The triumph, the defeat, the sacrifices, the pain, the getting to the top and the falling short: the excruciating and emotional journey of an athlete lends itself nicely to literature. CBC Books wanted to know what your favourite sports reads were. So we decided to find out.

For the past three weeks, while athletes gave it their all in London,  books about sport competed in 10 different categories and the top titles were chosen with YOUR votes.

There were great prizes on the line too -- a a Sony Reader™ Digital Book or one of two sports book prize packs -- consisting of four titles each -- from HarperCollins Canada. 

As for the contest winners, congrats to dlperry, who is taking home the Sony Reader™ Digital Book and to JeannetteNL and dplavins, who each scored the HarperCollins Canada prize packs. 

The real winners, however, are the titles you choose! Check out the top three contenders in each category below! And if you're still hankering for more great athletic literary adventures, be sure to check out all the recommendations from our contest entrants. There are enough great reads there to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.

Tennis

Boxing

1. The Fight by Norman Mailer | 2. The Sweet Science by A.J. Liebling | 3. The Boxer's Heart by Kate Sekules

Soccer

1. Home and Away by Dave Bidini | 2. Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby | 3. Brilliant Orange by David Winner

Golf

1. Moe & Me by Lorne Rubenstein | 2. Wonder Girl by Don Van Natta Jr. | 3. The Bogey Man by George Plimpton

Cycling

1. It's Not About the Bike by Lance Armstrong | 2. Gold by Chris Cleave | 3. Around the World on Two Wheels by Peter Zheutlin

Gymnastics

1. Letters to a Young Gymnast by Nadia Comaneci | 2. Little Girls in Pretty Boxes by Joan Ryan | 3. Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu

Baseball

1. Shoeless Joe by W.P. Kinsella | 2. The Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn | 3. Baseballissimo by Dave Bidini

Basketball

1. The Miracle of St. Anthony by Adrian Wojnarowski | 2. Fab Five by Mitch Albom | 3. In These Girls, Hope Is a Muscle by Madeline Blais

Track & Field

1. Native American Son by Kate Buford | 2. Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand | 3. The Four Minute Mile by Roger Bannister

Swimming

1. The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou | 2. In the Water, They Can't See You Cry by Amanda Beard | 3. Swimming by Nicola Keegan