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Greatest Olympic Athletes of All Time

Faster, higher, stronger — which Olympian delivered the most legendary performances in Games history?

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01
Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Comaneci

The first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics history — Montreal 1976 was the moment sports changed forever.

▲ Steady·Score +17
02
Paavo Nurmi

Paavo Nurmi

The Flying Finn — 9 Olympic golds in distance running in the 1920s, the era's most dominant athlete.

▲ Steady·Score +14
03
Birgit Fischer

Birgit Fischer

8 Olympic golds in kayaking across 6 Games spanning 24 years — the most decorated female paddler ever.

▲ Steady·Score +14
04
Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis

9 Olympic golds in sprinting and long jump across three Games — the greatest track and field Olympian.

▲ Steady·Score +7
05
Larisa Latynina

Larisa Latynina

18 Olympic medals in gymnastics — held the record for most medals ever for 48 years until Phelps.

▲ Steady·Score +6
06
Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz

Seven gold medals with seven world records at Munich 1972 — a feat that stood for 36 years until Phelps.

▲ Steady·Score +6
07
Simone Biles

Simone Biles

7 Olympic medals including 4 golds — the most dominant gymnast in history with moves named after her.

▲ Steady·Score +5
08
Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt

Triple-triple Olympic champion — Bolt's 9.58s world record and showboating made him sport's greatest showman.

▲ Steady·Score +5
09
LeBron James

LeBron James

Two Olympic golds and the face of the Dream Team era — LeBron helped restore US basketball supremacy.

▲ Steady·Score +4
10
J

Jesse Owens

Four golds at the 1936 Berlin Olympics — Owens humiliated Nazi ideology in front of Hitler himself.

▲ Steady·Score +4
11
Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps

23 Olympic gold medals — the most decorated Olympian of all time, period.

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12
Roger Federer

Roger Federer

Olympic gold in singles and doubles — Federer's Grand Slam record and tennis legacy are unimpeachable.

▲ Steady·Score -1
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