Greatest All Time Athletes in Olympics?

[999roses]

Well, obviously we have this round, Mr. 8 gold medals haha. I'm sure he needs no introduction.

Any other ones in history? Li Ning was considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.

I guess that swimmer guy before Michael Phelps who got the 7 gold medals.

Any other athletic heroes that you find interesting?

[xJadedx]

Maybe not Olympics, but in general, Wayne Gretzky and Michael Jordan.

[Ken Cheng]

Magic Johnson is my all-time favorite sports hero.

[yittz]

Well, obviously we have this round, Mr. 8 gold medals haha. I'm sure he needs no introduction.

Any other ones in history? Li Ning was considered one of the greatest gymnasts of all time.

I guess that swimmer guy before Michael Phelps who got the 7 gold medals.

Any other athletic heroes that you find interesting?

I still think it's too difficult to compare between different sports and different eras. I would rank Phelps as one of the best swimmers ever, but am reluctant to compare him to the likes of Pele, Armstrong, Woods, Laver, Jordan and Schumacher. He is the leading gold medalists, but it doesn't mean he's the best Olympian ever.

[TheInCrEdIbLe]

hmm aren't we only taking about olympic athletes? Carl Lewis and Jesse Owens are pretty memorable..Also, Alexander Diyatin won 8 gold medals in 1980 olympics..(3 gold, 5 silver..although I think this was the boycott year)

[999roses]

Well I'm not saying COMPARE them and rate them like #1, #2. I'm just saying, do you recall any ones that really stood out in their sport/era.

[warlock110]

kurt angle, he got a gold medal with a freaking broken neck (straight out the way he would say it).

[yittz]

Well I'm not saying COMPARE them and rate them like #1, #2. I'm just saying, do you recall any ones that really stood out in their sport/era.

Fine.

I will throw in Thorpe in swimming and Latynina in gymnastics.

[ChanceEncounter]

By the numbers, Phelps is the best.

[Felix]

Mark Spitz...7 gold medals, 7 world records
Carl Lewis...9 gold medals
Nadia Comaneci...7 perfect 10s, greatest gymnast in my book
Jesse Owens...4 world records; take that Hitler
Michael Phelps...14 gold medals overall; 8 in one single Olympics
Dream Team 1992...greatest b-ball team of all time (Imagine if Bird or Magic was in their prime, how much more scary this team would be)
Karch Kiraly...only man to win gold medals in both indoor volleyball and beach volleyball