Because of the number of events featured at the Olympic Games, it is impossible to credit every athlete or achievement. In no way does the selection of athletes for this article detract from the remarkable achievements of others not included In no specific order follows a list of athletes all deserving of their place as Great Olympians, Past & Present.
Carl Lewis (U.S.A.)
Carl Lewis won a total of 9 gold medals and 1 silver medal during a career that spanned four Olympics between 1984 and 1996, with this tally being limited due to the American boycott of the 1980 games in Moscow. Lewis’ achievement of 4 consecutive gold medals in the long jump remains an Olympic Track and Field record.
Michael Phelps (U.S.A.)
In the 2004 Athens Olympics, 19 year old Michael Phelps only just failed to equal the record of seven gold medals in the pool, but did, however, set a record for the most medals by an American during a single Olympiad by winning 6 gold and 2 bronze medals for a total of 8. Phelps will be competing in Beijing and is strongly favored to add to his medal count.
Nadia Comaneci (Romania)
Not often can a gymnast claim perfection, but 15 year old Nadia Comaneci managed this a number of times during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She scored perfect 10’s on 7 occasions in her events and ended up with 5 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals spanning two Olympiads.
Sir Steve Redgrave (Great Britain)
British Oarsman Steve Redgrave remains the only Olympian to have won gold medals at 5 consecutive Olympic Games, beginning with victory in the coxless fours event at the 1984 Olympiad in Los Angeles and culminating in a memorable victory in the coxless pairs event in Sydney in 2000 at the age of 38. Redgrave was honored with a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2001.
Michael Johnson (U.S.A.)
Atlanta 1996 saw Michael Johnson become the first athlete ever to win both the 200m and 400m events at the same Olympiad. He then retained his 400m title in Sydney in 2000, becoming the first athlete to achieve this feat as well. In total, Johnson won 5 Olympic gold medals.
Fanny Blankers-Koen (Holland)
In 1999 Fanny Blankers-Koen was voted Female Athlete of the Century by the I.A.A.F., with her contribution at the 1948 London Olympic Games being the pinnacle of her career. Blankers-Koen dominated the track events in London, winning 4 gold medals – a number that could have been greater, but for her ineligibility for the high jump or long jump events, where she held World records, because of regulations limiting the number of events in which an athlete could participate.
Mark Spitz (U.S.A.)
After not living up to his own expectations in Mexico City in 1968, where he won 2 gold medals, swimmer Mark Spitz returned at the 1972 Munich Olympiad to win 7 gold medals – an Olympic Swimming record that remains unsurpassed.
Jesse Owens (U.S.A.)
Native American Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals in Track and Field at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, despite being surrounded by uniformed Nazi officers and racist propaganda. So dominant was Owens’ performance, and the respect he earned among the German public, that there remains a street bearing his name in Berlin.
The 2008 edition of the Olympic Games in Beijing promises to bring about more performances of individual and team brilliance, every possibility existing that a few more names could be added to the list of Greatest Olympians in History after the event, which begins with the opening ceremony on August 8.
