You want to talk about a crowded field? It’s this one. If ever there was a crowded field of talent, near impossible to choose the best of the best, it’s this one. But we’ll give it a try anyway, and offer up our suggestions for the 10 greatest Olympians of all time.
10 Top Olympians
First off, this list is not necessarily in order…as if choosing just 10 wasn’t enough, then try to choose who is better than each best!? Secondly, you should know, we took it easy on ourselves and kept the list restricted to contenders in the “modern” Olympic games only. And now, here they are…in no particular order….even though they’re numbered…
Michael Phelps. It’s tough to leave Michael off a list like this, considering his record-breaking performances, and also coupling that with the actual number of unique events he participates in. The man simply does more and wins more, and has the medals to prove it.
Jesse Owens. Jesse not only had the courage to be a dedicated athlete, but he also had the courage to defy the race barrier…not only in his native U.S., which was bad enough in the 1930′s, but also in Hitler’s Germany, where he won 4 medals in track and field in 1936.
Mark Spitz. Without Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps wouldn’t have so many records to break. Phelps upped Spitz’s record of number of gold medals won in one Olympics by just one, and Spitz has maintained a tie for the total number of medals won for decades.
Nadia Comaneci. When Nadia scored her perfect 10 in women’s gymnastics, the board was not even capable of displaying it….no one was ever expected to accomplish that feat.
Sonja Henie. She’s been forgotten by many by now, but Henie, a female ice skater, did worlds to move the women’s sport while also being a big medal-winner at a very early age (competing first at the early age of 11, and winning gold by 15).
Eric Heiden. Heiden, an American speed skater, was the first to 5 individual golds during the 1980 Lake Placid games.
Carl Lewis. For four straight Olympics, Carl Lewis was “the face of the Olympic Games”. Like Phelps, he excelled in a crowded field of competition under a grueling competition schedule.
Larissa Latynina. Latynina had a medal average of 6 medals per game for 3 straight Olympics from 1956 to 1964 in gymnastics. She totaled 18 medals, 9 of them gold.
Alberto Tomba. Tomba makes the list for his skiing prowess, but moreover for his sheer enthusiasm and charisma, something of a hallmark of the games.
Evgeni Plushenko. There are many skaters from the former Soviet nations who probably deserve a spot on this list, both male and female alike. Being a list of individuals, though, we’ll suffice to let Plushenko represent that steam-roller talent that has so dominated the field throughout the years.
These are simply 10 top Olympian suggestions, really…feel free to add to the list, argue the merits, or devise a list all your own, but any way you slice it, these are 10 who deserve our respect and admiration for their Olympic contributions.
M. Ward blogs on ways to find and enroll in schools offering an online masters in sports management.
The Ten Greatest Olympians of All Time
You want to talk about a crowded field? It’s this one. If ever there was a crowded field of talent, near impossible to choose the best of the best, it’s this one. But we’ll give it a try anyway, and offer up our suggestions for the 10 greatest Olympians of all time.
10 Top Olympians
First off, this list is not necessarily in order…as if choosing just 10 wasn’t enough, then try to choose who is better than each best!? Secondly, you should know, we took it easy on ourselves and kept the list restricted to contenders in the “modern” Olympic games only. And now, here they are…in no particular order….even though they’re numbered…
Michael Phelps. It’s tough to leave Michael off a list like this, considering his record-breaking performances, and also coupling that with the actual number of unique events he participates in. The man simply does more and wins more, and has the medals to prove it.
Jesse Owens. Jesse not only had the courage to be a dedicated athlete, but he also had the courage to defy the race barrier…not only in his native U.S., which was bad enough in the 1930′s, but also in Hitler’s Germany, where he won 4 medals in track and field in 1936.
Mark Spitz. Without Mark Spitz, Michael Phelps wouldn’t have so many records to break. Phelps upped Spitz’s record of number of gold medals won in one Olympics by just one, and Spitz has maintained a tie for the total number of medals won for decades.
Nadia Comaneci. When Nadia scored her perfect 10 in women’s gymnastics, the board was not even capable of displaying it….no one was ever expected to accomplish that feat.
Sonja Henie. She’s been forgotten by many by now, but Henie, a female ice skater, did worlds to move the women’s sport while also being a big medal-winner at a very early age (competing first at the early age of 11, and winning gold by 15).
Eric Heiden. Heiden, an American speed skater, was the first to 5 individual golds during the 1980 Lake Placid games.
Carl Lewis. For four straight Olympics, Carl Lewis was “the face of the Olympic Games”. Like Phelps, he excelled in a crowded field of competition under a grueling competition schedule.
Larissa Latynina. Latynina had a medal average of 6 medals per game for 3 straight Olympics from 1956 to 1964 in gymnastics. She totaled 18 medals, 9 of them gold.
Alberto Tomba. Tomba makes the list for his skiing prowess, but moreover for his sheer enthusiasm and charisma, something of a hallmark of the games.
Evgeni Plushenko. There are many skaters from the former Soviet nations who probably deserve a spot on this list, both male and female alike. Being a list of individuals, though, we’ll suffice to let Plushenko represent that steam-roller talent that has so dominated the field throughout the years.
These are simply 10 top Olympian suggestions, really…feel free to add to the list, argue the merits, or devise a list all your own, but any way you slice it, these are 10 who deserve our respect and admiration for their Olympic contributions.
M. Ward blogs on ways to find and enroll in schools offering an online masters in sports management.
