Who Is The Greatest Summer Olympian Of Them All? (VOTE)

To be sure, all of the athletes listed here are amazing, leading their peers in their respective summer Olympic games, but let's go ahead and attempt to narrow down this competitive field. Who's your favorite summer Olympian?

Our favorite greats are:

Michael Phelps, who hardly needs an introduction. He's earned 20 Olympic medals to date (making him the most decorated Olympic athlete). Carl Lewis, a sprinter and long jumper who has won nine gold medals and one silver. He topped world records for more than a decade. Jesse Owens, a track and field four-time Olympic gold medalist. The USA's highest track and field award is named after him. Amid racial slurs and the Nazis' insistence of Aryan superiority, he was the most successful athlete at the 1936 games. Kim Rhode, the first American to win individual medals at five consecutive Olympics. In the current London games, she won the women's skeet shooting after a nearly perfect performance (99 out of 100), tying a world record and setting the Olympic mark. Jim Thorpe, who was unusually talented in a variety of sports, including football, basketball and baseball. His unprecedented performance at the 1912 Olympics won him the pentathlon and decathlon and eight of the 15 individual events. Larisa Latynina, who was the most decorated Olympian for 48 years, until Michael Phelps came along. Overall, she's won 18 Olympic medals. Greg Louganis, a four-time Olympic diving champion and considered by many to be the greatest diver in the world. Nadia Comaneci, the first female gymnast to be awarded a perfect score, 10, in gymnastics (at 14 years old no less), as well as three Olympic gold medals.

So who will it be? And who did we leave out? Did we forget your favorite Olympian? Give us your write-in vote in the comments below.

Voting for Round 1 runs through 11 a.m. August 3
Voting for Round 2 runs through 11 a.m. August 4
Voting for Round 3 (the final round) runs through 11 a.m. August 5

Comments

[twoyg2]

07:00 PM on 08/10/2012

Greatest olympian of all time. The men and women who turned up to represent there countires knowing they had no chance off equally the champions but still gave there best.
Greatest olympic winner: JESSE OWENS in Berlin.
Greatest human beings in an Olympics, the German athlete who went up to Owens during the long jump and gave him advise on how to make sure he was not disquaified and the German athlete who congratulated Owens in front of Hitler after the 100 metres.
NOW THATS COURAGE

[dollbones]

11:09 AM on 08/04/2012

We can't POSSIBLY name "The Greatest Olympian of Them All" until we've had ALL the Olympics, guys. We'll get back to this after the zombies take over and there aren't anymore Olympics ever again.

[Mike Harcourt]

10:31 AM on 08/04/2012

Jim Thorpe. No contest.

[wlooney]

10:21 AM on 08/04/2012

So clearly left off was Shannon Miller, the most decorated American gymnist, as far as I know. I didn't care to fact check that, but living in Oklahoma City, I'm pretty sure that's still the case since we used to hear about it all the time.

[alanocu]

03:17 PM on 08/03/2012

Oh girl, I love me some Michael Phelps. He got it goin' ON!

[Annemarie Dooling]

08:49 AM on 08/04/2012

But I was still surprised people went for him over Carl Lewis. Carl Lewis!

[MustafaLaracque]

09:19 PM on 08/02/2012

6 of the 8 choices are American? No non-Americans other than Latynina and Comaneci are worthy of consideration? Oh brother.

How about Birgit Fischer? 8 Olympic canoeing gold medals and 4 silver medals between 1980 (at age 18) and 2004 (age 42). I know she's German, but let's face it, that is an incredible accomplishment. Worthy of inclusion on any Olympic short list. I'm sure there are many others, too.

[Annemarie Dooling]

08:49 AM on 08/04/2012

We went with most known and restricted ourselves to 8, so we missed a TON of aweome people. Keep sending us your favorites for the next one!

[rmutt1917]

06:45 PM on 08/02/2012

Jim Thorpe in 1912, no question. Great article on his Olympic achievement in Smithsonian. He had a bare acquaintance w/the pole vault or javelin (didn't know he could run before throwing it). Won 4 of the 5 events in the Pentathlon. In the decathlon 100m, he ran a time not equaled by an Olympic decathlete until 1948; in the 110m hurdles, he ran a time not bested by an Olympic decathlete until 1952; in the 1500m, he ran a time not bested by an Olympic decathlete until 1972. His decathlon score was not surpassed for another 4 Olympics (and that was with the modest results for the pole vault and javelin).

[dark marius]

05:32 PM on 08/02/2012

Pee-wee Herman

[dollbones]

11:14 AM on 08/04/2012

/agree. He wins at bikes and funnies every time!