Top 100 Olympic Athletes Of All Time

LONDON - The Times, July 30th

94=

Daley Thompson (Great Britain) 30pts
born 1958 Notting Hill, London

Gold decathlon 1980; decathlon 1984
Fourth decathlon 1988. Seventh 4x100m 1984

One of the sport's great all-rounders, Thompson became the first athlete to hold Olympic, Commonwealth, European and World titles at the same time when he won in Los Angeles, setting a world record of 8847 points that stood for eight years. Controversially whistled the national anthem on the podium and swore when receiving the BBC Sports Personality of the Year prize in 1982. Awarded MBE in 1982 and CBE in 2000.

Bobby Joe Morrow (United States) 30pts
born 1935 Harlingen, Texas

Gold 100m 1956; 200m 1956; 4x100m 1956

The first man to achieve the sprint double since Jesse Owens in 1936. He led a clean sweep of Americans in the 200m, equalling the Olympic record of 20.6, and anchored the relay squad to victory in a world record 39.5. Retired in 1958 and became a farmer.

Cornelius Leahy (Great Britian) 30pts
born 1876 Cregane, Limerick, Ireland; died 1921 Manhattan, New York, US

Gold high jump 1906
Silver triple jump 1906; high jump 1908

Con Leahy was an Irishman forced to compete under the British flag despite being entered for the Games by the Gaelic Athletic Association. He took part in a protest in Athens when Peter O'Connor, a fellow Irish athlete, scaled a flagpole and waved the Irish colours. Leahy's brother, Patrick, won silver and bronze medals at the 1900 Olympics.

Alberto Juantorena (Cuba) 30pts
born 1950 Santiago de Cuba

Gold 400m 1976; 800m 1976
Fourth 400m 1980. Seventh 4x400m 1976

The first man from a non-English speaking country to win both the 400m and 800m and the first to do the double since Paul Pilgrim (US) in 1906. In 1976, Juantorena was favourite for the 400m and powered to victory in 44.26 but an unknown quantity in the two-lap race. He duly won with his nine-foot stride taking him to a world record of 1:43.50.

Deon Hemmings (Jamaica) 30pts
born 1968 St Ann

Gold 400m hurdles 1996
Silver 400m hurdles 2000; 4x400m 2000
Fourth 4x400m 1996. Seventh 400m hurdles 1992

The first Jamaican to win gold in 20 years and the first woman representing the Caribbean island to become an Olympic champion. Returned four years later to take silver behind Irina Privalova (Russia) and still holds the Olympic record with her 1996 winning time of 52.82.

Maurice Greene (US) 30pts
born 1974 Kansas City, Kansas

Gold 100m 2000; 4x100m 2000
Silver 4x100m 2004
Bronze 100m 2004

Failed to make the US team in 1996 but joined John Smith's powerful sprint squad in Los Angeles and arrived in Sydney as world champion and world record-holder (9.79). He collected two gold medals. In Athens, he added a bronze but was unable to pass Mark Lewis-Francis on the anchor leg of the sprint relay as Great Britain took a surprise victory.

Glenn Davis (United States) 30pts
born 1934 Wellsburg, West Virginia

Gold 400m hurdles 1956; 400m hurdles 1960; 4x400m 1960

Winning back-to-back titles, Davis was the leading intermediate hurdler of his generation. After his track career, Davis played American Football for the Detroit Lions with ten catches and 132 yards in his two NFL seasons. He is now the owner of Jeep's Olympic Driving School in Ohio.

Steve Backley (Great Britain) 30pts
born 1969 Sidcup, Kent

Silver javelin 1996; javelin 2000
Bronze javelin 1992
Fourth javelin 2004

Despite winning four consecutive European titles (1990-2002), Backley was always the bridesmaid at the Games, finishing behind Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic) on three occasions. He is, however, the only British athlete to win medals at three different Games and he broke the world record three times. This year he appeared on Dancing on Ice with partner Susie Lipanova. MBE in 1995 and OBE in 2003.

83=

Miruts Yifter (Ethiopia) 31pts
born 1938 Tigray

Gold 5,000m 1980; 10,000m 1980
Bronze 10,000m 1972

After a 10,000m bronze in Munich, Yifter missed his heat for the 5,000m and had to wait eight years to make amends after the African boycott of the 1976 Games. The 5ft 4in father-of-six made no mistake in Moscow, destroying both distance fields with stunning finishes. He clocked 26.8 for the final 200m in the longer race and earned himself the nickname "Yifter the Shifter."

Vilho Tuulos (Finland) 31pts
born 1895 Tampere; died 1967 Tampere

Gold triple jump 1920
Bronze triple jump 1924; triple jump 1928
Fourth long jump 1924

Tuulos recorded 14.50m in qualifying at the 1920 Games and with distances counting through to the final at that time, it was enough to earn gold for the Finn. In 1919, he had leapt 15.30m for the European record.

Robert Richards (United States) 31pts
born 1926 Champaign, Illinois

Gold pole vault 1952; pole vault 1956
Bronze pole vault 1948

The Rev Bob Richards was a theology professor from California, known as the "Vaulting Vicar," who became the only double pole vault champion in Olympic history. The 1956 competition saw the first use of fibreglass poles. In 1984, Richards ran for the US Presidency for the right-wing United States Populist Party.

Nina Ponomaryeva (Soviet Union) 31pts
born 1929 Sverdlovsk, Russia

Gold discus 1952; discus 1960
Bronze discus 1956

She won the Soviet Union's first Olympic gold medal when, under her maiden name of Romaschkova, she hurled the discus 51.42m in Helsinki for an Olympic record. She was on top of the podium again in Rome but had gained notoriety in 1956 when she was arrested in London for stealing five hats from an Oxford Street shop.

Micheline Ostermeyer (France) 31pts
born 1922 Rang-du-Fliers; died 2001 Bois-Guillaume

Gold shot 1948; discus 1948
Bronze high jump 1948

A great-niece of Victor Hugo, the author, and niece of Lucien Paroche, the composer, Ostermeyer excelled at both sport and music, attending the Conservatoire de Paris as a pianist. After winning the shot in London, she celebrated by performing Beethoven at the team's headquarters. After retiring from athletics in 1950, she toured as a concert pianist for 15 years.

Edwin Moses (United States) 31pts
born 1955 Dayton, Ohio

Gold 400m hurdles 1976; 400m hurdles 1984
Bronze 400m hurdles 1988

One of the legends of his discipline, Moses won 122 consecutive races between 1977 and 1987, setting four world records on the way. It brought him two Olympic titles which surely would have been three but for the American boycott of Moscow. He still holds 26 of the fastest 100 times at the distance.

Ralph Metcalfe (United States) 31pts
born 1910 Atlanta, Georgia; died 1978 Alsip, Illinois

Gold 4x100m 1936
Silver 100m 1932; 100m 1936
Bronze 200m 1932

After winning two medals in 1932 and holding the 100m world record at 10.2, Metcalfe was unable to match the power and grace of Jesse Owens in Berlin as he took the first step towards his domination of the Games. Metcalfe became a politician in 1949 and sat in the House of Representatives from 1971 until his death.

Douglas Lowe (Great Britain) 31pts
born 1902 Manchester; died 1981 Cranbrook, Kent

Gold 800m 1924; 800m 1928
Fourth 1,500m 1924. Fifth 4x400m 1928

In 1924, fellow Briton Henry Stallard was the favourite, but Lowe celebrated his 22nd birthday by sweeping to victory down the home straight. Four years later, Otto Peltzer (Germany) looked the man to beat, but injury saw him eliminated in the semi-finals. Once again, Lowe stepped up and took his second gold medal with a winning margin of some eight metres.

Maurizio Damilano (Italy) 31pts
born 1957 Scarnafigi

Gold 20k walk 1980
Bronze 20k walk 1984; 20k walk 1988
Fourth 20k walk 1992

By 1980, officials were getting tough with walkers lifting their feet and at Moscow seven athletes were disqualified, including three of the six leaders at the 15km mark. It allowed Damilano to secure a surprise victory and set an Olympic record. His twin brother, Giorgio, also finished 11th in the race.

Ato Bolden (Trinidad & Tobago) 31pts
born 1973 Port-of-Spain

Silver 100m 2000
Bronze 100m 1996; 200m 1996; 200m 2000
Seventh 4x100m 2004

A consistent sprinter who collected four medals at two Games and one of an elite who have run under both 10 and 20 seconds. In 1996, he took part in two races that saw world records fall with Donovan Bailey (Canada) clocking 9.84 in the 100m and Michael Johnson (US) winning in 19.32 in the 200m. Bolden said: "19.32. That's not a time. It sounds like my dad's birthday."

Thane Baker (United States) 31pts
born 1931 Elkhart, Kansas

Gold 4x100m 1956
Silver 200m 1952; 100m 1956
Bronze 200m 1956

Baker won both his 200m medals in Helsinki and Melbourne from the outside lane. In 1956, he was pipped for gold by team-mate Bobby Joe Morrow in the shorter sprint but they joined joined forces in the relay to shatter the world record with 39.5.

74=

Mamo Wolde (Ethiopia) 33pts
born 1932 DreDele; died 2002 Addis Ababa

Gold marathon 1968
Silver 10,000m 1968
Bronze marathon 1972
Fourth 10,000m 1964

He competed over 800m and 1,500m in 1956, but came to prominence in the longer races during the 1960s and won the marathon in the difficult conditions of Mexico at the age of 36. He was arrested for unspecified crimes in 1992 and spent nine years in prison without being charged before being convicted of murder in 2002. He was immediately released having served so much time already but lived just four more months.

Sara Simeoni (Italy) 33pts
born 1953 Rivoli Veronese

Gold high jump 1980
Silver high jump 1976; high jump 1984
Sixth high jump 1972

An elegant jumper, Simeoni held her nerve to take the title in 1980 with a 1.97m clearance. Four years later, she looked to be retaining her crown before being pipped by Ulrike Meyfarth (Germany), who had become the youngest track and field winner 12 years before in Munich.

Yuri Sedykh (Soviet Union) 33pts
born 1955 Nova Cherkassk, Russia

Gold hammer 1976; hammer 1980
Silver hammer 1988

Sedykh smashed the world record just before the 1984 Games but was unable to compete in Los Angeles because of the Soviet Union boycott. It could have brought him a third consecutive gold and a much higher ranking. Two of his three wives were also Olympic champions - Lyudmila Kondratyeva (1980 100m) and Natalya Lisovskaya (1988 shot).

Tatyana Samolenko (Soviet Union) 33pts
born 1961 Sekretarka, Ukraine

Gold 3,000m 1988
Silver 3,000m 1992
Bronze 1,500m 1988
Fourth 1,500m 1992

Samolenko's golden moment came in Seoul when she held off the powerful challenge of Romania's Paul Ivan and Britain's Yvonne Murray in a fast race. Her achievements, however, were soured in 1993 when she tested positive for steroids.

Steven Lewis (United States) 33pts
born 1969 Los Angeles, California

Gold 400m 1988; 4x400m 1988; 4x400m 1992
Silver 400m 1992

Harry "Butch" Reynolds, the world record-holder, was the clear favourite for the one-lap gold in Seoul, but Lewis had other ideas and timed his lunge for the line perfectly to snatch the title. The Seoul final was the first race in which seven runners went under 45 seconds.

Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco) 33pts
born 1974 Berkane

Gold 1,500m 2004; 5,000m 2004
Silver 1,500m 2000

Known as the "King of the Mile," it seemed that El Guerrouj might never claim an Olympic crown after falling in the 1996 final and being outkicked by Noah Ngeny in Sydney. In Athens, he silenced the doubters in fine style by not only winning the 1,500m but becoming the first runner since Paavo Nurmi in 1924 to add the 5,000m at the same Games.

Mildred Didrikson (United States) 33pts
born 1911 Port Arthur, Texas; died 1956 Galveston, Texas

Gold 80m hurdles 1932; javelin 1932
Silver high jump 1932

Babe Didrikson qualified for all five individual women's events at the Los Angeles Games but could only compete in three where she won two golds and a silver. She also excelled at basketball and golf and gained her nickname after hitting five home runs in a baseball game. She recorded several songs and married George Zaharias, a professional wrestler, in 1938.

Olga Bryzhina (Soviet Union / Ukraine) 33pts
born 1963 Krasnokamsk, Ukraine

Gold 400m 1988; 4x400m 1988; 4x400m 1988
Silver 400m 1992

A gritty one-lap specialist who took the individual crown in Seoul and twice anchored her team to victory in the relay. In 1988, Viktor Bryzhina, her husband, also won a gold medal in the 4x100m relay.

Linford Christie (Great Britian) 33pts
born 1960 St Andrew's, Jamaica

Gold 100m 1992
Silver 100m 1988; 4x100m 1988
Fourth 200m 1988; 4x100m 1992

A late developer, Christie was upgraded to silver in Seoul after Ben Johnson was stripped of his gold for testing positive for prohibited drugs. Four years later, Christie went one better in Barcelona and became the oldest man to win the 100m at the Games. Always a controversial character, his career was ended by a two-year ban for nandrolone use in 1999.

71=

Edvin Wide (Sweden) 33.5pts
born 1896 Turku, Finland; died 1996 Stockholm

Silver 10,000m 1924
Bronze 3,000m team 1920; 5,000m 1924; 5,000m 1928; 10,000m 1928

Although born in Finland, he qualified to run for Sweden and spent most of his career battling with the Flying Finns, picking up five medals behind the great distance men from his homeland. He said he could pass away in peace after finishing his last Olympic race in 1928, but actually lasted another 72 years before dying at the age of 100.

Wilma Rudolph (United States) 33.5pts
born 1940 St Bethleham,Tennessee; died 1994 Brentwood, Tennessee

Gold 100m 1960; 200m 1960; 4x100m 1960
Bronze 4x100m 1956

Rudolph was the 20th of 22 children and had suffered polio, double pneumonia and scarlet fever as a child forcing her to wear a brace on her left leg. By 16, however, she had qualified for the US Olympic team. In Rome, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals at the same Games.

Annegret Richter (Germany) 33.5pts
born 1950 Dortmund

Gold 4x100m 1972; 100m 1976
Silver 200m 1976
Fifth 100m 1972; 4x100m 1976

Richter set a world record of 11.01 in the semi-finals at Montreal and just held off reigning champion Renate Stecher (East Germany) and fellow West German Inge Helten to win gold.

69=

Gyula Zsivotzky (Hungary) 34pts
born 1937 Budapest; died 2007 Budapest

Gold hammer 1968
Silver hammer 1960; hammer 1964
Fifth hammer 1972

A consistent performer and formidable opponent in an event that holds a special place in Hungarian hearts. He set an Olympic record of 73.36m to win in Mexico having set a world record of 73.76m the same year. His son, Attila, came sixth in the decathlon in 2004.

Matthew McGrath (United States) 34pts
born 1878 Nenagh, Ireland; died 1941

Gold hammer 1912
Silver hammer 1908; hammer 1924
Fifth hammer 1920

Born in Tipperary, McGrath became a policeman in the States and despite taking up the hammer at the age of 27 became one of the greats of the discipline, maintaining a place in the world's top-ten rankings until he was 50. His winning throw in Stockholm, 54.74m, was an Olympic record while the shortest of his six attempts was still 15 feet better than anyone else's best.

66=

Don Quarrie (Jamaica) 34.5pts
born 1951 Kingston

Gold 200m 1976
Silver 100m 1976; 4x100m 1984
Bronze 200m 1980
Fifth 4x400m 1976

Quarrie had finished behind Hasely Crawford in the 1976 100m but made no mistake in the 200m to end a long quest for an Olympic gold medal that had begun in 1968 at the age of 17. A Jamaican hero, Quarrie has been honoured by a statue in his home town and a reggae tune by Joe Gibbs and the Guerillas.

Irina Privalova (Russia) 34.5pts
born 1968 Malakhovka

Gold 400m hurdles 2000
Silver 4x100m 1992
Bronze 100m 1992; 4x400m 2000
Fourth 200m 1992; 4x100m 1996

After several successful years as a sprinter, Privalova's career was boosted in 1999 when she was given a transplant for her Achilles tendon using tissue taken from a dead soldier. She switched to hurdling in 2000 and capped an amazing debut season at the event by winning the Olympic title in Sydney.

Irina Press (Soviet Union) 34.5pts
born 1939 Kharhov, Ukraine

Gold 80m hurdles 1960; pentathlon 1964
Fourth 4x100m 1960; 80m hurdles 1964. Sixth shot 1964

The younger of the formidable Press sisters, Irina was a powerful all-rounder who set a world record of 5,246 points when winning the pentathlon ahead of Britain's Mary Rand in 1964.

64=

Galina Zybina (Soviet Union) 35pts
born 1931 Leningrad

Gold shot 1952
Silver shot 1956
Bronze shot 1964
Fourth javelin 1952. Seventh shot 1960

Zybina collected a full set of Olympic medals in one of the strength events despite seeing her mother and brother die of cold and starvation during World War II and barely surviving herself.

John Ljunggren (Sweden) 35pts
born 1919; died 2000

Gold 50k walk 1948
Silver 50k walk 1960
Bronze 50k walk 1956
Fourth 20k walk 1956. Seventh 20k walk 1960

The Swede had a long and successful Olympic career, which saw him still competing and winning a silver medal in Rome at the age of 41. Ljunggren's finest moment came in London when he led from gun to tape to record an easy victory by almost seven minutes.

59=

Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia) 36pts
born 1972 Bekoji

Gold 10,000m 1992; 10,000m 2000
Bronze 10,000m 2004
Fourth 10,000m 1996

Liz McColgan, the 1991 world champion from Great Britain, was favourite to win the 1992 10,000m title but she was unable to shake off the field with her front-runnning tactics and Tulu sprinted away to win. The former shepherd from the Arsi highlands heralded the emergence of African women in the distance events and her victory over another front-running British woman, Paula Radcliffe, eight years later confirmed her place as one of the event's leading performers.

Peter Snell (New Zealand) 36pts
born 1938 Opunache

Gold 800m 1960; 800m 1964; 1,500m 1964

Snell had a short but illustrious athletics career that saw him snatch gold as an unknown in Rome and complete the 800m/1,500m double as one of the world's greatest-ever middle-distance runners four years later. In Tokyo, he had not even raced over the longer distance before. Now a US citizen, he lives in Texas and became an age-group national champion at orienteering in his sixties.

Pietro Mennea (Italy) 36pts
born 1952 Barletta

Gold 200m 1980
Bronze 200m 1972; 4x400m 1980
Fourth 200m 1976; 4x100m 1984. Fifth 4x400m 1984. Sixth 4x100m 1976. Seventh 200m 1984. Eighth 4x100m 1972

Mennea broke the 200m world record with 19.72 in 1979 while running at altitude in Mexico City, but he did not have an Olympic gold medal after two visits to the Games. It proved third time lucky for the Italian who glided down the home straight in Moscow to beat Britain's Allan Wells, the 100m champion. Mennea served as a member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2004.

Tatyana Kazankina (Soviet Union) 36pts
born 1951 Petrovsk, Russia

Gold 800m 1976; 1,500m 1976; 1,500m 1980

Kazankina was a formidable opponent over 1,500m who stepped down in 1976 to also win the 800m title. In 1980, just 12 days after winning in Moscow, she lowered the world record to 3:52.47 and became the first woman to run faster than Paavo Nurmi. However, her performances were thrown into doubt when she received an 18-month ban after her team manager refused to let her take a drugs test in 1984.

Nathaniel Cartmell (United States) 36pts
born 1883 Uniontown, Kentucky; died 1967 New York City

Gold 4x400m 1908
Silver 100m 1904; 200m 1904
Bronze 200m 1908
Fourth 100m 1908

Cartmell picked up two silver medals behind Archie Hahn in St Louis and completed his set of Olympic gongs four years later with a bronze in the 200m and gold in the relay. After London, Cartmell stayed in Europe and became a professional runner. He retired in 1910 and turned to coaching at several leading universities and at the US Military Academy.

56=

Jackson Scholz (United States) 37pts
born 1897 Buchanan, Michigan; died 1986 Delray Beach, Florida

Gold 4x100m 1920; 200m 1924
Silver 100m 1924
Fourth 100m 1920; 200m 1928

In 1928, he became the first athlete to reach a final at three different Games. Before that, he had won two gold medals but is now probably most famous for coming second behind Harold Abrahams in the Chariots of Fire 100m final of 1924. He later became a writer of pulp fiction and published 31 sports novels.

Mohamed Gammoudi (Tunisia) 37pts
born 1938 Sidi Ach

Gold 5,000m 1968
Silver 10,000m 1964; 5,000m 1972
Bronze 10,000m 1968

A pioneer of the African running revolution, Gammoudi's finest hour came in Mexico when he charged to the front of the 5,000m field with two laps to go and managed to hold off the dual Kenyan challenge of Kip Keino and Naftali Temu.

James Connolly (United States) 37pts
born 1868 Boston, Massachusetts; died 1957 New York City

Gold triple jump 1896
Silver high jump 1896; triple jump 1900
Bronze long jump 1896

The son of Irish immigrants, Connolly became the first Olympic champion of the modern era when winning the triple jump in 13.71m, taking two hops with his right foot which was legal at the time. He competed in Paris four years later and attended the 1904 Games in St Louis as a journalist. He became an authority on maritime writing and published more than 200 short stories and 25 novels.

55

Wyomia Tyus (United States) 37.5pts
born 1945 Griffin, Georgia

Gold 100m 1964; 100m 1968; 4x100m 1968
Silver 4x100m 1964
Sixth 200m 1968

Became the first woman athlete to retain the 100m title when winning in a world record time of 11.08 in 1968. She returned to the track as a profesional in the 1970s and coached at Beverly Hills High School, as well as being a founding member of the Women's Sports Foundation. Tyus appeared with her family on television show Family Feud, winning a $5,000 prize.

52=

Parry O'Brien (United States) 38pts
born 1932 Santa Monica, California; died 2007 Santa Clarita, California

Gold shot 1952; shot 1956
Silver shot 1960
Fourth shot 1964

O'Brien revolutionised the event by turning his back on the front of the circle at the start of his throw. This new technique helped him to win consecutive titles. In 1956, he recorded the five best puts on the competition. O'Brien died in the pool while swimming in a masters competition in California.

Herb McKenley (Jamaica) 38pts
born 1922 Pleasant Valley, Clarendon; died 2007 Mona

Gold 4x400m (1952)
Silver 400m (1948); 200m (1952); 400m (1952)
Fourth 200m (1948)

After collecting three silver medals, McKenley's final chance for gold came in the 4x400m relay at Helsinki. Running the second leg, Jamaica were well behind the US, but McKenley ran an inspired leg to put his team in the lead and on the way to gold and a world record. He later served as a coach to the Jamaica team from 1954 to 1973.

Kelly Holmes (Great Britain) 38pts
born 1970 Pembury, Kent

Gold 800m 2004; 1,500m 2004
Bronze 800m 2000
Fourth 800m 1996 Seventh 1,500m 2000

Holmes quit the track as a junior to become a physical training instructor in the Army, but returned in 1992 to carve out one of the most glorious careers in British athletics. Often among the minor medals and usually hampered by injury, Holmes finally had a spell of good health and made the most of it in Athens. In claiming the 800m/1,500m double she became, at 34, the oldest woman to win each race at the Games. The only British woman in these rankings.

49=

Alain Mimoun (France) 39pts
born 1921 El Talegh, Algeria

Gold marathon 1956
Silver 10,000m 1948; 5,000m (1952); 10,000m (1952)

Mimoun's path to Olympic gold had been blocked by Emil Zatopek to such an extent that he had been called the great man's shadow. However, the Algerian-born Frenchman's golden moment finally came in Melbourne when he won the marathon by more than one and a half minutes with Zatopek over four minutes behind in sixth place.

Gail Devers (United States) 39pts
born 1966 Seattle, Washington

Gold 100m 1992; 100m 1996; 4x100m 1996
Fourth 100m hurdles 1996. Fifth 100m hurdles 1992

Devers was an explosive sprint hurdler who never got her favourite event right at the Games, despite winning three world titles over barriers. She made up for it by winning back-to-back 100m crowns in Barcelona and Atlanta. It was all the more amazing since she had been diagnosed with Graves' disease in 1990 and given radiation treatment.

Valeri Borzov (Soviet Union) 39pts
born 1949 Sambir, Ukraine

Gold 100m (1972); 200m (1972)
Silver 4x100m (1972)
Bronze 100m (1976); 4x100m (1976)

Borzov eased to victory in the 100m at Munich, but Eddie Hart and Rey Robinson had missed their quarter-finals and the Americans vowed to make amends in the longer sprint. Borzov, a great technician, was having none of it and cruised to victory in 20.00 to become the first non-North American to do the sprint double. He married Lyudmila Turischeva, the gymnast, who won two more gold medals than her husband. Borzov became the first President of the Ukranian Olympic Committee and served on the IOC.

47=

Philip Edwards (Canada) 39.5pts
born 1907 Georgetown, Guyana; died 1971 Montreal

Bronze 4x400m (1928); 800m (1932); 1,500m (1932); 4x400m (1932); 800m (1936)
Fourth 800m (1928); 4x400m (1936). Fifth 1,500m (1936)

Called the "Man of Bronze" after his exploits on the track, Edwards was a versatile middle-distance runner who became his adopted nation's leading Olympian. He liked to set the pace and despite fading in the closing stages managed to hold on to secure three individual medals. The first black Canadian to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, he qualified as a doctor and specialised in tropical diseases. He served as a captain in the Canadian Army during World War II.

Valerie Brisco-Hooks (United States) 39.5pts
born 1960 Greenwood, Mississippi

Gold 200m (1984); 400m (1984); 4x400m (1984)
Silver 4x400m (1988)
Fourth 400m (1988)

In 1982, Brisco-Hooks had finished with running after having a baby. She was coaxed back to the track and two years later became the first athlete to record a 200-400m double at the Games, collecting a third gold in the relay for good measure. In 1986, she made a guest appearance on The Cosby Show.

43=

Arthur Wint (Jamaica) 40pts
born 1920 Manchester, Jamaica; died 1992 Linstead

Gold 400m (1948); 4x400m (1952)
Silver 800m (1948); 800m (1952)
Fifth 400m (1952)

Wint served with the RAF during World War II and stayed on in England to study medicine. At the London Games, he missed out on gold in the 800m but made amends in the one-lap event, finishing strongly to edge out team-mate Herb McKenley. Four years later, they teamed up to win gold in the 4x400m relay in a world-record time. Wint served as Jamaica's High Commisioner to Great Britain from 1974 to 1978.

Marie-Jose Perec (France) 40pts
born 1968 Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe

Gold 400m (1992); 200m (1996); 400m (1996)
Fourth 4x100m (1992). Sixth 4x100m (1996)

Perec was the first athlete to win the 400m twice and achieved a rare 200/400m double in Atlanta, beating Michael Johnson to the same feat by 20 minutes. She looked set for a showdown with Cathy Freeman in 2000, but struggled with her fitness and left the Olympic village in a blaze of publicity just before the Games.

Charles Paddock (United States) 40pts
born 1900 Gainesville, Texas; died 1943 Sitka, Alaska

Gold 100m (1920); 4x100m (1920)
Silver 200m (1920); 200m (1924)
Fifth 100m (1924)

Paddock was a World War I veteran who delighted the crowds with a trademark leap at the finish line. It helped him take gold at the Antwerp Games. He competed in the 100m final four years later with actor Dennis Christopher playing him in the film Chariots of Fire. Paddock died in a plane crash.

Volmari Iso-Hollo (Finland) 40pts
born 1907 Ylojarvi; died 1969 Heinola

Gold 3,000m steeplechase; 3,000m steeplechase (1936)
Silver 10,000m (1932)
Bronze 10,000m (1936)

One of the last of the Flying Finns, Iso-Hollo won a bizarre steeplechase in 1932, running a distance of some 3,460m after an official failed to change the lap markers. It had probably cost Iso-Hollo a world record, which he later achieved in 1933 and then again when winning the Olympic steeplechase again in 1936 in 9:03.8.

42

Frankie Fredericks (Namibia) 41pts
born 1967 Windhoek

Silver 100m 1992; 200m 1992; 100m 1996; 200m 1996
Fourth 200m 2004

Fredericks was one of the great sprinters of modern times, running under ten seconds for the 100m on 27 occasions. However, a gold medal alluded him despite running 19.68 behind Michael Johnson in the 1996 200m.

38=

Jesse Owens (United States) 42pts
born 1913 Lawrence County, Alabama; died 1980 Tucson, Arizona

Gold 100m (1936); 200m (1936); long jump (1936); 4x100m (1936)

Owens was the brightest light to shine at the Nazi Games in 1936 as he completed the grand slam of sprinting and jumping, a feat not equalled until 1984 by Carl Lewis. Reports that he was snubbed by Hitler were probably false and Owens later stated that he was hurt more by the treatment of his own government. He was reduced to running in exhibitions and often against racehorses as he tried to eke out a living and was only awarded a Congresional Gold Medal posthumously in 1990.

Volodymyr Holubnychy (Soviet Union) 42pts
born 1936 Sumy, Ukraine

Gold 20k walk (1960); 20k walk (1968)
Silver 20k walk (1972)
Bronze 20k walk (1964)
Seventh 20k walk (1976)

Holubnychy competed at five Games holding off late challenges in Rome and Mexico City to earn his gold medals. The Ukranian was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1960, the Order of the Badge of Honour in 1969 and the Medal for Labour Heroism in 1972.

Betty Cuthbert (Australia) 42pts
born 1938 Merrylands, New South Wales

Gold 100m (1956); 200m (1956); 4x100m (1956); 400m (1964)

Cuthbert was the inaugural winner of the women's 400m when it was introduced at the Tokyo Games, some eight years after she had won three gold medals in Melbourne. In Rome, she had been forced to withdraw after one race because of a hamstring pull. In 1969, she developed multiple sclerosis and has spent the rest of her life in a wheelchair.

Sebastian Coe (Great Britain) 42pts
born 1956 Chiswick, London

Gold 1,500m (1980); 1,500m (1984)
Silver 800m (1980); 800m (1984)

Coe is the highest-ranked Great Britain athlete in the list and one of the nation's greatest-ever runners. The 800m was probably his best event but he failed to beat great rival Steve Ovett in Moscow and the giant Brazilian Joaquim Cruz four years later. However, he made amends in fine style at both Games with stunning victories over the metric mile, the first man to repeat his victory after James Lightbody (1904 and 1906). He later became an MP and chief of staff for Conservative leader William Hague before, as Lord Coe, leading London's successful bid for the 2012 Games.

37

Florence Griffith-Joyner (United States) 43.5pts
born 1959 Los Angeles, California; died 1998 Mission Viejo, California

Gold 100m (1988); 200m (1988); 4x100m (1988)
Silver 200m (1984); 4x400m (1988)

Flo-Jo's performances in Seoul stunned the world as she picked up three gold medals and a silver, recording times thought beyond the range of a woman. Critics thought her rapid improvement from the silver of 1984 had been fuelled by drugs and she did little to convince them otherwise by retiring in 1989 just before mandatory random testing was introduced. She died in her sleep in 1998 at the age of just 38, the victim of a congenital brain abnormality.

35=

Raelene Boyle (Australia) 44pts
born 1951 Melbourne, Victoria

Silver 200m (1968); 100m (1972); 200m (1972)
Fourth 100m (1968); 100m (1976). Fifth 4x100m (1968); 4x100m (1976). Sixth 4x100m (1972); 4x400m (1972)

Despite racing against the mighty eastern Europeans, Boyle managed to win three silver medals at the Games to add to the seven golds she won at the Commonwealth Games. She has twice recovered from cancer and now campaigns to raise awareness. In 1998, she was named as one of 100 National Living Treasures by the National Trust of Australia.

Evelyn Ashford (United States) 44pts
born 1957 Shreveport, Louisiana

Gold 100m (1984); 4x100m (1984); 4x100m (1988); 4x100m (1992)
Silver 100m (1988)
Fifth 100m (1976); Seventh 4x100m (1976)

Ashford was one of the favourites for gold in 1980 but when the US team boycotted, it seemed like her chance had gone. But she returned four years later to win the sprint in Los Angeles and kept going for two more Games, adding four more medals to her collection. After splitting from her coach in 1985, she was largely self-trained for the rest of her illustrious career.

34

Malvin Whitfield (United States) 44.5pts
born 1924 Bay City, Texas

Gold 800m (1948); 800m (1952); 4x400m (1948)
Silver 4x400m (1952)
Bronze 400m (1948)
Sixth 400m (1952)

Whitfield was an Air Force sergeant when he won the 800m in London. He returned to repeat the victory in 1952 having spent time as a tail-gunner in the Korean War. He became the first black winner of the James E Sullivan Award and set up sports programmes around the world working for the US Information Agency.

30=

Jan Zelezny (Czech Republic) 45pts
born 1966 Mlada, Boleslav

Gold javelin (1992); javelin (1996); javelin (2000)
Silver javelin (1988)

Zelezny was surprisingly beaten in 1988 and found it difficult to defeat Steve Backley (Great Britain) in European competition. However, from 1992 to 2000 he was unbeatable at the Games, peaking at just the right time to become the first javelin thrower to win three titles and four medals at the event.

Melvin Sheppard (United States) 45pts
born 1883 Almonesson Lake, New Jersey; died 1942 New York

Gold 800m (1908); 1,500m (1908); 4x400m (1908); 4x400m (1912)
Silver 800m (1912)

Sheppard had been rejected by the New York police for having a weak heart. It did not stop him winning three gold medals in 1908 and another two medals four years later in Stockholm. In the 1912 800m final, the first four runners beat the previous world record with Sheppard clocking 1:52.0 behind Ted Meredith (US), who recorded 1:51.9.

Viktor Sanayev (Soviet Union) 45pts
born 1945 Sukhumi, Georgia

Gold triple jump (1968); triple jump (1972); triple jump (1976)
Silver triple jump (1980)

In 1976, Sanayev became only the fourth athlete to win three gold medals in the same event. He nearly made it four in 1980, but was edged out by team-mate Jaak Uudmae. In 1972, Sanayev set a world record of 17.44m, which lasted for three years.

Tamara Press (Soviet Union) 45pts
born 1937 Kharkiv, Ukraine

Gold shot (1960); shot (1964); discus (1964)
Silver discus (1960)

Along with sister Irina, Press symbolised the increasing power of the Soviet Union's athletes during the Cold War. Her stature and success brought accusations of malpractice and when sex-testing was introduced to athletics, both women disappeared. In retirement, she became a civil engineer.

29

Kipchoge Keino (Kenya) 46pts
born 1940 Kipsamo

Gold 1,500m (1968); 3,000m steeplechase (1972)
Silver 1,500m (1972); 5,000m (1968)
Fifth 5,000m (1964)

One of the first of the great African runners to emerge from Kenya. Keino destroyed Jim Ryun (US), the 1,500m favourite and world record-holder, in the rarified air of Mexico City, taking the title by 20 metres, the largest winning margin in the event. Four years later, he added a second gold medal in the steeplechase despite having little experience over the barriers. Now lives on a farm and runs a charitable organisation for orphans and has built the Kip Keino School in Eldoret. Chairman of the Kenyan Olympic Association.

27=

Heike Drechsler (East Germany / Germany) 47pts
1964 Gera, East Germany

Gold long jump (1992); long jump (2000)
Silver long jump (1988)
Bronze 100m (1988); 200m (1988)

A fine sprinter and one of the greatest long jumpers in history. Unlike many of her team-mates, she survived the transition from East Germany to a united team and her performances improved after the fall of the Berlin Wall. She jumped over seven metres on more than 400 occasions.

Fanny Blankers-Koen (Holland) 47pts
born 1918 Lage Vuursche; died 2004 Hoofddorp

Gold 100m (1948); 200m (1948); 80m hurdles (1948); 4x100m (1948)
Fifth 4x100m (1936). Sixth high jump (1936)

One of the greatest athletes in history, Blankers-Koen competed in 1936 but had to wait until the Austerity Games in London at the age of 30 and with two children to show the world her awesome power, grace and versatility. She won four of the nine events open to women at the 1948 Games and would proabably have won the long jump had she entered. In 1999, she was named the Female Athlete of the Century by the IAAF.

26

Gwen Torrence (United States), 47.5pts
born 1965 Decatur, Georgia

Gold 200m (1992); 4x100m (1992); 4x100m (1996)
Silver 4x400m (1992)
Bronze 100m (1996)
Fourth 100m (1992). Fifth 100m (1988). Sixth 200m (1988)

Torrence was not the most popular athlete on the blocks - she had fast feet but also a fast mouth, accusing several of her opponents of drug-taking. At times, she may have had a point, but little in the way of evidence and it did little to endear her to her fellow athletes, officials and the watching public. After the track, she became a hairdresser.

22=

Al Oerter (United States) 48pts
born 1936 Queens, New York; died 2007 Fort Myers, Florida

Gold discus (1956); discus (1960); discus (1964); discus (1968)

Oerter survived a near-fatal car crash in 1957 and a succession of serious injuries to become the first athlete to win the same Olympic event four times in a row. He set an Olympic record at each of his gold-winning performances and a personal best of 69.46m when returning to the sport at the age of 43. After athletics, Oerter became an abstract artist, often covering a discus in paint and flinging it on to canvas.

Alvin Kraenzlein (United States) 48pts
born 1876 Milwaukee, Wisconsin; died 1928 Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

Gold 60m 1900; 110m hurdles 1900; 200m hurdles 1900; 1900 long jump

Kraenzlein won four gold medals in just three days in Paris and he is only athlete to win four individual titles at the same Games. He earned a denatl degree, but gave up a career in dentistry to become a track coach, working with the national teams of Germany and Cuba.

Michael Johnson (United States) 48pts
born 1967 Dallas, Texas

Gold 4x400m (1992); 200m (1996); 400m (1996); 400m (2000); 4x400m (2000)

After a disappointing time in Barcelona when he contracted food poisoning, Johnson turned on the burners in Atlanta four years later with two stunning performances. First, he set an Olympic record in the 400m with 43.49 to beat second-placed Roger Black (Great Britain) by ten metres and then shattered the 200m world record to record 19.32 with a final 100m timed at 9.20. He was renowned for his unique upright style and short stride pattern.

Archie Hahn (United States) 48pts
born 1880 Dodgeville, Wisconsin; died 1955 Charlottesville, Virginia

Gold 60m 1904; 100m 1904; 200m 1904; 100m 1906

Charles Archibald Hahn was dubbed "The Milwaukee Meteor" and lived up to his name in St Louis by winning three sprint gold medals and if relays had been included in the early Games could be even higher in the rankings. He retained his 100m title two years later at the 1906 Games. Hahn became a leading coach and his book How to Sprint is still considered one of the classic texts on the subject.

20=

John Walter Tewksbury (United States) 49pts
born 1876 Ashley, Pennsylvania; died 1968 Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania

Gold 200m 1900; 400m hurdles 1900
Silver 60m 1900; 100m 1900; 200m hurdles 1900

Tewksbury became the first winner of the 200m as he collected a mighty haul of five medals at the Paris Games. He also won the first 400m hurdles race at the Olympics, which had barriers made of telegraph poles with a water jump as the final obstacle. He became a dentist after retiring from sport.

Robert Korzeniowski (Poland) 49pts
born 1968 Lubaczow

Gold 50k walk 1996; 20k walk 2000; 50k walk 2000; 50k walk 2004
Eighth 20k walk 1996

Korzeniowski confirmed his status as one of walking's greatest exponents when he became the first athlete to complete the 20k/50k double in Sydney. Four years later and at the age of 36, he won his fourth gold by finishing more than four minutes ahead of the second-placed walker. Korzeniowski was inspired to take up sport by Bruce Lee, the film star, and initially wanted to be martial arts star.

21

Harry Hillman (United States) 50pts
born 1881 Brooklyn, New York; died 1945 New Hampshire

Gold 400m (1904); 200m hurdles (1904); 400m hurdles (1904)
Silver 400m hurdles (1908)
Fourth 400m (1906)

On the way to the 1906 Games in Athens, Hillman was injured by a freak wave that washed over the deck of his ship. In 1909, he teamed up with Lawson Robertson to set a record for the three-legged race that has never been beaten. The pair of Olympians recorded 11 seconds for the 100 yards.

20

Renate Stecher (East Germany) 50.5pts
born 1950 Suptitz, East Germany

Gold 100m (1972); 200m (1972); 4x100m (1976)
Silver 4x100m (1972); 100m (1976)
Bronze 200m (1976)

Stecher dominated sprinting for several years in the 1970s, but in 1997 documents were released that showed that she had been given steroids by the East Germans in the two years leading up to the Munich Games.

19

John Flanagan (United States) 52pts
born 1873 Kilbreedy, Ireland; died 1938 Kilmallack, Ireland

Gold hammer (1900); hammer (1904); hammer (1908)
Silver 56lb weight (1904)
Fourth discus (1904). Seventh discus (1900)

John Jesus Flanagan emigrated from Ireland in 1897 and became a policeman in New York City. A year after his third consecutive hammer title, Flanagan became the oldest athlete to break a world record when he hurled the hammer 56.18m at the age of 41. He returned to Ireland and coached Patrick O'Callaghan, who became the first non-American to win the hammer with victory in 1928.

18

Hannes Kolehmainen (Finland) 52.5pts
born 1889 Kuopio; died 1966 Helsinki

Gold 5,000m 1912; 10,000m 1912; cross-country individual 1912; marathon 1920
Silver cross-country team 1912

Kolehmainen was already 10,000m champion when he won an epic duel with Jean Bouin (France) in the 5,000m, setting a world record time of 14:36.6. The vegetarian bricklayer's running career was interrupted by World War I while Bouin and the third-placed George Hutson (Great Britain) were both killed in action. Kolehmainen returned after the war to win his fourth gold medal, this time in the marathon.

17

Elmer Niklander (Finland) 53pts
born 1890; died 1942

Gold discus 1920
Silver discus (both hands) 1912; shot 1920
Bronze shot put (both hands) 1912
Fourth shot 1912; discus 1912. Sixth shot 1924. Seventh discus 1924. Eighth 56lb weight 1920

Niklander was a versatile thrower who had his career disrupted by World War I. After training in his back yard and taking part in local fire station tournaments, he returned strongly after the war to take gold in the discus in Antwerp.

15=

Lasse Viren (Finland) 56pts
born 1949 Myrskyla

Gold 5,000m (1972); 10,000m (1972); 5,000m (1976); 10,000m (1976)
Fifth marathon (1976); 10,000m (1980)

Viren recalled the days of the Flying Finns when he dominated the distance events at two Olympic Games in the 1970s. The policeman's most dramatic victory was his first when he stumbled and fell in the 1972 10,000m final, but picked himself up to eventually win by six metres and break the world record. Viren later served in the Finnish Parliament, representing the National Coalition Party from 1999 to 2007.

Robert Garrett (United States) 56pts
born 1875 Baltimore, Maryland; died 1961 Baltimore, Maryland

Gold shot (1896); discus (1896)
Silver high jump (1896); long jump (1896)
Bronze shot (1900); standing triple jump (1900)

Garrett was a wealthy young man from Princeton University who paid for himself and three other athletes to attend the first Games in Athens. He became the first winner of the shot put and then the discus despite never having competed in the event before. Won a bronze in the shot four years later after recording a distance in the qualifying round and refusing to take part in the final because it was held on a Sunday.

14

Emil Zatopek (Czechoslovakia) 60pts
born 1922 Koprivnice; died 2000 Prague

Gold 10,000m (1948); 5,000m (1952); 10,000m (1952); marathon (1952)
Silver 5,000m (1948)
Sixth marathon (1956)

Legendary distance runner who dominated the sport in the post-war years, recording 18 world records. He won 38 consecutive races over 10,000m between 1948 and 1954 and in Helsinki took gold in all three distance events, taking part in the 5,000m to give him something to do between the other two. His wife, Dana, won gold in the javelin at the same Games.

13

James Lightbody (United States) 61.5pts
born 1882 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; died 1953 Charleston, South Carolina

Gold 800m (1904); 1,500m (1904); 3,000m steeplechase (1904); 1,500m (1906)
Silver 4-mile team race (1904); 800m (1906)

A dominant middle-distance runner in the early years of the 20th Century, Lightbody was never regarded as a potential winner of any of the races he entered at the Games. However, he won six medals in St Louis and Athens, setting a world record of 4:05.4 in the 1904 1,500m. Lightbody's luck ran out in London when he failed to make the final in all three of his events.

12

Irena Szewinska (Poland) 62pts
born 1946 Leningrad, Russia

Gold 200m (1968); 400m (1976); 4x100m (1964)
Silver 200m (1964); long jump (1964)
Bronze 100m (1968); 200m (1972)

In a long and distinguished track career, Szewinska became the first woman to hold world records at 100m, 200m and 400m at the same time. She already had Olympic medals in four different events when she switched to 400m in 1973, but became the first woman to break 50 seconds in only her second one-lap race. In the 1976 final, she won by ten metres in a world-record time of 49.28. She became a member of the International Olympic Committee and in 2005 was elected as the third woman on the IAAF Council.

11

Shirley Strickland (Australia) 62.5pts
born 1925 Perth, Western Australia; died 2004 Perth, Western Australia

Gold 80m hurdles (1952); 80m hurdles (1956); 4x100m (1956)
Silver 4x100m 1948
Bronze 100m (1948); 100m (1952); 80m hurdles (1948)
Fourth 200m (1948). Fifth 4x100m (1952)

In 1948, Strickland finished behind Fanny Blankers-Koen in the hurdles, but four years later as a 27-year-old teacher with a degree in physics, Strickland claimed the Dutchwoman's world record in 10.9 and the gold medal. By the Melbourne Games, she was a mother, but took her personal medal tally to seven with golds in the hurdles and relay. In 2001, she sold her collection of sporting memorabilia, including her Olympic medals, to raise money for her grandchildren's education and to support environmental causes.


10

Jackie Joyner-Kersee (United States) 63pts
born 1962 East St Louis, Illinois

Gold long jump (1988); heptathlon (1988); heptathlon (1992)
Silver heptathlon (1984)
Bronze long jump (1992); long jump (1996)
Fifth long jump (1984)

One of the sport's great all-rounders, Joyner-Kersee excelled at the long jump as well as the multi-events discipline. In Seoul, she was unbeatable at both, taking the long jump title five days after winning the heptathlon. Part of a distinguished track and field family, Joyner-Kersee's brother is Al Joyner, triple jump gold medallist, her sister-in-law Florence Griffith Joyner, and she married Bob Kersee, her coach.

9

Ralph Rose (United States) 64pts
born 1885 Healdsburg, California; died 1913

Gold shot (1904); shot (1908); shot both hands (1912)
Silver discus (1904); shot (1912)
Bronze hammer (1904)
Sixth 56lb weight (1904)

Rose has become part of Olympic folklore as the US flag-bearer at the opening ceremony of the 1908 Games in London who refused to dip the Stars and Stripes in front of the King of England. There is some doubt that this protest was even noticed by the crowd, but no doubt that Rose was a great thrower with six Olympic medals. He died of pneumonia at the age of 28.

8

Meyer Prinstein (United States) 65pts
born 1878 Szczuczyn, Poland; died 1925 New York

Gold triple jump (1900); long jump 1904; triple jump (1904); long jump (1906)
Silver long jump (1900)
Fifth 60m (1904); 400m (1904)

Prinstein was not allowed to compete in the 1900 long jump final, held on a Sunday, by his team officials even though he was Jewish and Alvin Kraenzlein, the eventual winner, was a Christian. Prinstein was so angry he was said to have punched Kraenzlein and then returned the next day to win the triple jump. Prinstein became a lawyer and businessman in Jamaica and was inducted into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.

7

Merlene Ottey (Jamaica / Slovenia) 70pts
born 1960 Hanover, Jamaica

Silver 100m (1996); 200m (1996); 4x100m (2000)
Bronze 100m (1984); 200m (1980); 200m (1984); 200m (1992); 4x100m (1996)
Fourth 100m (2000); 200m (1988). Fifth 100m (1992). Sixth 4x100m (1980). Eighth 4x100m (1984)

Ottey has won more medals than any other female athlete, but the gold always alluded her despite competing at seven Olympics and twice winning world titles at 200m. She could yet get a ninth medal as she came fourth in the 100m in 2000 won by Marion Jones, who has been stripped of her gold. Ottey competed for Slovenia in 2004, reaching the semi-finals of the 100m at the age of 44, and missed qualification for Beijing by just 0.028 seconds.

6

Ville Ritola (Finland) 75pts
born 1896 Peraseinajoki; died 1982 Helsinki

Gold 10,000m (1924); 3,000m steeplechase (1924); 3,000m team race (1924); cross-country team (1924); 5,000m (1928)
Silver 5,000m (1924); 10,000m (1928); cross-country individual (1924)

Ritola was in superlative form in Paris, winning the 10,000m by half a lap and breaking his own world record by 12 seconds. He was almost as devastating in the steeplechase with a 75-metre winning margin. Ritola had emigrated to the United States as a 17-year-old and trained with the Finnish-American Athletic Club, winning a host of titles in the States. He returned to his homeland in 1971.

5

Eric Lemming (Sweden) 94pts
born 1880 Gothenburg; died 1930 Gothenburg

Gold javelin (1908); freestyle javelin (1906); freestyle javelin (1908); javelin (1912)
Bronze shot (1906); pentathlon (1906)
Fourth high jump (1900); pole vault (1900); hammer (1900); discus (1906); stone throw (1906); javelin both hands (1912); Eighth discus (1900); hammer (1908)

A real multi-event specialist who won Olympic medals at four different track and field events and competed in at least nine others. He even won a bronze medal as part of the Swedish tug-of-war team in 1906, which does not count in this list. Lemming, like all the other competitors, used the same technique in both styles of the javelin throw, leading to the freestyle version being dropped after 1908. Lemming was a policeman in Stockholm.

4

Martin Sheridan (United States) 104pts
born 1881 Treenduff, Ireland; died Manhattan, New York

Gold discus (1904); shot (1906); discus (1906); discus (1908); discus Greek-style (1908)
Silver standing high jump (1906); standing long jump (1906); stone throw (1906)
Bronze standing long jump (1908)
Fourth shot (1904); discus Greek-style (1906)

Sheridan left Ireland as a 16-year-old to become a New York policeman and one of the great throwers of the early Games. In 1904, he tied with team-mate Ralph Rose and for the only time in Olympic history a throw-off decided the gold medal. The statement "This flag dips to no earthly king" has been attributed to Sheridan following a protest at the 1908 opening ceremony in London by Rose, the US flag-bearer. Sheridan, like Rose, died of pneumonia as a young man.

3

Carl Lewis (United States) 105pts
born 1961 Birmingham, Alabama

Gold 100m (1984); 100m (1988); 200m (1984); long jump (1984); long jump (1988); long jump (1992); long jump (1996); 4x100m (1984); 4x100m (1992)
Silver 200m (1988)

Probably the greatest athlete of the modern era, Lewis emulated Jesse Owens with the 100m, 200m, long jump and 4x100m golden slam in Los Angeles in 1984. He never quite reached those heights again but added another five gold medals and a silver to his collection. Rumours about drug-taking, which have never been substantiated, have taken some of the gloss off his achievements in recent years. In 1999, he was voted Sportsman of the Century by the IOC and World Athlete of the Century by the IAAF.

2

Paavo Nurmi (Finland) 108pts
born 1897 Turku; died 1973 Helsinki

Gold 10,000m (1920); cross-country individual (1920); cross-country team (1920); 1,500m (1924); 3,000m team race (1924); 5,000m (1924); cross-country individual (1924); cross-country team (1924); 10,000m (1928)
Silver 5,000m (1920); 5,000m (1928); 3,000m steeplechase (1928)

The king of the Flying Finns, Nurmi dominated middle-distance and distance running during the 1920s, setting 29 world records from 1,500m to 20km. He won nine gold medals and three silvers, but it could have been even more if he had been allowed by Finnish officials to compete in all the events he wanted and had not been declared a professional before the 1932 Games. Nurmi became a successful businessman in Finland and carried the torch into the stadium at the 1952 Games in Helsinki.

1

Raymond Ewry (United States) 120pts
born 1873 Lafayette, Indiana; died 1937 Long Island, New York

Gold standing high jump (1900); standing long jump (1900); standing triple jump (1900); standing high jump (1904); standing long jump (1904); standing triple jump (1904); standing high jump (1906); standing long jump (1906); standing high jump (1908); standing long jump (1908)

Ewry won ten gold medals, but is almost unknown as his unprecedented achievements occurred in events long gone from the Olympic schedules. His records are even more amazing given that he contracted polio as a boy, spent time in a wheelchair and was thought to be paralysed for life. He began exercising, regained the use of his legs and became the greatest standing jumper in history. His clearance of 1.60m in the standing high jump of 1904 would have been good enough for a silver medal with a run-up in 1896. The standing events were scrapped after 1912, but Ewry's world record of 3.47m in the long jump lasted until the 1930s.

* Notes

Results for the 1906 Interim Games in Athens have been included although they are not considered to be official by the International Olympic Committee.

All athletes' points have been credited to the nation for which they were competing at the time.

The points for the Unified Team of 1992 are credited to the Soviet Union.

The Czech Republic competed as Czechoslovakia from 1920-1992. Germany competed as West Germany from 1952-1988. East Germany competed as a separate nation from 1956-1988.

Source: The Times