Sports Legends
It takes a lot of hard work for an athlete to be number one in their field. To be considered the greatest of all time is far from an easy feat. Here are 21 remarkable athletes and why they’re first-rate—some you may know, but others will surprise you.
Tiger Woods
When it comes to golfing, Tiger Woods is a household name. However, he has quite a scandalous past. Woods has admitted to cheating on his wife several times and has been apprehended for drinking and driving. Still, he's considered one of the best athletes of all time for a reason.
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Tiger Woods
Woods has had more major wins than any other player, winning 82 times on the PGA tour. For 683 weeks, he held the number one spot. What's more? Despite four back surgeries and nearly losing his leg in 2021, he's still out there swinging his club.
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Allyson Felix
In the world of track, Allyson Felix is a big deal! She’s triumphed for the USA, earning 11 Olympic medals—seven of which are gold. After 17 years “at the top,” she retired in 2022 at the age of 36.
Erik van Leeuwen (bron: Wikipedia)., Wikimedia Commons
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Gretzky’s physical size and strength were considered “unimpressive”. Despite this, he still got to be one of the top players the National Hockey League has ever seen.
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Wayne Gretzky
It was his “smarts” that helped Gretzky become the famous athlete he is. He could dodge. He could analyze where the puck would end up. It’s the reason he dominated the ice and won four Stanley Cups.
Hayley Wickenheiser
Speaking of hockey, this player has four Olympic gold medals! Hayley Wickenheiser has racked up a total of 168 international goals, 211 assists, and 379 points. She’s often referred to as the female hockey GOAT. But there’s something else that’s super impressive about her.
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Hayley Wickenheiser
Why do you want to know Wickenheiser? If you ever get sick, you might just need her. Not only was she the first woman to net a goal in a man’s professional ice hockey league game—but she’s also a physician.
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Mikaela Shiffrin
If you’re not a fan of skiing, you may not have heard of superstar Mikaela Shiffrin. But you should have. She’s the only woman—or man—to successfully complete and win a race in all six World Cup disciplines. Impressive.
Usain Bolt
Jamaican track star Usain Bolt has eight Olympic gold medals. He is considered the “World’s Fastest Man”. He still holds the record for completing 100 meters in only 9.58 seconds.
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Patrick Mahomes
He’s popular. He’s talented. After five years of getting his team to the Super Bowl, it won’t surprise you that Patrick Mahomes is on this list.
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Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes is considered one of the most skilled quarterbacks in history. He is one of only two football players to throw for 5,000 yards and 50 touchdowns. Who’s the other one?
Peyton Manning
Yes, it’s Peyton Manning. In the world of American football, he is a big deal. He’s a five-time NFL MVP—the most in history. He’s also a Hall of Famer and a two-time Super Bowl champion. But did you know that he almost didn’t make this happen?
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Peyton Manning
Manning broke his jaw in 2001. He was also seriously affected by a herniated cervical disk. His ability to complete passes was strained, and he ended up having four neck surgeries.
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Diana Taurasi
At age 42, Diana Taurasi is the oldest player in the Women’s National Basketball Association. She’s earned countless Championships and MVP bragging rights as well as five Olympic medals. Her college, UConn, honored her in a very special way.
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Diana Taurasi
Taurasi’s college honored her by retiring her UConn jersey number 3. This isn’t surprising since her influence on women’s basketball has been compared to one of NBA’s GOATs. Who has she been likened to?
Kobe Bryant
You’ve likely heard of Kobe Bryant’s unfortunate passing in a helicopter crash along with his daughter in 2020. Do you know what made him one of the best players in the history of basketball?
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Kobe Bryant
Bryant earned his spot in the Basketball Hall of Fame. He’s a five-time champion, not to mention he’s been All-Star Game MVP an impressive four times. His main legacy, however, was the way in which he inspired and encouraged player, fans, and admirers.
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Katie Ledecky
If you’re a fan of swimming, you’ve heard of Katie Ledecky. Katie is an American swimmer with the most medals in the history of female swimmers. At 15, she won her first Olympic medal in London. But did you know she was considered the underdog?
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Katie Ledecky
Ledecky wasn’t expected to win the 800-meter freestyle event. She now has 14 medals—nine of which are gold. She’s the most decorated American female swimmer. Who’s the only female athlete internationally with more medals than Katie?
Larisa Latynina
For 48 years, Larisa Latynina, a Russian gymnast, has held the record of having the most Olympic medals of any female athlete. This is extremely surprising considering she only turned to gymnastics for one reason.
Larisa Latynina
Latynina’s father left when she was a baby. Her mother is illiterate and worked two jobs. Most remarkable, however, is that originally, she was involved in a completely different sport. It wasn’t until her ballet choreographer moved away that she trained in gymnastics.
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Roger Federer
Roger Federer is known for his fiery temper, but he’s also been called a tennis icon. Almost everyone, including his opponents, cried after his final match at the Laver Cup in 2022. Why is he held in such high esteem?
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Roger Federer
Federer dominated the sport of tennis. For five straight years, he took home the Wimbledon trophy. He has 369 major wins. He participated in 31 Grand Slam finals. This guy is truly one of the best athletes of all times.
Simone Biles
Anyone watching this year’s Olympics in Paris will know the name of Simone Biles. She returned to the sport at the age of 27 after a fateful experience of a mental block called “the twisties”. But why is she considered one of the GOATs?
Simone Biles
Biles has 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Champion medals. There are five skills in gymnastics that bear her name—two of which have only been mastered by her.
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Tom Brady
If you’ve heard of American football, you’ve heard of Tom Brady. He’s a seven-time Super Bowl champion. This retired quarterback even has a Netflix special. But there’s something you may not know about him.
Tom Brady
Brady wasn’t always considered great. He was picked 199th in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL draft! You might also be surprised to learn that he was drafted by the Montreal Expos in 1995—to play baseball.
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Lionel Messi
Soccer player Lionel Messi knows how to ball. He has two World Cups and an endless list of other achievements. He wasn’t always considered exceptional, though.
Lionel Messi
At 5’7”, Messi has always been judged to be small. His nickname is La Pulga, which translates to “Little Flea”. He earned the moniker as a child—at the age of 10, he discovered he had growth hormone deficiency.
Venus Williams
After years of absence in the world of tennis, Venus Williams asked for a Wild Card at the Oakland Bank of the West Classic, at the age of 14. She quickly became a prodigy.
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Venus Williams
Williams won Wimbledon five times. You may also know her for championing equal prize money for females at the Wimbledon tournaments. She may have had even more wins under her belt had it not been for her sister.
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Serena Williams
We know Serena Williams for many reasons. She hosted the ESPYs in a total of 16 outfits. She’s friends with Harry and Meghan. She shared controversial views on stomach scars and radio frequency treatment. But why is she considered one of the GOATs?
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Serena Williams
Serena Williams has the fifth most career tennis titles—73 of them. She has the record for 365 major match wins and she’s a 23-time major champion. Who was the other tennis player with records Serena couldn’t beat?
Steffi Graf
12 years her senior, Steffi Graf was dominated by Serena on the court. Why, then, hasn’t Serena been able to beat her track record?
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Steffi Graf
German tennis player Graf, now retired, was the only player to pull off the Golden Slam. In 1988, she did this by winning all four major singles titles AND the Olympic gold medal in one calendar year.
Michael Phelps
Micheal Phelps has size 14 feet. He was diagnosed with ADHD at age seven. He has an incredible wingspan of 6’7”—three inches longer than it should be. And guess what else?
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Micheal Phelps
Phelps has 23 gold medals—eight of them from one single Olympics, Beijing 2008. No other human has accomplished this feat.
The Best In The World
Did you get them all right? Some of them? There are a lot of extremely talented athletes around the world. These are just some of the ones considered GOATs in their sport.
Michael Jordan
Michael Jordan is an imposing athlete to be compared to. He steered the Bulls to six national championships, after all. But he was known for more than just his basketball skills.
Michael Jordan
Jordan embraced a growth mindset attitude. He expected failure—he just didn’t let it overtake or control him. It's that mindset that has made him one of the greatest basketball players of all time.
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