While the debate rages over whether Michael Phelps is the greatest Olympian of all time, other athletes and their accomplishments are getting plenty of air time.

Phelps, by virtue of his eight gold medals won in swimming at the Beijing Olympics, and his total of 16 Olympic medals (14 of them gold) is being hailed by many as the greatest of them all.

Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis, Pavo Nurmi, Bjorn Dahlie and Mark Spitz among others, have all been mentioned as those Phelps has surely surpassed.

One name is confoundingly omitted from the discussion. And that name is one North Country Olympic buffs surely will remember -- Eric Heiden.

Heiden turned in one of the most amazing performances in Olympic history when he won five gold medals at the Winter Games in Lake Placid in 1980.

He won all five of the speedskating events that were held at the time; the 500-, 1,000-, 1,500-, 5,000- and 10,000-meter races, shattering the 10,000-meter record.

What made Heiden's feat so impressive was that it was done at all of the distances practiced in the sport.

Sure, Phelps won his medals by performing all four swimming strokes, but he competed in no race longer that 400 meters.

If Phelps is a machine, Heiden was the manufacturer.

The then 21-year-old used his 27-inch thighs to power his way around the glistening speedskating oval in Lake Placid in all of the distances.

In an interview with the Press-Republican's Joe LoTemplio on the 25th anniversary of the Lake Placid games three years ago, Heiden summed up the reason for his versatility thusly; "If you have a good stride and are efficient, you can compete in the sprints. To do well in the distance events is all a matter of how hard you want to work."

It is evident from his majestic performance that Heiden worked plenty hard. Not only that, he had to deal with the elements of winter in an outdoor sport and was vulnerable to the ice surface where the smallest of cracks or bumps could have derailed his blades.

The pool at the Water Cube in Beijing appeared comfortable and the atmosphere controlled.

Heiden also did not have the luxury of racing against all of his top opponents side-by-side, as Phelps did, which proved to be beneficial in the 100-meter butterfly, where Phelps literally won by a fingernail.

Speedskaters race two at a time against the clock, which can make it difficult to catch the unseen leader.