Olympic History Book

Cory Tell All Sports Men's Olympic History Lists:

Top Seven Men's Olympians Of All-Time:

1. Michael Phelps (Swimming in 2004 in Athens, 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro for the United States)
Gold Medals: 23-time Olympic Gold Medalist [3-time 100 m Butterfly Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012), 3-time 200 m Butterfly Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2016), 4-time 200 m Individual Medley Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), 2-time 400 m Individual Medley Gold Medalist (2004, 2008), 4-time 4x200 m Freestyle Relay Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016), 4-time 4x100 m Medley Relay Gold Medalist (2004, 2008, 2012, 2016); 2-time 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Gold Medalist (2008, 2016), 1-time 200 m Freestyle Gold Medalist (2008)
Silver Medals: 3-time Olympic Silver Medalist [1-time 200 m Butterfly Silver Medalist (2012), 1-time 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Silver Medalist (2012), 1-time 100 m Butterfly Silver Medalist (2016)]
Bronze Medals: 2-time Olympic Bronze Medalist [1-time 200 m Freestyle Bronze Medalist (2004), 1-time 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Bronze Medalist (2004)]
Memorable Performances: 200 m Freestyle Final at the 2008 Olympics - Then World record 1:42.96 s swim in first place finish by almost 2 seconds; 100 m Butterfly Final at the 2008 Olympics - Tied single-Olympic record with his 5th individual Gold Medal with an Olympic record 50.58 s swim in first place finish by 0.1 s over Milorad Cavic; 4x100 m Medley Relay Final at the 2008 Olympics - Set single-Olympic record with 8th Gold Medal on a team that had a World Record 3:29.34 s first place swim; 4x200 m Freestyle Relay Final at the 2012 Olympics - Set Olympic record with 19th Gold Medal on a team that had a 6:59.70 s first place swim; 200 m Individual Medley Final at the 2016 Olympics - First place finish with a time of 1:54.66 s to become the first swimmer to win 4 consecutive Gold Medals in the same event

2. Usain Bolt (Track and Field in 2008 in Beijing, 2012 in London, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro for Jamaica)
Gold Medals: 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist [3-time 100 m Gold Medalist (2008, 2012, 2016), 3-time 200 m Gold Medalist (2008, 2012, 2016), 3-time 4x100 m Relay Gold Medalist (2008 {team disqualified years later due to a doping violation}, 2012, 2016)]
Memorable Performances: 200 m Final at the 2008 Olympics - Then world Record 19.30 s run in first place finish; 100 m Final at the 2012 Olympics - Olympic Record 9.63 s run in first place finish; 4x100 m relay Final at the 2012 Olympics - Member of a team that had a World record 36.84 s first place run, including running the fastest Olympic anchor leg at 8.70 s to complete his second "double-triple"

3. Carl Lewis (Track and Field in 1984 in Los Angeles, 1988 in Seoul, 1992 in Barcelona, 1996 in Atlanta for the United States)
Gold Medals: 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist [2-time 100 m Gold Medalist (1984, 1988), 1-time 200 m Gold Medalist (1984), 2-time 4x100 m Relay Gold Medalist (1984, 1992), 4-time Long Jump Gold Meadlist (1984, 1988, 1992, 1996)]
Silver Medals: 1-time Olympic Silver Medalist [1-time 200m Silver Medalist (1988)]
Memorable Performances: 200 m Final at the 1984 Olympics - Then Olympic record 19.80 s run in first place finish; Long Jump Final at the 1988 Olympics - Leapt 8.72 m in first place finish above rivals Mike Powell and Larry Myricks; 4x100 m Relay Final at the 1992 Olympics - Member of a team that had a then World record 37.40 s finish place run, including running the then fastest Olympic anchor leg at 8.85 s

4. Jesse Owens (Track and Field in 1936 in Berlin for the United States)
Gold Medals: 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist [1-time 100 m Gold Medalist (1936), 1-time 200 m Gold Medalist (1936), 1-time 4x100 m Relay Gold Medalist (1936), 1-time Long Jump Gold Medalist (1936)]
Memorable Performances: 100 m Final at the 1936 Olympics - 10.3 s run to finish in first place by 0.1 s over Ralph Metcalfe; 200 m Final at the 1936 Olympics - Then World record 20.7 s run in first place finish; Long Jump Final at the 1936 Olympics - Then Olympic record 8.06 m leap in first place finish to beat German Luz Long

5. Mark Spitz (Swimming in 1968 in Mexico City, 1972 in Munich for the United States)
Gold Medals: 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist [2-time 4x100 m Medley Relay Gold Medalist (1968, 1972), 2-time 4x200 m Freestyle Relay Gold Medalist (1968, 1972), 1-time 100 m Freestyle Gold Medalist (1972), 1-time 200 m Freestyle Gold Medalist (1972), 1-time 100 m Butterfly Gold Medalist (1972), 1-time 200 m Butterfly Gold Medalist (1972), 1-time 4x100 m Freestyle Relay Gold Medalist (1972)]
Silver Medals: 1-time Olympic Silver Medalist [1-time 100 m butterfly Bronze Medalist (1968)]
Bronze Medals: 1-time Olympic Bronze Medalist [1-time 100 m freestyle Bronze Medalist (1968)]
Memorable Performances: 200 m Butterfly Final at the 1972 Olympics- Then World record 2:00.70 s swim in first place finish by over two seconds; 100 m Butterfly Final at the 1972 Olympics - Then World record 54.27 s swim in first place finish; 100 m Freestyle Final at the 1972 Olympics - Tied the then single-Olympic record with his 6th Gold Medal with World record 51.22 s swim in first place finish; 4x100 m Freestyle relay Final at the 1972 Olympics - Set then single-Olympic record with 7th Gold Medal on a team that had a then World record 3:26.42 s first place swim

6. Paavo Nurmi (Track and Field in 1920 in Antwerp, 1924 in Paris, 1928 in Amsterdam for Finland)
Gold Medals: 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist [1-time 10,000 m Gold Medalist (1920), 2-time Individual Cross Country Gold Medalist (1920, 1924), 2-time team Cross Country Gold Medalist (1920, 1924), 1-time 1,500 m Gold Medalist (1924), 1-time 5,000 m Gold Medalist (1924), 1-time 3,000 m Team Relay Gold Medalist (1924), 1-time 10,000 m Gold Medalist (1928)]
Silver Medals: 3-time Olympic Silver Medalist [2-time 5,000 m Silver Medalist (1920, 1928), 1-time 300 m steeplechase Silver Medalist (1928)]
Memorable Performances: 5,000 m Final at the 1924 Olympics - Then Olympic record 14:31.2 s run in first place finish by 0.2 s over rival Ville Ritola; Individual Cross Country at the 1924 Olympics - First place finish over Ville Ritola in a 32:54.8 s run despite 110 degree temperatures; 10,000 m at the 1928 Olympics - Then Olympic record 30:18.8 s run in first place finish by 0.6 s over Ville Ritola

7. Eric Heiden (Speed Skating in 1980 in Lake Placid for the United States)
Gold Medals: 5-time Olympic Gold Medalist [1-time 500 m Gold Medalist (1980), 1-time 1,000 m Gold Medalist (1980), 1-time 1,500 m Gold Medalist (1980), 1-time 5,000 m Gold Medalist (1980), 1-time 10,000 m Gold Medalist (1980)]
Memorable Performances: 500 m Final at the 1980 Olympics - Then Olympic record 38.03 s skate in first place finish; 1,500 m Final at the 1980 Olympics - Then Olympic record 1:55.44 s skate in first place finish; 10,000 m Final at the 1980 Olympics - Set single-Winter Olympic record with his 5th Gold Medal and Olympic record with his 5th individual Gold Medal with then World record 14:28:13 s skate in first place finish

Honorable Mention: 8. Ray Ewry, 9. Steve Redgrave, 10. Ole Einar Bjorndalen

Top Six Women's Olympians Of All-Time:

1. Larisa Latynina (Gymnastics in 1956 in Melbourne, 1960 in Rome, 1964 in Tokyo for the Soviet Union)
Gold Medals: 9-time Olympic Gold Medalist [3-time Team All-Around Gold Medalist (1956, 1960, 1964), 2-time Individual All-Around Gold Medalist (1956, 1960), 1-time Vault Gold Medalist (1956), 3-time Floor Exercise Gold Medalist (1956, 1960, 1964)]
Silver Medals: 5-time Olympic Silver Medalist [2-time Uneven Bars Silver Medalist (1956, 1960), 1-time Balance Beam Silver Medalist (1960), 1-time Individual All-Around Silver Medalist (1964), 1-time Vault Silver Medalist (1964)]
Bronze Medals: 4-time Olympic Bronze Medalist [1-time Team Portable Apparatus Bronze Medalist (1956), 1-time Vault Bronze Medalist (1960), 1-time Uneven Bars Bronze Medalist (1964), 1-time Balance Beam Bronze Medalist (1964)]
Memorable Performances: Individual All-Around at the 1956 Olympics - First place finish with a total score of 74.933 points to beat rival Agnes Keleti; Floor Exercise at the 1960 Olympics - First place finish with a total score of 19.583 to become the first women to win more than 10 total medals; Floor Exercise at the 1964 Olympics - First place finish with a total score of 19.599 to become the first women to win an individual event at 3 different Olympics

2. Jackie Joyner-Kersee (Athletics in 1984 in Los Angeles, 1988 in Seoul, 1992 in Barcelona, 1996 in Atlanta for the United States)
Gold Medals: 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist [2-time Heptathlon Gold Medalist (1988, 1992), 1-time Long Jump Gold Medalist (1988)]
Silver Medals: 1-time Olympic Silver Medalist [1-time Heptathlon Silver Medalist (1984)]
Bronze Medals: 2-time Olympic Bronze Medalist [2-time Long Jump Bronze Medalist (1992, 1996)]
Memorable Performances: Heptathlon at the 1988 Olympics - First place finish with a world record 7,291 total points to break the previous Olympic record by 901 points; Long Jump Final at the 1988 Olympics - Leapt Olympic record 7.40 m on her 5th jump in first place finish over rival Heike Drechsler

3. Florence Griffith-Joyner (Athletics in 1984 in Los Angeles, 1988 in Seoul for the United States)
Gold Medals: 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist [1-time 100 m Gold Medalist (1988), 1-time 200 m Gold Medalist (1988), 1-time 4x100 m Gold Medalist (1988)]
Silver Medals: 2-time Olympic Silver Medalist [1-time 200 m Silver Medalist (1984), 1-time 4x400 m Silver Medalist (1988)]
Memorable Performances: 100 m at the 1988 Olympics - First place finish with an Olympic record time of 10.62 s in a quarterfinal heat and first place finish with a wind assisted time of 10.54 s to beat American rival Evelyn Ashford in the final; 200 m at the 1988 Olympics - First place finish with a World record time of 21.34 s to beat the previous Olympic record by 0.47 s

4. Nadia Comaneci (Gymnastics 1976 in Montreal, 1980 in Moscow for Romania)
Gold Medals: 5-time Olympic Gold Medalist [1-time Individual All-Around Gold Medalist (1976), 1-time Uneven Bars Gold Medalist (1976), 2-time Balance Beam Gold Medalist (1976, 1980), 1-time Floor Exercise Gold Medalist (1980)]
Silver Medals: 3-time Olympic Silver Medalist [2-time Team All-Around Silver Medalist (1976, 1980), 1-time Individual All-Around Silver Medalist (1980)]
Bronze Medals: 1-time Olympic Bronze Medalist [1-time Floor Exercise Bronze Medalist (1976)]
Memorable Performances: Uneven Bars at the 1976 Olympics - First place finish with the first Olympic "perfect ten" in gymnastics during the compulsory team round; Individual All-Around at the 1976 Olympics - First place finish with a total score of 79.375 to become the youngest Olympic individual all-around Gold Medalist at the age of 14

5. Simone Biles (Gymnastics in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro for the United States)
Gold Medals: 4-time Olympic Gold Medalist [1-time Team All-Around Gold Medalist (2016), 1-time Individual All-Around Gold Medalist (2016), 1-time Vault Gold Medalist (2016), 1-time Floor Exercise Gold Medalist (2016)]
Bronze Medals: 1-time Olympic Bronze Medalist [1-time Balance Beam Bronze Medalist (2016)]
Memorable Performances: Individual All-Around Final at the 2016 Olympics - First place finish with a total score of 62.198 to win by more than 2 points over American teammate Aly Raisman; Floor Exercise Final at the 2016 Olympics - First place finish with a total score of 15.966 to become the 5th female gymnast to win four Gold Medals at one Olympics

6. Wilma Rudolph (Athletics in 1956 in Melbourne, 1960 in Rome for the United States)
Gold Medals: 3-time Olympic Gold Medalist [1-time 100 m Gold Medalist (1960), 1-time 200 m Gold Medalist (1960), 1-time 4x100 m relay Gold Medalist (1960)]
Bronze Medals: 1-time Olympic Bronze Medalist [1-time 4x100 m Relay Bronze Medalist (1956)]
Memorable Performances: 100 m at the 1960 Olympics - First place finish with a then World record time of 11.41 s in semifinal heat and first place finish with a wind assisted time of 11.18 s in the final; 200 m at the 1960 Olympics - First place finish with a then Olympic record time of 23.30 s in quarterfinal heat and first place finish with a time of 24.13 s in the final; 4x100 m Relay at the 1960 Olympics - First place finish with a then World record time of 44.50 s in semifinal heat and first place finish in a 44.72 s run in the final to become the first women in athletics to win three Gold Medals at one Olympics

Honorable Mention: 7. Sonja Henie

Top Two Most Memorable Olympic Games:

1. 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain for the Games of the XXV Olympiad
Memorable Events: Men's Basketball - In the first olympics where NBA players were allowed to play for their national team, the United States "Dream Team," featuring 11 future Hall of Famers including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Larry Bird, easily won the Gold Medal. The team's closest margin of victory was by 32 points in the Gold Medal game vs. Croatia.
Women's 100 M Track & Field Final - Gail Devers of the United States won the Gold Medal with a time of 10.82 s with 5 runners finishing within 0.06 seconds of the lead.
Women's 10,000 M Track & Field Final - Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia became the first black African women to win a Gold Medal while Elana Meyer of South Africa was the country's first medalist since 1960 because of its 32-year apartheid ban.
Memorable Performers: Carl Lewis - Won the Gold Medal in the Men's Long Jump with a 8.67 m jump on his 1st attempt in the final. Member of the "fantastic four" team with Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell, and Dennis Mitchell that won the Gold Medal with a then World record 37.40 s time in the 4x100 m relay, including Lewis running the then fastest Olympic anchor leg at 8.85 s. Vitaly Scherzo - Won 6 Gold Medals in gymnastics for the Olympic Unified Team of former Soviet Union states in the team all-around with a 585.400 total score, individual all-around with a 59.025 score, pommel horse with a 9.925 score, rings with a 9.937 score, vault with a 9.856 score, and parallel bars with a 9.900 score. Scherzo won a then record 5 individual Gold Medals at one Olympics.
Jennifer Capriati - Gold Medal in Women's Singles at the age of 16 after beating defending Olympic Gold Medalist Steffi Graf 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the final.
Significance: In the first Summer Olympics in Western Europe since Munich in 1972 and the only to be held in Spain, Barcelona hosted a Games to be forever remembered. The Barcelona Olympics were the first Games to not be affected by any national boycotts since 1972, and featured more memorable moments and performances than any other Olympics in history.

2. 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy for the Games of the XVII Olympiad
Memorable Events: Men's Basketball - The Unites States had the most dominant amateur basketball team of all-time, featuring Walt Bellamy, Jerry Lucas, Oscar Robertson, and Jerry West, and blew out every time they played in route to the Gold Medal. The squad won its games by an average of 42.4 points and beat Brazil 90-63 in the final.
Men's Decathlon - In a battle between training partners, Yang Chuan-kwang of China won the 100 m, long jump, high jump, 110 m hurdles, and pole vault, but Rafer Johnson was more consistent in the 10 events overall and won the Gold Medal with a then Olympic record of 8,392 total points.
Memorable Performers: Cassius Clay - Won the Light Heavyweight Gold Medal after not losing a point during his 4 bouts, including a 5-0 win over Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland in the final. Wilma Rudolph - In the 100 m, American Wilma Rudolph set the then world record in a semifinal heat with a 11.41 s run and won the Gold Medal with a wind assisted 11.18 s time. In the 200 m, she set the then Olympic record with a 23.30 s time in a qualifying heat and won the Gold Medal with a 24.13 s run. Rudolph also ran the anchor leg on a then world record 44.5 s run in a 4x100 m relay qualifying heat and won the Gold Medal with the team in the event with a 44.72 s time in the final.
Abebe Bikila - The Ethiopian runner won the Marathon barefoot in an Olympic record time of 2:15:16.2 s to become the first black African Olympic Gold Meadlist.
Significance: After Cortina d'Ampezzo hosted the Winter Olympics in 1944 and 1956, Rome became Italy's first city to host the Summer Olympics in 1960. The Rome Olympics paved the way for the modern Olympics, as they were the first Games to be telecast in North America. The global event gained a more significant following than ever before because of the television broadcast, and some of the standouts performances by the athletes.

Honorable Mention: 3. 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden; 4. 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York