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Athletics: the greatest of all time

GOAT Rank's data-driven ranking

World records, Olympic and World Championship gold, and margin of dominance over the field. Each athletes below is scored on verified career data and normalised against the full Athletics reference cohort — no shortlists, no unverified provisional numbers.

Quick answer

According to GOAT Rank's current model, Usain Bolt is the highest-ranked of the athletes in Athletics, with an in-sport GOAT Score of 93.2. Next are Sergey Bubka (93.2), Carl Lewis (93.1).

How the GOAT Score is calculated →

16 records fall below the data threshold and are excluded from this ranking. Eligibility rules →

Category
#AthleteEraOlympic goldsWorld goldsWorld records100m best (s)200m best (s)FormGOAT
1
🇯🇲Usain BoltRetired
2004–201781139.5819.1993.2
2
🇺🇦Sergey BubkaRetired
1983–20011—35——93.2
3
🇺🇸Carl LewisRetired
1979–19979—3——93.1
4
🇺🇸Jackie Joyner-KerseeRetired
1980–20013—2——92.1
5
🇫🇮Paavo NurmiRetired
1920–19349—22——92.1
6
🇰🇪Eliud KipchogeActive
2002–present2————92.0
7
🇪🇹Haile GebrselassieRetired
1992–20152—27——91.9
8
🇺🇦Yuriy SedykhRetired
1974–19922—6——91.5
9
🇲🇿Maria MutolaRetired
1988–2008—————91.4
10
🇺🇸Edwin MosesRetired
1976–19882—4——91.3
11
🇯🇲Shelly-Ann Fraser-PryceActive
2007–present3————91.2
12
🇵🇱Irena SzewińskaRetired
1960–19803—10——91.1
13
🇶🇦Mutaz Essa BarshimActive
2010–present1————91.1
14
🇺🇸Mike Conley Sr.Retired
1984–1996—————90.9
15
🇭🇷Sandra ElkasevićActive
2007–present—————90.7
16
🇲🇦Soufiane El BakkaliActive
2014–present2————90.6
17
🇨🇿Jan ŽeleznýRetired
1984–20063—5——90.5
18
🇳🇱Fanny Blankers-KoenRetired
1935–19554—12——90.5
19
🇪🇸Ruth BeitiaRetired
1996–20171————90.4
20
🇷🇺Yelena IsinbayevaRetired
1997–20162—28——90.3
21
🇪🇹Kenenisa BekeleRetired
2001–20233————90.3
22
🇺🇸Allyson FelixRetired
2003–20227————90.0
23
🇨🇺Javier SotomayorRetired
1984–20011————89.9
24
🇵🇱Anita WłodarczykActive
2006–present3—6——89.9
25
🇧🇬Stefka KostadinovaRetired
1982–19991—1——89.9
26
🇲🇦Saïd AouitaRetired
1983–1993—————89.9
27
🇺🇸Al OerterRetired
1954–19804—4——89.7
28
🇵🇱Robert KorzeniowskiRetired
1988–20044————89.7
29
🇺🇸Evelyn AshfordRetired
1976–1992——2——89.5
30
🇰🇪Faith KipyegonActive
2010–present3—3——89.5
31
🇨🇿Emil ZátopekRetired
1944–19584—18——89.4
32
🇱🇹Virgilijus AleknaRetired
1993–2012—————89.1
33
🇲🇦Hicham El GuerroujRetired
1992–20062—3——89.1
34
🇩🇿Nourredine MorceliRetired
1990–2000—————89.1
35
🇺🇸Ray EwryRetired
1900–1908—————88.9
36
🇨🇺Iván PedrosoRetired
1990–2007—————88.8
37
🇺🇸Ryan CrouserActive
2013–present3————88.7
38
🇷🇺Nadezhda ChizhovaRetired
1966–1976——8——88.7
39
🇪🇹Almaz AyanaRetired
2012–2021—————88.7
40
🇨🇿Jarmila KratochvílováRetired
1974–1987——2——88.7
41
🇺🇸Michael JohnsonRetired
1988–20014—2——88.5
42
🇩🇪Lars RiedelRetired
1988–20061————88.4
43
🇺🇸Tianna BartolettaRetired
2004–20213————88.4
44
🇰🇪Paul TergatRetired
1992–2009—————88.4
45
🇵🇹Rosa MotaRetired
1975–19921————88.4
46
🇳🇿Valerie AdamsRetired
2001–20222————88.3
47
🇪🇹Meseret DefarRetired
2001–20162—5——88.3
48
🇪🇹Derartu TuluRetired
1989–20132————88.3
49
🇳🇴Grete WaitzRetired
1971–1990—————88.3
50
🇬🇧Daley ThompsonRetired
1976–19922—4——88.0
1–50 of 292 athletes
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Compare top two: Bolt vs Bubka

Top 10 Athletics athletes of all time

The ten highest verified GOAT Scores across every era.

  1. 1🇯🇲Usain Bolt93.2
  2. 2🇺🇦Sergey Bubka93.2
  3. 3🇺🇸Carl Lewis93.1
  4. 4🇺🇸Jackie Joyner-Kersee92.1
  5. 5🇫🇮Paavo Nurmi92.1
  6. 6🇰🇪Eliud Kipchoge92.0
  7. 7🇪🇹Haile Gebrselassie91.9
  8. 8🇺🇦Yuriy Sedykh91.5
  9. 9🇲🇿Maria Mutola91.4
  10. 10🇺🇸Edwin Moses91.3

By position

Sprint

  1. 1🇯🇲Usain Bolt93.2
  2. 2🇺🇸Carl Lewis93.1
  3. 3🇯🇲Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce91.2
  4. 4🇺🇸Allyson Felix90.0
  5. 5🇺🇸Michael Johnson88.5

Pole Vault

  1. 1🇺🇦Sergey Bubka93.2
  2. 2🇸🇪Armand Duplantis86.3

Field events

  1. 1🇺🇸Jackie Joyner-Kersee92.1
  2. 2🇨🇿Jan Železný90.5
  3. 3🇷🇺Yelena Isinbayeva90.3
  4. 4🇨🇺Javier Sotomayor89.9
  5. 5🇵🇱Anita Włodarczyk89.9

Long distance

  1. 1🇫🇮Paavo Nurmi92.1
  2. 2🇪🇹Haile Gebrselassie91.9
  3. 3🇪🇹Kenenisa Bekele90.3
  4. 4🇨🇿Emil Zátopek89.4
  5. 5🇪🇹Tirunesh Dibaba87.5

Marathon

  1. 1🇰🇪Eliud Kipchoge92.0
  2. 2🇵🇹Rosa Mota88.4
  3. 3🇳🇴Grete Waitz88.3
  4. 4🇺🇸Joan Benoit Samuelson87.5
  5. 5🇰🇪Brigid Kosgei87.5

Hammer throw

  1. 1🇺🇦Yuriy Sedykh91.5
  2. 2🇧🇾Igor Astapkovich87.3
  3. 3🇹🇯Andrey Abduvaliyev87.0
  4. 4🇭🇺Adrián Annus82.3
  5. 5🇺🇦Anatoliy Bondarchuk81.5

800 metres

  1. 1🇲🇿Maria Mutola91.4
  2. 2🇿🇦Caster Semenya87.2
  3. 3🇩🇰Wilson Kipketer86.0
  4. 4🇲🇦Hasna Benhassi83.2
  5. 5🇧🇷José Luíz Barbosa81.9

Hurdles

  1. 1🇺🇸Edwin Moses91.3
  2. 2🇳🇴Karsten Warholm84.7

By country

Jamaica

  1. 1🇯🇲Usain Bolt93.2
  2. 2🇯🇲Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce91.2
  3. 3🇯🇲Merlene Ottey87.6
  4. 4🇯🇲Yohan Blake86.2
  5. 5🇯🇲James Beckford85.4

Ukraine

  1. 1🇺🇦Sergey Bubka93.2
  2. 2🇺🇦Yuriy Sedykh91.5
  3. 3🇺🇦Inha Babakova86.4
  4. 4🇺🇦Oleksandr Bagach84.8
  5. 5🇺🇦Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk84.6

United States

  1. 1🇺🇸Carl Lewis93.1
  2. 2🇺🇸Jackie Joyner-Kersee92.1
  3. 3🇺🇸Edwin Moses91.3
  4. 4🇺🇸Mike Conley Sr.90.9
  5. 5🇺🇸Allyson Felix90.0

Finland

  1. 1🇫🇮Paavo Nurmi92.1
  2. 2🇫🇮Lasse Virén85.7

Kenya

  1. 1🇰🇪Eliud Kipchoge92.0
  2. 2🇰🇪Faith Kipyegon89.5
  3. 3🇰🇪Paul Tergat88.4
  4. 4🇰🇪Beatrice Chebet87.5
  5. 5🇰🇪Brigid Kosgei87.5

Ethiopia

  1. 1🇪🇹Haile Gebrselassie91.9
  2. 2🇪🇹Kenenisa Bekele90.3
  3. 3🇪🇹Almaz Ayana88.7
  4. 4🇪🇹Meseret Defar88.3
  5. 5🇪🇹Derartu Tulu88.3

Poland

  1. 1🇵🇱Irena Szewińska91.1
  2. 2🇵🇱Anita Włodarczyk89.9
  3. 3🇵🇱Robert Korzeniowski89.7
  4. 4🇵🇱Sylwester Bednarek79.6

Croatia

  1. 1🇭🇷Sandra Elkasević90.7
  2. 2🇭🇷Blanka Vlašić81.9

By era

1930s

  1. 1🇳🇱Fanny Blankers-Koen90.5
  2. 2🇺🇸Jesse Owens86.3

1940s

  1. 1🇨🇿Emil Zátopek89.4
  2. 2🇸🇪Gunder Hägg84.7
  3. 3🇸🇪Arne Andersson82.3

1950s

  1. 1🇺🇸Al Oerter89.7
  2. 2🇹🇼Yang Chuan-kwang87.0
  3. 3🇪🇹Abebe Bikila85.8
  4. 4🇳🇿Peter Snell84.5
  5. 5🇸🇪Dan Waern82.9

1960s

  1. 1🇵🇱Irena Szewińska91.1
  2. 2🇷🇺Nadezhda Chizhova88.7
  3. 3🇺🇸Ralph Boston86.3
  4. 4🇫🇮Lasse Virén85.7
  5. 5🇰🇪Kipchoge Keino84.8

1970s

  1. 1🇺🇸Carl Lewis93.1
  2. 2🇺🇦Yuriy Sedykh91.5
  3. 3🇺🇸Edwin Moses91.3
  4. 4🇺🇸Evelyn Ashford89.5
  5. 5🇨🇿Jarmila Kratochvílová88.7

1980s

  1. 1🇺🇦Sergey Bubka93.2
  2. 2🇺🇸Jackie Joyner-Kersee92.1
  3. 3🇲🇿Maria Mutola91.4
  4. 4🇺🇸Mike Conley Sr.90.9
  5. 5🇨🇿Jan Železný90.5

1990s

  1. 1🇪🇹Haile Gebrselassie91.9
  2. 2🇪🇸Ruth Beitia90.4
  3. 3🇷🇺Yelena Isinbayeva90.3
  4. 4🇱🇹Virgilijus Alekna89.1
  5. 5🇲🇦Hicham El Guerrouj89.1

2000s

  1. 1🇯🇲Usain Bolt93.2
  2. 2🇰🇪Eliud Kipchoge92.0
  3. 3🇯🇲Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce91.2
  4. 4🇭🇷Sandra Elkasević90.7
  5. 5🇪🇹Kenenisa Bekele90.3

2010s

  1. 1🇶🇦Mutaz Essa Barshim91.1
  2. 2🇲🇦Soufiane El Bakkali90.6
  3. 3🇰🇪Faith Kipyegon89.5
  4. 4🇺🇸Ryan Crouser88.7
  5. 5🇪🇹Almaz Ayana88.7

By country · By position · By era

Greatest Athletes from JamaicaGreatest Athletes from UkraineGreatest Athletes from United StatesGreatest Athletes from KenyaGreatest Athletes from EthiopiaGreatest Sprints of all timeGreatest Pole Vaults of all timeGreatest Field events of all timeGreatest Long distances of all timeGreatest Marathons of all timeGreatest Athletes who debuted in the 1960sGreatest Athletes who debuted in the 1970sGreatest Athletes who debuted in the 1980sGreatest Athletes who debuted in the 1990sGreatest Athletes who debuted in the 2000sGreatest Athletes who debuted in the 2010s

Athletics GOAT debates

The closest calls in the ranking, with a full side-by-side breakdown.

Bolt vs Bubka· Bolt ranks higher at 93.2 versus Bubka at 93.2, a margin of 0.0 points.Bubka vs Lewis· Bubka ranks higher at 93.2 versus Lewis at 93.1, a margin of 0.1 points.Lewis vs Joyner-Kersee· Lewis ranks higher at 93.1 versus Joyner-Kersee at 92.1, a margin of 1.0 points.Joyner-Kersee vs Nurmi· Joyner-Kersee ranks higher at 92.1 versus Nurmi at 92.1, a margin of 0.0 points.Nurmi vs Kipchoge· Nurmi ranks higher at 92.1 versus Kipchoge at 92.0, a margin of 0.1 points.

How the Athletics ranking works

Every athlete is scored on five verified components — Dominance (25%), Peak (20%), Longevity (20%), Honours (20%) and Statistics (15%) — normalised against the full Athletics reference cohort rather than a shortlist. A record only receives a published score once it is editorially verified and complete: a season-by-season series, at least three career metrics, documented honours and independent sources. Read the full methodology.

Athletics GOAT — frequently asked

Who is the greatest Athletics Athlete of all time?
Usain Bolt leads Athletics with a verified GOAT Score of 93.2/100.
How is the Athletics GOAT ranking calculated?
Five verified categories are weighted against 308 reference records. Only eligible profiles receive a score.
How many Athletics athletes are ranked?
292 eligible Athletics athletes currently have a published GOAT Score, from 308 reference records.