Famous Olympic athletes. The most titled Olympic champions in history. Ole Einar Bjorndalen, Norway

At the Rio Games, American swimmer Michael Phelps once again took gold, confirming his status as a legend and breaking all world records for the number of Olympic medals - he now has 26 of them, of which 22 are gold. Until 2012, the world record for the number of medals belonged to the great Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.

Michael Phelps, USA, swimming, 26 medals

The American swimmer, nicknamed the Baltimore Bullet, is the only 22-time Olympic champion in the history of sports, a 26-time world champion in a 50-meter pool. The absolute record holder for the number of awards in the history of the Olympic Games. He was disqualified for smoking marijuana in 2009 and wanted to end his career in 2012, but returned for the Olympics in Rio - and did not lose.

Larisa Latynina, USSR, artistic gymnastics, 18 medals

Great Soviet gymnast, nine-time Olympic champion, multiple world, European and USSR champion. Won gold medals at the 1957 European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in all disciplines: individual all-around, vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercise. Until 2012, Latynina was the owner of the largest collection of Olympic medals in terms of quantity - 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals (18 in total). Her record was broken in London in 2012 by Michael Phelps, who continues to increase his medal count in Rio.

Paavo Nurmi, Finland, athletics, 12 medals

One of the most successful male athletes, one of four (and since 2012 - five) athletes who have won 9 Olympic gold medals (the athlete has 3 more silver medals). Participated in the 1920, 1924 and 1928 Olympics. Nurmi was part of a brilliant group of Finnish middle and long-distance runners who were nicknamed the "Flying Finns". Later, all outstanding Finnish athletes, including racing drivers, began to be called this way.

Mark Spitz, USA, swimming, 11 medals

Spitz became the first athlete to win 7 gold medals in one Olympics - in Munich in 1972. In doing so, he set a world record in every discipline he competed in that year. He set 33 world records and was recognized as the best swimmer in the world three times. His record for the number of medals in one Games, like Latynina's quantitative medal record, was broken by Phelps 36 years after it was set - however, back in Beijing in 2008.

Carl Lewis, USA, athletics, 10 medals

Nine-time Olympic champion in sprinting and long jump. In the latter discipline, Lewis managed to win gold at four Olympics in a row, which very few managed to do, and was also recognized as the best athlete in the world three times. At his first Olympics in 1984 in Los Angeles, Lewis won in four disciplines at once: 100 m, 200 m, long jump and 4 x 100 m relay, completely repeating the result of his childhood idol Jesse Owens.

To take part in the Olympic Games is an honor for any athlete. The victory in these competitions forever brings the name of the table of history. But among these legendary personalities there are those who managed more than once to the top of the Olympic podium.

01

Mark Spitz

Mark Spitz, USA, swimming, 9 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze medals. He became the first who was able to win 7 gold medals in just one Olympics (in Munich in 1972). For this achievement, he was surpassed only by Michael Phelps. It is noteworthy that Spitz not only won the competition, but also set 7 world records (33 in his entire career). Three times - in 1969, 1971 and 1972 - he was recognized as the best swimmer in the world.

02

Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis, USA, athletics (sprint and long jump), 9 gold and 1 silver medal. He is one of the few who was able to win "gold" at four Olympics in a row in the same discipline - in the long jump (in 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996). It is interesting that he got one of the highest awards by accident: in 1988 in Seoul, in the 100 m race, he came second to the finish line, but the winner was subsequently disqualified. Lewis was recognized as the best athlete in the world three times (in 1982, 1983 and 1984).

03

Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps, USA, swimming, 23 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals. Holds 7 world records (50m pool/long water: 100m and 200m butterfly, 400m medley, 4x100m freestyle relay, 4x200m freestyle relay, 4x100m medley relay; 25m pool/short course: 4x100m medley relay). In total, during his career he set 39 world records. He has been performing at the Olympic Games since 2000 (Sydney), then he did not win a single medal. But already at the Olympics in Athens in 2004, he won 6 gold and 2 bronze medals. In 2008 in Beijing he won all 8 heats in which he participated.

04

Larisa Latynina

Larisa Latynina, USSR, artistic gymnastics, 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze medals. The absolute Olympic champion in 1956 and 1960, still remains the owner of the largest collection of Olympic awards among women. In 1964, she won gold medals in the team championship and floor exercise, but in the absolute championship she still lost first place to Vera Chaslavskaya from Czechoslovakia. After those significant victories, she coached the USSR Olympic team in gymnastics (in 1968, 1972, 1976).

05

Paavo Nurmi

Paavo Nurmi, Finland, athletics (medium and long distance running), 9 gold and 3 silver medals. This is one of the most prominent athletes of the early 20th century. Already at his first Olympics in 1920 in Antwerp, he received three top awards, at the second - in Paris - he added five more gold medals to his collection. And in the interval between them, he broke world records several times at distances from 1500 to 20000 m. In 1923-1924 he was the best in the world at distances of 1 mile, 1500, 5000 and 10000 m. During his career, he set 22 official and 13 unofficial world records.

06

Birgit Fischer

Birgit Fischer, East Germany/Germany, rowing and canoeing, 8 gold and 4 silver medals. She is the only female and male athlete to have won 12 Olympic medals in rowing. Taking part and winning at the Olympics for 24 years, she became the youngest (18 years old in 1980) and the oldest (42 years old in 2004) Olympic champion in rowing and canoeing.

07

Jenny Thompson

Jenny Thompson, USA, swimming, 8 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals. She received almost all her awards in relay races, only silver in 1992 in Barcelona and bronze in 2000 in Sydney at a distance of 100 m freestyle became “personal” for her. She is also an 18-time world champion. She is currently retired and works as an anesthesiologist.

08

Sawao Kato

Sawao Kato, Japan, artistic gymnastics, 8 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medals. The most decorated male gymnast and the most decorated Asian athlete in Olympic history, made his Olympic debut in 1968 in Mexico City and immediately won 3 gold medals. At the Games in Munich, he repeated the success. The third Olympiad brought him "only" two "golds". In 10970 and 1974 he became the world champion in the team championship.

09

Matt Biondi

Matt Biondi, USA, swimming, 8 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze medals. Twice the best swimmer in the world (in 1986 and 1988), he performed at distances of 50 and 100 m. The pinnacle of his career was the 1988 Games in Seoul, where he won five gold medals, a silver and a bronze. He received most of his awards through participation in relay races; as a member of the relay team, he also became a world record holder.

10

Ray Urey

Ray Urey, USA, track and field (long jump and high jump), 8 gold medals. As a child, this athlete contracted polio and had to travel in a wheelchair for some time. The course of treatment included exercises for the legs, including jumping. This fascinated him so much that he managed to become a 15-time US champion from 1898 to 1910 in standing jumps, until they were canceled. Yuri has competed in four Summer Olympics.

11

Ole Einar Bjoerndalen

Ole Einar Bjorndalen, Norway, biathlon, 8 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze medals. From childhood he was fond of sports, played handball, threw a spear, went in for cycling and only then came to biathlon, to which he achieved incredible results. Since 1994, he has taken part in six Olympics, winning 8 gold medals (and if at the first in Lillehammer he could not show decent results, then in 2002 in Salt Lake City he already became the absolute Olympic champion in biathlon - the only one in the world ). In addition, he won 21 world championships, including once in the summer biathlon.

12

Bjorn Delhi

Bjorn Delhi, Norway, skiing, 8 gold, 4 silver medals. His success is evenly distributed between the three Olympics in 1992, 1994 and 1998. At the same time, he is one of two athletes who managed to win the most prestigious 50 km race at the Olympic Games twice (in 1992 and 1998). Previously, only the Swede Sixten Jernberg managed to do this at the 1956 and 1964 Games. The 9-time world champion ended his career in 2001 due to an earlier back injury.

Three-time Olympic winner, nine-time world champion, 12-time European champion, 13-time champion of the USSR, CIS and Russia. Winner of the Cup "Absolute World Champion" 1989. Four times awarded the "Golden Belt" as the best wrestler on the planet. Five-time winner of the international tournament in memory of Ivan Poddubny. Twice he was recognized as the best athlete in Russia. Soviet, Russian wrestler of the classical (Greco-Roman) style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, Hero of the Russian Federation.

Rezantsev Valery Grigorievich

(Munich-1972, Montreal-1976) in the category up to 90 kg. Five-time world champion, three-time European champion, four-time champion of the USSR, two-time champion of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR. With Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, Honored Coach of Russia.

Valery Rezantsev won 98% of his victories with the same technique: transfer to the ground with a push, which was invented by Roman Rurua. The wrestlers nicknamed the technique "bull", it consisted in knocking down to the ground with a powerful blow-push with the head, neck, shoulder or chest.

Kolchinsky Alexander Leonidovich

Two-time Olympic winner(Montreal-1976, Moscow-1980) in the category over 100 kg. H world champion, World Cup winner, silver medalist of the world championships, silver medalist of the European championships, bronze medalist of the European championship, five-time champion of the USSR, 11-time winner of various international tournaments. With Soviet wrestler of the classical style.

Vlasov Roman Andreevich

Two-time Olympic winner(XXX Olympiad, London - in the category up to 74 kg; XXXI Olympiad, Rio de Janeiro - in the category up to 75 kg), two-time world champion (2011, 2015), four-time European champion (2012, 2013, 2018, 2019). R Ossian Greco-Roman wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Kartoziya Givi Aleksandrovich

Winner of the XVI Olympic Games (Melbourne-1956) in the category up to 79 kg. Bronze medalist of the Olympic Games (Rome-1960) in the category up to 87 kg. Three times world champion (1953, 1955, 1958). Winner of the World Cup in 1956, champion of the USSR in 1952-1955, champion of the World Student Games (1951). Soviet wrestler of the classical (Greco-Roman) style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR, judge of the All-Union category.

About Givi Kartozia's style of wrestling, Ogonyok magazine wrote: “Amazing middleweight wrestler Givi Kartozia! He moves lazily across the mat, sometimes he looks back, sometimes, standing in the stalls, he turns around to see how an interesting fight is going on on the neighboring mat ... And suddenly Kartozia throws the opponent on the shoulder blades ”

Vyrupaev Konstantin Grigorievich

Winner of the XVI Olympic Games (Melbourne-1956) in the category up to 57 kg. Bronze medalist of the Olympic Games (Rome-1960) in the category up to 62 kg. Silver medalist of the World Championship (1962). Bronze medalist of the USSR championship (1954), silver medalist of the USSR championships (1955-1957). Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the RSFSR.

In Irkutsk, since 1990, a traditional all-Russian tournament has been held, since 2005 - an international tournament for the prizes of Konstantin Vyrupaev.

Ushkempirov Zhaksylyk Ushkempirovich

Winner of the XXII Olympic Games (Moscow-1980) in the category up to 48 kg. World champion (1981), European championship silver medalist (1980), USSR champion (1975, 1980). Soviet classical wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the Kazakh SSR.

Balboshin Nikolai Fyodorovich

Winner of the XXI Olympic Games (Montreal-1976) in the category up to 100 kg. Five-time world champion (1973, 1974, 1977, 1978, 1979), six-time European champion (1973, 1975-1979), repeated champion of the USSR. Standard-bearer for the USSR team at the 1976 and 1980 Olympics. Soviet Greco-Roman wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Khisamutdinov Shamil Shamshatdinovich

Winner of the XX Olympic Games (Munich-1972) in the category up to 68 kg. World champion (1973, 1975), European champion (1973, 1974), bronze medalist of the European Championship (1976), champion of the USSR (1971-1974). Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the USSR.

Kazakov Rustem Abdullaevich

Winner of the XX Olympic Games (Munich-1972) in the category up to 57 kg. Two-time world champion (1969, 1971), silver (1973) and bronze (1970) medalist of the world championships. Bronze medalist of the European Championship (1967), champion of the USSR (1971). Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the USSR.

Kolesov Anatoly Ivanovich

Winner of the XVIII Olympic Games (Tokyo-1964) in welterweight. Three-time world champion (1962, 1963, 1965), champion of the USSR (1959, 1964). Soviet Greco-Roman wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the USSR. Headed the USSR Wrestling Federation (1991).

Koridze Avtandil Georgievich

Winner of the XVII Olympic Games (Rome-1960) in the category up to 67 kg. World champion (1961), silver medalist of the USSR championships (1957, 1960), bronze medalist of the USSR championships (1956, 1958). Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Olympic champion Yakov Punkin described Avtandil Koridze's wrestling style as follows: "Koridze was distinguished by an unmistakable understanding of wrestling. He felt danger from afar. I fought in Avtandil and lost to him. Believe me, I did everything to win, but I could not prevent him ..."

Karavaev Oleg Nikolaevich

Winner of the XVII Olympic Games (Rome-1960) in the category up to 57 kg. Two-time world champion (1958, 1961), seven-time champion of the USSR (1956-1960, 1962 - in the individual championship; 1960 - in the team competition). Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. The first Belarusian wrestler is an Olympic champion.

Parfenov Anatoly Ivanovich

Winner of the XVI Olympic Games (Melbourne-1956) in the category over 87 kg. Champion of the USSR (1954, 1957). Soviet classical wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of the USSR.

According to the memoirs of the wrestlers, "he possessed incredible strength, fought in a drag style, which outwardly looked rude, but brought victory."

Kotkas Johannes Johannesovich

Winner of the XV Olympic Games (Helsinki-1952) in the category over 87 kg. Silver medalist of the World Championship (1953), World Cup winner (1956), European champion (1938, 1939 - played for Estonia; 1947 - played for the USSR), champion of the USSR (1940, 1943-1946, 1948, 1950-1953, 1955, 1956), of which in 1940, 1943, 1944, 1945 - the absolute champion of the USSR, 22 times the champion of Estonia. E Stonian and Soviet wrestler of the classical style.

Johannes Kotkas is also a seven-time champion and record holder of the USSR (1943) in hammer throwing, an Estonian champion in hammer throwing, a USSR champion in freestyle wrestling (1947), and a two-time USSR champion in sambo.

Safin Shazam Sergeevich

Winner of the XV Olympic Games (Helsinki-1952) in the category up to 67 kg. Bronze medalist of the World Championship (1953). Winner of the championships held at the World Festivals of Youth and Students (1951, 1953, 1955, 1957), bronze medalist of the individual and team championship of the USSR (1952). With Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

According to the honored trainer of the Russian Federation, a veteran of wrestling, B.A. Seifullina: “Shazam fought uninhibitedly, confidently, beautifully. It was a sporting feat and a triumph for a young athlete.”

Punkin Yakov Grigorievich

Winner of the XV Olympic Games (Helsinki-1952) in the category up to 62 kg. Five-time champion of the USSR (1949, 1950, 1951, 1954, 1955). With Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Yakov Punkin was called "lightning on the carpet" for his wrestling style, and during the Olympics, Finnish journalists called him "a man without nerves."

Bykov Anatoly Mikhailovich

Winner of the XXI Olympic Games (Montreal-1976) in the category up to 74 kg. Silver medalist at the 1980 Olympics. World champion (1975), European championship silver medalist (1978), USSR champion (1975, 1980). Soviet Greco-Roman wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Nalbandyan Suren Rubenovich

Winner of the XXI Olympic Games (Montreal-1976) in the category up to 68 kg. Champion of Europe (1977), bronze medalist of the European Championship (1976), four-time champion of the USSR (1976, 1977, 1979, 1980), winner of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR (1975). He was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor (1976). Soviet Greco-Roman wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

The legendary Astrakhan Suren Nalbandyan is still considered by many to be an unsurpassed wrestler in terms of technical arsenal. He was so skillful and passionate that competitions on other mats often stopped when he fought, everyone was watching him fight.

Konstantinov Vitaly Viktorovich

Winner of the XXI Olympic Games (Montreal-1976) in the category up to 52 kg. World champion (1975), European champion (1980), European championship silver medalist (1972), USSR champion (1976, 1977, 1979, 1980), champion of the Spartakiad of the Peoples of the USSR (1980). Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Shumakov Alexey Vasilievich

Winner of the XXI Olympic Games (Montreal-1976) in the category up to 48 kg. World champion (1977), world championship silver medalist (1978, 1979), European champion (1976), European championship silver medalist (1974, 1975), USSR champion (1972, 1979). Soviet wrestler of the classical style. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Roshchin Anatoly Alexandrovich

Winner of the XX Olympic Games (Munich-1972) in the category over 100 kg. Silver medalist of the Olympic Games (1964, 1968). Three-time world champion (1963, 1969, 1970), European champion (1966), five-time USSR champion in Greco-Roman wrestling, two-time USSR champion in sambo. Soviet Greco-Roman wrestler, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

None of the wrestlers, not a single representative of other types of power martial arts, managed to become an Olympic champion at the age of 40, and even on the third attempt. Only Anatoly Roshchin managed to do this.

Baroev Khasan Makharbekovich

Winner of the XXVIII Olympic Games (Athens-2004) in the category up to 120 kg. Silver medalist at the Beijing Olympics. Two-time world champion and two-time European champion. R Russian wrestler of the Greco-Roman style, Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Mishin Alexey Vladimirovich

Winner of the XXVIII Olympic Games (Athens-2004) in the category up to 84 kg. World champion in 2007, six-time European champion (2001, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013), multiple champion of Russia. Russian Greco-Roman wrestler, Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Kardanov Murat Nausbievich

Winner of the XXVII Olympic Games (Sydney-2000) in the category up to 76 kg. Winner of the World Cup in 1992, 1995 and 1997, European champion in 1998. Repeated winner of the world and European championships. Russian Greco-Roman wrestler, Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Samurgashev Varteres Varteresovich

Winner of the XXVII Olympic Games (Sydney-2000) in the category up to 63 kg. Six-time champion of Russia (1998-2000, 2002, 2004, 2006), two-time European champion (2000, 2006), two-time world champion (2002, 2005). Cavalier of the Order of Honor (2001) and the Order of Friendship (2006). Russian Greco-Roman wrestler, Honored Master of Sports of Russia.

Iskandaryan Mnatsakan Frunzevich

Winner of the XXV Olympic Games (Barcelona-1992) in the category up to 74 kg. Two-time European champion (1991, 1992), three-time world champion (1990, 1991, 1994). Soviet, Armenian and Russian Greco-Roman wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR. Honored Coach of Russia.

Winner of the XXV Olympic Games (Barcelona-1992) in the category up to 48 kg, played for the United Team. In the final bouts, in the seventh round, in which the fate of the gold medal was decided on points with a score of 3-0, he won, having carried out a coup and roll, against Vincenzo Maenza (Italy), a two-time Olympic champion, nicknamed "a cobra in a swift death throw" and became an Olympic champion. Soviet Greco-Roman wrestler. Honored Master of Sports of the USSR.

Sport may not be as significant and effective in human life and activities as science, technology, education, business and politics, but it certainly plays its own role in society, not only in our time, but since Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Along with music, the film industry, and television, sports entertain or, on rare occasions, even represent national pride for fans around the world. In recent years, a huge number of polls have been conducted and many rankings of the best athletes in the world of all time have been compiled, but most of them focus only on the most famous and popular sports. Polls were also conducted, the purpose of which was to identify the best athletes in a particular country. Thus, many great athletes from different parts of the world were left without attention. In our list, we will try to talk about the twenty-five greatest male athletes in history in their sport.

25. Bill Shoemaker, horse racing

Despite his small frame and weight, which did not exceed 45 kilograms during the peak of his career, those who shook hands with the legendary Bill Shoemaker could attest that this little man had one of the most powerful handshakes you can imagine. These small but strong hands were the secret behind a brilliant career of over forty years. During his career, Shoemaker won eleven Thoroughbred Triple Crown races, 1,009 betting races, and won ten national cash titles. He earned over $125 million, of which about $10 million went into his pocket. He won the Kentucky Derby four times and won the Belmont Stakes five times, and his record for most wins (8,833 wins) stood for many years until another immortal of the sports world, Laffit Pincay Jr. Jr) couldn't finally beat him in 1999.

24. John Brzenk, armwrestling


The legendary American arm wrestler from Illinois is undoubtedly one of the longest title holders in the history of any sport, having gone undefeated for an incredible twenty-three years. In 1983, he won his first world title when he was only eighteen years old, and he remains to this day the youngest world champion in the history of the sport. Guinness World Records named him "The Greatest Armwrestler of All Time". He also made a cameo appearance in the movie With All My Strength, starring Sylvester Stallone. This movie is still the most popular movie of all time related to this sport. He is believed to have won over 250 titles and won numerous tournaments during his incredible career.

23. Kelly Slater, surfing


Kelly Slater is the greatest and most famous surfer in the history of surfing. The American surfing superstar has won the ASP World Tour Championship a record eleven times and also holds the record for being the youngest athlete ever to win a world title (at age twenty). He is also the oldest athlete ever to hold the title. He won his last victory in 2011 at the age of thirty-nine. His net worth is estimated at approximately $20 million, making him the richest surfer of all time.

22. Tony Hawk (Tony Hawk), skateboarding


The Birdman, as his fans know him, is a professional skateboarder and the sport's first true superstar. Tony Hawk created several new moves on a skateboard during his career and was the person who first pulled off the epic "900" stunt, which is considered one of the hardest aerial spins done on a skateboarding ramp because the skateboarder has to complete 2 ½ rotations ( 900 degrees) without falling. In addition, Hawke became the highest-paid athlete in all kinds of extreme sports, and earned millions from what were named after him video games, shoes and skateboards. Tony has also won nine gold medals at the World Extreme Games (X Games) and the Olympics of Extreme Sports (Olympics of Extreme Sports). In 2014, Fox Weekly named Hawke one of the most influential skateboarders of all time.

21. Ole Einar Bjørndalen, biathlon


Ole is the equivalent of Michael Phelps, but for the Winter Olympics. The Norwegian professional biathlete and icesports superstar is the most decorated Olympian in Winter Olympic history with a whopping thirteen medals from five different Olympic Games. He started his medal collection at the 1998 Nagano Olympics. With the two gold medals he recently won at the Sochi 2014 Olympics, he now has eight gold medals in his career. His collection also includes four silver medals and one bronze. Add thirty-nine (nineteen of them gold) World Championship medals to the equation and you can see why he's on our list.

20. Yiannis Kouros, Ultramarathon Run


Janis Kouros is the definition of an athlete that makes you really think about the true possibilities and limits of the human body and soul. He races against nature, time, distance and, as he said, when his body can no longer carry him, he does it with his mind. However, he remains almost unknown outside of running circuits, despite holding the most world records of any athlete in any sport, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. He set all these records during his career. He is also the man who has run more miles than anyone else in the history of mankind. Kouros has set over 150 world records while competing in races such as the Athens to Sparta marathon, Sydney to Melbourne, 1000 mile races and six day events. He has also won over seventy ultramarathon titles in an incredible career spanning over thirty years.

19. Nikolai Andrianov, gymnastics


Nikolai Andrianov is undoubtedly the most successful gymnast who ever lived and perhaps the second most popular overall, just behind the great Nadia Comăneci. Since the 1980 Olympics, he has held the men's record for most Olympic medals in any sport. In total, he is the owner of fifteen medals (seven of them gold). It wasn't until nearly thirty years later that Michael Phelps broke his record at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He is currently the third athlete overall in terms of Olympic medals won after Phelps (who has twenty-two) and Larisa Latynina, a Soviet gymnast who won eighteen medals during her career.

18. Karch Kiraly, volleyball


Karch Kiraly is to volleyball what Babe Ruth is to baseball and Michael Jordan is to basketball - just the greatest athlete in the history of his sport. In 1999, the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball, the highest governing body of volleyball, named Kiraya the greatest volleyball player of the 20th century by the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB), and it is well deserved considering the many honors and titles he has won during his amazing career. He received two Olympic gold medals with Team USA in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, and a third gold medal while playing beach volleyball, this time in the 1996 Olympics. He received gold at the 1986 World Championships, as well as numerous titles from the National Collegiate Athletic Association, not counting his club titles and personal achievements in both regular and beach volleyball. All of this has given Kiraya a mythical status in volleyball circles.

17. Sergei Bubka, athletics


Al Oerter in the discus throw, Carl Lewis in the long jump, Viktor Saneev in the triple jump and Jan Železný in the javelin throw had more Olympic triumphs than the Ukrainian legendary jumper with the pole, which won only once, at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul (Seoul). However, his impact on the sport has lasted much longer than the glory of any other track and field athlete in history. Between 1983 and 1997, he won a record six consecutive World Championships in Athletics (World Championships), which were held by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). He also received four more gold medals at the World Indoor Championships. During his illustrious career, Bubka set seventeen world records in athletics and eighteen world records in indoor athletics. In all, he set thirty-five records, the most records set by a single athlete in the history of athletics. Bubka was also the first pole vaulter to enter the Elite 18 club to jump 6 meters and the first pole vaulter to break 6.10 meters.

16. Eddy Merckx, cycling


"Handsome" Eddy Merckx is widely considered to be the greatest professional cyclist in the history of the sport, and this opinion is absolutely justified. At 185 centimeters tall and weighing 74 kilograms, Merckx was unusually tall, athletic and muscular for the sport, especially for his time, and was one of the most influential pioneers of cycling who helped modernize it during the sixties and seventies. He won the World Championship three times, the Tour de France and the Giro d'Italia five times each, the Vuelta a España once, and also broke several world records before his retirement. from sports in the late seventies.The French magazine Vélo described Merckx as "the most outstanding cyclist who ever rode a bicycle", while the American magazine VeloNews called him the greatest and most successful cyclist of all time and peoples.

15. Jim Brown (Jim Brown), American football


Just like in most other team sports, there is always a fierce debate about who is the greatest player in the history of the NFL and opinions vary widely. Some will say it's Jerry Rice, others will argue that it's Joe Montana and, more recently, Peyton Manning, who has gained fan following by breaking several records, including the record for most National Football League honors in NFL history. However, most players and pundits will tell you that Jim Brown is the greatest in history, and for good reason. In 118 career games, Brown averaged 104.3 yards per game and 5.2 yards per pass. None of the NHL players in a hurry to earn their own glory, and did not come close to these staggering numbers. When Brown retired from the sport, he was the highest paid and most honored NFL player of his time and one of the sport's first superstars. In 2002, sports news named him the greatest professional football player of all time.

14 Gareth Edwards Rugby


A Welsh legend named Gareth Edwards is the rugby world's equivalent of Jim Brown, as he was the first rugby player to refine the style of the sport and lay the groundwork for a modernized version of it. Even though he played back in the seventies, thanks to his incredible athleticism and rare excellent playing skills, there is no doubt that he would still be at the top even if he were playing today. He was the definition of the term "perfect player" and could do absolutely anything. He was extremely fast, had incredible passing skills, his shots were top notch and most importantly, he had a very high IQ on the pitch and could read the game better than anyone else. In a 2003 poll of the best international rugby player by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was voted the greatest player of all time. After that, in the list of "50 Greatest Rugby Players" compiled by The Telegraph in 2007, Edwards was also named the greatest player in history.

13. Fedor Emelianenko, mixed martial arts


Fedor "The Last Emperor" Emelianenko is probably the most beloved Russian athlete in American sports history. Never before have so many American fans cheered for a Russian athlete and in most cases against their American athletes. Fedor was probably the first global superstar in a relatively new sport, and his fame spread from Russia to Japan and from the US to Brazil.

He was RINGS Freeweight Champion from 2001 to 2003, PRIDE Heavyweight Champion from 2003 to 2007, and WAMMA Heavyweight Champion from 2008 to 2010, going undefeated for over 10 years for over 10 years. incredible career during which he defeated many champions and famous fighters. Emelianenko is also the longest-serving top ranked fighter, recognized as the best regardless of weight class in MMA history and was recently voted the greatest MMA fighter of all time. He received a whopping 73 percent of the vote in the largest online mixed martial arts poll ever held in Brazil, the country of runner-up Anderson Silva. This fact perfectly shows the world recognition and respect of fans, which Fedor enjoys.

12. Jack Nicklaus, golf


In individual sports such as golf, things are less complicated, because in such sports there are no different weight classes like in boxing or wrestling, different disciplines like in athletics or swimming, and the competition that the champion has to face is not affected. on the course of the game, as, for example, in tennis. In golf, you are essentially competing against yourself. Despite what the modern media might tell you about Tiger Woods or even more recently Rory McIlroy, the bottom line is that to be the best at golf you have to break a record, and in this case the record belongs to Jack Nicklaus, who has eighteen major championship victories to his credit. So even if fans' opinions change like any other sport, and despite the fact that the names of Tiger Woods, Ben Hogan (Ben Hogan) and Gary Player (Gary Player) are often heard in conversations about the greatest golfer, numbers never lie. And until someone wins nineteen major championships, the Golden Bear will hold the record and the title of the greatest in history.

11. Michael Phelps, swimming


Michael Phelps is without a doubt the most decorated and most successful Olympian in the history of the modern Games. And how could he not be, given the incredible twenty-two medals he won by the age of twenty-seven and in just three different Olympic Games, eighteen of them gold. In the meantime, he won twenty-seven more gold medals at the World Championships and broke thirty-nine world records, more than any other swimmer in the history of the sport. In total, he has seventy-seven medals received in major international competitions, sixty-one of them gold. Michael Phelps is arguably the most successful individual athlete of the last fifty years.

10 Michael Schumacher, Motorsport


With all due respect to the great NASCAR, WRC and Moto GP champions of the past decades, Formula 1 is one of the three most popular and highest paid individual sports in the world, along with tennis and golf. For this reason, the king of Formula 1, Michael Schumacher, receives a nod as the greatest driver of all time. During his distinguished career, he broke many records in the world's most popular motor racing. He holds records for winning the most world championships with seven victories, the most racing victories with ninety-one victories. He also broke the record for fastest seventy-seven laps. He also holds the record for taking the most pole positions with sixty-eight pole positions. He was twice named Laureus World Athlete of the Year and is the second richest athlete of all time, behind only Michael Jordan. His alleged estate is valued at $850 million.

9 Wayne Gretzky Ice Hockey


Wayne Gretzky is not only the greatest hockey player of all time, but also the face of one of the four biggest sports in the United States. Over the course of three decades, he played twenty seasons in the National Hockey League, won four Stanley Cups, and set an astounding number of different NHL records (61 in total), more than any other athlete on any team. sport in history. He has been named the greatest hockey player in history in every poll and official ranking there has ever been. He is also the North American athlete with the most Most Valuable Player awards, having won a total of nine Hart Memorial Trophies (the NHL's regular season award).

8. Usain Bolt, track and field (sprint)


With all due respect to mythical running legends like Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis and Emil Zatopek among others, Usain Bolt is the absolute "God of Running" and the fastest man in human history. The running phenomenon is the first and current holder of two world records for 100 and 200 meters. He became the first person to achieve a "twice double victory" by winning the 100m and 200m events at two consecutive Olympic Games. In addition, he recently became the first person to break the ten-second barrier in an indoor 100m. He won his last victory, setting a new world record, covering the distance in just 9.98 seconds.

7 Donald Bradman, cricket


It doesn't take long for you to realize what kind of "Sports God" Sir Donald Bradman really was when you look at his literally incredible career and achievement stats. On average, 99.94 percent success in any career area is considered mythical, not to say divine. A cardiac surgeon, for example, with such a percentage of success will be able to save, in fact, every patient who gets to him on the operating table.

Also arguably the greatest cricketer of all time, Sir Don Bradman has played in 52 matches and bowled an incredible 80 innings, while a simple look at the list of cricketers with the best average in history shows that the second most successful cricketer has a 65.55 percent success rate with just 22 innings. Bradman's career rate of 99.94 percent is often considered the greatest achievement of any athlete in any major sport and is considered truly unattainable.

6. Roger Federer, tennis


Just like in golf, in a sport like tennis, to be the best you have to break the best record. While Federer played and won most of his titles during a relatively weak era in tennis, before the rise of legends like Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic; and despite the existence of such names as Pete Sampras, Björn Borg and Rod Laver, when it comes to the greatest tennis player in history, the bottom line is that Roger Federer holds the record for the most overall weeks in first position (302 weeks) and the most Grand Slam singles wins in history with seventeen wins. So until someone breaks his records, he will be considered the greatest player in the world's most popular individual sport.

5. Muhammad Ali, boxing


Some will tell you that Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest boxer of any weight class that ever lived. And even Mohammed Ali himself would agree with such a statement, since he was a big fan of Sugar. Muhammad Ali doesn't have more defense titles than Joe Louis, he didn't retire undefeated like Rocky Marciano didn't hold a title as long as reigning champion Wladimir Klitschko, and he certainly didn't earn as much. as much money as Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather have made in the modern age of sports, but when it comes to legacy no one can ever touch Muhammad Ali.

Ali is the most famous boxer of all time and one of the most famous athletes who ever lived, regardless of the sport. His colorful personality and fight against racism and injustice have given him hero status and inspired many of his fellow African Americans to rise up and fight for their rights in an era of change. There is no doubt that there have been many great boxers in history, from ancient times to the present day, and because of the many weight classes it is really difficult to compare their skills and career peaks. However, there is only one boxer who has managed to become more than a sport in itself, and we all agree that that person is Muhammad Ali.

4. Alexander Karelin, wrestling


Alexander "Experiment" Karelin was without a doubt the most intimidating and dominant champion of all martial arts throughout the twentieth century. Karelin's life story looks like a Greek myth. He was born on the frozen wasteland of Siberia in 1967 and until the age of thirteen, when he started wrestling, he hunted foxes and sables in the snowy forests of Siberia. His enormous size and brute strength, as well as his unusual, evolutionary method, have made him the most dominant fighter the world has ever seen.

During his career, he won three Olympic gold medals, won nine world championships out of nine participations and became the owner of twelve European titles in twelve participations. He remained undefeated for over thirteen years, a mythical achievement, and for six years he did not lose a single point, an even more mythical feat given the nature of the sport. The record in Experiment's wrestling is 887 wins and only two losses, for which he avenged. Shortly after his retirement from the sport in 2000, the International Federation of Associated Wrestling Styles named him the greatest wrestler of all time.

3. Babe Ruth, baseball


Baseball and American football are two traditional American sports, and in most cases the popularity of the greatest athletes in these two sports is limited to the United States. However, there are a few exceptions and Babe Ruth is the most famous of them. Despite all the records he's broken and the titles he's won as a baseball player, the Bambino's legacy and glory transcends the sport itself. Babe Ruth was arguably the first true legend and superstar in the history of any sport, and his name became popular through movies, candy bars, stamps and, of course, baseball-related memorabilia.

Ruth has been named the greatest baseball player in history in the vast majority of studies and polls, the most significant of which was conducted by The Sporting News in 1998, as a result of which he was ranked first in the list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. The following year, he was included in the Associated Press' "100 Greatest Athletes of the Century" list and named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century.

2. Michael Jordan, basketball


Michael "Air" Jordan is arguably the most famous athlete of the last twenty years and one of the most famous pop icons of the nineties. During his amazing career, he won six National Basketball Association (NBA) titles with the Chicago Bulls, six NBA Player of the Year awards in every Finals. He was selected to play in the NBA regular season five times, he also played fourteen times in the All-Star Games of the National Basketball Association (NBA AllStar Games). Jordan won two Olympic gold medals with Team USA, but most importantly, he is the man who popularized the NBA around the world in the late 1980s and 1990s. Jordan became the first basketball player to surpass the players of his era in global popularity and fame, something that no one before him had ever been able to achieve.

Although it sounds like an exaggeration, Michael Jordan is the only basketball player in history who has come to mean more than the sport itself, and this fact can be confirmed by any basketball fan. In 1999, he was named the greatest North American athlete of the 20th century by ESPN. His name has been placed at the head of other sports titans such as Muhammad Ali, Jim Thorpe and Babe Ruth.

1. Diego Maradona, football


It may seem surprising to many American sports fans, but there is no doubt that football is the most popular sport in the world. And the clearest proof of this is the fact that the recent World Cup final between Germany and Argentina was watched by more than a billion people, which is twice the number of fans who watched the Super Bowl, the NBA Finals, the World Series Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Stanley Cup Finals combined!

Diego Armando Maradona gets number one on our list as the world's greatest athlete simply because he is the king of the world's most popular sport. He is the only person in the history of any team sport to win the World Cup almost on his own in 1986. He joined Italy's minor league under the name Napoli and a few years later led them to the Italian Championship and the UEFA European Cup twice, the only major titles in the club's history. He scored the "goal of the century" and the most controversial goal ("Hand of God"), both in the same game against England. He was ultimately named Footballer of the Century, beating out legends like Pele, Zidane, Di Stefano, Cruyff and Beckenbauer in the largest internet poll in history. held for any sport. He garnered an astounding 55.60 percent of the people's votes, ahead of Pelé who received only 18.53 percent.

In 776 BC e. The first Olympic Games were held in the ancient Greek city of Athens. The audience watched with great interest the competitions of athletes, wrestlers and other athletes. The crazy success of the first event showed the benefits of further holding similar Games. Only athletes from Greece were allowed to participate in the competition. A few centuries later, the Olympics ceased. This tradition was destined to be covered with a touch of historical dust, if not for Pierre de Coubertin. Thanks to his report on the "Revival of the Olympic Games" in 1892 at the Sorbonne, the world community once again turned its gaze towards the "forbidden fruit" - the Olympic Games. After analyzing all the positive and negative aspects of the competition, we decided to revive the glorious tradition with ancient Greek origins.

The first Russian Olympic champion

The first Olympics were held in Athens in 1896. Unfortunately, representatives of Russian sports were not present at this event. Without them, the second and third similar competitions in Paris and St. Louis were also held. But for the Olympics in London in 1908, a group of Russian athletes consisting of eight people was delegated. The debut of the team was quite successful. It was in London that the first Olympic champion of Russia was designated. They became the figure skater N. Panin-Kolomenkin. No one could repeat the intricate pirouettes that the athlete initially schematically presented to the panel of judges on paper, and then repeated exactly on the ice. That is why Panin-Kolomenkin was unanimously recognized as the champion in this sport. However, not only the skater perfectly represented his country at the competitions in London. A. Petrov and N. Orlov, Russian Olympic champions in wrestling, also joined him. A wide public outcry caused a stunning debut of the national team at these Games.

Opt Out

The next games in Stockholm in 1912 were not so successful for the state. Unfortunately, the national team managed to perform well only in five sports: team shooting from thirty meters, Greco-Roman wrestling, rowing, shooting (trap). The Olympic champions of Russia in 1912 won two silver (in the first two disciplines) and three bronze medals (in the rest).

After the Games, the Russian government decided to intensively prepare for the new Games of 1916. However, the First World War had a negative impact on the position of all countries, which resulted in the refusal to hold competitions. Since then, due to the unstable external and internal situation, Russia did not take part in the Olympics until 1952.

After the bright and long-awaited victory in World War II by all citizens of the country, the government of the USSR radically changed its view of the Games. In 1951, by order of the leadership of the state, the Olympic Committee was created. A year later, the fifteenth Games were held in Helsinki. It was there that the debut of Soviet athletes took place. And I must say that the first performance was more than successful. The Olympic champions of Russia and nine other union republics brought home one hundred and six medals. Of these, 38 of the first category, 53 of the second and 15 of the third. In the overall medal standings, the USSR was in second place. Subsequently, the power until the moment of its collapse took a similar position only twice, in 1964 and 1968. In all other Games, the USSR was in the lead both in the number of medals and in their quality.

Gorgeous sportswoman

It is worth noting that the national team actually included outstanding Olympic champions of Russia and friendly allied countries. One of them is Larisa Latynina. This amazing athlete made herself known at the Melbourne Games in 1956. There, the gymnast won gold medals in four programs. The seventeenth and eighteenth Games added an additional five gold-colored awards to the girl's piggy bank. If we count all the medals, then Larisa Latynina won eighteen trophies during her career. Of these, nine gold, five silver and four bronze awards.

Participation in the Winter Games

Between 1952 and 1988, the Soviet Union national team took first place in such sports as rowing, fencing, kayaking and canoeing, artistic gymnastics, swimming, sailing, wrestling and athletics. It is noteworthy that the Soviet athlete and Olympic champion Valery Brumel was also recognized as the best athlete of the 20th century. His high jump record of 2 meters and 28 cm held at the highest mark for almost a quarter of a century.

In addition to the Summer Olympics, the USSR national team performed well in the winter analogue of the competition. It is noteworthy that the “white” event has been held since 1924, twenty-eight years after the start of the first Games. Prior to this, many sports were included in the program of summer competitions. The Soviet Olympic champions in hockey have proven themselves excellently. Russia and the allied states proudly presented their outstanding club athletes to the world. These include Vladislav Tretyak, Vitaly Davydovich, Valery Kharlamov, Vsevolod Bobrov, Alexander Maltsev.

Skaters, skaters and skiers

The "winter" Olympic champions of Russia also include the names of other outstanding athletes. These include skiers Lyubov Kozyreva, Vyacheslav Vedenin, Raisa Smetanina, speed skaters Evgeny Grishin, Nikolai Andrianov, ice dancers Oksana Grischuk and Evgeny Platonov, and many others.

Athletes of winter sports have achieved particular success in such a discipline as figure skating. The Olympic champions of Russia and the allied countries brought to the treasury of the state not only a lot of gold medals, but also a huge number of records. Irina Rodnina is one of the few skaters who managed to win three gold medals in pair skating.

The last performance of the USSR national team

In 1991 the Soviet Union collapsed. However, this in no way prevented the athletes of the former Soviet republics from competing at the Olympics in Barcelona as the USSR national team. One hundred and twelve medals were won that year. This is the largest number of trophies in the history of the performance of athletes of the Soviet Union. The delegation received 45 gold, 38 silver and 29 bronze awards. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, in honor of the victory of Russian athletes, the flag of Russia, painted in three colors, was raised.

Speaking for myself

Already four years later, at the Olympic Games in Atlanta, each country that was in represented its own separate team. For Russia, these games were triumphant. The national team won twenty-six gold medals. The piggy bank also included silver and bronze awards, the number of which is twenty-one and sixteen, respectively.

At the twenty-eighth Games in Athens, the Olympic champions of the Russian team won forty-five gold medals. was received two more than the "yellow", and the medals of the third category turned out to be ninety. In Greece, Russian athletes also set several world records. One such achievement is the pole vault result. It was shown by Elena Isinbayeva.

After the collapse of the USSR, Russia did not slow down the pace of development of sports. At the last Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, the national team was in first place in terms of the number and quality of awards received, leaving all competitors far behind.