no_quiero,
i won't commit a sin of comparing two sports. i have as much adulation for carl lewis as i have for phelps. if you understand that long jump and a 100m (in track and field) are events of different nature, you should also recognize the fact that not all swimmers can swim a 100 m butterfly or a 4*100m individual medley or a 200 m freestyle with equal flair, conviction and at world record breaking speeds.

if you look at some of the world class swimmers in history, barring spitz, most of them had a good grip in just one or at most two styles. Ian Thorpe for instance was a king of freestyle. He could swim butterfly but not with as much conviction as freestyle. the dude was awarded 'world swimmer of the year' for at least three times, mind you.

look at ryan lochte, another world class swimmer. but he is great only in freestyle. Same applies to Dara Torres.

and here we are doubting on someone (for not being great enough?) who won golds in all the events he participated and broke and made a mockery of all records to surpass what'd been achieved 36 years ago-- when your parents had not yet planned to conceive you? hahahahaha