Top Track and Field Athletes in History

Athletics is a complex sport that includes various disciplines. It is rightfully considered the queen of sports. Athletics formed the basis of the sports program of the first Olympic Games. Athletics has been able to succeed because of the simplicity and naturalness of its competitive disciplines. 

Although athletics seems to be an easy direction, it is a complex of sports that combines such disciplines as walking, running, jumping (long, high, triple, pole vaulting), throwing (disc, javelin, hammer), shot put, and all-around. It is one of the main and popular sports for sports betting. Many sports and gambling enthusiasts place their bets on the reliable $1 minimum deposit casino MinDepCasinos site. Therefore, if you are one of the fans of this wonderful sport and want to learn about the greatest athletes, then continue reading this post.

1.Usain Bolt

Usain Bolt is a Jamaican short-distance track and field athlete, eight-time Olympic champion, and eleven-time world champion. He is the first track and field athlete in history to win 11 gold medals at the World Championships. During his sports career, he set eight world records. At the moment, he is the holder of world records in running 100 meters – 9.58 seconds and 200 meters – 19.19 seconds.

2.Paavo Nurmi

Paavo is one of the greatest athletes of all time. He is one of five athletes to have won nine or more Olympic gold medals. For his success on the treadmill, Paavo Nurmi was nicknamed “The Flying Finn.”

At the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, he won three medals: in the 10,000 m race, in the individual and team cross. At the next Games in Paris in 1924, Paavo won five gold medals: in the 1500 m and 5000 m, in the 3000 m team race, in the individual and team cross. It should be noted that the finals in the 1500 m and 5000 m races were held with an interval of 26 minutes. Paavo Nurmi also wanted to participate in the 800m and 10,000m races but was refused by the Finnish federation. At the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, he won the 10,000 m race. In his sports career, Paavo set world records 22 times at various distances.

3.Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis is one of the greatest athletes of all time that was Olympic champion nine times. Long jump won four Olympics in a row (Los Angeles 1984, Seoul 1988, Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996). He became Olympic champion twice in the 100 m sprint (1984, 1988) and in the 4×100 m relay with the American team (1984, 1992). In 1984, the athlete repeated the record performance of his compatriot Jesse Owens, who won the 100 and 200 meters long jump and 4×100 meters relay at the 1936 Games in Berlin.

4.Michael Johnson

Michael Dwayne Johnson is an outstanding American track and field athlete and sprinter. He specialized in running 200 and 400 meters. Michael is known as a four-time Olympic champion and nine-time world champion. He also holds the title of a world record holder for 400 meters.

Michael Johnson’s performance at the Atlanta Olympics (1996) was triumphant, where he won both of his favorite distances (200 m and 400 m) and set a world record in the 200 meters running – 19.32 s. In 1999, at the age of 32, Johnson set a unique world record in the 400 meters, 43.18 seconds. Johnson ended his career in 2000 after winning the 400m final at the Sydney Olympics.

5.Edwin Moses

For most sports connoisseurs, Edwin Corley Moses’ greatest consistency figure is Edwin Corley Moses, with 122 consecutive victories in the 400-meter hurdles. The fact is that Edwin Moses was a master in reducing the art of hurdling to the science connecting computers, physics, physiology, and biochemistry, leaving absolutely nothing to chance.

6.Haile Gebreselassie

Haile Gebreselassie is one of the greatest runners of our time. He became the best athlete in the world in 1998 according to the IAAF, 2-time Olympic champion (1996, 2000), 9-time world champion in 1500 m (1999), 3 000 m (1997, 1999, 2003), 10 000 m ( 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999) and half marathon (2001). Since 1994, Gebreselassie has set 27 world records for champs at various distances. 

7.Sergey Bubka

Sergey Bubka is a legendary athlete in pole jumping. In 1983, he became an honored master of sports. 1983 to 1997, won the title of world champion six times. Sergey is a winner of the World and European Cups (1985) and European champion (1986). In 1988, he became the champion of the XXIV Olympic Games in Seoul. Repeatedly won the Grand Prix of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

Throughout his sports career, Sergey Bubka set 35 world records. In 1984, he set his first world record at the competition in Bratislava, taking a height of 5 m 85 cm. He was the first in the history of athletics to overcome the height of 6 m (July 13, 1985, in Paris). At one time, the fifth president of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, called him the most outstanding athlete of our time.

8.Jan Zelezny

Jan Zelezny is a three-time Olympic champion (1992, 1996, 2000); he also won the world championship three times (1993, 1995, 2001). Jan holds the world record for javelin throw – 98.48 meters. Any of the other athletes have not hit this result yet. The Czech made 53 shots at a distance of 90 meters or more. The track and field athlete is considered the best javelin thrower of all time. In 2006, the Czech retired and began to engage in coaching.

9.Mo Farah

Mo Farah is considered the best stayer in the world. He was a four-time Olympic champion in 2012 and 2016, six-time world champion, and seven-time European long-distance champion, European cross-country champion (2006). Mo Farah was also awarded the title of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (2013) and Knight Bachelor (2017).

10.Rei Yuri 

Rei Yuri is an 8-time Olympic champion in standing long jump (1900, 1904, 1908), triple standing jump (1900, 1904), standing high jump (1900, 1904, 1908); the 15-time U.S. standing jump champion (1898-1910). He is one of the strongest athletes of all time.

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