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

JenSemPa 2012/06/30 05:53:49 (edited)

Other

+8

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John "B... to JenSemPa 2012/07/02 17:45:43

Great choice!!! Amazing accomplishment!

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fooley177 to JenSemPa 2012/07/02 20:25:03

Obviously if Orr and Esposito were allowed to play, THE BRUINS would have won the Olympics.

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Dick Nixon to JenSemPa 2012/07/02 23:41:18

I love the movie to...

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Vitalani 2012/06/30 04:56:00

Other

+1

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Lanikai to Vitalani 2012/06/30 14:29:57

+1
Poor Bruce, from HOT to not.

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Vitalani to Lanikai 2012/06/30 19:15:24

+1
Oh jeez I know. He looks like a woman who had too much plastic surgery now. =\

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Nish 2012/06/30 04:50:28

Carl Lewis

+4
I think

Carl Lewis

and

Florence Griffith-Joyner

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Lanikai to Nish 2012/06/30 14:31:40

I could not select a steroid cheat. Sorry.

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AvaC 2012/06/30 04:36:02

Other

+7
Well, 2 of them are already on the list: Jesse Owens and Jim Thorpe. Here are some others who I think are iconic:

Mark Spitz

Florence Delorez Griffith-Joyner (better known as Flo Jo)

Hasley Crawford. He's the one man who ever won a gold medal for Trinidad and Tobago to this date. He did so at the 1976 Games in Montreal.

Nadia Comăneci

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Andrew to AvaC 2012/06/30 09:00:21

+3
How about Edwin Moses!

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AvaC to Andrew 2012/06/30 16:10:23

+2
Edwin Moses was great but I specifically chose Hasley Crawford because he's the only Olympian from my country to have won a gold medal. I'm hoping for at least another one at the London Games since we have a contingent of 53 athletes representing in 6 disciplines.

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Caedus01 Sith Lord of the P... 2012/06/30 04:12:42

Jesse Owens

+7
He stuck it to Hitler

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Bob, the reasonable one 2012/06/30 04:08:14

Other

+4
Jim Thorpe

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Cognito22 2012/06/30 04:05:39

Jesse Owens

+5
A decade after his death, President Bush posthumously awarded Owens the Congressional Medal of Honor. Bush called his victories in Berlin "an unrivaled athletic triumph, but more than that, a triumph for all humanity."

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Cap to Cognito22 2012/06/30 06:04:35

+1
I don't think so, the Medal of Honor is supposed to be awarded only to those serving in the military. I don't pretend to be an encyclopedia, and exceptions always can be made, but I've never heard of any in regard to that award in respect to the requirement of serving in the military. You may be thinking of the posthumous award to Owens of the Presidential Medal of Freedom - the highest civilian award - which occurred in 1977.

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Cognito22 to Cap 2012/06/30 12:31:08 (edited)

+2
You're right.
It is not the Medal of Honor given to service in the military.
It was the Congresssional Gold Medal by George HW Bush in 1990
and Medal of Freedom by Gerald Ford in 1976

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Lanikai to Cap 2012/06/30 14:32:32 (edited)

+2
I think it was the civilian equivalent

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~HopelessRomanticM17~ 2012/06/30 04:00:18

Jesse Owens

+3
Jesse Owens and Michael Phelps are the only ones that I have heard of....

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shadow76 2012/06/30 03:49:29

Jesse Owens

+4
It has to be Jesse Owens!

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Raphy 2012/06/30 03:46:19

Jesse Owens

+7
Cause he went over there and whipped Germany athletes in there own country under Hitlers tyrannical rein.

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LarryStylinson 2012/06/30 03:19:06 (edited)

Other

+1
Alex Bilodeau first gold medal by a Canadian on Canadian soil

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Boris D. 2012/06/30 03:10:34

Jim Thorpe

+8

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Lanikai 2012/06/30 02:06:53

Jim Thorpe

+6
Followed by the 1984 US olympic gymnastics team and the 1980 Miracle on Ice hockey team.

None of them tested positive for steroids.

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Lanikai to Lanikai 2012/06/30 02:08:23

+5
Let's give an honorable mention to the 1972 Israeli team, they were murdered by islamic extemeists before they even got to compete.

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carol 2012/06/30 02:05:39

Jim Thorpe

+10
Jim Thorpe --The best!

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Cat 1017 to carol 2012/06/30 13:00:44

+1
Who is he?...Jesse Owens is more recognizable cause of the Hitler incident.....

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Lanikai to Cat 1017 2012/06/30 14:34:40

+3
http://www.cmgww.com/sports/t...

A native American that was called the Greatest Athlete of the 20th century.

He was truly, truly amazing and an inspiration to SO many.

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Apache to Cat 1017 2012/06/30 14:44:41

+1
Read and learn.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

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smitty to Cat 1017 2012/07/02 16:01:12

I did a report on him in high school. His life is a fantastic read. He was an amazing human being. Everything against him yet he prevailed.

Saying he was an amazing athlete is doing him a disservice.

If you are into sports, research the man. You will be happy you did.

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Cat 1017 to smitty 2012/07/03 14:58:50

+1
I think I will...I love history and Biographies...

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smitty to Cat 1017 2012/07/03 15:12:03

Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised. I love Olympic time.

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*Mahogany Goddess 2012/06/30 01:32:19

Jesse Owens

+6

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joe mauro 2012/06/30 01:18:21

Other

+3
MARK SPITZ

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SOUL4REAL 2012/06/30 01:13:03

Other

+4
Flo Jo,was the fastest woman alive!!

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Queen B 2012/06/30 01:08:55

Jesse Owens

+7

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Charlie to Queen B 2012/06/30 04:58:48

+7
Shoving it in Hitler's face in Germany - Priceless!

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Queen B to Charlie 2012/06/30 12:20:11

+3
And that is exactly why I think he is the most iconic Olympian.

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Cat 1017 to Charlie 2012/06/30 13:02:10 (edited)

+4
I agree...Made Hitler so angry he left the stands....LOL..priceless is right....LOL...

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Lord Emperor of Dune 2012/06/30 01:03:34

Other

+3
Probably Tommie Smith, for better or worse

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