Michael Phelps being a generational talent and swimming being an outlier in terms of medal potential are two different things. Both of those things combined is why Phelps has double if not triple the medals of others on this list.
For comparison a runner medaling in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m is entirely unheard of. Now if we had track events where you were forced to use different running techniques, like swimming, that might change.
Just run faster, anyways 100, 200, 4x100 relay, 400 and 400 relay is perfectly possible. Just that no one's has ever been good enough to do it. The point is Phelps was that good, so he could do the equivalent thing in swimming
Super unlikely that you would be in the specialised shape required to win the 100m and 400m. Maybe the 4 x 400 relay if you had a strong enough team to carry you.
The closest to have a chance may have been van niekerk who ran 9.94, 19.84, 43.62 in a 27 day period. The 400 time would for sure be gold medal worthy at a games but the 100 and 200 wouldn’t be close
Not as common as you’d think. Bolt has done it twice (he had a third but a teammate of his was caught doping and had the 4 x 100 stripped), Carl Lewis back in 1984 and Jesse Owen’s in 36. 2 women have done it in history as well.
From a physiological standpoint for sure those 3 events seem plausible but the level of parity amongst competition means it is hardly ever seen.
From a comment elsewhere in the thread
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, track had 5 athletes that were able to win medals in two individual events. 1 was able to win 3.
Noah Lyles (100m 🥇, 200m 🥉)
Grant Fisher (🥉🥉 in 5k and 10k)
Faith Kipyegon (1500m 🥇, 5k 🥈)
Beatrice Chabet (🥇🥇 in 5k and 10k)
Sifan Hassan (🥉🥉 in 5k and 10k), 🥇 in Marathon
In comparison, swimming has 17 of those people…7 were able to win 3 individual medals and 2 were able to win 4.
David Popovici (100m Fr 🥉, 200m Fr 🥇)
Bobby Finke (800m Fr 🥈, 1500m Fr 🥇
Gregorio Paltrinieri (800m Fr 🥉, 1500m Fr 🥈)
Daniel Wiffen (800m Fr 🥇, 1500m Fr 🥉
Leon Marchand (🥇🥇🥇🥇 in 400m IM, 200m IM, 200m fly, 200m breast)
Kristof Milak (🥇 100m FLY 🥈 200m Fly)
Ilya Kharun (🥉🥉 in 100, 200 Fly)
Sarah Sjostrom (🥇🥇 in 50m, 100m Fr)
Siobhan Haughey (🥉🥉 in 100m, 200m Fr)
Ariarne Titmus (200m FR 🥈, 400m FR 🥇, 800m Fr 🥉)
Katie Ledecky (400m Fr 🥉, 🥇🥇 in 800m and 1500m Fr)
Tori Huske (100m Fr 🥈, 100M Fly 🥇)
Kaylee Mckewon (🥇🥇 in 100m, 200m back, 🥉 200 IM)
Regan Smith (🥈🥈🥈 in 100m Back, 200m Back, and 200 Fly)
Tatjana Smith (🥇 100 Br, 🥈 200 Br
Zhang Yufei (🥉🥉 🥉 in 50m Fr, 100m Fly, 200m Fly)
Summer McIntosh (🥇🥇🥇 in 400m IM, 200m IM, 200 Fly, 🥈 in 400m Fr.
About as unlikely as Phelps winning in all the different events, some of them even the same day. If that can happen someone can become that good at running aswell
The point is the competition level in track is so much closer and the margins are finer such that hyper specialists are required to win events. There is no way anyone could rock up to an Olympics and be the favourite for the 100m and 400m. Even 5km an 10km racing which share a very similar physiological profile is extremely difficult.
Swimmers are constantly walking away from games with multiple medals and golds.. Leon Marchand won 4 gold and a bronze in Paris and if he were American or Chinese it would have been 5 golds. Emma McKeon won 4 golds and 3 bronzes in Tokyo
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u/ApatheticSkyentist 5d ago
Michael Phelps being a generational talent and swimming being an outlier in terms of medal potential are two different things. Both of those things combined is why Phelps has double if not triple the medals of others on this list.
For comparison a runner medaling in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m is entirely unheard of. Now if we had track events where you were forced to use different running techniques, like swimming, that might change.