the best of the best

[Deleted User]

Hello All,

I am looking to find as much info about as many different athletes as I can (just because I like that sort of thing). Who do you think is the best in their field or overall, past or present. This can include tri’s, ultra runners, fell runners, adventure et cetera. As little or as much info as you know will be appreciated .

Thanks for the help

[Deleted User]

The best ultra runners have got to be Yiannis Kouros and Eleanor Adams/Robinson
and Don Ritchie

[Deleted User]

Two of the greatest distance runners of all time

Abebe Bikila - Marathon Gold in 1960 Olympics, barefoot in a new world record
Repeated victory in Tokyo 1964, in a new record again.

Emil Zatopek - Olympic Gold in 5,000 , 10,000, and Marathon at 1948 Olympics, never repeated.

Inspirations both of them!

[Deleted User]

Ooops Zatopek won 10,000 metres gold in 1948, but 5,000 10,000 and Marathon in 1952.

Bouncing Barlist

Phil Taylor - Darts...

Daz

phil 'the power' is something like 9 times world champion isnt he.....have a feelign he may have lost once to ray barneveld in 10 years...?
shame darts is split between the two federations though. and never the same as the good ol days of lowe, wilson, "ahhhhh" bistow etc.

[Deleted User]

Are there any 24 hour darts matches anywhere then?

Jj

I seem to remember having participated in one that lasted all weekend...

Daz

LOL
endurance darts sounds good

Suffolk Punch

Tim Henman

Daz

james morgan
5x winner of world dominoes champs in 80s.

[Deleted User]

Timothy

plenty of 24 hours drinking sessions which include darts as a secondary feature.

sounds like the lyke wake 42 next week!

Daz

i reckon a darts/pool/dominoes pub tri could be quite popular amongst the beer-guzzling fraternity

[Deleted User]

Jj......
Was that as a result of it being a ladies match and non of you could decide who should go first and what the 3 daft thing with pointy bits were for!!

:0)

[Deleted User]

Some names I think are worthy of consideration...
Running related...
Coe and Ovett - athletics (their tussle captivated the nation, if not the World, and there reversal of fortunes at the Moscow Olympics is the stuff of Hollywood)

Mark Allen - Triathlon (Ironman) 7 times Winner Hawaii (or was it 6)

Paula Newby Fraser - Triathlon (Ironman) 9 times winner Hawaii

Ultra - can only be one - Kouros (although Robert Garside might disagree)


Other sports
Richard Fox - Slalom Canoeing, practically unbeatable in his prime and cracking bloke as well

"Magic" Johnson - awesome

Steve Redgrave - nothing I can write will do his greatness justice

flip me - the list could go on and on and on and on ......

Jj

[raises chilling eyebrow]

It was a league weekend, ACKsherly, the ration of men to women being 15:1.

My team won.

by my last shot.

Which was a bull.


so ner.

[Deleted User]

LFW - She got you there... :-)

Jj

<<<beam>>>

Daz

triathlon in the 80s
you had rob barel of netherlands from mid 80s onwards winning plenty of european tournaments (he won the euro tri champs from 85-88 inclusive and 2nd from 89 to 91!!)
The two Sarahs (coope and springman) from over here with quite dominant too partic in the longer distances. prob not quite as much as lessing and spenny smith were in 90s.

mark allen and dave scott were awsome though. they really set the benchmark for future athletes. scott came first. the third ever hawaii ironan world champs saw him win. he then won a further 5 times and r-u 3 times (including once in 1994

Jj

Dazzle -you've disappeared again. Stoppit.

Daz

Allen won 6 times, r-u twice. he last won in 1995. The big head to head where they finished just one minute apart was 1989. loved to have seen the finish to that!

Luc van lierd and tim de boom prob were the more successful after that point. and lessing and smith in the 2010s! :O)

women would be paula newby fraser over long distance - 7 wins and 1 r-u at hawaii. how do they do it?!?

at olympic distance our very own lessing and sm,ith won the world title 6 times between them (4 to lessing). peter robertson has had 2 wins and 2 r-u.

womesn seems to have been a mixture between michellie jones, emma carney, jackie carragher.

Overall I reckon Dave Scott and Mark ALlen have to be respected as the best :O)

Daz

And the famous scene of Julie Moss crawling over the hawaii ironman finish line with shite running down her legs was 1982. she was first until the last 100meteres. she collapsed and had to drag herself. the second placed woman (kathy maccartney) passed her with just about 10metres to go. that HAS to be the most awful moment in tri race history ever. poor girl :O(

[Deleted User]

Daz
PNF - won 8 times 86,88,89,91,92,93,94,96
I also stand corrected.

Luc Van Leirde - I reckon has/had phenomenal potential to split a field to tatters, but compared to some of the others mentioned on this thread, IMHO is well in their respective shadows. Only won Kona once and most significantly of all failed to finish IMUK in 2002.

But totally agree with your conclusion, but if I had to choose, MA would get my vote as he achieved his results when Ironman triathlon had matured and was significantly more competitive.

cougie

<peeks in. STILL no mention of me. Flounces (tm Dr Nic)out>

Daz

I also think Mark ALlen has given a little more to the sport. He was an inspiration for a young triathlete by the name of lance armstrong lets not forget. And he seems like a really friendly fella. what you think?

I've got a training book by Dave Scott though and its really informative. So not gonna slag him off at all ;O)

I sent an email to TCR early this year telling them what a great idea it would be to get Mark ALlen over to Sandown next year. Imagine the interest you'd get in seeing the god himself have an interview.

Luc Van Lierd was at himuk2 signing autographs. he also seemed like nice fella. bit quiet.

Daz

you must be the best at somethign cougie?

Jj

Who is this mark alien?

Daz

i reckon im the fastest blond haired 6foot blue eyed guy brought up in midlands, now living in london, who owned a red fiesta once in any triathlon ever!

yeh, look impressed!

Jj

cougie's really rather good at bein' a bud, acksherlly.


and he has lovely hazel eyes...


<<<<beam>>>>

Jj

I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD DRIVE!!

Daz

mark ALIEN!

ROFLOL