By Frank Malley, PA Chief Sports Writer, Sydney

Faster, higher, stronger. No one personifies the Olympic ideal better than Steve Redgrave, whose five consecutive gold medals mark him out as the most enduring Olympian of modern times.

His fifth in a row, seized so brilliantly on Penrith Lakes early this morning, moved him appreciably up the order of sporting greatness.

But who are the fastest, highest and strongest of all-time? Who deserves the ultimate accolade as the Greatest Olympian?

Comparing different sports and eras is nigh-impossible because sportsmen can only beat the opposition of their day and who's to say that with modern training techniques and facilities past champions would not have surpassed today's icons.

But here is a shot at the 10 greatest Olympians of the modern Games, based on medal hauls, toughness of opposition, profile of event plus impact and significance.

1 CARL LEWIS

Greatest Olympian of all-time. Brought unparalleled speed, power, grace and technique to athletics for a decade and his eight gold medals, earned against the toughest of opposition, speak for themselves. At his first Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984 he won four golds at 100m, 200m, long jump and sprint relay. Won 100m and long jump in 1988 and 1992, after suffering a virus infection at the US trials, added another long jump and relay gold. Simply the best.

2 JESSE OWENS

Man who pushed open gates of opportunity for likes of Lewis and generations of black athletes. Owens' achievements at the 1936 Berlin Games cannot be underestimated. In the face of Hitler's intimidating 'Aryan Supremacy', Owens lifted four golds in the 100m, 200m, sprint relay and long jump. Almost single-handedly reduced Hitler's notions to nonsense. A measure of his phenomenon is that in 1935 he set six world records in one day and his long jump world record lasted for more than 25 years.

3 STEVE REDGRAVE

You can't argue with five consecutive golds - a phenomenal achievement in terms of enduring class and stamina. But all his medals have come as part of a team and rowing, albeit one of the founder sports of the modern Games, does not produce the same intensity or depth of opposition as some of the more high-profile events. As a sportsman, however, Redgrave is peerless - even won the British Bobsled championship in 1989.

4 PAAVO NURMI

Dominated the world of distance running in the twenties, winning a record nine Olympic gold medals and adding three silvers for a record total of 12 Games medals. No wonder they nicknamed him the Flying Finn. His range was incredible, lifting the title at 1500m, 5000m, 10,000m, steeplechase and cross-country. Denied even more medals when the International Olympic Committee controversially dubbed him a professional. Carried the flame at the opening ceremony in 1952, receiving the biggest cheer of the Games.

5 EMIL ZATOPEK

Marathon man or masochist? Whatever, this Czech army captain was the only man ever to win the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon - the first time he had run the event - in the same Games in Helsinki in 1952. A phenomenal feat of long-distance running, which saw him destroy Britain's world record holder Jim Peters in the marathon. Ten minutes after his 5,000m triumph wife Dana won the javelin gold. In London four years earlier Zatopek had also won the 10,000m in a world record time, lapping all but two of the field.

6 MARK SPITZ

In looks, not dissimilar from Queen's Freddie Mercury. No swimmer in history is more deserving of the accolade 'Champion of the world' than the flying machine from California. Aged 22 he won seven gold medals in four days at the Munich Olympics, all in world record times. He had vowed to make up for winning only two golds, a silver and a bronze at Mexico in 1968. As he admitted "I was ruthless, cunning, deceitful, aggressive" - in short, he possessed the classic characteristics of a winner.

7 LASSE VIREN

No-one in Olympic history perfected the art of peaking for athletic competition quite like the languid Finn. An ordinary performer throughout the year he came alive at the Olympics, winning the double of 5,000m and 10,000m in 1972 and 1976. Devastating last lap pace was his hallmark but he will also be remembered for his courage and tenacity, never better demonstrated than when he fell in his first 10,000m Olympic final in Munich, yet jumped up to win in a world record 27:38.35.

8 SEBASTIAN COE

Only man to win successive gold medals in the 1500m - the Blue Riband of the track. Would have been even higher in the list but for the fact that his first triumph came in the boycott-hit 1980 Games, where Coe missed out on his best distance of 800m to compatriot Steve Ovett but hit back days later with a masterly performance in the 1500m. Los Angeles 1984 saw Coe lead home fellow-Brit Steve Cram with Ovett collapsing in the heat. Stylish, graceful, effortlessly commanding.

9 BOB BEAMON

The afternoon Beamon almost leapt out of the Mexico long jump pit will be remembered forever as arguably the single most fantastic feat in Olympic history. The American recorded a distance of 29ft two and a half inches to take gold at a time when no athlete had jumped further than 28ft. Devastated reigning champion Lynn Davies immediately accepted "that's too good for me". Beamon never again jumped over even 27ft but his record lasted 23 years, until finally surpassed by fellow-American Mike Powell.

10 ABEBE BIKILA

Shocked the world when he won the 1960 Olympic marathon - only his third race at the distance - as a complete outsider in a world record despite running barefoot. Four years later in Tokyo became first man to retain marathon title when he set another world record - this time wearing shoes but just six weeks after having appendix removed. Dropped out of the 1968 race with injury and a year later suffered severe paralysis in a car accident. He died four years later at the tragically early age of 41.