A reader left a comment asking me what I thought about Chris Boardman’s choice of greatest Olympians of all time at the Independent
Boardman’s Choice was
- Steve Redgrace
- Michael Phelps
- Carl Lewis
- Mark Spitz
- A British cyclist (in a few years time)
Choosing the best Olympian or best Cyclist of all time, is the surest way to have an on going debate. There are so many different criteria to choose not least:
- Number of medals
- Type of event, Individual / Team, Short distance / long distance
- Prestige of event
- Amount of competition.
- Number of Olympics
- Personality of athlete.
If the question was “Who is most successful Olympian?”, I would give less weight to personal aspects counting number of medals would suffice. But, since it is ‘Greatest Olympian’ I think it means you can go less on statistics and more on personal favourites.
These are my 10 greatest Olympians of all time, and I’m sure most people will disagree with them.
10 Greatest Olympians of all Time
1. Carl Lewis
9 Gold medals over 4 Olympics, in a diversity of events rarely matched.
- 100m the blue ribband of athletics
- Long Jump
- Sprint Relay
Mixing both track and field the most prestigous events, Lewis also embodied, grace, speed and technique. Carl Lewis Bio
2. Jesse Owens
4 Golds in the 1936 German Olympics was one of the defining Olympic moments of all time. Owens was a great competitor – modest and humble about his own achievements. Jesse Owens Bio
3. Steven Redgrave
5 Successive Golds in 5 Olympics. An unmatched duration of Olympic success. Gold achieved in coxless fours. Although a team effort, it doesn’t undermine the personal effort required.
4. Emil Zatopek
In the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. He won the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon (the first time he had run the event). This was probably the greatest athletic performance of any one Olympic games. In London, 1948, Zatopek won the 10,000m in a world record time, lapping all but two of the field. Emil Zatopek was later sentenced to hard labour for speaking out against the Russian invasion of his home country, Czechoslovakia. Emil Zatopek bio
5. Michael Phelps
14 Gold 2 Bronze 2 – Total 16 medals, Including 8 gold in 2008 Olympics says it all. If he makes it to London 2012, his Gold tally, could become unreachable.
6. Paavo Nurmi
During the 1920s won 9 Olympic Gold and 3 Silver. He won in 5 different events 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, steeplechase and cross-country. Would have won more if he had not been controversially been called a professional by Olympic committee.
7. Mark Spitz - Aged 22 he won seven gold medals in four days at the Munich Olympics, all in world records. He had vowed to make up for winning only two golds, a silver and a bronze at Mexico in 1968.
Gold 9 Silver 1 Bronze 1 Total 11
1968 2 Golds (4x100m free, 4x200m free) 1 Silver (100m butterfly) 1 Bronze (100m free)
8. Michael Johnson
Great Sprint Champion. Gold in 1996 200m and 400m, in effortless style. Retained 400m gold in Sydney. Shame he missed 1992 with virus.
9 Fanny Blankers-Koen
- Four golds at 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and sprint relay. This cheerful Dutch mother and housewife lit up the 1948 ‘austerity Olympics’
10. Miruts Yifter
- Nicknamed ‘Yifter the Shifter’ for his amazing turn of speed in last parts of 5000m or 10000m race. Won a 5000m and 10,000m double at the 1980 Olympics (probably aged 40, although he kept his age a bit of a mystery. . Also won bronze in 1972 at 10,000m but was left sobbing as 5,000m final got under way because he could not find the track entrance.
Other Notable Olympic Athletes.
Lasse Viren - Double win of 5,000m and 10,000m in 1972 and 1976. Fell in his first 10,000m Olympic final in Munich, yet jumped up to win in a world record 27:38.35.
Sebastian Coe - Only man to win successive gold medals in the 1500m in 1980 and 1984
Bob Beamon - Mexico 1972, Bob Beamon recorded a distance of 29ft two-and-a-half inches to take gold at a time when no athlete had jumped further than 28ft. Beamon never again jumped over even 27ft but his record lasted 23 years, until beaten by American Mike Powell.
Abebe Bikila - Won the 1960 Olympic marathon barefoot (only 3rd ever marathon. In 1964 retained title six weeks after appendix operation, setting another world record.
Ed Moses - Supreme 400m hurdler. Won Olympic gold in ’76 and ’84, missing Moscow ’80 because of USA boycott. In 1988 Olympic final he was third .
Florence Griffith-Joyner - Phenomenal performance at 1998 Seoul Olympics. Died of heart attack aged 39. Suspicions over drug use.
Dawn Fraser – Greatest woman swimmer of all time after winning 100m gold medals at three successive Olympics from 1956-64
Daley Thompson Olympic gold in decathlon 1980 and 1984. A larger than life character
Kip Keino – Gold in the 1968 Olympics at1500m and silver in the 5000m. Four years later he demonstrated his phenomenal versatility by triumphing in the 3000m steeplechase and landing silver in the 1500m. Rewrote record books for distance running in the late sixties, before retiring to run an orphanage in Eldoret with his wife.
Olga Korbut – First Russian to smile in competition and as such the six-stone gymnastic waif won the hearts of the world in 1972 when she won two individual golds, team gold, silver and bronze.
Nadia Comaneci – 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci – the first gymnast to achieve the perfect 10 score in Montreal in 1976. Over the course of the Montreal and Moscow games in 1980, she won five gold medals, three silver and one bronze.
MUHAMMAD ALI -As Cassius Clay he eased to the gold medal in the light-heavyweight division at the Rome games in 1960. It is alleged that Ali tossed his medal into the Ohio river in disgust at the racial discrimination he experienced in America. Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic torch at the Atlanta games 1996 , despite suffering from Parkinson’s disease.
RICHARD FOSBURY In 1968 Richard Fosbury re-invented the high jump, winning gold by jumping head first.
Chris Hoy Gold over 4 different track cycling disciplines.
Rebecca Romero. Gold in 2 completely different disciplines – rowing and cycling
Bradley Wiggins – Pursuit Champion 2008
Eric Moussambani Eric from Equatorial Guinea practised in a 20m pool for one hour per week. He raced agains Australian swimming sensation Ian Thorpe in the 100m freestyle.
He flayed around in the water, he almost came to a complete stop 10 from the end, but received a standing ovation from the crowd to carry him home.
He finished in 1min 53 seconds, twice the time of Thorpe.
I must say I really like your list except I would put Jesse Owens first with Emil Zatopek a very close second!
Do you know of the truth about the stories of Emil’s training runs with iron boots in the snow?, or of his sessions running carrying his wife on his back?
Apparently in later life Emil said “he trained too hard”
the pic is Jesse Owens from 1936 Olympics, Berlin
what is this picture of? which year and where?
i need this piture for an essay and if anyone knows can you please post a reply. it would help loads thanx.
I good list – I’m not sure about Phelps he must be a merman not a human