Famous 20th Century Athletes

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Find out more about the greatest 20th Century Athletes, including Ross Rebagliati, Usain Bolt, Oscar Pistorius, Debi Thomas and Jesse Owens.
Vote for Your Favourite 20th Century Athletes
 1 
Jim Thorpe
(American Athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Jim Thorpe
9
Birthdate: May 28, 1887
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Lincoln County, Oklahoma, United States
Died: March 28, 1953

Jim Thorpe was an American athlete who was counted among the most versatile athletes of the modern era. Jim Thorpe won two gold medals at the 1912 Olympics and became the first Native American to give the United States an Olympic gold. He also played American football, professional baseball, and basketball. He was memorialized in the 1951 film Jim Thorpe – All-American.

 2 
Allyson Felix
(Retired American Track and Field Athlete Who Competed in the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 Meters)
Allyson Felix
7
Birthdate: November 18, 1985
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States

The most-decorated track and field athlete, Allyson Felix, once bullied for having skinny legs, now has a record 9 Olympic medals, including 6 gold medals. Named to Time 100 in 2020, she is also part of the board of Right to Play, which caters to children in underdeveloped countries.

 3 
Carl Lewis
(American Track-and-Field Athlete Who Won Nine Olympic Gold Medals During the 1980s and 1990s)
Carl Lewis
11
Birthdate: July 1, 1961
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Birmingham, Alabama, United States

A dominant sprinter and long jumper, Carl Lewis has won ten Olympic medals, nine of them gold. From 1981 to 1991, he topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events, slowly starting to lose his dominance thereafter, eventually retiring in 1997. Currently a businessperson, he has also appeared in films and television productions.

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 4 
Michael Johnson
(American Retired Sprinter Who Won Four Olympic Gold Medals)
Michael Johnson
10
Birthdate: September 13, 1967
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dallas, Texas, United States

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson remains the only man to win both the 200m and the 400m events in the same Olympics. He was the Track & Field News 1996 Athlete of the Year. In 2008, he returned his 2000 Olympic relay medal, as a teammate had taken performance-enhancing drugs.

 5 
Wilma Rudolph
(The First American Woman to Win Three Gold Medals in a Single Olympic Games)
Wilma Rudolph
8
Birthdate: June 23, 1940
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Clarksville, Tennessee, United States
Died: November 12, 1994

Sprinter Wilma Rudolph made history by becoming the first American female athlete to win three track and field gold medals in a single Olympic game. As a child, she needed orthopedic shoes to help her walk. The sports icon lost her life to cancer but was immortalized through books and movies.

 6 
Cathy Freeman
(Australian Former Sprinter Who Specialised in the 400 metres Event)
Cathy Freeman
10
Birthdate: February 16, 1973
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Mackay, Queensland, Australia

Cathy Freeman is a former sprinter known for her achievements in the 400 meters events. Her personal best of 48.63, set at the 1996 Olympics, makes her the eighth-fastest woman of all time. She gave Australia an Olympic gold at the 2000 Olympics. Also a humanitarian, Freeman is credited with founding the Cathy Freeman Foundation.

 7 
Linford Christie
(British Former Sprinter and Olympic Gold Medalists)
Linford Christie
8
Birthdate: April 2, 1960
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Saint Andrew, Jamaica

Linford Christie is a Jamaican-born British former sprinter who won gold medals in the 100 meters at the Olympic Games, the World Championships, the European Championships, and the Commonwealth Games. He is one of the most highly decorated British athletes of all time. He was awarded the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 1993. 

 8 
Denise Lewis
(British Sports Presenter and Former Track and Field Athlete)
Denise Lewis
7
Birthdate: August 27, 1972
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: West Bromwich, England

Denise Lewis is a British sports commentator and former athlete. She won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and became the first European to win Olympic gold in the heptathlon. A two-time Commonwealth Games champion, Lewis also won silver medals in the 1997 and 1999 World Championships. She was also the 1998 European Champion. 

 9 
Kelly Holmes
(Middle-Distance Runner Who Won Two Golds in the 2004 Olympics in Athens)
Kelly Holmes
7
Birthdate: April 19, 1970
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pembury, Kent, England

Kelly Holmes is a retired English middle-distance athlete who specialized in the 800 meters and 1,500 meters events. She won gold medals for both distances at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Beginning her career with the British Army, she turned to professional athletics in 1993. She took part in her final major championship in 2004. 

 10 
Daley Thompson
(British Former Decathlete and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Daley Thompson
7
Birthdate: July 30, 1958
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Notting Hill, London, United Kingdom

Daley Thompson is a British former athlete who specialized in decathlon. He has won gol medals in decathlon at the 1980 and 1984 Olympics. He also broke the world record for decathlon on four occasions. He also won three Commonwealth titles and is regarded as the greatest decathlete ever. 

 11 
Donovan Bailey
(Canadian Former Sprinter and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Donovan Bailey
4
Birthdate: December 16, 1967
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Manchester Parish, Jamaica

Donovan Bailey is a retired Jamaican-Canadian sprinter. He once held the world record for the 100 meters and is considered the greatest Canadian sprinter of all time. Noted for his top speed, he became the first Canadian to legally break the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters. In 2004,  he was inducted into Canada's Sports Hall of Fame.

 12 
Sergey Bubka
(Former Soviet-Ukrainian Pole Vaulter Who Broke the World Record for Men's Pole Vault 35 Times)
Sergey Bubka
7
Birthdate: December 4, 1963
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Luhansk, Ukraine

Russian star pole-vaulter Sergey Bubka had started training at age 9. He soared to fame after winning the world championship in Finland at age 15 and later became the first to jump 6.1m. He won the 1988 Seoul Olympic gold and shattered the global men’s pole vault record 35 times.

 13 
Mo Farah
(British Long-Distance Runner and the Most Successful Male Track Distance Runner Ever)
Mo Farah
18
Birthdate: March 23, 1983
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mogadishu, Somalia
Long-distance runner Mo Farah shot to fame with his 10,000-meter and 5,000-meter wins at the 2012 London Olympics. The first athlete to score a quadruple double, Farah has won 10 major international titles. He became the European Athlete of the Year thrice and has also received the CBE.
 14 
Florence Griffith Joyner
(American Track and Field Athlete Who Won Gold Medal in 100 m and 200 m in 1988 Olympics)
Florence Griffith Joyner
8
Birthdate: December 21, 1959
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Los Angeles, California, United States
Died: September 21, 1998

Legendary American sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner is still regarded as the fastest woman in the world. Her world records in both the 100m and 200m categories have still not been broken. The three-time Olympic gold medal winner was also known for her six-inch nails and her unconventional outfits.

 15 
Jesse Owens
(American Track and Field Athlete Who Won Four Gold Medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics)
Jesse Owens
7
Birthdate: September 12, 1913
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Oakville, Alabama, United States
Died: March 31, 1980

Widely regarded as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time, Jesse Owens' three world records in less than an hour in 1935 came to be known as the greatest 45 minutes ever in sports. He was credited with destroying Adolf Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy when he won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

 16 
Paavo Nurmi
(Finnish Middle-Distance and Long-Distance Runner Who Dominated Distance Running in the Early 20th Century)
Paavo Nurmi
3
Birthdate: June 13, 1897
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Turku, Finland
Died: October 2, 1973

Paavo Nurmi was a Finnish athlete who specialized in long-distance and middle-distance running. Nicknamed the Flying Finn, Nurmi dominated important distance running events in the early 20th century. He won nine gold medals and three silver medals across three Olympics in 1920, 1924, and 1928. Paavo Nurmi also set 22 official world records during his career.

 17 
Kerri Walsh Jennings
(Beach Volleyball player)
Kerri Walsh Jennings
6
Birthdate: August 15, 1978
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Santa Clara, California, United States

American beach-volleyball player Kerri Walsh Jennings was born to a baseball player father and a volleyball player mother, and was naturally drawn toward sports. She later attended Stanford on a sports scholarship and won three gold medals at the Olympics. She is married to fellow beach-volleyball player Casey Jennings

 18 
Edwin Moses
(American Former Track and Field Athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist in the 400 m Hurdles)
Edwin Moses
4
Birthdate: August 31, 1955
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dayton, Ohio, United States
 19 
Milkha Singh
(Indian Track and Field Sprinter)
Milkha Singh
6
Birthdate: November 20, 1932
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Govindpura, Pakistan
Died: June 18, 2021

Indian track and field legend Milkha Singh, also known as "The Flying Sikh,” was orphaned during the Partition of India. The former army man won four Asian Games gold medals. He also competed in the 1956, 1960, and 1964 Summer Olympics, finishing fourth in the 400-meter event in 1960.

 20 
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
(Sprinter, Athletics competitor)
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
4
Birthdate: December 27, 1986
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kingston

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a Jamaican sprinter who achieved international recognition in 2008 when she won the gold medal at the Olympic Games in Beijing. She then went on to win gold medals at the 2012 and 2020 Olympic Games. Counted among the greatest sprinters of all time, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce also has many World Championship gold medals under her belt.

 21 
Maurice Greene
(American Former Track and Field Sprinter and Olympic Medalist)
Maurice Greene
5
Birthdate: July 23, 1974
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Kansas City, Kansas, United States

Maurice Greene is a former track and field athlete and a former world record holder in 100-metre dash. Greene won four Olympic medals, including two gold medals, representing the United States of America in two Olympic Games. Maurice Greene also has five gold medals at the World Athletics Championships under his belt.

 22 
Fanny Blankers-Koen
(Dutch Track and Field Athlete)
Fanny Blankers-Koen
5
Birthdate: April 26, 1918
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Lage Vuursche, Netherlands
Died: January 25, 2004
 23 
Steve Prefontaine
(American Long-Distance Runner)
Steve Prefontaine
7
Birthdate: January 25, 1951
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Coos Bay, Oregon, United States
Died: May 30, 1975

Long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine had competed in only one Olympic, finishing fourth in the 5000m race in Munich. However, he had begun breaking records since high school and excelled in cross-country running. His tragic death in a car accident after attending a party ended his life and his sports dreams.

 24 
Roger Bannister
(The First Athlete to Run a Mile in Less Than Four Minutes)
Roger Bannister
8
Birthdate: March 23, 1929
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Harrow, England
Died: March 3, 2018

British middle-distance athlete and neurologist Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister was the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes. Before achieving such feat, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres during the 1952 Summer Olympics. In the medical field, Bannister became a neurologist and Master of Pembroke College, Oxford.

 25 
Magnús Scheving
(Creator of the Children's Television Series ‘LazyTown’)
Magnús Scheving
4
Birthdate: November 10, 1964
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Borgarnes, Iceland

Magnús Scheving is best known as the creator of the BAFTA-winning children’s series Lazy Town, which has its roots in Scheving’s first book and centers around children’s fitness. The Icelandic aerobic gymnastic champion is also a motivational speaker and has previously been a fitness trainer at a school.

 26 
Jim Kelly
(American Athlete, Martial Artist and Actor)
Jim Kelly
5
Birthdate: May 5, 1946
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Paris, Kentucky, United States
Died: June 29, 2013

Athlete and martial artist Jim Kelly won hearts with his Afro hairstyle and his roles in action film such as Enter the Dragon and Black Belt Jones. Apart from films, he also excelled in karate, winning contests such as the International Middle Weight Karate Championship. He has also played professional tennis.

 27 
Efren Reyes
(Filipino Professional Pool Player Who is Widely Considered the Greatest Pool Player of All Time)
Efren Reyes
8
Birthdate: August 26, 1954
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Angeles

Efren Reyes is a Filipino professional pool player who is regarded as the greatest player of all time. Nicknamed The Magician, Reyes is best known for his ability to display numerous trick shots. Efren Reyes has also won more than 100 international titles over the course of his illustrious career. Reyes is a WPA World Eight-ball and Nine-ball champion.

 28 
Ben Johnson
(Canadian Sprinter Who was the World's Fastest Man During the 1987-88 Season)
Ben Johnson
5
Birthdate: December 30, 1961
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Falmouth, Jamaica

Ben Johnson is a Canadian retired sprinter who was adjudged the world's fastest man during the 1987–88 season after he broke the 60m and 100m indoor world records. He is best known for his performance in the 1984 Olympic Games, where he won two bronze medals. Ben Johnson also won a gold medal at the 1985 World Indoor Championships.

 29 
Sebastian Coe
(British Politician and Former Track and Field Athlete)
Sebastian Coe
8
Birthdate: September 29, 1956
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Hammersmith, London, England

Sebastian Coe is a politician and former athlete who represented Great Britain in two Olympic events. He won four Olympic medals including two gold medals as a middle-distance runner. In 2012, he was inducted into the IAAF Hall of Fame. The same year, Coe was honored at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award. 

 30 
Teemu Selänne
(Former Finnish Ice Hockey Player Who Played as a Winger)
Teemu Selänne
5
Birthdate: July 3, 1970
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Helsinki

Teemu Selänne is a Finnish retired ice hockey player who played as a winger. Dubbed the Finnish Flash, Teemu is the highest scoring player from Finland in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL). In 2017, he became only the second Finn after Jari Kurri to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

 31 
Hicham El Guerrouj
(One of the Greatest Middle-Distance Runners in History)
Hicham El Guerrouj
4
Birthdate: September 14, 1974
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Berkane, Morocco

Moroccan former middle-distance runner Hicham El Guerrouj is a four-time 1500m world champion. The UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador became the second athlete to win both the 1500m and 5000m titles in the same Olympics. He won the IAAF World Athlete of the Year thrice and holds many indoor and outdoor records.

 32 
Paula Radcliffe
(British Former Long-Distance Runner)
Paula Radcliffe
9
Birthdate: December 17, 1973
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Davenham, Cheshire, England

Paula Radcliffe is a retired distance runner, credited with winning the London Marathon and the New York Marathon three times each. Born into an athletic family, she emerged as a running talent by the time she was in her teens, winning the world junior cross-country title at the age of nineteen, eventually. She held the Women's World Marathon Record from 2003 to 2019.

 33 
Peter Norman
(Athletics competitor, Sprinter)
Peter Norman
6
Birthdate: June 15, 1942
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Melbourne
Died: October 3, 2006

Peter Norman was an Australian athlete who won a silver medal in the 200 meters event at the 1968 Summer Olympics. He is remembered for supporting fellow athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos by wearing the Olympic Project for Human Rights badge during their medal ceremony; he is the third athlete seen in the popular Olympics Black Power salute photograph.

Sadako Sasaki
5
Birthdate: January 7, 1943
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Kusunoki, Yamaguchi, Japan
Died: October 25, 1955

At age 2, Sadako Sasaki survived the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, being just 2km away from the bombing site. However, years later, she developed leukemia, as an aftermath of the bombing. While in hospital, battling the terminal disease, she folded over 1,000 origami cranes, in the hope of getting better.

 35 
Asafa Powell
(Sprinter, Athletics competitor)
Asafa Powell
4
Birthdate: November 23, 1982
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Spanish Town

Asafa Powell is a Jamaican sprinter who set the 100 metres world record on two occasions between 2005 and 2008. He achieved international prominence in 2016 when he won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Asafa Powell has also won a couple of gold medals at the World Championships.

 36 
Christine Sinclair
(Canadian Soccer Player Who Plays as a Forward)
Christine Sinclair
4
Birthdate: June 12, 1983
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Burnaby

Christine Sinclair is a Canadian soccer player who plays for the Canadian national team as a forward. She is currently captaining the national team and the NWSL club Portland Thorns FC. In the 2020 Olympics, Sinclair helped her team win the gold medal. She was also part of the team that won bronze medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics

 37 
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
(American Athlete and Olympic Gold Medalist)
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
5
Birthdate: June 26, 1911
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Port Arthur, Texas, United States
Died: September 27, 1956

Babe Didrikson Zaharias was an American athlete who specialized in golf, track and field, basketball, and baseball. Considered one of the greatest female athletes ever, Didrikson won two gold medals and a silver medal in track and field at the Summer Olympics in 1932. She then went on to win 10 LPGA major championships, becoming USA's first female golf celebrity.

 38 
Francois Pienaar
(Rugby union player)
Francois Pienaar
4
Birthdate: January 2, 1967
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Vereeniging

Francois Pienaar is a former rugby player who captained the South African national team from 1993 to 1996. He is best-known for helping his team win the 1995 Rugby World Cup. In 2004, he was ranked 50th in a list named Top 100 Great South Africans. In 2005, he was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame.

 39 
Daniil Kvyat
(Racecar driver)
Daniil Kvyat
13
Birthdate: April 26, 1994
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Ufa
 40 
Joost van der Westhuizen
(Rugby union player)
Joost van der Westhuizen
5
Birthdate: February 20, 1971
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Pretoria
Died: February 6, 2017

Joost van der Westhuizen was a South African rugby player. He took part in three Rugby World Cups, helping his national team win the 1995 World Cup. Widely regarded as the greatest scrumhalf in the history of the game, van der Westhuizen was inducted into the International Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007.

 41 
Harold Abrahams
(British Track and Field Athlete)
Harold Abrahams
5
Birthdate: December 15, 1899
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Bedford, Bedfordshire, England
Died: January 14, 1978

English track and field athlete is best remembered for his gold medal win in the 100m race at the Paris Olympics in 1924. Part of the Achilles Club, he and his exploits inspired the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. Following his retirement, he became a broadcaster and sports administrator.

 42 
Dot Jones
(American Actress and Retired Athlete Known for Her TV Series ‘Glee’)
Dot Jones
6
Birthdate: January 4, 1964
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Turlock, California, United States

Best known for her roles in Lizzie McGuire and Material Girls, arm-wrestler-cum-actress Dot-Marie Jones never aspired to become an actress. Instead she competed in shot put and power lifting, eventually becoming 15-time world arm wrestling champion. Discovered at a body-building tournament by Shirley Eson, she debuted on screen with Knights and Warriors, thereafter appearing in numerous films and television productions

 43 
Bob Hayes
(American Football Split End and Olympic Gold Medalists in Track and Field)
Bob Hayes
6
Birthdate: December 20, 1942
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Jacksonville, Florida, United States
Died: September 18, 2002

Bob Hayes was an American athlete and a football player. An Olympic gold medalist and a Super Bowl ring winner, Hayes was inducted into both Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as the United States Olympic Hall of Fame. He won gold medal in 100m and 4 x 100m relay in 1964 Tokto Oympics  Hayes was once regarded as the world's fastest human.

 44 
Steve Cram
(British Retired Track and Field Athlete)
Steve Cram
3
Birthdate: October 14, 1960
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Gateshead, England

Steve Cram is a British former athlete who dominated the middle-distance running event during the 1980s alongside other athletes like Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe. During the summer of 1985, Cram set world records in the mile run, 2000m, and 1500m during a 19-day period. He is the first person to run 1500m under three-and-a-half minutes.

 45 
Tommie Smith
(American Former Track and Field Athlete and Former Wide Receiver in the American Football League)
Tommie Smith
4
Birthdate: June 6, 1944
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Clarksville, Texas, United States

Winner of the 200-meter sprint finals at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico, Tommie C. Smith finished the race in 19.83 seconds, thus becoming first to break the 20 seconds barrier. Today however he is better remembered for raising a black gloved fist over his head at the victory stand in protest against the injustice meted out to the blacks.

 46 
Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir
(The First Woman to Become a 2-Time CrossFit Games Winner)
Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir
4
Birthdate: September 18, 1989
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Reykjavík, Iceland

Anníe Mist Þórisdóttir scripted history as the first female to win the CrossFit Games twice. The former gymnast withdrew from the 2015 CrossFit Games due to heatstroke, but baring that occasion, she has never finished below top 13. She now owns Reebok CrossFit Reykjavik.

 47 
Merlene Ottey
(Jamaican-Slovenian Former Track and Field Sprinter)
Merlene Ottey
3
Birthdate: May 10, 1960
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Hanover Parish, Jamaica

Merlene Ottey is a Jamaican-Slovenian retired track and field sprinter. She represented Jamaica in international events for 24 years before representing Slovenia for 10 years. In 1993, she clocked 21.87 seconds to set the world indoor record for 200 metres; she has been holding that record ever since. Merlene Ottey is also known for winning several medals at Olympic Games. 

 48 
Iwan Thomas
(Former Olympic sprinter who won the silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games)
Iwan Thomas
3
Birthdate: January 5, 1974
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Farnborough, London, England

Winner of the 1997 World Championship and the 1998 European Cup, British sprinter Iwan Thomas is the current UK 400m record holder, having run a time of 44.36s. He has also represented United Kingdom at the 1996 Olympic Games in the 400 metres.  A popular television personality, he makes regular appearances on small screen, mostly as guest, panelist or presenter.

 49 
Ralph Metcalfe
(American Track and Field Sprinter and Politician)
Ralph Metcalfe
3
Birthdate: May 29, 1910
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Died: October 10, 1978
 50 
Jim Ryun
(American Former Republican Politician and Olympic Track and Field Athlete)
Jim Ryun
3
Birthdate: April 29, 1947
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Wichita, Kansas, United States

Jim Ryun is an American former track and field athlete who won a silver medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics. At the peak of his career, Ryun was considered one of the top middle-distance runners in the world. He later became a politician and served in the US House of Representatives. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2020.