Most famous male distance runner is roger bannister.
Most famous male distance runner is roger bannister.
hemoglobe wrote:
Most famous male distance runner is roger bannister.
yes yes yes - wait until Sir Roger lights the 2012 Olympic flame. It would be gr8 to also see John Landy there too.
Overall - Muhammad Ali and it's not even close
Female - Nadia probably.
T&F - Jesse Owens?
???
Middle/Long Distance -Coe?
The most well known athlete in the world, and the GREATEST Basketball player ever in history is: Kobe Bryant
David Beckham
Pele
Maradona
Michael Jordan
Carl Lewis
skwidward wrote:
Male overall - Muhammad Ali. We settled this in a thread a few years ago.
I still stand by Ali over Pele. Pele may be better known in South America and Europe where soccer is popular, but Ali is better known in most of North America, Africa (remember Rumble in the Jungle) and Asia (Thrilla in Manila). The combative nature of boxing is more honored than soccer in Asia.
Kobe Bryant is who people automatically think of as the most popular.
Augusta is in Georgia wrote:
Kobe Bryant is who people automatically think of as the most popular.
Nobody knows Bryant outside US.
Kobe is considered the greatest everywhere, even here in Helsinki, Finland.
Easy. Dale Earnhardt.
finnishguy wrote:
Nobody knows Bryant outside US.
Are you f***ing serious? He is very popular in Europe and China. Hell, he's from Italy and speaks Italian and (correct me if I'm wrong) a few other languages as well.
Linus Torvalds wrote:
Kobe is considered the greatest everywhere, even here in Helsinki, Finland.
LOL, Linus doesn't live here in Helsinki.
Who is Maradona? From the thread I'm guessing he is a soccer player, but I've heard of many soccer players and I've never heard of him. Off the top of my head: Ronaldinio, Christiano Ranaldo, Thieri Henry, David Beckam, Zidane, Viera, Buffon, Caca, Pele, and I'm sure with more time I could think of quite a few more, and I would recognize many more than I could think of the names.
Overall
Male - Michael Jordan/Babe Ruth/Jim Thorpe
I don't think Jordan is even the greatest NBA player of all time (Wilt da Stilt) but he has incredible notoriety. Jim Thorpe was the world's greatest athlete. But there's no one who doesn't know who Babe Ruth is.
Conviction - Babe Ruth
Female - Babe Didricksen/Maria Sharapova/FloJo
Again, Sharapova isn't the greatest tennis player of all time, but everyone on the planet knows her name. Didricksen was an incredible multi-sport athlete that several generations are familiar with...except for the modern one. FloJo bridges the gap, but is she as famous? Since this is not about purely the greatest athlete, I'm going with Sharapova, and I challenge you to find me someone who does not know who she is.
Conviction - Maria Sharapova
Track and Field
Male
Carl Lewis/Jesse Owens/Usain Bolt
Jesse Owens is by far my favorite from this triad, but Carl Lewis had the longest career (so far) and has cemented legendary status that Bolt is still seeking.
Conviction - Carl Lewis
Female
FloJo/Jackie Joyner Kersee/Marion Jones
Gotta go with FloJo. Marion Jones' legacy will wear away into something like Ben Johnson's. 20 years from now we won't be remembering her for Sydney, but for what happened after.
Convicton - Marion Jones
Distance
Male
Steve Prefontaine/Paavo Nurmi/Abebe Bikila
Pre is the face of Nike, which is an international organization. It doesn't matter that he never won an Olympic medal. Everyone knows him, despite the first East African champ (albeit BAREFOOT champ!) and the legendary European.
Conviction - Steve Prefontaine
Female
Joan Benoit Samuelson/Catherine Nderba/Mary Slaney
Samuelson won the '84 Olympics to gain international attention, and raced well in well-publicized city marathoners throughout her career, in particularly, Boston.
Conviction - Joan Benoit-Samuelson
I'd say as a basketball fan: #1 Kobe Bryant, #2 Magic Johnson, #3 Larry Bird, #4 Wilt Chamberlain, #5 Michael Jordan.
Dean Karnases!
never nervous pervis (ellison). no?
More seriously (writing from way across the ocean):
Michael Jordan, Maradonna and Pele, Kareem Abdul Jabbar.
Bjorg, Carl Lewis, Sampras and Federer definitely up there as well. Muhamad Ali. Magic. Bird.
Distance Running - strange that Zatopek hasn't been mentioned. I think he'd be the most recognized name by people who aren't interested in running (though they won't be able to link the name to his achievements).
Prefontaine? No way.
And just for the record, we need to throw in Lance Armstrong.
The most hated dopers of all time are Lance Armstrong, Jose Canseco, Ben Johnson.
You US posters must realise that US sports are minority activities and interests.
You've no idea how popular soccer is. Beckham, for example, is an 'international brand' known by billions. Latin players are also known by billions.
And what prey is the population of China? What of their stars?
What also is the average age in most nations?
BTW only a couple of tennis players have been mentioned so far. I reckon that several more are very well known - and I don't follow the sport.
No Formula One drivers mentioned?
And did I miss Jesse Owen? David? (and Goliath)
I would concur that Lance Armstrong is the mosted hated athlete ever in the history of the world.