50 greatest Summer Olympians in history
By John Buhler
28. Nadia Comaneci, Gymnastics.
For two Summer Olympics, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci was simply brilliant, winning nine medals (five gold, three silver, one bronze) during trips to Montreal in 1976 and Moscow four years later.
Comaneci won her first five Olympic medals in Montreal, earning gold in the all-around, the uneven bars, and the balance beam. She also took home the silver in the team competition and the bronze in the floor exercise.
Not for nothing, Comaneci was the first gymnast ever to score a perfect 10 in Olympic competition, pulling off the feat during her still-legendary run in Montreal. She would go on to win four more medals in 1980 (gold in both the balance beam and floor exercise and silver in both team and floor exercise).
Comaneci retired from competitive gymnastics in 1981 at the age of 20, leaving behind a legacy that helped bring international popularity to the sport of gymnastics. Comaneci officially became a United States citizen in 2001.
Next: 27. Viktor Chukarin.