Greatest American Athletics Athletes
The greatest American athletics athletes in history — ranked by career achievements, honours and legacy.
AmericanAll American Athletics Athletes
Browse all 38 american athletics athletes in our database.
American
Allyson Felix
Sprinter (200m, 400m)
Most decorated female track Olympian in history.
American
Athing Mu
Middle Distance (800m)
2020 Olympic 800m champion, 2022 world champion.
American
Carl Lewis
Sprinter / Long Jumper
Nine-time Olympic gold medallist across four Games.
American
Christian Coleman
Sprinter (100m)
2019 world champion in the 100m.
American
Ed Moses
Sprinter (400m H)
Won 122 consecutive races over nearly a decade.
American
Erriyon Knighton
Sprinter (200m)
One of the youngest ever individual world champ sprint medallists.
American
Florence Griffith-Joyner
Sprinter
'Flo-Jo' set the still-standing 100m and 200m WRs at 1988 Olympics.
American
Fred Kerley
Sprinter (100m)
2022 world 100m champion, former elite 400m runner.
American
Gabby Thomas
Sprinter (200m)
American sprinter and 2024 Olympic 200m champion, a Harvard graduate who anchored the US to relay…
American
Gail Devers
Sprinter (100m H)
Three-time 100m hurdles world champion, twice Olympic 100m champion.
American
Grant Holloway
Hurdler
2024 Olympic 110m hurdles champion, three-time world champion.
American
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Heptathlon
Widely regarded as the greatest female athlete of the 20th century.
American
Jesse Owens
Sprinter / Long Jumper
Won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
American
Joe Kovacs
Shot Put
Two-time world champion, three-time Olympic silver medallist.
American
JuVaughn Harrison
High Jump / Long Jump
Dual high jump/long jump specialist.
American
Kevin Young
Sprinter (400m H)
Former 400m hurdles world record holder.
American
Marion Jones
Sprinter (100m/200m)
Sydney 2000 medals later stripped following doping admission.
American
Mary Decker Slaney
Middle Distance Runner
Won double gold at 1983 World Championships.
American
Maurice Greene
Sprinter
Former 100m world record holder.
American
Melissa Jefferson-Wooden
Sprinter (100m)
2025 100m/200m world champion.
American
Michael Johnson
Sprinter 200m/400m
Only man to win 200m and 400m gold at same Olympics; WR both.
American
Noah Lyles
Sprinter
2024 Olympic 100m champion, multiple world sprint titles.
American
Quincy Hall
Sprinter (400m)
American 400m runner and 2024 Olympic champion, famed for a blistering final-100m surge to gold in…
American
Rai Benjamin
Sprinter (400m H)
400m hurdles Olympic and world champion.
American
Ryan Crouser
Shot Put
Three-time Olympic shot put champion, world record holder.
American
Sha'Carri Richardson
Sprinter
American sprinter and 2023 world 100m champion, one of the most electrifying and outspoken figures…
American
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
Hurdles/Sprints
400m hurdles world record holder, back-to-back Olympic champion.
American
Tommie Smith
Sprinter
1968 Olympic 200m champion, Black Power salute.
American
Trayvon Bromell
Sprinter (200m)
Elite American 100m sprinter, world indoor 60m champion.
American
Valarie Allman
Discus
Back-to-back Olympic discus champion (2021,2024).
American
Wilma Rudolph
Sprinter
First American woman to win three golds at one Olympics (1960).
American
Evelyn Ashford
Sprinter
Four-time Olympic 100m/relay gold medallist.
American
Valerie Brisco-Hooks
Sprinter
First Olympian to win gold in both 200m and 400m at same Games.
American
Carmelita Jeter
Sprinter
2011 world 100m champion, 'fastest woman alive'.
American
Steve Lewis
Sprinter
1988 Olympic 400m champion, former world U20 record holder.
American
Butch Reynolds
Sprinter
Former 400m world record holder (43.29).
American
Dan O'Brien
Decathlete
1992 decathlon world record holder, 1996 Olympic champion.
American
Ashton Eaton
Decathlete
Back-to-back Olympic decathlon champion and world record holder.