1. Michael Phelps - most titled athlete

Michael "Super Fish" Phelps swept eight gold medals in as many days and is behind seven new world records. His races were watched by U.S. President George Bush and the world's richest person Bill Gates, while famous tennis player Serena Williams wants his autograph. The word, Phelpsian, has been coined, meaning unprecedented victory.

2. Usain Bolt - most benevolent sprinter

The world's fastest man has a big heart. Bolt has donated 50,000 U.S. dollars to earthquake victims in southwest China's Sichuan province.

3. Matthew Emmons -- most tragic coincidence

Emmons blew an Olympic shooting gold in 2004 when he fired at a wrong target. In Beijing, the American squandered a huge lead by hitting a 4.4-point last shot.

4. Liu Xiang - most shocking withdrawal

Defending Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China pulled out of the 110m hurdles race injured, shocking the whole world.

5. Xie Yalong - most criticized official

Xie Yalong, vice chairman of the Chinese Football Association, has become a target of internet lashing and sneering, following the Chinese men's soccer team's disastrous show in Beijing.

6. Dana Abdulrazak - most heroic runner

Iraqi women runner Dana Abdul-Razzaq has received as loud applause as champions. The Iraqi team's only woman faced many obstacles to reach Beijing, from a sniper's bullets to a lack of training facilities and religious and cultural opposition to female athletes.

Before the Olympics, she was told that Iraq was shut out of the international sports gala. When her coach consoled her by saying that she could take part in the 2012 Olympics, she broke into tears, "who knows if I could live that long!"

7. Matthias Steiner - most soulful celebration

When the German Hercules mounted the gold medal podium, he was not alone. Clutching a snapshot of his late wife Susann, he choked, "She's always with me, in the hours before the competition. She's there..." On the picture, Susann beamed, while on the audience stands, many wept.

8. Natalie du Toit - most adamant swimmer

Du Toit from South Africa, who lost her left leg in a motor accident and uses a prosthetic leg to walk, completed the guelling Olympic 10-kilometer open water swimming race. Having competed against able-bodied athletes, du Toit will now focus on the Beijing Paralympics.

9. Ara Abrahamian - most furious medalist

After a wrestling match, bronze medalist Ara Abrahamian snarled at the judge as his bid for gold was ended by a decision, which both his coach and himself considered unfair. During the awarding ceremony, the Swede threw the medal on the mat and stormed off.

10. Sarah Stevenson - most dramatic overturn

In Briton Stevenson's taekwondo match against Chen Zhong, in which the Chinese was first announced as the winner. Stevenson filed a protest. The result was reversed after a review of the video which was unprecedented in the Olympic taekwondo history.