[Chizzy]

Mine is Carl Lewis who twice set a world record in the 100meter dash and ran the anchor final leg on eight world record relay teams. He competed in four Olympics from 1984 to 1996 games, and won a record nine Olympic Gold Medals.

[Caesar]

Steven Bradbury has competed at 4 Olympics - Albertville '92, Lillehammer '94, Nagano '98 and Salt Lake City '02. His entire career was dogged by injury after injury, more than one serious enough to be life-threatening. He was considered a strong contender for gold in '94, but suffered a horrific injury during preparation - slicing an artery during a mass crash and losing 2/3 of his body's blood, almost dying. It almost ended his career. His performance in Nagano was unimpressive, and the feeling was that he'd missed his opportunity through that accident. He was reduced to making skates in his garage to fund his Olympic campaign.

Salt Lake was different. 18 months before Salt Lake he broke his neck, again almost being killed or paralysed. This wrecked his preparation, and considered past his peak he was not expected to do well.

However, in the mens 1000m short-track, he qualified comfortably for the quarter-finals. In this race he was trailing badly when a twist of fate saw him snatch second place due to a crash and advance to the semis. Incredibly, another crash in the semi-final saw him qualify for the final.

The final. On the last lap, he was 5th of 5 and trailing by a long way when - around the final bend - the pack of four desperately scrambling for position lost their footing and went down, crashing into the boards. Bradbury coasted past them, across the line to take gold, thereby spawning a new verb. To "do a Bradbury" is "to snatch victory from the jaws of inglorious defeat".

When a fan in the crowd booed him, he did what any self-respecting athlete would do - flipped him the bird. As he said, "I don't think I deserve this so much for tonight as for the last decade - the hard slug I've put in to make it here."

My Greatest Olympic Athlete.

[Wiljoy]

This question does not need a second thought, undoubtedly,unquestionably , nobody comes within a 50 acre paddock of this man, EMILE ZATOPEK,

[Real Ray]

This is more a subjective choice, but mine would be Al Oerter. 4 straight discus gold '56-'68. A tough, tough, competitor-he reminds me a lot of Chuck Bednarik.

What was more amazing that in 1979 he came back was was throwing well enough to qualify for the 1980 team. Had the US not boycotted, he may very well have made that team. I would rank Lewis and Zatopek and a few others higher, but Oerter is the guy who rank as my personal favorite.

[soccernutter]

Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards.

[Alberto]

Originally Posted by Caesar

Steven Bradbury has competed at 4 Olympics - Albertville '92, Lillehammer '94, Nagano '98 and Salt Lake City '02. His entire career was dogged by injury after injury, more than one serious enough to be life-threatening. He was considered a strong contender for gold in '94, but suffered a horrific injury during preparation - slicing an artery during a mass crash and losing 2/3 of his body's blood, almost dying. It almost ended his career. His performance in Nagano was unimpressive, and the feeling was that he'd missed his opportunity through that accident. He was reduced to making skates in his garage to fund his Olympic campaign.

Salt Lake was different. 18 months before Salt Lake he broke his neck, again almost being killed or paralysed. This wrecked his preparation, and considered past his peak he was not expected to do well.

However, in the mens 1000m short-track, he qualified comfortably for the quarter-finals. In this race he was trailing badly when a twist of fate saw him snatch second place due to a crash and advance to the semis. Incredibly, another crash in the semi-final saw him qualify for the final.

The final. On the last lap, he was 5th of 5 and trailing by a long way when - around the final bend - the pack of four desperately scrambling for position lost their footing and went down, crashing into the boards. Bradbury coasted past them, across the line to take gold, thereby spawning a new verb. To "do a Bradbury" is "to snatch victory from the jaws of inglorious defeat".

When a fan in the crowd booed him, he did what any self-respecting athlete would do - flipped him the bird. As he said, "I don't think I deserve this so much for tonight as for the last decade - the hard slug I've put in to make it here."

My Greatest Olympic Athlete.

When I first read your post I could not believe it. I thought you were pulling our legs. Then I did a Google search. My God! It's incredible. Makes you take pause to think whether or not he may have caused the accidents. Sort like a Tonya Harding like intervention. Trip wire perhaps across the race course.

[Caesar]

Originally Posted by Alberto

When I first read your post I could not believe it. I thought you were pulling our legs. Then I did a Google search. My God! It's incredible. Makes you take pause to think whether or not he may have caused the accidents. Sort like a Tonya Harding like intervention. Trip wire perhaps across the race course.

From what I gather, such accidents aren't uncommon. But you're right - three in a row is amazing, it's an incredible story. An ugly way to win, but if any athlete's been through hell for his sport it's Bradbury - and I'm glad he got it before he retired.

[Poachin_Goalz]

I'll go with Jesse Owens. You have to respect a black man going into nazi Germany and humiliating Hitler.

[Auriaprottu]

Originally Posted by Poachin_Goalz

I'll go with Jesse Owens. You have to respect a black man going into nazi Germany and humiliating Hitler.

I wanted to pick Jesse -I'm prouder of his accomplishments than I am of those of any other American Olympian- but I've gotta go with either Jim Thorpe or Edwin Moses.

Moses was undefeated -anywhere- in the (I think) 400m hurdles for almost a decade. Mark Spitz (seven golds in Munich) deserves a mention here, as does Bob Beamon for his long-jump record that stood almost a quarter century.

[SweetOwnGoal]

I'm an absolute Olympic freak. I love the Games and absorb myself in them every two years. Without a doubt, Bradbury's improbably 'dash' to gold is my favourate Olympic memory ever.

Greatest Olympian ever...?

That's a tough one. I'd probably lean towards Lewis, although I can't stand him....

Biggest Olympic goat ever...that's easier. Poor, dumb, Ben (do I need to write his last name?).