Guy in my office just said Phelps wasn't a great athlete because, unlike Jordan Gretzky and Pele, defenses weren't designed to stop him.
I just ...can't
that comes from an article posted today saying he's the greatest Olympian ever but not the greatest athlete. and the article makes a lot of sense because he has no one game-planning to stop him. he doesn't have to contend with defenses and change his strategy to swim fast. every pool is the same.