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
2 of 16
Next
The winners of the 1960 Olympic medals for light heavyweight boxing on the winners’ podium at Rome: Cassius Clay (now Muhammad Ali) (C), gold; Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland (R), silver; and Giulio Saraudi (Italy) and Anthony Madigan (Australia), joint bronze. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images)
The winners of the 1960 Olympic medals for light heavyweight boxing on the winners’ podium at Rome: Cassius Clay (now Muhammad Ali) (C), gold; Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland (R), silver; and Giulio Saraudi (Italy) and Anthony Madigan (Australia), joint bronze. (Photo by Central Press/Getty Images) /

15. Muhammed Ali, Boxing

Muhammed Ali is arguably the greatest athlete of all-time, regardless of sport. The 1960 Summer Games in Rome served as a launching point of his legendary career.

Ali, who was competing under the name Cassius Clay at the time, delivered one of the most dominant performances that Olympic boxing has ever seen. At age 18, it was apparent already that he outclassed the competition. He forced a stoppage against Yvon Because in his first match, and proceeded to defeat Gennady Shatkov, Tony Madigan and Zbigniew Pietrzykowski in consecutive 5-0 decisions to claim his one and only Olympic gold medal.

But as great as Ali was at those 1960 Summer Games in Rome, his reputation as “The Greatest” was built on the professional boxing circuit.

The one thing hindering Ali’s Olympic legacy is the fact that he only competed in the games once.

At the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta, though, he was the center of one of the most memorable images in Olympics history. Ali, shaking from the effects of Parkinson’s disease,  successfully lit the Olympic torch in a surreal moment will not be forgotten by those who witnessed it.

As ridiculous as it may seem, Ali did not appear on a Wheaties box until 1999. He would make another appearance in 2012.

Next: No. 14

Home/Olympics