The 12 Greatest African Athletes in Order

One way to analyze this is with T&FN's Athlete of the Year rankings. Scoring the top ten on a 10-9-8 etc. basis, here's what we've got:

1 El Guerrouj 66 pts (3 times #1)

2 Aouita 45 (2)

3 Gebreselassie 40 (2)

4 Morceli 33 (2)

Kipketer 29 (1)

5 Keino 25

6 Kiptanui 18

7 Bekele 15 and counting

7 Komen 15

9 Jipcho 14 (1)

Shaheen 13

10 Rono 11 (1)

11 Bayi 11

12 Yifter 10

I don't have women's totals handy.

Some people have argued that times are all that matter. Coe was much faster than Bannister, so according to that logic, Coe was the better miler.

But what about Jim Ryun versus Alan Webb? Ryun ran on a cinder track in mid-sixties vintage shoes, which were crap compared to what's available today. Putting aside Ryun's disadvantages, is a 3:55 mile in 1965 as impressive as a 3:53 mile in 2001?

I'm late with this, but here's my list. Many years back I did a points based ranking of history's top distance runners and here are the top 25 Africans. The ranking reflects total accomplishments over the entire career, so active runners (like Bekele) have a lot of moving up yet to do.

1. Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)

2. Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)

3. Said Aouita (Morocco)

4. Kip Keino (Kenya)

5. Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia)

6. Noureddine Morceli (Algeria)

7. Moses Kiptanui (Kenya)

8. Henry Rono (Kenya)

9. Paul Tergat (Kenya)

10. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia)

11. Benjamin Jipcho (Kenya)

12. Miruts Yifter (Ethiopia)

13. Daniel Komen (Kenya)

14. Mamo Wolde (Ethiopia)

15. Filbert Bayi (Tanzania)

16. Khalid Skah (Morocco)

17. Mohammed Gammoudi (Tunisia)

18. Wilson Boit Kipketer (Kenya)

19. Peter Koech (Kenya)

20. Salah Hissou (Morocco)

21. Bernard Barmasai (Kenya)

22. Gezahegne Abera (Ethiopia)

23. Mike Boit (Kenya)

24. Julius Kariuki (Kenya)

25. Richard Chelimo (Kenya)

Just missing the list: William Tanui, Naftali Temu, Paul Bitok, Brahim Boutayeb, Belayneh Dinsamo, Douglas Wakiihuri, Noah Ngeny

You have an interesting method. Tallying up points for T&F News rankings, giving 10 points for a #1 ranking, 9 points for a #2, etc. is a good idea. But I have to wonder about your figures. Keino, for example, has 142 points from 1964 to 1972 (for 1,500; 5,000; 10,000; and steeplechase). How did you come up with 25?

abebe bikila...and manute bol.

-themack

themack wrote:

abebe bikila...and manute bol.

-themack

I thought this was only restricted to running.

I'm coming late to this, but had to respond to earlier question about whether any African ran in more than the three Olympics Gammoudi ran in or won more than the four medals Keino won. Although he ran for France in the Olympics, distance runner Alain Mimoun (born Ali Mimoun O'Kacha) was Algerian (which was not independent of France when he began competing). Mimoun ran in four Olympics (48, 52, 56 and 60), won medals in three of them (48, 52 and 56), and had a total of four medals, comprised of one gold (marathon) and three silver (5K and 10K). He would have had four gold medals if it were not for the existence of Emil Zatopek, who was the only man to beat him in each of his silver medal races (but whom he beat in his gold medal race). But giving credit where due, Gammoudi and Keino could not run in a fourth Olympics due to the African boycott of 1976 (and since Keino joining the short-lived pro cicuit of the 70s).

My preference!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1. Haile Gebrselassie (Ethiopia)

2. Hicham El Guerrouj (Morocco)

3. Said Aouita (Morocco)

4.Paul Ereng [kenya]

4. Kip Keino (Kenya)

5. Abebe Bikila (Ethiopia)

6. Noureddine Morceli (Algeria)

7. Moses Kiptanui (Kenya)

8. Henry Rono (Kenya)

9. Paul Tergat (Kenya)

10. Kenenisa Bekele (Ethiopia)

11. Benjamin Jipcho (Kenya)

12. Miruts Yifter (Ethiopia)

13. Daniel Komen (Kenya)

14. Mamo Wolde (Ethiopia)

15. Filbert Bayi (Tanzania)

16. Khalid Skah (Morocco)

17. Mohammed Gammoudi (Tunisia)

18. Wilson Boit Kipketer (Kenya)

19. Peter Koech (Kenya)

20. Salah Hissou (Morocco)

21. Bernard Barmasai (Kenya)

22. Gezahegne Abera (Ethiopia)

23. Mike Boit (Kenya)

24. Julius Kariuki (Kenya)

25. Richard Chelimo (Kenya)[/quote]

Thanks for bringing up Alain Mimoun. You\'re right that his career was overshadowed by Zatopek, although he did win several world cross country titles.

Mimoun and Gammoudi are apparently the only African runners to have won a medal in three Olympics.

You left out Manute Bol

Said Aquita might be the bessed African ever because of one thing you know what that is?

His range he had peronal records of 1:43 for 800m all the way up to a sub 13:00 5000m

Don't forget Idi Amin. Great basketball player.

George Weah?