Mark Spitz
Former American champion swimmer, Mark Spitz has a total of 11 Olympic medals to his name which includes 9 gold. Spitz was the most successful athlete at the 1972 Olympics, in addition to his exemplary performance he also managed to win all the medals in a world-record-setting time.
Currently 71 years old, Mark Spitz was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1977 and deserves a place on the top of the greatest Olympians in the world. He did it in style when he won 7 Gold medals at the 1972 Summer Olympics, all in world record timings. Nobody has ever won 7 events at any Olympics in such a fancy way.