Who Is the Most Iconic Olympian of All Time?

by GMR Posted 2012/06/29 22:31:20

Related Topics: Sports, Michael Phelps, Olympics, Summer Olympics, Movie, History, 2012, Movies, Running, London, Poll, Survey, Honor, US, Jim

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1,496 votes
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Lightning Report View Results and Demographics + View Demographics

	Carl Lewis
	Jesse Owens
	Steve Redgrave
	Paavo Nurmi
	Larisa Latynina
	Birgit Fischer-Schmidt
	Jim Thorpe
	Michael Phelps
	Other

Loading Demographics... Click an icon to see demographic results Display unknown and private
	Carl Lewis	155 votes	10%
	Jesse Owens	580 votes	39%
	Steve Redgrave	14 votes	1%
	Paavo Nurmi	22 votes	1%
	Larisa Latynina	17 votes	1%
	Birgit Fischer-Schmidt	9 votes	1%
	Jim Thorpe	253 votes	17%
	Michael Phelps	233 votes	16%
	Other	213 votes	14%

The London 2012 Summer Olympics are right around the corner, and soon most of the planet will be caught up in the breath-taking athleticism of the world's very best. Though the Olympics are technically a sporting event, they transcend traditional entertainment to become a spectacle of human endurance, willpower, skill, strength... It would take us a while just to cover the basics, so we'll leave it there.

In honor of the London 2012 Olympics, we're running a survey on some of the greatest moments in recent Olympics history, the greatest Olympics-themed movies, and a few other related topics. Make sure to check out our 8-Question Quick Poll and see what other people think!

+26

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Joker~RWAC/CFM-THE REAL POTL 2012/07/01 00:20:04

Jesse Owens

+11
How in the hell is Mark Spitz not mentioned! I mean...look at that mustache!

Seriously though, Jesse Owens is the man!
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More polls by GMR

NakedRei 2012/07/17 10:20:28

Other

Zola Budd

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im right ur wrong 2012/07/13 20:57:32

Other

USAIN BOLT!

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drewrino 2012/07/12 18:01:47

Jesse Owens

there all great,

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Robert 2012/07/11 17:12:49

Other

1968 Olympics in Mexico, 200 meter dash: Tommy Smith-Gold, Peter Norman-Silver, John Carlos-Bronze. Smith and Carlos black gloved fist salute, Carlos open jack and all three wearing an Olympic Project for Human Rights badge (OPHR). Norman, an Australian got his badge from Paul Hoffman a member of the Harvard/US Olympic rowing team and also a member of the OPHR who wore the badges as well.

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juirsh 2012/07/09 02:31:17

Other

Michael Johnson is a good one too!!

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Dave 007 2012/07/08 15:07:04

Jesse Owens

+1
Jesse Owens - not even close.

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brian.harriott.7 2012/07/07 21:35:09

Other

OLGA KORBUT

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YOUR EARTH ANGEL'S REDEMPTION 2012/07/07 14:11:24

Other

UH OH..YEAH I DON'T KEEP UP ON SPORTS TOO WELL...I DON'T KNOW WHO ANY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE.

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geo353 2012/07/05 20:28:08

Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe, Johnny Weismuller the list goes on

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vdehl 2012/07/05 06:36:06

Jesse Owens

+1
I guess today's star, Michael Phelps is just as iconic as others. The first answer that comes to mind is Jessie Owens with his four medals .That's probably because the Olympics were in BerlinBerlinm,.

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RobbieValiant 2012/07/05 04:02:35

Other

These are Olympic athletes, not true Olympians. We all know the most iconic Olympian is Zeus.

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juirsh to RobbieV... 2012/07/09 02:32:11

really!?

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pete 2012/07/04 15:28:14

Jesse Owens

+1
Jessie was by far the fastest human back in 36, and he also held the broad jump record.

Carl Lewis matched Owens' and broke some of his records, but they are separated by several generations.

Track and Field were the iconic events of the Olympics of ancient Greece and still are the top draw today. The swimming events were overdone and allowed singular athletes garner more medals over too many distances and disciplines; some have been scrapped since.

But to answer the "most iconic" question; I'd have to go with Owens; whose records stood the longest.

As far as BEST overall athletes go; I'd have to go with the decathletes.

Forget all that Hitler crap; it had nothing to do with Owens' personal performances back then. He was an icon and a gentleman.

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Matt Forrester 2012/07/04 12:23:52

Jesse Owens

+1
And he disgraced Hitler in the Munich Olympics wearing ADIDAS, produced by a special, remarkable guy, also named Adolf!! All Day I Dream About Success!!

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bonnie 2012/07/03 23:20:50

Carl Lewis

Cougar all the way Hometown boy......

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Jerapa 2012/07/03 20:28:49

Jesse Owens

Carl Lewis was a great inspiration to me, but I still gotta go with Jesse for the context of his performance.

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bt sedlock 2012/07/03 19:12:45

Other

It's hard to say. But I do think Greg Louganis is the best and greatest diver in the world. He's been suffering AIDS for almost 20 years now.

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Scott.Bohe 2012/07/03 18:12:02

Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe was an inspiration. But also, Jesse Owens may be the top because of his performance in front of Hitler. I don't doubt that Michael Phelps may be the top in a few decades - he is certainly the greatest contemporary Olympian.

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BigKwell 2012/07/03 18:07:37

Jesse Owens

+1
He stuck it to Hitler!

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bt sedlock to BigKwell 2012/07/03 19:22:24

I agree. I however thought this was an opinion poll as to who was the "best", "greatest" and most "athletic" Olympian athlete in history, not the most iconic. In that case I'd choose Jesse Owens.

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dr lonny 2012/07/03 18:07:01

Jesse Owens

I think Jesse says a lot about the will and character of the individual being able to influence the world and it has to do more with the universal nature of man in a fight of intolerence, than the US vs Germany. The US didn't enter the war til more than five years later.

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bt sedlock to dr lonny 2012/07/03 19:27:02

+1
Say did you know that went Owens came back to the from the Olympics in 1936 President Roosevelt, who running for reeelection refused to shake hand with Owens but FDR's presidential opponent Alf Landon did?

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Duncan Vanderwall 2012/07/03 17:47:08

Other

+1
Johnny Weissmuller - In all he won five Olympic gold medals and one bronze medal, fifty-two United States National Championships, and set sixty-seven world records. He never lost a race and retired with an unbeaten Amateur record.
Simonton, Dean Keith (1994). Greatness: Who Makes History and Why. Guilford Press. p. 156. ISBN 0-89862-201-8.

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Call me Mark willya? 2012/07/03 16:57:42 (edited)

Other

+1
I was going to say Jesse Owens, but there's some that should be on the list and aren't... Mark Spitz, Mary Lou Retton, and how about plucky little Kerri Strug???

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Gahnzo 2012/07/03 16:54:20

Jesse Owens

At that time, at that place, that was an iconic moment for all humanity... in the face of evil incarnate... Jesse looked it in the eye and did not flinch....God Bless him...

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t.eliot, topbard 2012/07/03 16:38:44
Budge 2012/07/03 15:40:41

Jesse Owens

+1
A great athlete with great dignity.

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ivegotloveinmypants 2012/07/03 15:13:33

Jesse Owens

+2
Jesse Owens is definitely the most iconic. The four gold medals, the execution of his 100m run, his brilliant long jump times are all timeless. And after all that victory he had the humility to go and show his competitor Lutz Long how to impreove his own jumps. That doesn't come from a lot of athletes.
Plus he gobsmacked Hitler, who was trying to show the dominance of the Aryan race. That theory totally put to shame.
He is a legend.

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jacktown kid 2012/07/03 15:10:01

Jim Thorpe

+1
Jim Thorpe the Greatest Athlete of all Time

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Amy 2012/07/03 14:01:45

Other

Mary Lou Retton

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amlia 2012/07/03 13:45:11
mjmusumeci1 2012/07/03 13:37:41

Other

Cassius Clay

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mudather bakhit 2012/07/03 10:54:50

Carl Lewis

hey how are you friends

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cc 2012/07/03 07:35:49

Jesse Owens

Take that!

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tesmith47 2012/07/03 05:55:10

Other

+1
tommy smith and john carlos 1968

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t.eliot... to tesmith47 2012/07/03 16:39:48

Good call.

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Ian 2012/07/03 05:25:14

Michael Phelps

14 gold over two Olympics,the man is a fish,something so demanding has swimming and what will the mand do inLondon.
Also think that Ed Mosses should have been in there has well.

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HillaryLover 2012/07/03 04:38:08

Jesse Owens

+2
Eat my dust, Nazis scum.

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tesmith47 to Hillary... 2012/07/03 06:00:33

+1
too bad i have to sit in the back of the bus, and i wont be able to sit in a restaurant for 30 years and oh by the way will you treat me any different here than the I will be treated back in my home country and state?
you say no, you will lynch me here just as quickly as they will lynch me there???!!!

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Hillary... to tesmith47 2012/07/03 06:31:33

Jesse Owens, Joe Louis, Jackie Robinson, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr., Sidney Poitier, Sammy Davis Jr., Harry Belafonte, Lena Horne, and Paul Robeson. They didn't have to do what they did, but they did, and I thank them.

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