68. Bryan Clay

Bryan Clay didn’t just win gold in the decathlon at the 2008 Olympics—he crushed the competition. After nine events, the American from Hawaii had an insurmountable 479-point lead over second-place Andrei Krauchanka, of Belarus.

So he took it easy on the final event, the 1,500-meter run, crossing the finish line at the back of the pack (but with a finish time of 5:06.59).

Clay still won with the biggest margin (240 points) since 1972, and earned praise for his restraint and not simply running up his score while victory was already guaranteed.

64. Bob Hayes

Imagine, for a moment, if you were an NFL general manager and could sign the fastest man in the world to play wide receiver.

Would it work? The Dallas Cowboys found out in 1965 when they enlisted the services of Bob Hayes, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and holder, at the time, of sprinting world records in four events.

Hayes became an immediate threat: Opponents struggled to contain his blazing speed, and in his first two seasons Hayes led the NFL in receiving touchdowns.

It worked so well, in fact, that in 1972 Hayes became the only man in history to combine his Olympic gold medal with a Super Bowl ring when he helped the Cowboys win it all.

Hear that, Usain Bolt?