Agree or disagree? Jessica Ennis-Hill's coach thinks she's "the greatest British athlete of all time"

rojo wrote:

He admits he's biased but objectively what do you think when he says this, "People will say I am biased but to my mind Jess is the greatest British athlete of all time."

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/oct/13/jessica-ennis-hill-grandad-fiver-pb-became-skint

NAnd when he says that does athlete simply mean track and field athlete? Or can it be any sport? What do you think?

Who should be ranked ahead of her?

She was wonderful, but she's not even the best multieventer Britain's had.

rojo wrote:

He admits he's biased but objectively what do you think when he says this, "People will say I am biased but to my mind Jess is the greatest British athlete of all time."

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2016/oct/13/jessica-ennis-hill-grandad-fiver-pb-became-skint

NAnd when he says that does athlete simply mean track and field athlete? Or can it be any sport? What do you think?

Who should be ranked ahead of her?

He's probably wrong, but he does mean track and field athlete.

Biggest British clean athlete for sure.

She didn't even win gold in Rio....

I’m sorry, but I cannot get much excited about a bunch of girls performing fairly mediocrity at seven different events for points.

It’s an event for those who can’t make it at the top level at any specific athletic event - hold a championships for the decathlon and pentathlon and about half a dozen spectators would turn up to watch - utterly boring.

I’m not sure who is the greatest, but Paula Radcliffe is streets ahead of Ennis-Hill.

Is Jessica Ennis better than Denise Lewis was?

Jess is certainly one of the greatest British T&F athletes ever, but not even in top 5 IMO.

For me, the 2 most important criteria is an Olympic gold and world records. Ennis has 1 of the former and no WR. Next would probably be world ranking points and then 'other medals'. Obviously when comparing 2 athletes from last 25 years, then world championship medals are also important, just behind world records and Olympic titles, but if you're looking at all time, then you cannot use medals won in biannual global worlds, when they have only been available since 91. And they weren't available at all before 1983.

For all time Brits then Coe, Thompson, Edwards, Ovett and Gunnell, all won Olympic golds and set world records.

Coe and Thompson are top of that pile as they both won 2 Olympic golds and set more WR's than any of the others.

I'd put Ennis on the next level down, with the likes of Cram, Jackson, Farah.

Paula was a greater athlete

She can't break the world record though, given hers is one of the silly doped ones.

I would agree that the coach thinks she is the greatest ever. Pretty obvious by his comments.

Kluft though.

Mo Farah. Bobby Charlton. Seb Coe. Paula. Lennox Lewis. Daley Thompson. Rory McIlroy. Andy Murray. BANNISTER!!

Daley Thompson is the most obvious retort to the coach's claim.

Rory McElroy is Irish

No wrote:

Mo Farah. Bobby Charlton. Seb Coe. Paula. Lennox Lewis. Daley Thompson. Rory McIlroy. Andy Murray. BANNISTER!!

Athlete over here does not mean any sport.

It means track and field athlete. He would have said sportsperson if he meant any sport.

She's up there with the best that's for sure.

How about Daley Thompson?

Farah does not have any significant world records but he does have gold and silver in 2011, double gold in 2012, double gold in 2013, double gold in 2015, and double gold in 2016. That puts him in the top tier.

Coe has a lot of world records but he won only two golds and two silvers in Olympics and did not make either of the World Championship teams in 1983 and 1987. Nor did he make the 1988 Olympic team (though he should have been chosen ahead of Steve Crabb!). Farah's nine golds and a silver in three worlds and two Olympics is a considerable advantage. Without any real wr's for Farah, though, I can't put him absolutely ahead.