Sportraits

Vasili Alexeev – Weightlifting
Russian superheavyweight who dominated weightlifting in the 1970s, setting 80 world records.

Muhammad Ali – Boxing
“The Greatest,” who transcended sport with his brilliance in the ring and courage out of it.

Giacomo Agostini – Motorcycle Racing
Italian who won 15 world titles, making him the most successful Grand Prix rider ever.

Said Aouita – Athletics (Middle-distance running)
Moroccan who won Olympic 5000m gold and set world records from 1500m to 5000m.

Arthur Ashe – Tennis
American who broke barriers as the first Black man to win Wimbledon, US Open and Australian Open.

Bob Beamon – Athletics (Long jump)
American who smashed the long jump world record by nearly two feet at the 1968 Olympics.

Franz Beckenbauer – Football (Soccer)
German “Kaiser” who redefined the sweeper role and won the World Cup as both player and manager.

George Best – Football (Soccer)
Northern Irish genius whose dazzling dribbling lit up Manchester United and the 60s.

Natalia Bestemianova & Andrei Bukin – Ice Dance
A Russian ice dance pair who dazzled with their expressive performances, winning Olympic gold in 1988.

Fanny Blankers-Koen – Athletics (Sprints & hurdles)
Dutch “Flying Housewife” who won four gold medals at the 1948 Olympics.

Ian Botham – Cricket
England all-rounder famous for his match-winning performances, particularly during the 1981 Ashes series.

Don Bradman – Cricket
Australian cricket icon whose remarkable Test batting average of 99.94 remains the greatest statistical achievement in the sport.

Valeri Brumel – Athletics (High jump)
Soviet high jumper who set six world records in the early 60s before a motorcycle accident curtailed his career.

Sergei Bubka – Athletics (Pole Vault)
Pole vault pioneer who broke the world record 35 times and became the first man to clear six metres.

Zola Budd – Athletics (Middle-distance running)
South African-born runner who controversially competed for Britain, famously racing barefoot.

Donald Budge – Tennis
American who in 1938 became the first player to win the calendar Grand Slam.

Dick Button – Figure Skating
American who won two Olympic golds and pioneered the double axel.

Willie Carson – Horse Racing (Jockey)
Scottish jockey who rode over 3,800 winners and was champion jockey five times in Britain.

Evonne Cawley (Goolagong) – Tennis
Australian who won seven Grand Slam singles titles and was a graceful ambassador for Indigenous Australians.

Chiyonofuji – Sumo Wrestling
One of Japan’s greatest yokozuna, famed for his chiselled physique and long reign.

Seb Coe – Athletics (Middle-distance running)
British middle-distance legend who won Olympic gold at 1500m in 1980 and 1984.

Nadia Comaneci – Gymnastics
Romanian gymnast who scored the first ever perfect 10 at the Olympics in 1976.

Henry Cooper – Boxing
British heavyweight best known for flooring Cassius Clay (Ali) before losing on cuts.

Dennis Conner – Sailing
American sailing champion famed for winning multiple America’s Cup titles.

Jim Courier – Tennis
Former world No.1 tennis player who won four Grand Slam singles titles in the early 1990s.

Martin Crowe – Cricket
Elegant New Zealand batsman and innovative captain who helped modernise tactical thinking in cricket.

Johan Cruyff – Football (Soccer)
Dutch icon whose elegant style and football intellect transformed the modern game, both as player and coach.

Laura Davies – Golf
England’s most successful female golfer, with four major championships and over 80 worldwide victories.

Steve Davis – Snooker
English six-time world champion who helped bring snooker into the TV age with his clinical precision.

Torvill & Dean – Ice Dance
British duo who achieved a perfect score at the 1984 Olympics with their iconic “Boléro” routine.

Angelo Dundee – Boxing (Trainer)
Famed trainer who guided Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard to greatness.

Stefan Edberg – Tennis
Swedish serve-and-volley master who won six Grand Slam singles titles.

Chris Evert – Tennis
American who won 18 Grand Slam singles titles with her steely baseline game.

Cory Everson – Bodybuilding
Six-time Ms. Olympia who set the standard for women’s bodybuilding in the 1980s.

Nick Faldo – Golf
English golfer who won six major championships and was known for his meticulous approach.

Ana Fidelia Quirot – Athletics (Middle-distance running)
Cuban 800m and 400m specialist, famed for her resilience after recovering from severe burns to become a world champion.

Emerson Fittipaldi – Motor Racing
Brazilian driver who won two F1 world titles and later the Indy 500 twice.

Raymond Floyd – Golf
American golf great and four-time major champion known for his longevity and competitive intensity.

George Foreman – Boxing
Heavyweight boxing champion who made a stunning comeback in his 40s to reclaim the title.

Dawn Fraser – Swimming
Australian freestyle sprinter who won the 100m three Olympics in a row.

Joe Frazier – Boxing
Heavyweight boxing champion remembered for his fierce rivalry with Muhammad Ali and victory in the 1971 “Fight of the Century.”

Anton Geesink – Judo
Dutch judoka who became the first non-Japanese athlete to win Olympic judo gold in 1964, breaking Japan’s dominance.

Marc Girardelli – Alpine Skiing
Luxembourg-based skier who won five overall World Cup titles across multiple disciplines.

Lucinda Green – Equestrian (Eventing)
British rider who won Badminton Horse Trials a record six times.

Wayne Gretzky – Ice Hockey
“The Great One,” who holds nearly every NHL scoring record and four Stanley Cups.

Michael Gross – Swimming
German Olympic champion swimmer nicknamed “The Albatross,” who dominated butterfly and freestyle events in the 1980s.

Marvin Hagler – Boxing
Middleweight king known for his relentless style and epic fights in the 1980s.

Scott Hamilton – Figure Skating
American skater who overcame health challenges to become Olympic champion and four-time world champion.

Dorothy Hamill – Figure Skating
American who charmed the world en route to Olympic gold in 1976.

Eric Heiden – Speed Skating
American who won an unprecedented five gold medals at the 1980 Winter Olympics.

Stephen Hendry – Snooker
A dominant Scottish snooker player who won seven World Championships in the 1990s.

Phil Hill – Motor Racing
America’s first Formula One world champion, taking the title in 1961.

Bruce Jenner (Caitlyn Jenner) – Athletics (Decathlon)
American who set a world record to win decathlon gold at Montreal 1976.

Magic Johnson – Basketball
NBA legend whose dazzling playmaking led the Los Angeles Lakers’ “Showtime” era and five championships.

Michael Johnson – Athletics (Sprints)
American sprinter who dominated the 200m and 400m, setting world records in both.

Kip Keino – Athletics (Middle & long-distance running)
Kenyan pioneer who won two Olympic golds, laying the groundwork for Kenya’s distance-running dominance.

Imran Khan – Cricket
Pakistani cricket legend and World Cup–winning captain who later became the country’s Prime Minister.

Jahangir Khan – Squash
Pakistani legend who won a record 555 consecutive matches, dominating squash for a decade.

Billie Jean King – Tennis
Trailblazing American tennis champion who won 39 Grand Slam titles and campaigned tirelessly for gender equality.

Franz Klammer – Alpine Skiing
Austrian who delivered a fearless downhill run to win gold at Innsbruck 1976.

Jurgen Klinsmann – Football (Soccer)
German striker who won the 1990 World Cup and later managed the German and US national teams.

Olga Korbut – Gymnastics
Belarusian gymnast whose daring routines at Munich 1972 helped popularise the sport.

Jack Kramer – Tennis
American champion who dominated after WWII and helped shape the pro game.

Niki Lauda – Motor Racing
Austrian F1 champion who made a miraculous comeback after a horrific crash.

Rod Laver – Tennis
Australian who twice won the calendar Grand Slam, unmatched in the men’s game.

Greg LeMond – Cycling
American who won three Tours de France and survived a near-fatal shooting accident.

Carl Lewis – Athletics (Sprints & Long jump)
American track star who won nine Olympic golds across four Games.

Jonah Lomu – Rugby Union
New Zealand winger whose power and speed revolutionised the sport, despite a career shortened by illness.

Greg Louganis – Diving
American diver widely considered the greatest in history, winning four Olympic gold medals across two Games.

John McEnroe – Tennis
American tennis great as famous for his artistry on court as for his fiery temper and “You cannot be serious!” outbursts.

Jim McMahon – American Football
Charismatic quarterback who led the Chicago Bears to victory in Super Bowl XX.

Eddy Merckx – Cycling
Belgian rider widely regarded as the greatest cyclist ever, with five Tour de France wins.

Reinhold Messner – Mountaineering
Legendary climber who became the first person to summit all 14 of the world’s 8,000-metre peaks.

Rosi Mittermaier – Alpine Skiing
German skier who won two golds and a silver at the 1976 Olympics, charming the world as “Gold-Rosi.”

Ed Moses – Athletics (400m hurdles)
American hurdler who dominated his event with a decade-long unbeaten streak and two Olympic golds.

Stirling Moss – Motor Racing
English Formula One driver hailed as the greatest never to win a world championship.

Rosa Mota – Athletics (Marathon)
Portuguese marathon runner who won Olympic gold in 1988 and became one of the greatest female marathoners.

Martina Navratilova – Tennis
One of tennis’s greatest champions, winning 18 Grand Slam singles titles.

Ilie Nastase – Tennis
Flamboyant Romanian who won two Grand Slams and was the first ATP world No.1.

Greg Norman – Golf
Australian “Great White Shark” who won two Open Championships but endured several near misses at majors.

Francisco Ochoa – Skiing
Mexican alpine skier who competed in three Olympics and later became a businessman.

Arnold Palmer – Golf
Iconic American golfer who popularised the sport worldwide and won seven major championships.

Walter Payton – American Football
NFL running back nicknamed “Sweetness,” famed for his grace and toughness.

Mark Phillips – Equestrian (Eventing)
British Olympic gold medallist in eventing, also known for his marriage to Princess Anne.

Gary Player – Golf
South African golf legend and nine-time major champion.

Graeme Pollock – Cricket
South African batting great widely regarded as one of the most naturally gifted cricketers in history.

Ferenc Puskás – Football (Soccer)
Hungarian legend and star of the “Mighty Magyars,” famed for his prolific scoring.

Wayne Rainey – Motorcycle Racing
American who won three consecutive 500cc world titles before a crash left him paralysed.

Steve Redgrave – Rowing
British rower who won gold medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1984 to 2000.

Viv Richards – Cricket
West Indian batting great whose swagger and power intimidated bowlers worldwide.

Murray Rose – Swimming
Australian distance freestyle swimmer who won four Olympic golds.

Pete Rose – Baseball
MLB’s all-time hits leader, known for his relentless playing style.

Vitaly Scherbo – Gymnastics
Belarusian gymnast who won six golds at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Monica Seles – Tennis
Nine-time Grand Slam champion whose career was tragically disrupted by an on-court stabbing.

Willie Shoemaker – Horse Racing (Jockey)
American jockey who won over 8,800 races, a record at the time.

O. J. Simpson – American Football
Former NFL superstar running back who won the 1973 MVP award before later becoming a controversial public figure.

Mark Spitz – Swimming
American swimmer who won seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

Jackie Stewart – Motor Racing
Scottish driver who won three F1 titles and campaigned tirelessly for safety.

Susi Susanti – Badminton
Indonesian legend who became the first Olympic women’s singles gold medallist in 1992.

Sachin Tendulkar – Cricket
Indian batting legend who became the highest run-scorer in international cricket.

Daley Thompson – Athletics (Decathlon)
British decathlete who won back-to-back Olympic golds in 1980 and 1984.

Alberto Tomba – Alpine Skiing
Charismatic Italian slalom and giant slalom star who won three Olympic golds.

Mark Todd – Equestrian (Eventing)
New Zealand rider who won two Olympic golds and became a legend in eventing.

Bill Toomey – Athletics (Decathlon)
American who won Olympic decathlon gold in 1968.

Lee Trevino – Golf
Charismatic American golfer who won six majors and overcame humble beginnings.

Grete Waitz – Athletics (Marathon)
Norwegian distance runner who won the New York Marathon nine times.

Reggie White – American Football
Dominant NFL defensive end known as the “Minister of Defense.”

Mats Wilander – Tennis
Swedish player who won seven Grand Slam singles titles.

Katarina Witt – Figure Skating
East German figure skating star who won back-to-back Olympic golds in 1984 and 1988.

Emil Zátopek – Athletics (Distance running)
Czech endurance legend known as “The Czech Locomotive,” who won three golds at the 1952 Olympics.