50 greatest Summer Olympians in history
By John Buhler
With the 2016 Summer Olympic Games beginning on August 5 in Rio De Janeiro, let’s take a look back at the 50 greatest Summer Olympians of all time.
The Games of the XXXI Olympiad, better known as the 2016 Summer Olympics, will begin on August 5 in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil — the first time in history that South America has hosted a Summer Olympic Games.
Despite growing concerns about Brazil’s overall preparedness and the safety of the games, Rio is sure to be the central sports-media focal point for most of August. For 17 days, the world’s best athletes, representing 207 different nations, will compete for glory in the form of Olympic gold.
While the U.S., Russia, Germany, and China are sure to dominate the medal-count conversation once again, there are scores of athletes more than capable of bringing precious hardware — and rapturous pride — back to their countries.
But while teams sports have been a main attraction for some time, many of the most iconic Olympic stars hail from individual events.
Which is why we decided to look back through the first 30 Olympiads, and give you our 50 greatest Summer Olympians of all time.
Next: 50. Frank Kugler.