50 greatest Summer Olympians in history

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Nov 22, 2012; Detroit, MI, USA; A detailed view of the American flag during the national anthem prior to the Thanksgiving day game between the Houston Texans and Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports /

40. Carl Osburn, Sports Shooting.

Before Mark Spitz tore up the water at the 1972 Munich Games, America’s winningest Summer Olympian was rifleman Carl Osburn, who accumulated 11 medals in sports shooting over three Olympiads (Stockholm in 1912 in Stockholm, Antwerp in 1920, and Paris in 1924).

Though most of his medals came as a part of a team, Osburn had a remarkable showing in Antwerp, where he captured four of his five golds, a silver, and a bronze. Osburn got his start as America’s elite marksman when he was admitted as a midshipman to the United States Naval Academy in 1903, eventually becoming a commander in the U.S. Army during World War I.

Osburn was his country’s leading medal recipient for nearly 50 years, before iconic Spitz burst onto the scene and took the ’72 Olympics by storm.

Next: 39. Matt Biondi.

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