Who is better, Phelps or Gaines?
Michael Phelps leads with a GOAT score of 98.1 against 80.3 for Rowdy Gaines — a gap of 17.8 points on GOAT Rank's weighted model.
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Phelps vs Gaines
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Quick answer
GOAT Rank currently ranks Michael Phelps above Rowdy Gaines: 98.1 vs 80.3. Michael Phelps leads on Longevity, Dominance, Honours.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →GOAT verdictgoatrank.world
PhelpsWinner
98.1Phelps wins: Dominance, Peak, Longevity, Honours, Statistics
Gaines
80.3Gaines wins: no category outright
Candidates
Locked to SwimmingShareable URL · /compare/phelps-vs-rowdy-gaines
Time range
Showing full careers. Pick a window to recalculate the selected period.
Category radar
Verdict
Weighted GOAT score
🇺🇸 Michael Phelps
98.1
Phelps leads in 5 of 5 weighted categories.
1. Michael Phelps
2. Rowdy Gaines
Category breakdown
Season form · Form index per season
Career timeline · Form index per season
Cumulative output season by season — the shape of each career against the other.
GOAT pace tracker
Through age 21 · Form index per season
1. 🇺🇸 Michael Phelps548 major golds
7 seasons by age 21 · 78.3 per season
Setting the pace at age 21
No verified birth date for Gaines — shown in the pro-debut view instead.
Every career is cut at the season the athlete turned 21, so a rookie today is measured against exactly what a legend had banked by the same birthday.
| Metric | PhelpsRetired | GainesRetired |
|---|---|---|
| Olympic golds | 23 | — |
| Olympic medals | 28 | — |
| World titles (LC) | 26 | — |
| World records set | 39 | 11 |
| Olympic Games | 5 | — |
| Golds in one Games | 8 | — |
| Olympic gold medals | — | 3 |
| World Championship golds | — | 3 |
| US national titles | — | 10 |
| Olympic Games contested | — | 1 |
| Dominance w25% | 99 | 80 |
| Peak w20% | 100 | 90 |
| Longevity w20% | 93 | 68 |
| Honours w20% | 100 | 82 |
| Statistics w15% | 98 | 82 |
Fan vote — data vs the people
GOAT Rank · the data
Phelps98.1
Gaines80.3
FAQ
Where does Gaines beat Phelps?
Gaines does not lead any of the five categories; Phelps is ahead or level on all of them.
How is the Phelps vs Gaines score calculated?
Both are scored on peak, dominance, honours, statistics, longevity within their sport. Phelps: 98.1, Gaines: 80.3.
What do you think?
0 commentsMake your case for Phelps vs Gaines. The scoring is published in full — if you can point at the pillar or the weight you disagree with, we read it. Read the methodology paper.