New Poll - Greatest Olympian Ever

Well, it looks like the '80s rule supreme amongst GMYH readers. 57% of you said that, if you were trapped on a deserted island and could only listen to music from one decade, it would be the 1980s. Meanwhile 21% chose the '70s, 14% chose the '60s, and 7% chose the '50s. Apparently no one is that big a fan of the last two decades.

Now that Michael Phelps has grabbed his record 8th gold medal of these, the 29th Summer Olympiad, the debate will surely surface as to whether Phelps is the greatest Olympian ever. That, my friends, is up to you, the GMYH readers. This week's poll will definitively decide who is the greatest Olympian ever. I've gone ahead and narrowed the field to who I feel are the eight best choices. If I have omitted someone, let me know. Bear in mind that track and field athletes are limited to four events per Olympics.

-Bjørn Dæhlie, cross country skiing, Norway (1992-1998): 8 golds and 12 overall medals in one of the most grueling sports. He probably would have had more medals were it not for a career ending injury. He also has the world record for the highest score of a VO2 max test, which apparently is very impressive.
-Jackie Joyner-Kersee, track & field, USA (1984-1996): 3 golds and 6 overall medals in 4 Olympics, including 2 golds and a silver in the heptathlon. Her world record of 7,291 points set at the 1988 Seoul games still stands.
-Larissa Latynina, gymnastics, Russia (1956-1964): 9 golds and a record 18 overall medals over 3 Olympics, earning a medal all but one event in which she competed.
-Carl Lewis, track & field, USA (1984-1996): 9 golds and 10 overall medals over 4 Olympics, including 4 straight golds in the long jump, making him one of only 3 athletes in Olympic history to get a gold in an individual event 4 times.
-Jesse Owens, track & field, USA (1936): Was there a greater "fuck you" to Adolf Hitler than an African-American smoking every Aryan on his way to 4 gold medals in Berlin? I don't think so. And the man smoked a pack a day.
-Paavo Nurmi, track & field, Finland (1920-1928): 9 golds and 12 overall medals over 3 Olympics, and he probably would have had more had he not turned pro before the 1932 Olympics.
-Michael Phelps, swimming, USA (2004, 2008): If you don't know about his accomplishments, then you probably aren't reading this.
-Mark Spitz, swimming, USA (1968, 1972): 9 golds and 11 overall medals over 2 Olympics, including 7 golds and 7 world records in 1972, all with a mustache.