that athlete is sport specific and rarely makes the transition to other athletic endeavors.

Let's take BYU's own Shawna Rohbuck (sp?), who was a great heptathlete, and then switched to bobsled and helped win medals in that sport. You have former football/sprinters also making the transition, or Michael Jordan, Bo Jackson and Deion Sanders playing multiple sports.

Or Eric Heiden switching from hockey to speed skating and then in line skating.

If an athlete can't translate the "athleticism" to another sport, is that athlete truly the greatest athlete?

Jim Thorpe, JJK and decathletes should be considered for the all around greatness.

That's not to say gymnasts don't do tremendous feats of acrobaticism and physical strength, because they do, but the feats are sport specific. About the only transition we ever see is the move to diving.