WR)
Gold - 200 freestyle; 1:42.96 (WR)
Gold - 200 butterfly; 1:52.03 (WR)
Gold - 4×200 freestyle relay; 6:58.56 (WR)
Gold - 200 individual medley; 1:54.23 (WR)
Gold - 100 butterfly; 50.58 (OR)
Gold - 4×100 medley relay; 3:29.34 (WR)

Originally posted by Traveling Again
Yes, I think you are right. I change my vote.

Here's a breakdown of his performance during the 2008 Olympics:

Gold - 400 individual medley; 4:03.84 (WR)
Gold - 4×100 freestyle relay; 3:08.24 (WR)
Gold - 200 freestyle; 1:42.96 (WR)
Gold - 200 butterfly; 1:52.03 (WR)
Gold - 4×200 freestyle relay; 6:58.56 (WR)
Gold - 200 individual ...[text shortened]... ey; 1:54.23 (WR)
Gold - 100 butterfly; 50.58 (OR)
Gold - 4×100 medley relay; 3:29.34 (WR)

and consider he had to do all this (along with all the qualifying heats) within a week's time - against opponents who were mostly focusing only on one or two races.

Originally posted by Melanerpes
against opponents who were mostly focusing only on one or two races.

got stats to back that statement up?

if we're talking about performer of the decade then you have to look at tiger woods, lance armstrong, roger federer, micheal phelps. anyone else?

personally i'd have to go with lance armstrong. what he has done in the past 10 years is nothing short of incredible. backed up by a third place at last years tour de france after coming out of retirement. i don't think people understand what it actually takes to win a tour de france never mind finish it and it has won 7 of them.

not tiger woods

Originally posted by sloppyb
not tiger woods

why? how many majors did he win this decade?

Originally posted by trev33
why? how many majors did he win this decade?

that couldnt make up what he did in the last month.

Originally posted by sloppyb
that couldnt make up what he did in the last month.

He didn't have relations with all those women last month. It was simply made public.

Kind of ironic isn't it. When he was doing all the stuff that got him in trouble, he was as popular as ever. When he got caught and probably hasn't misbehaved since, he is looked down upon.

Just goes to show that it really doesn't matter what you do. It only matters what people believe.

Originally posted by sloppyb
that couldnt make up what he did in the last month.

What's that got to do with his sporting acheivements?

For greatest accomplishments in individual sports, I'd go with

1) Lance Armstrong
2) Tiger Woods
3) Roger Federer
4) Michael Phelps

I'd put Phelps #1 easily for performance in a single event- the 2008 Olympics. But the others had to show much more consistency over a long period of time; and so their accomplishments are more impressive.

Bolt has a few great races, but that doesn't raise him to the level of to these 4.

I'd go with Bolt for individual performance. That 100m in the Olympics is probably the most jaw-dropping moment I've seen in any sport in my lifetime.

Originally posted by sh76
For greatest accomplishments in individual sports, I'd go with

1) Lance Armstrong
2) Tiger Woods
3) Roger Federer
4) Michael Phelps

I'd put Phelps #1 easily for performance in a single event- the 2008 Olympics. But the others had to show much more consistency over a long period of time; and so their accomplishments are more impressive.

Bolt has a few great races, but that doesn't raise him to the level of to these 4.

good point- there is a tendency for people to only look at or remember the last few years, but we are talking here about the whole decade ie Jan 2000 to dec 2010 and u cant put phelps there- nor Bolt- both did their stuff in the later part of the decade.

for me its
1.federer
2.woods
3.armstrong

Top Individual Performance of the Decade?

Mmmmmmm....... Robbie Williams was pretty good at Knebworth?

Originally posted by sh76
I'd put Phelps #1 easily for performance in a single event- the 2008 Olympics. But the others had to show much more consistency over a long period of time; and so their accomplishments are more impressive.

I will have to strongly disagree there. While the 2008 Olympics was the highlight of Phelps decade and most watched on TV by the general public, let's not forget he also won 6 Golds in 2004 (8 medals total) and has been dominating the International Swimming circuit since 2003 when he was 18 years old. Since 2003, he has set 37 world records.

From Wiki:

"World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, and American Swimmer of the Year Award in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009. He has won a total of fifty-four career medals thus far in major international competition, forty-five gold, seven silver, and two bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships."

Michael Phelps is by far the most dominant athlete in his sport this decade and that is saying a lot considering this is the decade that has seen the rise and fall/plateau of Roger Federer and Tiger Woods. I do like the Lance Armstrong vote though, and I would likely put him second to Phelps. Had he not been inactive for the latter half of the decade, I might consider him first.

1. M. Phelps
2. L. Armstrong
3. R. Federer
4. T. Woods