Fansided

15 greatest Olympians to appear on a Wheaties box

By Josh Criswell

Jul 9, 2015; Montreal, CAN; A general view of the olympics rings on top the Canada Olympic House. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 9, 2015; Montreal, CAN; A general view of the olympics rings on top the Canada Olympic House. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
12 of 16
Next
American track and field athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee pictured in action competing in the javelin throw discipline on the second day of competition before finishing in first place to win the gold medal in the Women’s heptathlon event at the 1992 Summer Olympics inside the Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic in Barcelona, Spain on 2nd August 1992. (Photo by Bob Thomas/Getty Images)
American track and field athlete Jackie Joyner-Kersee pictured in action competing in the javelin throw discipline on the second day of competition before finishing in first place to win the gold medal in the Women’s heptathlon event at the 1992 Summer Olympics inside the Estadi Olimpic de Montjuic in Barcelona, Spain on 2nd August 1992. (Photo by Bob Thomas/Getty Images) /

5. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Track & Field

If Jackie Joyner-Kersee is not the greatest female United States Olympian of all-time, she is certainly near the top of the list. Sports Illustrated listed her as the greatest female athlete of the 20th century

Joyner-Kersee accumulated a total of six Olympic medals throughout her career, including three gold. She also earned gold a combined five times in other international competitions.

But perhaps more than anything, it was Joyner-Kersee’s longevity that made her so great. She began her Olympic career on home soil at the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, and concluded it in the same fashion at Atlanta 1996.

Joyner-Kersee was unable to capture a gold medal at either, but despite falling short of Olympic gold, Joyner-Kersee still looks back fondly on the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

"“People were there to support me and see a great performance,” Joyner-Kersee said. “There was so much love. That’s what I felt, and that’s what I’ll always remember about the games in Atlanta.”"

Joyner-Kersee would build the bulk of her legacy over the course of the 1988 and1992 Summer Games. She was most successful in the heptathlon, where she claimed two of her gold medals. She also was an accomplished long jumper that earned one gold medal in the event as well.

Eight years removed from winning her final Olympic medal, Joyner-Kersee appeared on a Wheaties box for the first time in 2004.

Next: No. 4

Home/Olympics