Top ten athletes of all time
Many people love sport – but out of the thousands of professional athletes which ones truly stand out on the global stage?
Moving away from Port Vale news for a while, this article we count down our own top ten athletes.
- Muhammad Ali
Nicknamed “The Greatest,” he is widely regarded as one of the most significant and celebrated sports figures of the 20th century and as one of the greatest boxers of all time.
- Michael Phelps
The most successful and most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals. Phelps also holds the all-time records for Olympic gold medals (23), Olympic gold medals in individual events (13), and Olympic medals in individual events (16).
- Roger Federer
The most successful male tennis player in history, Federer has eighteen Grand Slam wins so far. He continued to be a strong contender, becoming the oldest Australian Open champion in 2017. If you think Federer has a chance in the near future you may want to check the latest sports betting odds.
- Serena Williams
Williams was ranked world No. 1 in singles on eight separate occasions and she has been No. 1 for 319 weeks. She holds the most Grand Slam titles in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles combined among active players.
- Michael Jordan
Jordan played 15 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships with the Chicago Bulls. His biography on the official NBA website states: “By acclamation, Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.”
- Cristiano Ronaldo
The Portuguese superstar certainly talks the talk but his footballing achievements show that he can walk the walk as well. He was key in Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph in 2016 and in Portugal’s 2016 Euros win.
- Jack Nicklaus
“The Golden Bear” is widely regarded as the greatest professional golfer of all time, winning a total of 18 career major championships, 19 second-place and nine third-place finishes over a span of 25 years.
- Martina Navratilova
In 2005, Tennis magazine selected Navratilova as the greatest female tennis player for the years 1975 through 2005 and she is considered one of the best female tennis players of all time.
- Usain Bolt
Bolt is a world record holder in the 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay. Owing to his achievements and dominance in sprint competition, he is widely considered to be the greatest sprinter of all time.
- Wayne Gretzky
Gretzky played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed “The Great One”, he has been called “the greatest hockey player ever” by many sportswriters, players, and the NHL itself.
What do you think about this selection – why not debate it in the forum