TOP 10 OLYMPIC ATHLETES OF ALL TIME

HEROES: Some of Team GB's gold medallists

Monday August 18,2008

By Nicola McCafferty for express.co.uk

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THE British Olympic team have proved themselves a force to be reckoned with in Beijing.

With the British men's cycling team bagging another gold this morning to add to a record-breaking medal-winning weekend, our British Olympic heroes have made the Beijing Games our most glorious yet.

Breaking another world record, the efforts of the men's cycling quartet boosted Britain back into the third spot of the medal table and took Britain's total haul of China to a staggering 27 medals.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR BRITISH MEDAL WINNERS NOW!

Victories in rowing, sailing, cycling and swimming have seen the men and women of Team GB win 12 golds in just 10 days - and our heroes aren't showing any signs of slowing down just yet in their hunt for gold.

So as we celebrate what looks to be our most successful Olympics ever, express.co.uk looks back at some of the world's greatest Olympians of all time...

Top 10 Olympic athletes ever...

1. Michael Phelps, USA, 14 gold and 2 bronze.
Swimming 2000-2008

2. Larissa Latynina, USSR - 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze.
Gymnastics 1956-1964

3. Paavo Nurmi , Finland, 9 gold, 3 silver.
Athletics 1920-1928

4. Mark Spitz, USA, 9 gold, 1 silver, 1 bronze.
Swimming 1968-1972

5. Carl Lewis, USA, 9 gold, 1 silver.
Athletics 1984-1996

6. Bjorn Daehlie, Norway, 8 gold, 4 silver.
Cross-country skiing 1992-1998

7. Brigit Fischer, Germany, 8 gold, 4 silver.
Canoeing (flatwater) 1980-2004

8. Sawao Kato, Japan, 8 golds, 3 silver, 1 bronze.
Gymnastics 1968-1976

9. Jenny Thompson, USA, 8 gold, 3 silver, 1 bronze.
Swimming 1992-2004

10. Matt Biondi, USA, 8 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze.
Swimming 1984-1992

*** PICTURE GALLERY: TOP 10 OLYMPIC ATHLETES OF ALL TIME ***

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