Michael Johnson. If you disagree, pop in the tape of the 200m final in Atlanta in '96. If you don’t get goose bumps or teary-eyed, something is wrong.
To utterly shatter such a long-standing record goes way beyond thoroughly dominating your competition (as MJ, Tiger, BO and Rice have done)…its truly unbelievable.
Honorable mention definitely also to Lance Armstrong and Barry Sanders, who overcame the odds and still dominated.
JIM THORPE hands down. This guy was an incredible athlete. He just oozed testosterone. Not only was he a player but went on to become President of the NFL. He was just great at any sport that he tried. AND to please the ladies,he was quite an excellent dancer. Jim was the picture perfect male that all other males of his time envied.
You need to narrow this question down a bit. Picking one single greatest athlete out of all the sports is close to impossible. How do you compare Babe Ruth to Michael Jordan? Wilt Chamberlain to Bo Jackson? Muhammad Ali to …Ron Jeremy?!? (That cracked me up when I saw that. Someone always has to nominate Big Ron, no matter what the forum is.) Could Nolan Ryan light up Gary Payton for 32 points on a basketball court? Could the great Jim Brown pitch a no hitter? Do you see what I mean? This topic brought up a lot of great athletes, but to pick one over another can’t be done. There are just too many great athletes.
ROCKY MARCIANO WAS THE GREATEST ATHLETE OF ALL TIME. HE IS THE ONLY HEAVY WEIGHT FIGHTER TO GO THROUGH HIS ENTIRE CAREER UNDEFEATED. PLUS HE WAS A SHORT, WHITE GUY. IF ANYBODY HAS EVER TRIED TO BOX, THEY KNOW IT IS THE SPORT THAT REQUIRES THE MOST STAMINA. I THINK I’M IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE AND I TRIED TO BOX ONCE. AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS OF TRAINING, I STILL WANTED TO PASS OUT FOR LACK OF OXYGEN AFTER 3 MINUTES. THERFORE, ANYBODY WHO CAN GO 12 ROUNDS AND HAVE SOMEBODY THROWING PUNCHES AT, AND STILL BE STANDING AT THE END OF EVERY FIGHT WITH HIS OPPONENT ON THE GROUND SEEING STARS, IS THE ULTIMATE ATHLETE. AND MARCIANO IS THE GREATEST TO EVER THROW A PUNCH.
“Everytime we start talking about boxing someone gotta pull Rocky Marciano out they ass”
“He beat Joe Lewis’ ass”
Sorry I couldn’t resist…that part of Coming to America is hilarious
WITHOUT A DOUBT, ROY JONES JR. THE MAN BOXES WITH EASE. HE HAS HELD ALL TITLES FROM MIDDLE WEIGHT TO LIGHT HEAVY WEIGHT AND IS NOW UNIFIED. HE PUMPS IRON AND ALSO PLAY SEMI PRO BASKETBALL, SOMETIMES BEFORE A BOXING MATCH. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SAID THAT HE WAS " NOT A GREAT BOXER WHO BECAME AN ATHELETE BUT A GREAT ATHELETE WHO BECAME A BOXER". HANDS DOWN ONE OF THE GREATEST OF OUR TIME WITHOUT ANY BODY TO COMPETE WITH.
Roy now holds the light heavy weight belts.
<Warning – Long winded post >
All truly great athletes are soldiers. Sports and athletics started out as training for combat/war, then it became its symbol and substitute. Muhammad Ali fought monsters, racism, and heck the US government. Michael Jordan WILLED his men, his troops, against younger men, greedy men, and one crossdresser.
But, the real war is with the dude in the mirror, and right now, that mirror would proudly show Lance Armstrong. Records come and go; the numbers are overrated anyway. What’s remembered is the fight, the struggle with the body and soul, because we all, big or small, can relate. And who fought as hard as Lance Armstrong? Imagine the trials. In front of that mirror.
It’s a similar struggle as a bodybuilder. You fight with the body; but, the real enemies are you and those 7 deadly sins tempting you to fail. Sure, being big is nice; but, it’s the struggle that builds you. And, it’s the failures that’ll test you. Who will rather talk to when you bust your knee or lose yourself to illness – Mike Tyson or Lance Armstrong?
Most people will agree that a terrific athlete is one who has enormous physical talents and skills. But, I believe to be a great athlete is to be a great man. I submit Lance Armstrong. Long live sport.
The most loved/hated athlete ever, Diego Armando Maradona.
If we should pick a power athlete, I will choose Alexandr Karelin.
John Daly, the American golfer who has won 2 majors, meaning that in term of golf majors, he will be remembered. However best remembered as often playing drunk or extremely hung over and prone to missing cuts by a long way when things dont go his way. On one paid trip to australia missed the cut badly, appeared drunk, gambled at casino and left. How many top sportsmen can get paid appearance money to do that.
Who has over 20 medals (including the olympics, worlds, europeans)? They are all GOLD? My vote goes to A. Karelin.
In my my opinion children play games.Sorry.
All time best athelte is Sasha Seimel. Sasha’s idea of sport was to go out and spear hunt jaguar in the Brazilian Bush. Armed with nothing more than a six-foot pointy stick he would go out and dispatch man eaters that were terrorizing the local populace. No yards gained, no homeruns, no goals. Just 115 kills until one got the better of him. Speed, strength, endurance, intelligence, and gigantic balls. What else does one look for in an athlete?
Jackie Robinson. Why? Because he endured heavy racism and severe bigotry to become a legend in the sport of baseball. He paved the way for Hank Aaron, Reggie Jackson, and hell, even Sammy Sosa.
I would have to say either Alexander Karelin or Rickson Gracie. Both men have absolutely dominated their sports, which are both as testosterone packed as possible. To dedicate your life to Greco Roman wrestling or NHB/jujitsu you have to have serious balls. They both literally can take an androgen enhanced monster and make him their bitch. Thats pretty cool.
No question that Dock Ellis, pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates accomplished the greatest feat in sports history. He pitched a perfect game while on LSD.
Alexander Karelin. He hasn’t had a single point scored against him in international competition in over 10 years!! He has won the gold in the last 3 olympics and will, doubtlessly win again, this year. Most super heavyweights in greco roman look pregnant, this 280 pounder is absolutely cut. This was easy and I’ve always wanted to try Grow! 
I think that’s a loaded question. How do you compare athletes against eachother in different sports? How do you compare athletes in the same sport over time? Even within the same sport endevor, can you compare different positions or different events? I’ll give an example(s) to illustrate my point.
With better training techniques, nutrition, drugs, etc. athleticism over time will increase. Athletes with their athletic achievements or the recent and not so recent past have helped fuel the achievements of tomorrow because they have allowed us to see that greatness is possible and therefore let us dream bigger dreams.
Hey Chris,
By far the best athlete(s)for this century and decades to come will no doubt be either Steve Reeves or Vince Gironda. Why:
1. Both men had charisma and charm and attracted followers with no problem (ala Arnold S.)
2. Both men were innovative in the sport of bodybuilding and were not followers but leaders they addressed the need for change when indicated.
3. Both these men in their prime-time epitomized the look and feel of a real testosterone men.
Thanks,
Dave
Taking into account everything deelite said…JIM THORPE…he is the ONLY one who could dominate everything!!!
Lance Armstrong is the best competitive athlete ever. The rigors of professional bicycle road racing are tremendous. These riders go out in all manner of weather, risking their lives in downhills at speeds exceeding 60 mph wearing nothing but a helmet (if they choose) and spandex. Each day in a road race consists of (usually) more than 100 miles, ridden at a pace faster than most of us have ever biked. Training usually runs in the 6 to 7 hour “on the bike” range, each day, plus weight training. Lance has to be both aerobic and anaerobically fit, has to be very strong in the strength-to-bodyweight ratio. The Tour de France is the toughest athletic competition in the world, three weeks of daily races of great length, at speed, and coincidentally, crossing a couple of major mountain ranges. Lance has won the event, convincingly, two years in a row. He’s done all this after overcoming cancer that hit him in the midst of his career, a story well known, but no less amazing and compelling. Lance Armstrong is the best athlete of all time.