Greatest Male Sports Personalities of All Time
Among these great sports personalities whom do you consider to be the "Greatest Male Sports Personality of All Time"?
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Also vote for: Greatest Female Sports Personalities of All Time
After voting, you may discuss the poll here.
Also vote for: Greatest Female Sports Personalities of All Time
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- Federer is the former #1 ranked tennis player in the world, having held the number one position for a record 237 consecutive weeks.
He won the Indesit ATP 2004 Race on September 14. The ATP confirmed that his lead was insurmountable, marking what is believed to be the earliest a player has locked up the year-end No. 1 position since the ATP Rankings were established in 1973.
He won his third Grand Slam title of the year at the U.S. Open. That was his 9th title of the year, his 16th since the beginning of 2003, his 19th career title. No other male player had ever won his first four Grand Slam finals.
He is considered to have the talent to be the best tennis player of all time. His fellow players have nicknamed him "The Natural."
He is the favorite tennis player of Anna Wintour, editor of American Vogue. She sometimes can be seen at his matches. He's frequently featured in American Vogue and once graced the cover of Men's Vogue.
He has appointed former American tennis player Paul Annacone as his coach.Tennis. - Actor
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Simply he was, and for many people still is, the greatest football player of the world. Not a single thing was impossible for him: he won three World Cups with his National Team of Brazil (Sweden 1958, Chile 1962, Mexico 1970). He scored more than 1.200 goals during his long career (more than 1.300 official matches). He also won many national Leagues and Continental Cups ("Copa Libertadores"), with his team, the Santos Futebol Clube (of Brazilian 'São Paulo' State). In the '60s, he was nick-named "O Rei" (The King), and in the '70s, ninety-five people out of 100 knew his name. ("Wow, man, you're popular!" said Robert Redford, some years ago, after seeing Pelé give dozens of autographs in New York while he was not asked for one). In the late 1960s, when he and his team, Santos, went to Nigeria to play a few friendly matches, the ongoing civil war stopped for the duration of his visit. He finished his career in the New York Cosmos, in 1977. He later became a United Nations Ambassador and has been also Minister for Sports in his country, but, for the people who saw him make magics with his right foot, he is, now and forever, the biggest footballer in the world, and the one and only "King".Football.- Michael Fred Phelps II was born in Towson, Maryland, to Deborah Sue (Davisson), a middle school principal, and Michael Fred Phelps, a state trooper. Before the 2004 Olympics started, rumor had it that 19 year-old Phelps was thinking of trying to match or even surpass Mark Spitz's legendary seven gold medals record. By his fourth race with one gold and two bronze it was obvious he couldn't tie it but instead he could match Russian gymnast's Alexander Dityatin's record of eight medals in one Olympics. Every race after the two bronze he came away with gold. After his seventh race he did a truly noble thing by handing over his butterfly leg on the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay to Ian Crocker a temporary rival and now a friend. To everyone this was deemed the most selfless act of the games but to Michael it was just giving his team mate another chance. Throughout the entire week of competition he barely managed to sleep so when he finally got to rest he went to check out how the dominant women's teams were doing and enjoying the culture and atmosphere in Athens. The success in Athens was amazing. He surpassed fellow American, Mark Spitz's record of 7 gold medals, that were set in the 1972 Olympic Games, at Munich, Germany, 36 years earlier. In Beijing 2008: Games of the XXIX Olympiad (2008), after record tying seventh gold medal, Mark Spitz personally called Michael Phelps and congratulated him for his historic feats and records, he achieved in Beijing, China, were well watched as Mark Spitz's record were tied and broken, by Phelps, as he and teammates were 8 for 8, in 2008. All are first place gold medals!Swimming.
- Michael Schumacher is a German retired racing driver. He is a seven-time Formula One World Champion and is widely regarded as one of the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year twice.
Schumacher holds many of Formula One's driver records, including most championships, race victories, fastest laps, pole positions and most races won in a single season - 13 in 2004 (the last of these records was equalled by fellow German Sebastian Vettel nine years later). In 2002, he became the only driver in Formula One history to finish in the top three in every race of a season and then also broke the record for most consecutive podium finishes. According to the official Formula One website, he is "statistically the greatest driver the sport has ever seen".Formula One. - At age 21, Tiger Woods became the youngest Masters champ and the first golfer since Jerry Pate in 1976 to win in the first major he played. In 1997, Woods took the lead at the Augusta golf classic and then put on a golf clinic never seen before. He fired a 3-under-par 69 and broke the tournament 72-hole record with an unbelievable 18-under 270. The 12-stroke margin of victory was the largest in Masters history. Woods was chosen as the Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year and ESPY Male Athlete of the Year in 1997. He was also one of the most accomplished amateur golfers in history, winning six USGA national championships, an NCAA title during his two years at Stanford University, and an unprecedented three consecutive U.S. Amateur Championships. He finished first on the PGA Tour five times in 1999. More importantly, Woods opened wide a door of society in becoming the first African American, as well as the first Asian American, to win a major. Woods was granted dual citizenship by the Thai government (his mother, Kultida, is of half Thai and one quarter Chinese, descent) in 1997 prior to playing in the Asian Honda Classic. Woods has captured the hearts and imaginations of even non-golf fans around the world. Affable and good looking, he became an international star and a prime endorser of golfing equipment and apparel. Born Eldrick Woods on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California, his distinctive nickname "Tiger" came from his father Earl's Green Beret army past. "Tiger" had been the moniker of a South Vietnamese officer who saved Earl's life on several occasions. As a child, Woods was one of junior golf's most accomplished players. He putted against Bob Hope on The Mike Douglas Show (1961) at the improbable age of 2, shot 48 for nine holes at age 3, and was featured in "Golf Digest" at age 5. Woods won several major youth titles in southern California. He won three straight U.S. Amateur titles in 1994, 1995 and 1996 after winning three consecutive U.S. Junior Amateur titles in 1991, 1992 and 1993. He turned professional in the summer of 1996, and the game of golf hasn't been the same since. Sense of humor intact, Woods once observed, "Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps".Golf.
- Jack William Nicklaus (born January 21, 1940), nicknamed "The Golden Bear", is a retired American professional golfer. He is widely regarded as the greatest golfer of all time, winning a total of 18 career major championships, while producing 19 second-place and 9 third-place finishes in them, over a span of 25 years. Nicklaus focused on the major championships (Masters Tournament, U.S. Open, Open Championship, and PGA Championship), and played a selective schedule of regular PGA Tour events, yet still finished with 73 victories, third on the all-time list behind Sam Snead (82) and Tiger Woods (79).Golf.
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Muhammad Ali beat more champions and top contenders than any heavyweight champion in history. He defeated heavyweight kings Sonny Liston (twice), Floyd Patterson (twice), Ernie Terrell, Jimmy Ellis, Ken Norton (twice), Joe Frazier (twice), George Foreman and Leon Spinks. He defeated light-heavyweight champs Archie Moore and Bob Foster. Ali defeated European heavyweight champions Henry Cooper, Karl Mildenberger, Jürgen Blin, Joe Bugner, Richard Dunn, Jean-Pierre Coopman and Alfredo Evangelista. He defeated British and Commonwealth king Brian London. All of Ali's defeats were by heavyweight champions: Frazier, Norton, Spinks, Larry Holmes and Trevor Berbick. Ali also beat undefeated fighters Sonny Banks (12-0), Billy Daniels (16-0), 'Rudi Lubbers' (21-0) and George Foreman (40-0).Boxing.- Dhyan Chand (29 August 1905 - 3 December 1979) was an Indian field hockey player, who is widely considered as the greatest field hockey player of all time. Chand is most remembered for his extraordinary goal-scoring feats, in addition to earning three Olympic gold medals (1928, 1932, and 1936) in field hockey, during an era where India was the most dominant team in Hockey.
Known as "The Wizard" for his superb ball control, Chand played his final international match in 1948, having scored more than 400 goals during his international career. The Government of India awarded him the third highest (then second highest) civilian honor of Padma Bhushan in 1956. His birthday is celebrated as National sports day in India (August 29th).Field hockey. - Actor
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Michael Jeffrey Jordan was born in Brooklyn, New York on February 17, 1963. He was the fourth of five children born to James and Deloris. James Jordan was a mechanic and Deloris Jordan was a bank teller. Soon after Michael's birth, James and Deloris felt that the streets of Brooklyn were unsafe to raise a family, so they moved the family to Wilmington, North Carolina.
As a youngster, Michael immediately became interested in sports. However, it was baseball not basketball that was his first love. He would play catch in the yard with his father, who loved baseball. He soon started to play basketball to try and follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Larry, whom he idolized growing up.
At Laney High School, as a sophomore, he decided to try out for the varsity team but was cut because he was raw and undersized. The following summer, he grew four inches and practiced tirelessly. The hard work paid off as he averaged 25 points per game in his last two years and was selected to the McDonald's All-American Team as a senior.
Following high school, he earned a basketball scholarship from North Carolina University where he would play under legendary coach Dean Smith. In his first year, he was named ACC Freshman of the Year. He would help lead the Tarheels to the 1982 NCAA Championship, making the game-winning shot.
After winning the Naismith College Player of the Year award in 1984, Jordan decided to leave North Carolina to enter the NBA draft. Although he decided to leave college early, he would later return to the university in 1986 to complete his degree in geography.
In the 1984 NBA draft, he was selected with the third overall pick by the Chicago Bulls. As a rookie for the Bulls, he made an immediate impact, averaging an amazing 28.2 points a game, including six games where he scored 40+ points. He was selected to the NBA All-Star Game and named Rookie of the Year. This would just be the beginning of a career filled with awards and accolades. In the upcoming years, he would go on to win five regular season MVP awards, six NBA championships, six NBA finals MVP awards, three All-Star game MVP awards, and a defensive player of the year award.
In 1993, tragedy struck Jordan's seemingly perfect life. On July 23, 1993, his father, James, was murdered off Interstate 95 in North Carolina. Two locals had robbed him, shot him in the chest and threw his body in a swamp.
Three months later on October 6, 1993, following a run of three consecutive NBA championships, Jordan announced his retirement from basketball citing that "he no longer had the desire to play." Now "retired" at age 33, it was uncertain what Jordan would do next. Would he take a year off out of the public eye to grieve and then come back to the Bulls? Would he go out and look for a white collar job in the field of geography, his college major? Or would he take up a completely different hobby like golf?
In early 1994, Jordan decided to take up a new hobby alright. However, it wasn't golf. It was baseball. Despite not playing baseball since high school some 13 years ago, he signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox in 1994. He played one unspectacular season for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.
On March 18, 1995, Jordan, a man of few words since his retirement, sent two important words to media sources everywhere: "I'm Back". He celebrated his return to the NBA by doing what he always did best: winning. Although the Bulls would lose in the playoffs to the Orlando Magic, it was obvious that Jordan was still the same superstar player. He would go on to lead the Bulls to three more consecutive NBA championships and etch his place in the history as the "NBA's greatest player of all-time".
On January 13, 1999, Jordan re-announced his retirement, saying that "he was 99.9 percent sure that he would never play again". Soon after, Jordan became part owner of the Washington Wizards.
Near the start of the 2001-02 season, there were hints that Jordan may try another comeback to the NBA. On September 25, 2001, Jordan confirmed those rumors, announcing that he would once again return to the NBA as a member of the Wizards. His two seasons in Washington were mediocre at best. His statistics were solid and he showed some flashes of his old self but he could not lead the Wizards to the playoffs and missed several games due to injury. He retired for good following the 2002-03 season and was subsequently dismissed as president of the Washington Wizards.
In June 2006, he became part owner of the Charlotte Bobcats. Later that year, he filed for divorce from Juanita, his wife of 17 years. They have three children together.Basketball.- Actor
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Usain Saint Leo Bolt is a Jamaican sprinter. Regarded as the fastest human being ever timed, he is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records since fully automatic time became mandatory. He also holds the world record in the 4 × 100 metres relay. He is the reigning World and Olympic champion in these three events.
Bolt gained worldwide popularity for his double sprint victory at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in world record times. He later became the first man at the modern Olympic Games to win six gold medals for sprinting. He was the first to win consecutive Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles (2008 and 2012). At the 2016 Summer Olympics, he became the first track athlete in modern Olympic history to win three gold medals in one discipline, with his win in the 100 m sprint. He also won the gold medal in the men's 200 m, his third gold in the event at the Olympic Games.Sprint.- Valentino Rossi is an Italian professional motorcycle racer and multiple MotoGP World Champion. He is considered to be the greatest and one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with nine Grand Prix World Championships to his name - seven of which are in the premier class.
Following his father, Graziano Rossi, Valentino started racing in Grand Prix in 1996 for Aprilia in the 125cc category and won his first World Championship the following year. From there, he moved up to the 250cc category with Aprilia and won the 250cc World Championship in 1999. After graduating to the premier class in 2000, he won the 500cc World Championship with Honda in 2001, the MotoGP World Championships (also with Honda) in 2002 and 2003, and continued his streak of back-to-back championships by winning the 2004 and 2005 titles after leaving Honda to join Yamaha, before regaining the title in 2008 and retaining it in 2009. He left Yamaha to join Ducati for the 2011 season, but it was confirmed in 2012 that he would rejoin Yamaha for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He suffered two winless seasons while at Ducati.MotoGP. - Actor
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Most of Babe Ruth's records have been broken. In 1961, not only did Roger Maris break The Babe's 34-year-old record for most home runs in a season with 61* (2001), but Maris' teammate on the '61 Yankees, pitcher Whitey Ford broke the Babe's 43-year-old record for most scoreless innings pitched in a World Series when the Yankees dispatched the Reds that year in the postseason. (When asked how it felt to have beat the Babe's "other" record, Whitey responded, "It was a bad year for the Babe".)
Though Barry Bonds now holds the record for most home runs in a season (73), most home runs in a career (762), highest slugging percentage, most intentional walks, etc., The Babe still must be considered the greatest player who ever graced the game. In addition to his record 12 home run titles, his 13 slugging titles, his six R.B.I. titles, and his solo batting title (.378 in 1924; The Babe placed in the top five hitters in terms of batting average eight times, including a career high of .393 in 1923, when Harry Heilmann hit .403), The Babe won 18, 23 and 24 games as a left-handed pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1915, 1916 and 1917, and won the American League E.R.A. title in '16. He set his first home run title in 1918, another year the Sox won the World Series, as a part-time position player and part-time pitcher, notching up 11 homers and nine wins. George Herman Ruth likely will remain the sole player in major league baseball history to win batting, home run, R.B.I., slugging *and* E.R.A. titles, plus eat a dozen hot dogs and drink the better part of a keg of bootleg "needle" beer before suiting up for a game.
From 1914 to 1919, The Babe played for the Boston Red Sox, with whom he appeared on three World's Championship teams. Sold to the New York Yankees by Red Sox owner and theatrical impresario Harry Frazee, he led the-then no pennant American League franchise in Gotham to seven A.L. pennants and four World Series titles from 1920-1934. He played out his string with the Boston Braves in 1935; even a washed-up Babe was still able to pole three circuit clouts in one game before calling it quits after 28 games and six in that last season. The following year, he was one of the inaugural inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Yes, the Babe was mighty, and he did prevail more often than naught except over one opponent: Father Time.
The Babe ended his 22 years in the Big Leagues with 2,873 hits good for a career batting average of .342, 714 home runs, 2,217 R.B.I.s, and 2,174 runs scored in 2,503 games. (From his debut in 1914 through the 1918 season, when he was making his transition to becoming a full time position player, Ruth only appeared in 261 ball games as he was considered the top left-handed pitcher in the American League.) In the record books, Ty Cobb scored more runs and Hank Aaron hit more homers and racked up more R.B.I.s (Interestingly, Hammerin' Hank and The Babe ended their careers with the exact same number of runs scored.), but they played in far more games than the The Babe, with 3,035 and 3,298 games, respectively. Among modern players, Rickey Henderson, who surpassed Cobb's record for runs after 25 years in The Show, played in 3,081 games, and Barry Bonds appeared in almost 3,000 games.
No player ever had the impact, both on and off the field, as did the charismatic Babe. When he died of cancer in 1948, the New York Times headline read, "Babe Ruth/Idol of Millions of Boys/Dead".Baseball.- Sir Steven Geoffrey Redgrave is a retired British rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympic Games from 1984 to 2000. He has also won three Commonwealth Games gold medals and nine World Rowing Championships golds. He is regarded as one of Britain's greatest-ever Olympians, the most successful male rower in Olympic history, and the only man to have won gold medals at five Olympic Games in an endurance sport.
In 2002, Redgrave was ranked number 36 in the BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. As of 2012 he is the third most decorated British Olympian after Sir Chris Hoy and Sir Bradley Wiggins. He has carried the British flag at the opening of the Olympic Games on two occasions. In 2011 he received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year - Lifetime Achievement Award.Rowing. - Actor
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Wayne Gretzky, nicknamed "The Great One, " is widely considered the greatest hockey player of all-time. At the time of his retirement at the end of the 1998-99 NHL season he was the NHL's all-time scoring leader in Goals, Assists & Points in both the regular season & Stanley Cup Playoffs. He led the NHL in scoring a record 10 times, was Captain of 4 Stanley Cup Championship teams, and was named the league's MVP a record 9 times. He is the only NHL player ever to score 200 Points in a season, and did so 4 times in the span of 5 years. A great ambassador of pro sports, he was also named the NHL's Most Gentlemanly Player 4 times and received the Order of Canada (their highest civilian honor) in 1998. Upon his retirement in 1999, his trademark jersey No. 99 was retired by the NHL.Ice hockey.- Actor
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Frederick Carlton "Carl" Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete, who won 10 Olympic medals, including nine gold, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 1996 when he last won an Olympic title and subsequently retired.
Lewis was a dominant sprinter and long jumper who topped the world rankings in the 100 m, 200 m and long jump events frequently from 1981 to the early 1990s. He set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m and 4 × 200 m relays, while his world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984. His 65 consecutive victories in the long jump achieved over a span of 10 years is one of the sport's longest undefeated streaks. Over the course of his athletics career, Lewis broke ten seconds for the 100 meters 15 times and 20 seconds for the 200 meters 10 times.Track and field.- Generally regarded as the greatest cricketer ever to play the game, Don Bradman averaged 99.94 runs per innings during his illustrious career. He continued to play test cricket until the age of 40, when in 1948 he led an Australian team touring England, UK. The team did not lose a match on that tour and are now legendary, they are known as The Invincibles.Cricket.
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Sachin is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket.
He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and One Day International cricket
Sachin Tendulkar has been the most complete batsman of his time, and arguably the biggest cricket icon as well. His batting is based on the purest principles: perfect balance, economy of movement, precision in stroke-making, and that intangible quality given only to geniuses: anticipation. If he doesn't have a signature stroke - the upright, back-foot punch comes close - it is because he is equally proficient at each of the full range of orthodox shots (and plenty of improvised ones as well) and can pull them out at will.Cricket.- Sir Gareth Owen Edwards CBE (born 12 July 1947) is a Welsh former rugby union player who played scrum-half and has been described by the BBC as "arguably the greatest player ever to don a Welsh jersey".
In 2003, in a poll of international rugby players conducted by Rugby World magazine, Edwards was declared the greatest player of all time. In 2007, former England captain Will Carling published his list of the '50 Greatest Rugby players' in The Telegraph, and ranked Edwards the greatest player ever, stating; "He was a supreme athlete with supreme skills, the complete package. He played in the 1970s, but, if he played now, he would still be the best. He was outstanding at running, passing, kicking and reading the game. He sits astride the whole of rugby as the ultimate athlete on the pitch".Rugby. - Considered by many experts to be the greatest quarterback in the history of NFL football, Montana was recruited by the San Francisco 49ers from Notre Dame in 1979 after leading the "Fighting Irish" to a Cotton Bowl victory in 1978. "Joe Cool," as he was known for his ice cool disposition in the heat of the game, led the 49ers on field for twelve seasons and played key roles in the San Francisco 49ers four Super Bowl victories between 1982 and 1990. Montana scooped the Super Bowl MVP Award in 1982, 1985 and 1990, however he suffered an elbow injury in January 1991, and missed all of the 1991 season, and most of the 1992 season.
He was traded to the Kansas City Chiefs in April 1993, and spent his final two years with the Chiefs before finally retiring at the end of 1994.
Well remembered for his amazing plays with fleet-footed wide receiver Jerry Rice, and high-stepping running back Roger Craig.American football. - Deshabandu Muttiah Muralitharan is a former Sri Lankan cricketer who was rated the greatest Test match bowler ever by Wisden Cricketers' Almanack in 2002. He retired from Test cricket in 2010, registering his 800th and final wicket on 22 July 2010 from his final ball in his last Test match. Muralitharan holds the world record for the most wickets in both test and one-day cricket.
Muralitharan took the wicket of Gautam Gambhir on 5 February 2009 in Colombo to surpass Wasim Akram's ODI record of 502 wickets. He became the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket when he overtook the previous record-holder Shane Warne on 3 December 2007. Muralitharan had previously held the record when he surpassed Courtney Walsh's 519 wickets in 2004, but he suffered a shoulder injury later that year and was overtaken by Warne.
Averaging over six wickets per Test, Muralitharan is one of the most successful bowlers in the game. Muralitharan held the number one spot in the International Cricket Council's player rankings for Test bowlers for a record period of 1,711 days spanning 214 Test matches.Cricket. - Actor
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Diego Armando Maradona is an Argentine football manager and retired professional footballer.
Maradona was the coach of Argentine Primera División club Gimnasia de La Plata. He is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. He was one of the two joint winners of the FIFA Player of the 20th Century award. His presence and leadership on the field had a great effect on his team's general performance, while he would often be singled out by the opposition.
He played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, FC Barcelona, S.S.C. Napoli, Sevilla F.C. and Newell's Old Boys during his club career, and is most famous for his time at Napoli and Barcelona where he won numerous accolades.
In his international career with Argentina National Football Team, he earned 91 caps and scored 34 goals. Maradona played in four FIFA World Cups, including the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico (1986) where he captained Argentina and led them to victory over West Germany National Football Team in the final, and won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player. In the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico (1986) quarterfinal, he scored both goals in a 2-1 victory over England National Football Team that entered football history for two different reasons. The first goal was an unpenalized handling foul known as the 'Hand of God', while the second goal followed a 60 m (66 yd) dribble past five England players, voted 'Goal of the Century' by FIFA.com voters in 2002.
Maradona became coach of Argentina National Football Team in November 2008. He was in charge of the team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa (2010) in South Africa before leaving at the end of the tournament.Football.- Emil Zátopek was a Czechoslovak long-distance runner best known for winning three gold medals at the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. He won gold in the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres runs, but his final medal came when he decided at the last minute to compete in the first marathon of his life. He was nicknamed the "Czech Locomotive".
Zátopek was the first runner to break the 29-minute barrier in the 10,000 metres (in 1954). Three years earlier, in 1951, he had broken the hour for running 20 km. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest runners of the 20th century and was also known for his brutally tough training methods. He was the instigator of interval training and hypo-ventilation training. In February 2013, the editors at Runner's World Magazine selected him as the Greatest Runner of All Time. He is the only person to win the 5,000 metres, 10,000 metres, and marathon in the same Olympics.Long distance running. - Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers, AO, OCC (born 28 July 1936), also known as Gary or Garry Sobers, is a former cricketer who played for the West Indies between 1954 and 1974, and is widely considered to be cricket's greatest all-rounder.
Born in Bridgetown, Barbados, Sobers made his first-class debut for the Barbados cricket team at the age of 16 in 1953, and his Test debut for the West Indies the following year. Originally playing mainly as a bowler, he was soon promoted up the batting order. Against Pakistan in 1958, Sobers scored his maiden Test century, progressing to 365 not out and establishing a new record for the highest individual score in an innings, which was not broken until Brian Lara scored 375 in 1994. He was made captain of the West Indies in 1965, a role which he would hold until 1972. He would also captain a Rest of the World XI during their 1970 tour of England.
Overall, Sobers played 93 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 8032 runs at an average of 57.78, and taking 235 wickets at an average of 34.03. He has the fourth highest batting average in Test cricket in the list of cricketers with more than 5,000 runs. In his 383 first-class matches, he scored over 28,000 runs and took over 1000 wickets, having spent time with South Australia and Nottinghamshire towards the end of his career. Sobers was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 for his services to cricket. He became a dual Barbadian-Australian citizen through marriage in 1980. By an act of Parliament in 1998, Sobers was named as one of the ten National Heroes of Barbados.Cricket. - Giacomo Agostini (born 16 June 1942) is an Italian multi-time world champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. Nicknamed Ago, with an absolute record of 122 Grand Prix wins and 15 World Championships titles, he is considered to be perhaps the greatest motorcycle racer of all time. Of these, 68 wins and 8 titles came in the 500cc class, the rest in the 350cc class.MotoGP.
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Édouard Louis Joseph, Baron Merckx (born 17 June 1945), better known as Eddy Merckx, is a Belgian former professional road and track bicycle racer. Eddy Merckx is the undisputed greatest cyclist of all time. He was born in Meensel-Kiezegem, Brabant, Belgium. He grew up in Woluwe-Saint-Pierre where his parents ran a grocery store. He played several sports, but found his true passion in cycling. Merckx got his first bicycle at the age of three or four and competed in his first race in 1961. His first victory came at Petit-Enghien in October 1961.
After winning eighty races as an amateur racer, he turned professional on 29 April 1965 when he signed with Solo-Superia. His first major victory came in the Milan-San Remo a year later, after switching to Peugeot-BP-Michelin. After the 1967 season, Merckx moved to Faema, and won the Giro d'Italia, his first of eleven Grand Tour victories - a record that still stands today. Four times between 1970 and 1974, Merckx completed a Grand Tour double. His final double also coincided with winning the men's road race at the UCI Road World Championships to make him the first rider to accomplish cycling's Triple Crown. Merckx broke the hour record in October 1972, extending the record by almost 800 meters.Road bicycle racing.- Kohei Uchimura was born on 3 January 1989 in Kitakyushu, Japan. He has been married to Chiho Uchimura since 11 November 2012. They have two children.Gymnastics.
- Paavo Nurmi is a Finnish middle-distance and long-distance runner.
He set 22 official world records at distances between 1500 meters and 20 kilometers, and won nine gold and three silver medals in his twelve events in the Olympic Games. At his peak, Nurmi was undefeated for 121 races at distances from 800 m upwards. Throughout his 14-year career, he remained unbeaten in cross country events and the 10,000 m.
In 1912, he was inspired by the Olympic feats of Hannes Kolehmainen and began developing a strict training program. Nurmi started to flourish during his military service, setting national records en route to his international debut at the 1920 Summer Olympics. After winning a silver medal in the 5000 m, he took gold in the 10,000 m and the cross country events. In 1923, Nurmi became the first runner to hold simultaneous world records in the mile, the 5000 m and the 10,000 m races, a feat which has never since been repeated. He set new world records for the 1500 m and the 5000 m with just an hour between the races, and took gold medals in both distances in less than two hours at the 1924 Olympics. Nurmi won all his races and returned home with five gold medals, although he was frustrated that Finnish officials had refused to enter him for the 10,000 m.
At the 1928 Summer Olympics, Nurmi recaptured the 10,000 m title but was beaten for the gold in the 5000 m and the 3000 m steeplechase. He then turned his attention to longer distances, breaking the world records for events such as the one hour run and the 25-mile marathon. Nurmi intended to end his career with a marathon gold medal, as his idol Kolehmainen had done. In a controversial case that strained Finland-Sweden relations and sparked an inter-IAAF battle, Nurmi was suspended before the 1932 Games by an IAAF council that questioned his amateur status.
Nurmi later coached Finnish runners. In 1952, he was the lighter of the Olympic Flame at the Summer Olympics in Helsinki.Long distance running. - Actor
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Karch Kiraly was born on 3 November 1960 in Jackson, Michigan, USA. He is an actor and producer, known for Baywatch (1989), Spiker (1985) and Sports Theater with Shaquille O'Neal (1996).Volleyball.- Sergei Bubka is a Soviet and Ukrainian former pole vaulter.
He represented the Soviet Union until 1991. Bubka was twice named Athlete of the Year by Track & Field News, and in 2012 was one of 24 athletes inducted as inaugural members of the International Association of Athletics Federations Hall of Fame.
Bubka won six consecutive IAAF World Championships, an Olympic gold medal and broke the world record for men's pole vault 35 times. He was the first pole vaulter to clear 6.0 meters and 6.10 meters.
He held the indoor world record of 6.15 meters, set on 21 February 1993 in Donetsk, USSR for almost 21 years until France's Renaud Lavillenie cleared 6.16 meters on 15 February 2014 at the same meet in the same arena. He is the outdoor world record holder at 6.14 meters, a record he has held since 31 July 1994, though since adopting rule 260.18a in 2000 the IAAF regards Lavillenie's record as the official "world record".
Bubka is Senior Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), serving since 2007, and President of the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine, serving since 2005. He is an Honorary Member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), having been involved since 1996.Pole vault. - Actor
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Considered the greatest diver in history, Greg Louganis is the only male to win gold medals on both 3 meter springboard and 10 meter platform in consecutive Olympic Games (1984, 1988). A trained actor, dancer, model and spokesman, Greg's wide repertoire of skills keeps him in demand and in the public eye.
Full biography
Early life
Greg Louganis was adopted at 9 months by Frances and Peter Louganis, who lived in Lemon Grove, CA, just outside of San Diego. Teased and bullied as a child for the dark skin he inherited from his Samoan father and for his learning "differences," he turned to what he could do well: sport. His first love was gymnastics and by nine years old, he was a "seasoned performer on the local talent show and convalescent-home circuit," (Breaking the Surface).
In 1968, Greg's mom took him to diving practice to keep him from breaking his neck doing stunts off his backyard diving board. He wasn't crazy about the sport at first, but his interest grew when he discovered he was quite good at it.
At the age of 11, Greg entered the national Junior Olympics. During the tough competition, Greg's mom took him outside to find out why he was struggling. He told her he was afraid of letting everyone down. She reassured him, saying that he would always be her son and no matter what, she would always love him. He went back to the pool and moved from twelfth place to tie for second. Those words stayed with him and helped him through every competition in his career.
First Olympics: 1976 Montreal, silver medal, platform (16 years old)
Five years later, Greg was working with diving legend Dr. Sammy Lee. Dr. Lee helped teach Greg to be a fighter, lessons that would be invaluable later in life. At sixteen years old, Greg qualified for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, where he won an Olympic silver medal on 10m platform. Four years later, in peak form, Greg was one of the many athletes to suffer from the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Olympic Games. It was widely expected that he would win gold medals in Moscow.
University Years
In 1978, Greg entered the University of Miami on a full diving scholarship and studied theater as part of the BFA program. In 1980, in order to dive with coach Ron O'Brien, he transferred to UC Irvine, also on an athletic scholarship. He graduated in 1983 with a major in drama and a minor in dance. As part of the drama department, Greg was dance captain and a lead player in a production of Pippin and assistant choreographer for The Gondoliers.
Olympic Champion: Securing his place in history
At the Los Angeles Olympic Games in 1984, Greg became the second man in the history of the sport to win gold medals in both springboard and platform, the first being Pete Desjardins in 1928. Following the Olympics, Greg's life was full of appearances, exhibitions, speaking engagements, commercials and modeling. But his time to celebrate was brief; soon he was training again for what would be one of his greatest challenges.
By 1988, Greg's physique had changed a little and he was twice as old as his competition on the Chinese diving team. He had learned he was HIV-positive and was struggling with the physical and emotional toll of his status. Many people will remember the infamous scene during the diving preliminary competition at the Seoul Olympics when Greg, comfortably in first place, performed a reverse two and ½ pike and hit his head on the diving board. For most divers, an accident that severe would be competition ending, if not career ending. But not for Greg... the consummate competitor... the consummate performer.
Despite the concussion, the four stitches, the pain, and his overwhelming fear of spreading HIV, Greg continued the competition and qualified for the finals in third place. He came back in the finals to win gold in the men's three-meter springboard event. On the ten-meter platform, he was neck and neck with his Chinese opponent, 14-year-old Xiong Ni, throughout the competition. The fight for gold came down to the last dive. Xiong Ni's was near perfection, but it wasn't enough. By a difference of only 1.14 points, Greg won gold and earned the distinction of being the only man ever to win gold medals in both springboard and platform in two consecutive Olympics.
Coming out and HIV
In February 1995, Greg shocked the world when, courageously, he announced on Barbara Walter's 20/20 and The Oprah Winfrey Show that he is gay and HIV-positive. The interviews were in advance of the release of his autobiography Breaking the Surface (co-written with Eric Marcus), which detailed the struggles he'd faced on his journey to gold medal glory.
Freed from the secrets he'd carried through his life, Greg pursued his other great loves - animals and acting. He began training and showing dogs, co-authoring the book, For the Life of Your Dog, with Betsy Sikora Siino in 1999. He has appeared in eight films, including narrating a dramatization of Breaking the Surface, starring Mario Lopez. He has appeared in numerous television shows and been interviewed countless times.
Champion for all time
In the spring of 2012, Greg is living a busy life filling many roles, including mentoring the 2012 U.S. Olympic diving team, acting as Vice President for the U.S. Olympian & Paralympian Association, traveling the world as a judge for the Red Bull Cliff Diving Tour, running training camps and authoring a new book, both on creative learning and peak performance, and of course, modeling and acting. But perhaps closest to his heart is the work he does to raise awareness and support for various philanthropic organizations dealing with animals, diversity (GLBT), learning differences and HIV/AIDS.Diving.- Alexei Yagudin is a Russian former competitive figure skater. He is the 2002 Olympic champion, a four-time World champion (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002), a three-time European champion (1998, 1999, 2002), a two-time Grand Prix Final champion (1998-1999, 2001-2002), the 1996 World Junior champion, and a two-time World Professional champion (1998, 2002).
Yagudin is the only skater (all disciplines included) to have achieved a Golden Slam, a victory in all major championships (Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships, Grand Prix assignments, Grand Prix Final) in the same season (2001-2002).
Yagudin was awarded with the Order of Merit for the Fatherland of the Russian Federation in 2003. He never won the Russian Championships, losing mainly to Evgeni Plushenko.Figure skating. - Jean-Claude Killy was born on 30 August 1943 in Saint-Cloud, Seine-et-Oise [now Hauts-de-Seine], France. He is an actor, known for Snow Job (1972), The White Search (1970) and ABC's Wide World of Sports (1961). He was previously married to Danièle Gaubert.Skiing.
- Possibly the greatest tennis player of all time. Winner of two Grand Slams, one Pro Slam and at least 199 tournaments, winner of 11 major titles. The amount of major titles probably would have been far more if he was not banned from playing in the majors from 1963 to 1967 and part of 1968 because he turned professional. Truly a legend in his own time.
Laver won the amateur Grand Slam in 1962 and then turned pro in 1963. Turning pro prevented him from entered the prestigious major tournaments (Australian, French, Wimbledon, US Championships) for five years. Laver played in the powerful Pro Tour in those years, winning eight Pro Majors in those years including the Pro Grand Slam in 1967 which consisted of the French Pro, Wembley Pro and the US Professional Championships. If you included the Pro Majors, Laver has won a total of 19 total majors in his unparalleled career.Tennis. - Edoardo Mangiarotti (April 7, 1919 - May 25, 2012) was an Italian fencer. He won a total of 19 Olympic titles and World championships, more than any other fencer in the history of the sport. His Olympic medals include one individual gold, five team golds, five silver, and two bronze medals from 1936 to 1960.Fencing.