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Citius. Altius. Fortius. Translated, the Olympic motto is: Faster. Higher. Stronger. This is the essence of the greatest multi-sport festival in the world. The 10 best athletes of the Modern Olympic Games? With the Beijing Olympic Games less than a year away, we offer a personal list. (Wanting to include all Olympians – Summer and Winter athletes, male and female – some guidelines are in order. The list excludes teams, although not the individuals on those teams. A variety of sports should be represented. Sustained success over a period of time – Al Oerter won four consecutive gold medals in the discus, 1956 through 1968, outweighs a one-time incredible performance such as Bob Beamon's world-record long jump in 1968. Olympic achievement is the category, not life-long success. Thus, no Muhammad Ali, who was known as Cassius Clay during his Olympic days. Perhaps he will be on yours, though.  Sonja Henie at her Olympic debut at the 1924 Chamonix Games. 10. Sonja Henie (Norway) Winner of three consecutive golds in figure skating, Henie made her Olympic debut at the 1924 Chamonix Games. At age 11, she placed last in the field of eight. She won her first gold at 15 during the 1928 St. Moritz Games. She successfully defended her titles at the 1932 Lake Placid Olympics and again at the 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Games, then went on to a successful movie career. 9. Al Oerter (USA) Two years after setting a national high school record in the discus, Oerter became an Olympic champion at 20. With his opening throw of the 1956 Melbourne Games, Oerter recorded a personal and Olympic record, 184 feet, 11 inches. He survived a serious auto accident in 1957, then came through on his second-to-last throw to edge teammate Rink Babka for the 1960 gold at Rome with an Olympic record toss of 194-2. At the 1964 Tokyo Games, Oerter broke his Olympic record with a fifth-round throw of 200-1. Not only did he beat Ludvik Danek, the world record-holder from Czechoslovakia, he did so while wearing a neck brace to protect a cervical disc injury. All this despite torn cartilage in his lower ribs he sustained while practicing less than a week before the competition. The old man came through once more in 1968, at Mexico City, to become the first track and field athlete to win four Olympic golds in the same event. Just as with his previous golds, Oerter won with an Olympic record, this time 212-6. 8.* Eric Heiden (USA) and Johann Olav Koss (Norway) Some ties are made to be broken. Not this one. Tying for the eighth spot, thus making this a Top 11 list, are speedskaters Eric Heiden (USA) and Johann Olav Koss (Norway). Heiden, now an orthopedic surgeon, gets a slight edge on the ice by being the first person to win five individual gold medals in one Olympics at the 1980 Lake Placid Games – 500, 1,000, 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 meters. All five came in Olympic-record time, with one world record. Koss broke world records to win the 1,500, 5,000 and 10,000 at the 1994 Lillehammer Games. What cements his legacy is his magnanimous efforts to help bring sport to the children of the world. Koss not only donated his $30,000 bonus for winning the 1,500 meters to Olympic Aid, he raised another $85,000 for the cause by having his skates auctioned. He asked Norwegians to donate sports equipment for children of war-torn Eritrea, where he had visited shortly before the Olympics. When he returned to Eritrea, he brought 12 tons of equipment. He remains dedicated to Olympic Aid – now known as Right to Play – as president and CEO of the organization.
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