Whi s Britains greatest ever sportsperson?

[DarkFruitsRam7]

2 minutes ago, Crewton said:

Are innuendo and coincidences sufficient reason to slander two of Britain's greatest Olympians?

What you've posted is a Daily Mail article about a once experimental dietary supplement that is now legal and widely used, and a nudge-nudge wink-wink article that (for a small fee) alleges some dirt relating to a prominent figure at Team Sky and GB Cycling.

Take a good look at the Kennys' careers and tell me where there is any suggestion of personal illegal doping. I haven't found anything - not even accusations or snide comments by any of their opponents. Until then, I think they deserve all the plaudits they've received over the years.

As you're perfectly entitled to do.

I'd just be surprised if they're clean. Same goes for most elite sport. Pep Guardiola has a favourite doctor too.

Edited August 2 by DarkFruitsRam7

[Srg]

2 minutes ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

As you're perfectly entitled to do.

I'd just be surprised if they're clean. Same goes for most elite sport. Pep Guardiola has a favourite doctor too.

Responsible for Rodri’s magic eyebrows 

[TimRam]

Daley Thompson must be a contender. He took part in the Decathlon (10 events involving track and field). "He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times. He was unbeaten in competition for nine years." - wikipedia. In addition four world records, three Commonwealth titles and wins in the World and European Championships.

Edited August 2 by TimRam

[Crewton]

27 minutes ago, DarkFruitsRam7 said:

As you're perfectly entitled to do.

I'd just be surprised if they're clean. Same goes for most elite sport. Pep Guardiola has a favourite doctor too.

Ah well, lock the thread mods, turns out everyone is bent.

[Mucker1884]

pick me... pick me...

[CBRammette]

9 hours ago, Comrade 86 said:

Sir Steve Redgrave. Competed in 5 Olympics, won 5 gold medals and in possibly the most brutally demanding sport of all in strength and endurance terms, at least. The man was borderline superhuman. He's the standout for me, but it's a very subjective call.

It is totally brutal and unforgiving with regards to quantity and type of training, and commitment, particularly in his GB era. Have seen many at high uni level just collapse at the end of training/ergos or the race like the guy in the Cambridge boat this year on the Thames. To get 5 golds across 5 olympics in that sport is remarkable. And he's a diabetic. 

[CBRammette]

3 hours ago, TimRam said:

Daley Thompson must be a contender. He took part in the Decathlon (10 events involving track and field). "He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times. He was unbeaten in competition for nine years." - wikipedia. In addition four world records, three Commonwealth titles and wins in the World and European Championships.

Agreed absolute legend. The recent documentary on him was amazing. Worth a watch if you havent seen it

[Animal is a Ram]

Murray has to be one of the best of Britain. Shame he had the misfortune of being in the same era as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic - all monsters in their own ways.

Hamilton obviously has a strong case.

[Alph]

Thing about F1 and Hamilton... The bloke is a legend. But F1 is often about opportunity and to some degree you're a slave to the car/team. 

Hamilton has carved out opportunities and taken them. He's earned a place in the dominant Merc and was part of the reason it was dominant. 

But it is a sport where he had an unfair advantage for a while. It's not like every race weekend he had the exact same starting point as his rivals. Dunno. Doesn't feel good being critical of him at all because he's an icon, superstar, legend etc etc

Edited August 3 by Alph

[Bob The Badger]

12 hours ago, Animal is a Ram said:

Murray has to be one of the best of Britain. Shame he had the misfortune of being in the same era as Federer, Nadal and Djokovic - all monsters in their own ways.

Hamilton obviously has a strong case.

I agree, but if he'd been born earlier, he'd have been up against Bjorg or McEnroe at Wimbledon, or maybe Sampras. I don't remember a time when tennis wasn't dominated by a handful of greats. 
 

[RadioactiveWaste]

1 hour ago, Alph said:

Thing about F1 and Hamilton... The bloke is a legend. But F1 is often about opportunity and to some degree you're a slave to the car/team. 

Hamilton has carved out opportunities and taken them. He's earned a place in the dominant Merc and was part of the reason it was dominant. 

But it is a sport where he had an unfair advantage for a while. It's not like every race weekend he had the exact same starting point as his rivals. Dunno. Doesn't feel good being critical of him at all because he's an icon, superstar, legend etc etc

Absolutly.

Lewis is undoubtedly one of the best, as in of all time, racing drivers, but motorsports is never and can never be just about the driver.

 

 

[Animal is a Ram]

On 03/08/2024 at 10:29, Alph said:

Thing about F1 and Hamilton... The bloke is a legend. But F1 is often about opportunity and to some degree you're a slave to the car/team. 

Hamilton has carved out opportunities and taken them. He's earned a place in the dominant Merc and was part of the reason it was dominant. 

But it is a sport where he had an unfair advantage for a while. It's not like every race weekend he had the exact same starting point as his rivals. Dunno. Doesn't feel good being critical of him at all because he's an icon, superstar, legend etc etc

I found myself thinking the same... but I guess the mark of a great driver is one that can make a car like the one Mercedes have had this season still perform

[Grumpy Git]

Isn't it strange how the best drivers somehow always end up in the fastest cars. 🤔

Edited August 4 by Grumpy Git

[ivo_knoflicek]

Denis Compton and CB Fry both in with a shout, I'd have thought. Some memories even shorter than Sky's on here...

 

[Day]

We’re not a country that has maybe one or two successful sportsmen to celebrate and choose from, we have many across all different sports, with that I think it’s difficult to crown one as a standout and title them the best sportsman.

How can you even begin to compare say Lewis Hamilton and Ronnie O’Sullivan, they are both completely different sports, I don’t even believe it’s fair to compare sportsmen from the same sport in different eras, take the Messi v Maradona debates, it’s no longer the same game.

Just enjoy having successful sportsmen, and women, to watch and support in your chosen sport, no need for this best ever nonsense.

[RadioactiveWaste]

4 minutes ago, Day said:

We’re not a country that has maybe one or two successful sportsmen to celebrate and choose from, we have many across all different sports, with that I think it’s difficult to crown one as a standout and title them the best sportsman.

How can you even begin to compare say Lewis Hamilton and Ronnie O’Sullivan, they are both completely different sports, I don’t even believe it’s fair to compare sportsmen from the same sport in different eras, take the Messi v Maradona debates, it’s no longer the same game.

Just enjoy having successful sportsmen, and women, to watch and support in your chosen sport, no need for this best ever nonsense.

That's a lot of words to say "It's Jake Buxton" and drop the mic.

[Alph]

50 minutes ago, Grumpy Git said:

Isn't it strange how the best drivers somehow always end up in the fastest cars. 🤔

It's kind of the same as could Messi do it on a cold November night in Stoke. 

Probably not when his teammates are on a completely different level and more time defending deep and hoofing. But then, could Peter Crouch have scored hundreds of goals for Barcelona? 

Motorsport is a tough one to include. Hamilton has proven that if you give him a top car that he'll deliver. But with only two seats per team and sometimes those seats decided by politics and sometimes team orders deciding who gets to win it complicates things. 

Sometimes the stars have aligned for certain world champions and then other great drivers have been incredibly unlucky. 

If we're talking about the best British sports star ever then you have to be critical of great athletes? And Hamilton was at times in a car that was far faster than others and limited his competition. Bottas was often a bit of a fall guy. 

That takes nothing away from Hamilton who earned that car and that level of support by being a true all time great. Winning even when he wasn't favourite. Something he's showing this year when he's not even been the in form driver for his team and has seemed really downbeat. 

[Ewetube]

On 02/08/2024 at 18:02, TimRam said:

Daley Thompson must be a contender. He took part in the Decathlon (10 events involving track and field). "He won the decathlon gold medal at the Olympic Games in 1980 and 1984, and broke the world record for the event four times. He was unbeaten in competition for nine years." - wikipedia. In addition four world records, three Commonwealth titles and wins in the World and European Championships.

He also, for a while, played for Ilson Town. Surely the pinnacle of any sportsman's achievements.

[SSD]

Chris Hoy

Steve Redgrave

Lewis Hamilton

[Mucker1884]

1 hour ago, SSD said:

Chris Hoy

Steve Redgrave

Lewis Hamilton

Have you not read the rules?

If you're picking 3, you have to pick one from each gender!  🙄