20. Emil Zatopek-1952 Summer Games
Emil Zatopek is known as one of the greatest runners in Olympic history. Nicknamed the “Czech Locomotive,” Emil did something that few could ever accomplish. He won gold in three different distance running events at the Summer Olympic Games. What makes his performance so amazing is that Emil’s events were incredibly difficult and that he only went out for 2 of them initially.
He took part in the 5,000 & 10,000 meter runs where he took home the Gold Medal for both. What makes this one of the greatest performances at the Olympic Games in history is his third run. He decided last-minute to take part in the Olympic Marathon race, which is around 20 kilometers or 12 miles. He won the gold medal with a time of 2:23:03.2, nearly 2 minutes faster than the silver medal finisher.