Paavo Nurmi

Great Olympians

During his career, Paavo Nurmi of Finland captured 12 Olympic medals (9 gold and 3 silver) from 1920 until 1928 and established 22 world records (1924, 1500m, 3000m, 5000, 10000m - 1927, 2000m - 1928, 1930, mile and 20 km ). (Photo credit should read CORR/AFP/Getty Images)

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Usain Bolt Usain Bolt of Jamaica reacts after breaking the world record with a time of 19.30 to win the gold medal as Churandy Martina (L) of Netherlands Antilles and Brian Dzingai of Zimbabwe come in after him in the Men's 200m Final at the National Stadium during Day 12 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 20, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
Michael Phelps Michael Phelps of the United States smiles with the American flag as he wears his eighth gold medal after the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on August 17, 2008 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Adam Pretty/Getty Images)
Bjoern Daehlie Bjoern Daehlie of Norway won the Gold in the 50klm cross counrty skiing competition as he stands on the podium during the Winter Olympic Games in Nagano, Japan. (Todd Warshaw/Getty Images)
Florence Griffit... Florence Griffith-Joyner of the U.S.A. celebrates after winning the 100m meter final at the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Griffith-Joyner won the race with an Olympic record time of 10.54. (Credit: Mike Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
Georg Hackl Silver medalist Georg Hackl of Germany celebrates during the flower ceremony for the men's luge event at the Salt Lake City Winter Olympic Games at the Utah Olympic Park in Park City, Utah. DIGITAL IMAGE. (Robert Laberge/Getty Images)
Alexander Kareli... Alexander Karelin (left) of Russia and Siamak Ghaffari (right) of the USA square up to each other in their wrestling match on July 23, 1996 during the 1996 Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by: Pascal Rondeau/Getty Images)
Alberto Tomba Alberto Tomba of Italy is being carried by happy supporters after winning the gold medal in the men's giant slalom at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics in Canada. Tomba won the alpine skiing event in a time of 02:06.37. (Steve Powell/Getty Images)
Katarina Witt East German figure skater Katarina Witt performs her free program February 27, 1988 at the Olympic Saddledome in Calgary during the Winter Olympic Games. Katarina Witt won the Olympic title to become the first woman figure skater to repeat as Olympic champion (she won the gold medal in Sarajevo in 1984) since Norwegian Sonja Henie (1928, 1932, 1936). (Mark Cardwell/AFP/Getty Images)
Carl Lewis Carl Lewis of the U.S.A. crosses the line to win the 4 x 100 metres Relay event of the 1992 Olympic Games at the Monjuic Stadium in Barcelona, Spain. The USA won the gold medal with a New World Record time of 37.40 seconds. (Bob Martin/Allsport/Getty Images)
Sebastian Coe Sebastian Coe of Great Britian makes a defiant gesture to the press after crossing hte finish line of the 1500 meters at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Coe won the gold medal with an Olympic record setting time of 3:32.53 minutes. (Steve Powell/Allsport/Getty Images)
Nadia Comaneci Nadia Comaneci of Romania in action on the Beam during the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Soviet Union. Comaneci won the gold medal on the Beam and on the Floor. (Tony Duffy/Allsport/Getty Images)
Edwin Moses Edwin Moses of the U.S.A. clears a hurdle on his way to the gold medal in the 400m hurdles during the 1984 Summer Olympics at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, California. (Tony Duffy/Allsport/Getty Images)
Mark Spitz Mark Spitz of the U.S.A. in action at the 1972 Olympics Games in Munich, Germany. Spitz achieved medal winning fame at these Munich Games where he won seven golds, the highest any Olympic Competitor has won for any sport at single Games. He took both freestyle sprint titles together with the butterfly stroke at these distances, with the others medals in sprints and relays. He set world records on 26 occasions in individual events and was expected to win at least six golds at Mexico in 1968, but after a few defeats his confidence was shattered and he took only siver and bronze from an exhausting programme. Twenty years on, he tried to recapture his youth by challenging for a place in the American Olympic team in Barcelona, but was unable to cope with the new high standards. (Tony Duffy/Allsport/Getty Images)
Muhammad Ali Muhammad Ali holds the torch before lighting the Olympic Flame during the Opening Ceremony of the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. (Michael Cooper /Allsport/Getty Images)
Dawn Fraser Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser wins the 100m freestyle final in 59.5 seconds, October 10, 1964 at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. By doing so, she captured her third consecutive 100m freestyle Olympic title after Melbourne (1956) and Rome (1960). (STF/AFP/Getty Images)
Emil Zatopek Czech Emil Zatopek (R), winner of the Olympic 5000m, is congratuled by French Alain Mimoun, who finished second, July 26, 1952 in Helsinki. During his career Emil Zatopek, four-time Olympic champion (1948, 10000m - 1952, 5000m, 10000m, and marathon) established 18 world records and was the first to run more than 20km in one hour (1951, 20,052km), record retained 12 years. (Photo credit should read CORR/AFP/Getty Images)
Jesse Owens Jesse Owens of the U.S.A. in action in the mens 200m at the 1936 Summer Olympic Games held in Berlin, Germany. Owens won a total of four gold medals in the Olympics, winning the mens 100m final, 200m final and the long jump competiton as well as being part of the victorious U.S.A. 4x100m relay team. (Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images)
Fanny Blankers-K... Dutch champion Fanny Blankers-Koen jumps an hurdle during the 80m hurdles event, in Wembley stadium, London, July 1948 where she captured four gold medals,100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and 4x100. During her career, Fanny Blankers-Koen won five European champion titles, 80m hurdles, 4x100m, 100m and 200m from 1946 to 1950. (STAFF/AFP/Getty Images)
Paavo Nurmi During his career, Paavo Nurmi of Finland captured 12 Olympic medals (9 gold and 3 silver) from 1920 until 1928 and established 22 world records (1924, 1500m, 3000m, 5000, 10000m - 1927, 2000m - 1928, 1930, mile and 20 km ). (Photo credit should read CORR/AFP/Getty Images)