Olympic Athletes in Video Games

The planet's greatest sporting event, the Olympics, is at the forefront of popular consciousness, with athletes from around the globe competing to cement their name as the best at their sporting disciplines. Whether viewers are into swimming or the occasional badminton match, the Olympics has something for everyone, iconizing athletes as sporting celebrities.

Throughout the game's history, notable sporting stars have gone beyond their Olympic achievements into entertainment by making guest appearances in video games. Several prominent sporting heroes have appeared in video games outside of Official Olympic Games titles, whether as themselves, new characters, or endorsements.

5 Michael Phelps

Pushing The Limit Of Swimming On The Xbox

Legendary Olympic athlete Michael Phelps is known for being the most successful Olympian of all time, with a staggering 28 gold and numerous other medals to match. However, Phelps is less known for starring in his own video game titled Michael Phelps: Push the Limit.

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A swimming simulation game at its heart, Push the Limit was released on the Xbox 360 in 2011. While not particularly popular among critics orfans, the game featured connectivity with the Xbox Kinect, allowing players to control Michael Phelps's swimming action through motion control. Though it was a novel feature at most, the realistic swimming gameplay of Push the Limit never quite hit the stardom of its Olympic namesake.

4 Usain Bolt

The Fastest PES Footballer Alive

While Phelps is the most successful Olympian, Usain Bolt is arguably the most iconic. Known for being the fastest man in history with a 100m sprint time of 9.58 seconds, Bolt is also fond of video games such as Mario Kart. The world's fastest man has also starred in a few gaming titles.

The popular indie sports game Bolt is one examplse, with player taking control of a miniature Usain Bolt, jumping over hurdles, and collecting items characteristic of endless runners. Similarly, the prolific runner also had a feature in the great coop sports game Pro Evolution Soccer 18, with football fanatics able to play 'the most beautiful game' as Bolt and compete against the world's best footballers.

3 Roger Federer

Gaming Tennis Royalty

Roger Federer, the king of the court and now-retired tennis hero, is known for his stints at several Olympic Games throughout his career. Despite achievements in Olympic doubles (winning a gold medal), Federer never won a singles gold medal at the Olympics, losing to British player Andy Murray in the 2012 London Olympic Games.

Despite this, Roger Federer has been highly decorated inside and outside of tennis, especially in video games, with the tennis maestro featured in the best tennis games, such as Top Spin, Tennis World Tour, and Grand Slam series. Federer is the most prominent Olympic athlete in gaming.

2 Sergei Bubka

Famed Pole Vaulter With His Own Game

Famed Olympic and world champion pole vaulter Sergei Bubka has set numerous records as a prevalent force in pole jumping. The first athlete in history to achieve a vault of 6 meters in 1985, Sergei Bubka doesn't seem to be a ikely candidate to have his own video game. However, Bubka got prime time with Sergei Bubka's Millennium Games, released in 2000.

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By  Jason Boje

A mishmash of different track-based events, such as the 800m and 100m sprint, the game lets players take control of athletes, coaches, and national teams in competition across numerous events. While seemingly a knock-off of the Olympic Games video game series, Millennium Games is a capable sports game supported by Sergei Bubka in a bizarre but endearing entry to the sports video game genre.

1 Carl Lewi

Nostalgic Track And Field Gaming

Considered one of the best track and field athletes of all time, Carl Lewis won nine gold medals across his decorated career in events such as the 100m and the long jump. A multidisciplinary athlete and an Olympic legend, Lewis was the namesake of video game titles such as The Carl Lewis Challenge, released on PC in 1992 and later Carl Lewis Athletics 2000 on the Game Boy Color.

Players could challenge an animated Carl Lewis across various track and field competitions, all in glorious 2D pixelated graphics. A great single-player sports game at the time, Carl Lewis Athletics 2000, despite its age, is one of the best sports games an Olympian has endorsed.

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