10 Greatest Sports Polymaths
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Transcript of 10 Greatest Sports Polymaths
I have a fascination for those who excelled in multiple sports.
Sharing this list of my heroes. Many of whom I discovered while making the list.
As this list tells you, the sporting polymath is a dying breed
Just out of top 10
11. Alex Zanardi –F1 driver who won two CART championships in US. After losing both his legs, won para-olympic medals in cycling
12. Christa Luding – Winter Olympic golds in speed skating and a silver in Summer Olympic in cycling
13. Babe Zacharias – Olympic track and field medals and a basketball player. Also the first woman to be a golf celebrity
And…
14. Dennis Compton – the cricket legend played football for Arsenal (and England in an unofficial match)
15. Sir George Thomas – 21 time All England Badminton champ, 2 time England chess champion and Wimbeldon doubles semi-finalist
16. Johnny Douglas –England cricket captain. His only Olympic gold in boxing is marred by controversy
10. CB Fry
Allrounder & England cricket captain 1896 - 1912
Long jump world record holder
Played football for England
(also an academician & prolific writer)
9. Shaun Palmer
World Champ snowboarder
World No 5 mountain biker
Professional Motocross racer
Professional auto racer
Gold medal in X games skiing
Known as one of the architects of modern extreme sports
8. Simen Agdestein
Norwegian chess Grandmaster
7 time national champ
Runners up in world junior championship in ‘86
Also former coach of Magnus Carlsen
Played professional football for 9 years and also represented Norway
7. Carl Schuhmann
Leading gold medal winner in 1896 Olympics
3 – Gymnastics
1 – wrestling
Also competed in athletics and weightlifting
6. Clara Hughes
2 cycling medals in 96 Summer Olympics
4 medals (2 gold) across 3 Winter Olympics
Only person to have won multiple medals in both Summer & Winter Games
5. Bo Jackson
‘85 Hiesman trophy as leading college American football player
NFL player – ’87 - ’92
Celebrated professional baseball player ‘86 – ’94
Only athlete to be an All-Star in two major American sports
4. Max Woosnam
Tennis gold and silver at 1920 Olympics
Captain of Manchester City FC and England
Century at Lords
147 break in snooker
Famous for defeating Charlie Chaplin at TT with a butter knife
3. Jim Thorpe
Won Pentathlon and decathlon in 1912 Olympics
Controversially stripped of his medals. Reinstated well after his death.
Played American football, baseball and basketball professionally.
2. Lottie Dod
5 time Wimbeldon champ
British amateur golf champ
Played hockey for England
Archery silver medal in ‘08 Olympics