1. Usain Bolt.

I could not look any further than the fastest man that ever lived to be the number one Olympic athlete of all time.

Bolt’s achievements in the sport are unsurpassed as he is the only man to ever complete the triple triple. Victory in the 100m, 200m, and the 4 x 100m relay in three consecutive Olympics.

He announced his arrival as the new face of track and field in Beijing 2008 after claiming both the 100m and 200m Gold medals in world record times of 9.69 and 19.30 seconds respectively, marginally ousting the former king of the sprinters Michael Johnson from his throne.

This was only a prelude of what was to come however, as both records would be shredded by Bolt one year later, in the same venue where Jesse Owens had set the benchmark back in 1936 in Berlin.

His times of 9.58 and 19.19 seconds left the world in no doubt whatsoever as to who the greatest sprinter of all time truly is, and it is difficult to imagine these astronomic records being eclipsed any time in the near future.

In an era where athletics was in need of a superstar it was Usain Bolt who stepped forward into the limelight and never looked back, as the sport had began to lose its allure under the weight of countless drug scandals.

Many sprinters were being stripped of their titles and being disqualified from future championships, whilst Bolt emerged from the shadows and took the sport on his back to a new stratosphere, remaining as he has done throughout the tenure of his career, a clean athlete.

He is rightly revered as a Jamaican national hero, but also to many others around the world, as his likeable and fun loving personality only add to his universal appeal.

His twelve year Olympic odyssey came to its conclusion at the Rio Olympics in Brazil 2016, beating his nemesis Tyson Gay, a returning drugs cheat, to the coveted 100m and 200m titles.

Bolt’s name must now be mentioned in the same breath as any sporting icon, past, present, or future.

I hope you enjoyed the countdown!

Thanks for reading!

Phil.

• athletics
• olympics
• track and field