The Best Olympians in the world today are the fastest, strongest, fierce athletes that have ever commpeted in the Olympics. Apart from the FIFA World Cup, the Olympics is the largest sporting event in the world.
Winning a gold medal at the Olympic games is the ultimate goal of every athlete. Ever since the first modern Olypmpics began, quite a number of athletes have made incredible performances that can never be forgotten.
The 15 best Olympians of all time will be discussed in no particular order in this article.
Meet 15 Best Olympians Of All Time
1. Naim Syuleimanov
- Full Name: Naim Syuleimanov
- Country: Turkish
- Born: 23 January 1967
- Died: 18 November 2017(aged 50)
- Sport: Wrestling
- Olympic Medals: 3 gold, 1 silver
- Year(s): 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000
Naim Syuleimanov is one of the greatest Olympic weightlifters ever and also the been pound-for-pound Olympic weightlifter of all time. He won seven world weightlifting champion and set a total of 46 world resords.
In 2004, he was inducted into the internatiolnal weightlifting Federation Hall of Fame. the 4 feet 10 inches tall athlete was nicknamed Pocket Hercules due to his diminutive size and strength.
2. Aleksandr Karelin
- Full Name: Aleksandr Aleksandrovich Karelin
- Country: Russia
- Born:19 September 1967
- Age: 57 years
- Sport: Wrestling
- Olympic Medals: 3 gold, 1 silver
- Year(s): 1988,1992,1996,2000
The Russian Bear, as he was nicknamed is known as the greatest Greco-Roman wrestler of all time. His wrestling record is 887 wins and two losses. He represented the Soviet Union and Russia before he retired and ventured into politics in 1999.
3. Simone Biles
- Full Name: Simone Arianne Biles
- Country: U.S.A
- Born: March 14, 1997
- Age: 28 years
- Sport: Artisitc Gymnast
- Olympic Medals: 7
- Year(s): 2016, 2020
Biles is a five-time world all-around champion, five-time World floor exercise champion and a member of the gold medal-winning American teams at 2014, 2015, 2018, and 2019 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.
4. Carl Lewis
- Full Name: Fredrick Carlton Lewis
- Country: U.S.A
- Born: July 1, 1961
- Age: 63 years
- Sport: Track and field
- Olympic Medals: 9 gold medals and one silver medal
- Year(s): 1984,1992, and 1996,
The former american track and field athlete is one of the six Olympic athletes that won a gold medal in the same individual event in four consecutive Olympic Games.
During his time, he was known as a dominant sprinter and long jumper. He set world records in the 100m,4x 100mand 4x 200 m relays.
5. Jesse Owen
- Full Name: James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens
- Country: U.S.A
- Born: September 12, 1913
- Died: March 31, 1980 (aged 66years)
- Sport: Track and field
- Olympic Medals: 10
- Year(s): 1936
Jesse Owen made history as the most successful athlete at the 1936 Summer Olypics in Berlin by winning four gold medals: 100 meters, long jump, 200 meters and 4x 100-meter relay.
ESPN ranked himas the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century and the highets-ranked in his sport. Also, he was listed on the six-man short-list for the BBC’s Sports Personality of the Century in 1999.
6. Usain Bolt
- Full Name: Usain St. Leo Bolt
- Country: Jamaica
- Born:21 August 1986
- Age: 38 years
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic Medals: 8
- Year(s): 2008, 2012, 2016
Also known as the Lightning Bolt, he set a pace to track and field and captured the hearts of many when he broke the world record of speed in 2008. He became an international sensation after dominating the 100 and 200 meters in three consecutive Olympics.
He is said to be the fastest man in History after breaking the 200m record at 9.69 and 9.58 in 2008 and 2009 respectively.
Though he does not have the highest number of medals on this list, Bolt remains one of the best Olympians in the world.
7. Raw Ewry
- Full Name: Raymond “Ray” Clarence Ewry
- Country: U.S.A
- Born: 21 August 1986
- Died: 29 September 1937 (aged 63)
- Sport: Track and field athlete
- Olympic Medals: 8
- Year(s): 1900, 1904, 1908
Ray Ewry was known as one of the most successful Olympians of all time after he won eight gold medals at the Olympic games and he is currently regarded as the most Olympic medals with a 100%record with eight individual golds.
He had a couple of longstanding records for Olympic medals like the record of winning three gold medals in two events in Jul 1908 until in 2016 when Michael Phelps won his third gold medal.
8. Carl Osburn
- Full Name: Carl Townsend Osburn
- Country: U.S.A
- Born: November 5, 1884
- Died: December 28, 1966 (aged 82)
- Sport: Shooting
- Olympic Medals: 11
- Year(s): 1912, 1920
The legend is still considered the greatest shooter despite moving on to a successful military career. He participated in 1912, 1920, and 1924 Summer Olympics and wrote his name in the sands of time.
It is interesting to note that the former naval officer got inducted into the USA Shooting Hall of Fame and is one of the nine greatest marksmen in his home country.
9. Birgit Fischer
- Full Name: Birgit Fischer
- Country: Germany
- Born: 25 February 1962 (age 60)
- Age: 63 years
- Sport: Kayaker
- Olympic Medals: 8
- Year(s): 1980, 1988, 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004
The German Kayaker was the youngest Olympic Kayaker at the time she finished school at an army sports boarding school. Fischer debuted in 1980 when she was 20 years old and appeared a total of 6 times. She won in three consecutive years starting with 198, 1982, and 1983.
10. Paavo Nurmi
- Full Name: Paavo Johannes Nurmi
- Country: Finland
- Born: 13 June 1897
- Died: 2 October 1973 (aged 76)
- Sport: Athletics
- Olympic Medals: 9 gold, 3 silver
- Year(s): 1920,1924, 1928
The Finnish track and field athlete is sure to have faced stiff competition on her way to the top. She is best remembered as the Flying Fin when she took off as a dominant distant runner in the early part of the 20th century.
Known to have run in a temperature of 113-degree heat in Paris finishing alongside 15 out of 38 athletes that began the 1924 cross country.
11. Edoardo Mangiarotti
- Full Name: Edoardo Mangiarotti
- Country: Italy
- Born: 7 April 1919
- Died: 25 May 2012 (aged 93)
- Sport: Fencer
- Olympic Medals: 6 gold,5 silver, 2 bronze
- Year(s): 1936, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960
The Italian fencer remains one of the best Olympians for his performance in the History of Fencing. His career lasted over a period of 40 years and to date, he remains the highest owner of medalists in the sport.
He won a total of 39 Olympic titles and a World Championship while capping his medals at 13.
See Also: 10 Best NFL Stadium, Capacity And Cost Of Building
12. Nikolai Andrianov
- Full Name: Nikolai Yefimovich Andrianov
- Country: Russian
- Born: 14 October 1952
- Died: 21 March 2011 (aged 58)
- Sport: Gymnast
- Olympic Medals: 7 gold,5 silver,3 bronze
- Year(s): 1972,1976,1980
The Russian gymnast is well known as the holder of the record for most gold for males until he was outed by Phelps in 2008. Andrianov started training for gymnastics at the age of 12 mostly considered late but he proved his worth when he secured 15 medals for the Olympics.
Outside of his Olympic medals, Adrianov also swept world championships during his lifetime. Notable of his performance is his introduction of the triple summersault dismount in 1974.
See Also: Simone Biles Quotes – 125 Best Quotes From The Gymnast
13. Marit Bjørgen
- Full Name: Marit Bjørgen
- Country: Norway
- Born: 21 March 1980
- Age: 45 years
- Sport: cross-country skier
- Olympic Medals: 7 gold,5 silver,3 bronze
- Year(s): 2005,2006,2012,2015
Though she is tied with other Norwegians as Bjorn Daelie and Ole Eina Bjoerndalen for the most medals in the winter Olympics, she stands out with other qualities.
Her performance at the 2010 Vancouver Games capped three more golds to her medals while taking the most ovations for the most medals during the tournament.
She competed for five Olympics and carried home a medal in each of the appearances she made before her final retirement in 2018.
14. Larissa Latynina
- Full Name: Larisa Semyonovna Latynina
- Country: Germany
- Born: 27 December 1934
- Age: 90 years
- Sport: Artistic gymnast
- Olympic Medals: 18
- Year(s): 1956, 1960, 1964
Her record of 18 medals makes her the most decorated gymnast in Olympic history comes at the cost of pushing her country to become the powerhouse of Gymnastics.
She won nine Olympic titles and became the first female to win 9 Olympic Gold medals in any sport.
15. Michael Phelps
- Full Name: Michael Fred Phelps II
- Country: U.S.A
- Born: June 30, 1985
- Age: 39 years
- Sport: Swimming
- Olympic Medals: 28
His name is at the top of this list for all the records he has broken. The former swimmer from the US has made both in the water and outside of it. He holds the record for the highest number of medals at 28 of which 23 of them are gold.
Interestingly, Phelps also holds the record for the highest number of gold medals won by a male. The legend is making it outside the water.
Discussion about this post