After looking up some of the best Olympians ever I would rank Phelps 1-2 with Carl Lewis. The only thing detracting from Lewis is that his best results came from the boycotted Los Angeles games in 84.
I do agree with those who say it's almost impossible to rate athletes from one completely different sport with another, but the next time Sports Illustrated or ESPN ranks the top athletes of all-time, I see Phelps and Lewis being 1-2 in terms of amateur athletes.
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