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50 greatest Summer Olympians in history

By John Buhler

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
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 /
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13. Teofilo Stevenson, Boxing.

Three times a boxing gold medalist in the heavyweight division, Teofilo Stevenson is arguably the greatest Summer Olympian Cuba has ever produced, having won at the ’72 Munich Games, the ’76 Montreal Games, and the ’80 Moscow Games.

Though he fought for communist Cuba — which, unlike the Soviet Union, never much cared for its top athletes turning pro — Stevenson quickly gained credibility as the best amateur heavyweight boxer in the world.

Stevenson was as dominant as Muhammad Ali and George Foreman during their respective Olympic stints. In fact, Ali even wanted to fight Stevenson for the heavyweight championship shortly after the latter’s stellar summer showing in 1972.

Had he been able to go pro after his dominating run in Munich, Stevenson would’ve become just the second boxer in history to win Olympic gold and fight for a professional world title in the same year, joining only Pete Rademacher. Beloved by his native Cuba, Stevenson passed away in 2012 from a heart attack at age 60.

Next: 12. Greg Louganis.

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