The Olympic games – an event that athletes train their whole life for and fans do not miss. A true example of how sports can unite the whole world and all nations. The fact that it happens every four years just adds to the excitement. Athletes train their whole lives to get to the Olympics and when it finally happens, it’s all on the line for them. They put so much effort into their performance at the Olympic games, so no wonder we have some iconic Olympians to look back on. 

1. Usain Bolt 

Even if you are not a fan of running, you have to know this name. This legendary athlete from Jamaica is known for breaking both the 100m and 200m world records. Some athletes dream of coming to the Olympic games. Others of winning a medal, even if not gold. Usain Bolt on the other hand has won triple Olympic gold, twice! The Olympics 2008 and 2012 were certainly memorable. 

2. Carl Lewis 

Talking about athletics legends who managed to win Olympic gold medals several times in their career – Carl Lewis won nine of them (over four Olympic games)! This American athlete has definitely left a mark on athletics and the Olympics in general. 

3. Nadia Comaneci 

Have you ever watched gymnastics and thought to yourself, “How do they even do that?” Well, we did. Every new generation of gymnasts is even more extraordinary than the last. However, sometimes looking back at some older generations really makes you more appreciative of the sport. Nadia Comaneci is one of those legendary gymnasts that has won three gold medals during the Olympic games of 1976 and managed to get a score of 6.0 – the perfect score, which had never been done till then. 

4. Aleksandr Medved

All fans of wrestling know this name well. Medved (which translates as ‘bear’) remains a role model for many young wrestlers even now. He has been a part of three Olympics and has won a gold medal every time. An interesting fact is that he never lost a match during the Olympics. He is still believed to be one of the best freestyle wrestlers by many.

5. Michael Phelps

Did we save the best for last? Where do we even begin to describe this legendary American swimmer? If we tried to note down all of his victories at the Olympics games, we would have a difficult time with that task. He is the most decorated Olympian, which is a very difficult record to break. Among his 28 Olympic medals, 23 are gold medals! Without a doubt, Micheal Phelps deserves the title of the best Olympian in history.