Carl Lewis

Carl Lewis's nine Olympic gold medals from 1984 to 1996 set a standard for sustained excellence that rivals #1 Usain Bolt's eight. He remains the only male sprinter to win back-to-back 100m Olympic titles (1984 and 1988), with a 1988 gold medal won after Ben Johnson's disqualification. His 100m personal best of 9.86s is 0.28s slower than Bolt's world record, but his versatility—adding four long jump golds—makes him the only man to win golds in both sprints and jumps at consecutive Games. The IOC named him Sportsman of the Century, a honor no other sprinter has achieved, and his 65 consecutive competition wins from 1981 to 1985 highlight his unprecedented consistency.