Author Topic: The Greatest Olympic Champion (Read 721 times)

midnight Target · « **on:** July 23, 2004, 10:56:05 AM »

Who would you pick.

My choice is Eric Heiden.

Winner of all 5 events in the Speed Skating competition from 500 meters to 10,000 meters setting Olympic records at every distance. Incredible.

After the Olympics he retired from skating because of the noteriety and took up cycling. He competed in the Tour de France in 1986.

Dr. Heiden is now an Orthopedist.

Sixpence · « **Reply #1 on:** July 23, 2004, 10:59:30 AM »

http://www.cmgww.com/sports/thorpe/thorpe.html

http://www.alphacdc.com/necona/jimthorp.html

JB73 · « **Reply #2 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:06:31 AM »

thorpe, or possibly bruce jenner

midnight Target · « **Reply #3 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:07:48 AM »

Thorpe's a good choice too. Using modern scoring tables Thorpe would have medaled in the 1960 Olympic Decathlon. He was amazing.

Shuckins · « **Reply #4 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:08:44 AM »

Jim Thorpe...no contest.

Skuzzy · « **Reply #5 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:09:23 AM »

Thorpe, without a doubt

Reschke · « **Reply #6 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:12:30 AM »

This is a tough one to categorize simply because of the variations in the sports. Just having one "Greatest" Olympian is pretty ambiguous to me.

midnight Target · « **Reply #7 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:15:54 AM »

Thorpe was a great all-around athlete, but I'd still give Heiden the nod.

Thorpe could not have won the gold medal in every running or jumping event in the decathlon and the pentathlon. He was great, but Heiden won the sprint on up to a 10,000 meter race. Imagine Maurice Green winning the marathon.

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #8 on:** July 23, 2004, 11:19:54 AM »

Sir Steven Redgrave, Great Britian.

5 Gold Medals in Rowing, 1 in 5 consectutive Olympic Games..

1 each in Los Angeles (Straight Four), Seoul (pair), Barcelona (pair), Atlanta (pair), Sydney (Straight Four). In Seoul, he also won a bronze.

He was 38 yrs old when he won his last Gold Medal.

He won as many as Heiden but in order to accomplish it, he had to be the best in his sport for 20 years.

There are a few who have gone 4 for 4, Steven Redgrave went 5 for 5, plus a bronze.

http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/heroes/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=65847

Pongo · « **Reply #9 on:** July 23, 2004, 12:39:01 PM »

Dont know if you can give it to a person who competes in teams.

Dago · « **Reply #10 on:** July 23, 2004, 12:41:53 PM »

Thorpe

-MZ- · « **Reply #11 on:** July 23, 2004, 12:42:01 PM »

Jesse Owens

ra · « **Reply #12 on:** July 23, 2004, 12:44:21 PM »

Tonya Harding. She briefly made a ghey sport seem interesting.

Nilsen · « **Reply #13 on:** July 23, 2004, 12:48:35 PM »

"Cross-country skier Björn Dæhlie holds several all-time Winter Olympics records. Competing in the 1990s, he is still the only winter athlete to win eight gold medals, the only one to win twelve total medals and the only one to earn nine medals in individual events. He is also the only man to win six gold medals in individual events."

-edit- http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/heroes/bio_uk.asp?PAR_I_ID=74576

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #14 on:** July 23, 2004, 01:26:23 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Pongo
Dont know if you can give it to a person who competes in teams.

You are an idiot if you believe that someone who contributes to a team effort can not be recognized as a great athlete.

And Steven Redgrave did not participate in a team sport, he rowed crew. A crew is much more than a team.