Is Lance the greatest American athlete of all time?

[hemstock]

Funny thing is no one in Europe takes this seriously or even cares.
He's good at what he does but there's no competition in this "sport".

[Jules22]

hes a machine in terms of endurance and stuff, but dont let the media make u think anybody gave a [censored] about this guy until he got cancer and dont let them make u think anyone will give a [censored] for next years tour de france. cycling sucks.

[ClaytonN]

According to Wall Street Journal:

One of the most remarkable physical specimens in the world is the great bicyclist Lance Armstrong. Armstrong's heart is 20% larger than a normal person's, and his body produces one-third less lactic acid than do the bodies of other top cyclists. He can also send oxygen from the lungs to his leg muscles at a genetically freakish rate*. It's thought that each one of these physical attributes exists in only a few hundred people on earth. Walker quotes one doctor, who says of Armstrong that, in terms of his physical capabilities, "He's probably one in a billion."

* - added in, 'cuz I read it in the paper but it wasnt cited in the above selection.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
According to Wall Street Journal:

One of the most remarkable physical specimens in the world is the great bicyclist Lance Armstrong. Armstrong's heart is 20% larger than a normal person's, and his body produces one-third less lactic acid than do the bodies of other top cyclists. He can also send oxygen from the lungs to his leg muscles at a genetically freakish rate*. It's thought that each one of these physical attributes exists in only a few hundred people on earth. Walker quotes one doctor, who says of Armstrong that, in terms of his physical capabilities, "He's probably one in a billion."

* - added in, 'cuz I read it in the paper but it wasnt cited in the above selection.

[/ QUOTE ]

I read that too. Pretty interesting. I think I remember reading something about Prefontaine that he had those same freakish characterisitcs. It kinda makes you wonder how he'd have done as a cyclist, especially since he really wan't built to run.

[ThaSaltCracka]

Ali
Jim Thorpe
Jim Brown
Willie Mays

[CollinEstes]

I was wondering how long this thread would last without someone mentioning Ali.

He would be my pick.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
I was wondering how long this thread would last without someone mentioning Ali.

He would be my pick.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was a great fighter, but wouldn't even make my top 10 for great athletes.

[Uston]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
According to Wall Street Journal:

One of the most remarkable physical specimens in the world is the great bicyclist Lance Armstrong. Armstrong's heart is 20% larger than a normal person's, and his body produces one-third less lactic acid than do the bodies of other top cyclists. He can also send oxygen from the lungs to his leg muscles at a genetically freakish rate*. It's thought that each one of these physical attributes exists in only a few hundred people on earth. Walker quotes one doctor, who says of Armstrong that, in terms of his physical capabilities, "He's probably one in a billion."

* - added in, 'cuz I read it in the paper but it wasnt cited in the above selection.

[/ QUOTE ]

I read that too. Pretty interesting. I think I remember reading something about Prefontaine that he had those same freakish characterisitcs. It kinda makes you wonder how he'd have done as a cyclist, especially since he really wan't built to run.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you want to go back a few years, there were a lot of stories about Miguel Indurain's freakishness. I seem to remember something about a resting pulse of 27.

[ThaSaltCracka]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I was wondering how long this thread would last without someone mentioning Ali.

He would be my pick.

[/ QUOTE ]

He was a great fighter, but wouldn't even make my top 10 for great athletes.

[/ QUOTE ]He definitely makes my top ten because of the sheer toughness and physical strength/endurance needed to be a heavyweight boxer. A few years ago, ESPN.com rated boxing as the hardest overall sport.

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
If you want to go back a few years, there were a lot of stories about Miguel Indurain's freakishness. I seem to remember something about a resting pulse of 27.

[/ QUOTE ]

That's just scary. He better not sit still too long or it may just stop altogether. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

What about Yiannis Kouros, an ultrarunner? Not American, but talk about domination. He has over 150 world records, including running over 1000 km in 6 days and over 1000 miles in 10 days. That's just crazy talk.