Dick Fosbury is an American former track and field athlete who specialized in the high jump. Widely regarded as one of the most influential athletes in track and field history, Fosbury revolutionized the high jump with a new technique which came to be known as the Fosbury Flop. Dick Fosbury also won the gold medal at the 1968 Olympics.
The first to score over 7,000 points in the heptathlon, Jackie Joyner-Kersee is considered by many as one of the greatest female athletes ever. While in school, she excelled in sports such as volleyball, basketball, and track, and also did well in studies. She later won three Olympic golds medals.
Ron Clarke was an Australian athlete, politician, and writer. One of the most recognized middle and long-distance runners of the 1960s, Clarke is best remembered for setting 17 world records. He also won the bronze medal in the 10,000 meters event at the 1964 Summer Olympics. In 2000, Ron Clarke was honored with the prestigious Australian Sports Medal.
Herb Elliott is a former Australian athlete considered the world's greatest middle-distance runner of his era. He won the gold medal in the 1500 meters at the 1960 Rome Olympics. He achieved 36 wins over this distance and never lost a mile race. Following his retirement from athletics, he built a successful career in business.
Track and field sprinter Christian Coleman has two World Championship golds in his kitty. Born into a sports-oriented family, with his sister being a track and field athlete, he was naturally drawn toward sports. He was banned for missing his drug tests and, as a result, missed the Tokyo Olympics 2021.
Karsten Warholm is a Norwegian athlete who won the gold medal in the men's 400 meters hurdles event at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. Apart from winning the gold medal, he also broke his own world record by finishing the race in 45.94 seconds. In 2021, Karsten Warholm won the prestigious World Male Athlete of the Year award.
Letesenbet Gidey is an Ethiopian athlete who specializes in long-distance running. She is best known for winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. She is also known for winning a gold medal at the 2022 World Championships in Eugene, USA. Letesenbet Gidey has also won five gold medals at the World Cross Country Championships.
Born to NHL forward Thomas Steen, Alexander Steen followed in his father’s footsteps to become a professional ice hockey player. The Canadian-born Swedish player, however, outshone his father by winning the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues. He later retired from the sport due to a back injury.
The eldest of the Ingebrigtsen runner brothers from Norway, Henrik Ingebrigtsen is a 2-time Olympian. He also won a gold in 1500m at the 2012 European Athletics Championships in Helsinki. In 2018, he won the Payton Jordan Invitational by 0.005 seconds, while the following year, he set a 3000m Norwegian record.
Peter Bol is an Australian track and field athlete who specializes in middle-distance running events. He represented Australia in the 800 meters event at the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympics. In the 2020 Olympics, Bol finished fourth in the final. Interestingly, Peter Bol's semi-final performance of 1:44:11 was better than Emmanuel Korir's gold-medal winning performance of 1:45:06.
Refused entry in the Tour de France because she was a woman, French athlete Marie Marvingt finished the course by herself. An aviator and mountaineer, too, she later made many sporting records. She was the first female fighter pilot. She had also been a journalist, a medical officer, and a ski school instructor.
Jemma Reekie is lauded for her meteoric rise in the Scottish running circuit. The 2017 European Junior champion scored a double win at the 2019 European U-23 Championships. She holds multiple British indoor records and was placed fourth in the 800m category in her Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo games.
Ethiopian professional long-distance-runner Tariku Bekele specializes in 5000 m event however has moved up to 10000 m. Bekele ranks as the fourth fastest Ethiopian over 5000 m and 3000 m. His feats include becoming 2006 World Junior Champion over 3000 m; winning 3000 m gold at 2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships; and bronze over 10,000 m at 2012 Summer Olympics.
Nicknamed Jabba, Jamie Caven is a former English darts player with 7 PDC Pro Tour event wins. Though he lost his sight in his right eye in infancy, that didn’t stop him from winning the World Youth Masters champion at 17. He has been part of the PDPA Board of Directors.
Sari Essayah is a Finnish former athlete who specialized in race walking. A former European champion and world champion in the 10,000 metres event, Essayah created seven national records during her athletic career. After retiring from sports, Sari Essayah became a politician and is currently serving as the president of the Christian Democrats party.
Former Greek pole vaulter Errika Prezerakou had her Olympic dreams shattered twice due to injuries. She won various Greek and Balkan championships and is now a motivational speaker and alternative therapy coach who promotes the Replayce method. She also won the Greek version of Dancing with the Stars.