- Ian Thorpe
Ian James Thorpe OAM (born 13 October 1982 in Sydney, New South Wales), also known as the "Thorpedo" or "Thorpey", is a former Australian freestyle swimmer. He has won five Olympic gold medals, the most won by any Australian, and in 2001 he became the first person to win six gold medals in one World Championship. In total, Thorpe has won eleven World Championship golds, the second-highest number of any swimmer. - Michael Phelps
Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985 in Towson, Maryland) is an American swimmer and World Record Holder in several events. Phelps' achievements include a record of eight medals at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, six of which were gold, tying the Olympic record for medals at single Olympics, held by Alexander Dityatin since 1980. His international titles, along with his various world records, … - Marion Jones
Marion Jones (born October 12, 1975 in Los Angeles, California) is an American athlete of half Belizean and half African American descent. She is the winner of five medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. She holds dual citizenship from the USA and Belize (her mother's home country). - Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton ("Carl") Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is a retired American track and field athlete who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 golds, and 10 World Championships medals, of which 8 were golds, in a career that spanned from 1979 when he first achieved a world ranking to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and subsequently retired. He currently lives in Los Angeles and is pursuing an acting career. - Alexander Karelin
Alexandr Alexandrovich Karelin Ph.D, or simply Alexander Karelin, (Russian: Александр Александрович Карелин; born September 19, 1967 in Novosibirsk, Russian SFSR) was a dominant Greco-Roman wrestler for the Soviet Union and later, after its dissolution, for Russia. He won gold medals at the 1988, 1992, and 1996 Olympic Games. Nicknamed the "Russian Dan Gable," he went undefeated in international competition from 1987 until 2000, … - Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962) is a retired American athlete, ranked amongst the all-time greatest heptathletes. She won three gold, one silver and two bronze Olympic medals. Named after Jackie Kennedy, she currently lives in East St. Louis, Illinois. Joyner-Kersee was the first woman to score over 7,000 points in a heptathlon event (during the 1986 Goodwill Games). - Michael Johnson
Michael Duane Johnson (born September 13, 1967) is a retired American sprinter who holds world records in the 200 m, 400 m and 4 x 400 m relay (2:54.20, as part of the USA team). He also has run the fastest 300 m ever, an event not recognized by the IAAF. He won five Olympic gold medals and was a world champion nine times. He is the only man to win both the 200 m and 400 m races at the same Olympics, accomplishing the feat at the 1996 Summer Olympics, … - Aaron Peirsol
Aaron Wells Peirsol (born July 23, 1983 in Irvine, California) is an American competitive swimmer. He is best known for winning both available gold medals for men in the backstroke at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. After winning gold in the 100 m backstroke, he followed up by winning the 200 m event, but an initial disqualification alleged that he had made an illegal turn during the race. Having been improperly entered, the disqualification was overturned, … - Jeff Rouse
Jeffrey ("Jeff") Norman Rouse (born February 6, 1970 in Fredericksburg, Virginia) is a former international swimmer from the United States, who won the gold medal in the 100 metre backstroke at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. The Stanford University student was also a member of the winning American relay team from on the 4x100 meter medley relay. Four years earlier, when Barcelona hosted The Games, he was second in the 100 metres backstroke, … - Mark Spitz
Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10, 1950, in Modesto, California) is an American swimmer. He holds the record for most gold medals won in a single Olympic Games (seven), which he set at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. Between 1965 and 1972, Spitz won 9 Olympic gold medals, 1 silver, and 1 bronze; 5 Pan American golds; 31 National U.S. Amateur Athletic Union titles; and 8 U.S. National Collegiate Athletic Association Championships. - Gary Hall Jr.
Gary Wayne Hall Jr. (born September 26, 1974 in Cincinnati, Ohio) is an American swimmer who competed in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympics and won ten Olympic medals (5 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze). Hall is well known for his antics before a competition; frequently strutting onto the pool deck in boxing shorts and robe, shadow boxing and flexing for the audience. He is a graduate of swimming powerhouse Brophy College Preparatory in Phoenix, Arizona. - Janet Evans
Janet Elizabeth Evans (born August 28, 1971) is a record-breaking American competitive swimmer. Born in Placentia, California, Evans started competitive swimming as a child. By the age of 11 she was setting National Age Group records in the longer events. She is remembered as a legend at the high school she attended, El Dorado High School. In 1987, she broke the world records in the 400-, 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle events. - Inge de Bruijn
Inge de Bruijn (born August 24, 1973) is a former Dutch swimmer, and a four-time Olympic champion. - Jenny Thompson
Jennifer ("Jenny") Elisabeth Thompson (born February 26, 1973) is a former swimmer, and one of the most decorated Olympians in history, winning twelve medals, including eight golds, while representing the United States of America in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 2004 Summer Olympics. Thompson, a Massachussetts native who calls Dover, NH her hometown, began swimming for the Seacoast Swimming Association under coach Amy and Mike Parratto. - Bonnie Blair
Bonnie Kathleen Blair (born March 18, 1964 in Cornwall, New York) is a retired American speedskater. One of the top female skaters of her time, and one of the most decorated female athletes in Olympic history, Blair competed for the United States in four Olympics, and in her Olympic career won five gold medals and one bronze medal. Blair was raised in Champaign, Illinois. After graduation from Centennial High School in Champaign, … - Grant Hackett
Grant George Hackett is an Australian swimmer who won the men's 1500 metres freestyle race at both the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. This has lead him to be regarded as one of the greatest ever distance swimmers in history. He also collected a gold medal in Sydney for swimming in the heats of the 4×200 m freestyle relay. He is well regarded for his versatility, being the world record holder in the 1500 m and 800 m freestyle, … - Florence Griffith-Joyner
Florence Griffith-Joyner (born Delorez Florence Griffith), also known as Flo-Jo (December 21, 1959 - September 21, 1998) was an American track and field athlete. She is best known for her media flamboyance and setting World Records in the 100 m and 200 m, which still stand as of 2007. Her career was dogged by allegations of drug use, which was speculated to have caused her premature death. - Larissa Latynina
Larisa Semyonovna Latynina (born December 27, 1934 in Kherson, Ukrainian SSR) was a Soviet gymnast who was the first female athlete to win nine Olympic golds. She still holds the record for being awarded the most Olympic medals at 18 (nine gold medals, five silver and four bronze). - Hannes Kolehmainen
Juho Pietari "Hannes" Kolehmainen (December 9, 1889 - January 11, 1966) was a Finnish long-distance runner. He is considered to be the first of a generation of great Finnish long distance runners, often named the "Flying Finns". Kolehmainen, from a sportive family from Kuopio (his brothers Willy and Tatu were also strong long distance runners), was one of the stars of the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, winning three gold medals. - Li Ning
Li Ning is a famous Chinese gymnast and entrepreneur. He was born in a Zhuang family on September 8 1963 in Liuzhou, Guangxi, China. Li is most famous for winning 6 medals at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, including 3 gold medals (in floor exercise, pommel horse, and rings), 2 silver medals, and a bronze medal. In 1982, he won six of the seven medals awarded at the Sixth World Cup Gymnastic Competition, earning him the title "Prince of gymnastics". - Pyrros Dimas
Pyrros Dimas ; Albanian: Pirro Dhima; born October 13, 1971), is a Greek weightlifter and three-time Olympic champion for Greece. Dimas was born in Himara, Albania (Northern Epirus) of Greek descent, and emigrated to Greece in 1991. He first competed for Greece in the 1992 Summer Olympics, winning the gold medal in the 82.5 kg class. His birthplace gave rise to his nickname "The Lion of Himara". - Eric Heiden
Eric Arthur Heiden (born June 14 1958 in Madison, Wisconsin) is an American former long track speed skater who won all the men's speed skating races, and thus an unprecedented five gold medals, and set 4 Olympic records and 1 world record at the 1980 Winter Olympic Games in Lake Placid, New York, United States. Heiden is an icon in the speedskating community and, in particular, in Europe where the sport is highly regarded. - Paavo Nurmi
Paavo Johannes Nurmi (June 13, 1897 Turku - October 2, 1973 Helsinki) was a Finnish runner. He was known as one of the "Flying Finns"; a term given to him, Hannes Kolehmainen, Ville Ritola and others for their distinction in running. During the 1920s, Nurmi was the best middle and long distance runner in the world, setting world records on distances between 1500 m and 20 km. - Ville Ritola
Vilho ("Ville") Eino Ritola was a Finnish athlete, specialised in the long distance events. In the 1920s, he won 8 Olympic medals. He was internationally known as one of the "Flying Finns". Born in Peräseinäjoki, Finland, Ville Ritola, nicknamed as "Peräseinäjoen Susi (The Wolf from Peräseinäjoki)", emigrated to United States at the age of 17, to join his seven sisters, who had emigrated earlier. - Fu Mingxia
Fu Mingxia was born on August 16, 1978 in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. She is a top female diver, multiple Olympic gold medalist and world champion. She is about 1.58m tall (5'2"). She broke numerous records in her remarkable diving career. Fu Mingxia's family appears to be a typical Chinese family consisting of her working-class parents and an elder sister. At an early age, Fu Mingxia learned to swim at a nearby river under the instruction of her father, Fu Yijun. - Daniel Morelon
Daniel Morelon (born 24 July, 1944 in Bourg en Bresse) was a French amateur cyclist, eight times World champion and triple Olympic champion and a Knight of the Legion d'Honneur. Morelon worked as a police officer before becoming a cycling coach. - Gail Devers
Yolanda Gail Devers (born November 19, 1966 in Seattle, Washington, USA) is a three-time Olympic 100 m champion in athletics for the US Olympic Team. Devers grew up near San Diego and graduated from Sweetwater High School in nearby National City, CA. A young talent in the 100 m and 100 m hurdles, Devers was in training for the 1988 Summer Olympics, started experiencing health problems, suffering from among others migraine and vision loss. - Petria Thomas
A winner of 15 national titles, Petria Ann Thomas OAM (born August 25 1975) is an Australian swimmer and Olympic gold medallist. She was born in Lismore, New South Wales and grew up in the nearby town of Mullumbimby. In 1994, at the age of 17, Thomas won a bronze medal in the 200 m butterfly at the World Championships. She followed this with two gold medals, in the 100 m butterfly and 4x100 m freestyle in the 1994 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Canada. - Robert Korzeniowski
Robert Korzeniowski is a former Polish racewalker. He has won four gold medals at the Summer Olympics and has won three world championships. Korzeniowski is a three-peat winner of the 50 km walk at the Summer Olympics. He won 1996 in Atlanta, 2000 in Sydney, and 2004 in Athens. In addition, he became the first athlete to claim both the long distance and the short distance crown, when he won the 20 km title at the 2000 games. He won world championship titles in 1997, 2001, … - Jesse Owens
James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens was an American track and field athlete. He participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany where he achieved international fame by winning four gold medals; one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. - Olga Korbut
Olga Valentinovna Korbut, also known as the "Sparrow from Minsk", is a Belarusian, Soviet-born gymnast who won four gold medals and two silver medals at the Summer Olympics, where she competed in 1972 and 1976 for the USSR team. - Matthew Pinsent
Sir Matthew Clive Pinsent CBE (born 10 October, 1970) is an English rowing champion, four-time Olympic gold medallist and broadcaster. Pinsent was born in Holt, Norfolk, and began rowing at Eton College. He began his international career at the Junior World Rowing Championships in 1987. He raced again in 1988, winning the junior coxless pairs with Tim Foster. After finishing school, Pinsent studied Geography at St Catherine's College, Oxford. - John Naber
John Phillips Naber (born January 20, 1956 in Evanston, Illinois) is a swimmer from the United States. He won four gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, each in world-record time. He won the James E. Sullivan Award, given to America's top amateur athlete, in 1977. - Naim Süleymanoğlu
Naim Süleymanoğlu, born Naim Suleimanov, is a Turkish World and Olympic Champion in weightlifting. He won three Olympic Championships, seven World Championships and six European Championships and improved world records 46 times. Of Turkish descent born in Bulgaria, Naim Suleimanov set his first world record in weightlifting at age 16. He became the second lifter (of only seven) to clean and jerk three times his bodyweight in history. - Betty Cuthbert
Elizabeth ("Betty") Cuthbert (born April 20, 1938 in Merrylands, New South Wales) is an Australian athlete, and a four-fold Olympic champion. Betty Alyse Cuthbert sisters with Madeleine Carlisle (now married) began sprinting in high school. At age 18, with the 1956 Summer Olympics to be held in Melbourne, Cuthbert set a World Record in the 200 m, making her a big favourite for a gold in that event. - Claudia Pechstein
Claudia Pechstein (born 22 February 1972 in East Berlin) is a German speed skater. With a total of five Olympic gold medals, two silver and two bronze medals, she is the most successful German Winter Olympian of all time. Also her team mates Anni Friesinger and Gunda Niemann are very successful. Pechstein is the first female Winter Olympian to win medals in five consecutive Olympics (1992-2006), … - Nadia Comăneci
Nadia Elena Comaneci (originally Comăneci is a Romanian gymnast, winner of five Olympic gold medals, and the first to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is one of the most well-known gymnasts in the world and, along with Olga Korbut, is credited with popularizing the sport around the world. - Yana Klochkova
Yana Oleksandrivna Klochkova (born August 7, 1982 in Simferopol) is a Ukrainian swimmer, who has won five Olympic medals in her career, with four of them being gold. Her gold medals came in the 200 meter individual medley and the 400 meter individual medley at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics; her silver medal came in the 800 meter freestyle at the 2000 Summer Olympics. She has also won ten titles at swimming's world championships, nineteen european championship titles, … - Michael Greis
Michael Greis is a German Olympic gold medalist in biathlon. Greis first competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, finishing 15th and 16th in the 10 km sprint and 12.5 km pursuit events in the biathlon. Greis won the World Cup in the individual category in 2004-2005, and was a member of the winning 4 x 7.5 km relay team in the 2004 Biathlon World Championships, and took silver in the individual 20 km category at the 2005 World Championships. - Sonja Henie
Sonja Henie (April 8, 1912 - October 12, 1969) was a Norwegian figure skater and actress. She is a three-time Olympic Champion (1928, 1932, 1936), a ten-time World Champion (1927-1936) and a six-time European Champion (1931-1936). Henie won more Olympic and World titles than any other ladies figure skater. At the height of her acting-career she was one of the highest paid movie-stars in Hollywood.
|
| |