Many of the world’s renowned athletes have made a name for themselves by achieving success in one particular sport. But some others have excelled in two or more sports. This SportsAspire article gives you the names and disciplines of the top multi-sport athletes of all time.
Did You Know? ✦ Bob Hayes is the first man to win both an Olympic gold medal and a Super Bowl ring. ✦ Bo Jackson is the only athlete to be named an All-Star in two major American sports. He was also named as the greatest athlete of all time by ESPN. |
The world of sports is extremely competitive and therefore it is not easy to excel in this field, and that too, in more than one sport. However, some versatile athletes have made a name for themselves in multiple sports simultaneously. Overcoming obstacles and facing the fierce competition, they have managed to succeed in more than one sport. Some of them have competed in high school and college, while others have competed professionally. Athletes such as Brian Jordan, Bob Hayes, Jim Thorpe, Bo Jackson, Marion Jones, and Deion Sanders are some such athletes who have learned and mastered the skills of other sports just as their main sport. They have earned a place among the best athletes in history. Take a look at some of the greatest multi-sport athletes.
One of the most versatile players in history, Jim Thorpe, bagged Olympic gold medals for pentathlon and decathlon in 1912. He played American football in college and as a professional. He also played baseball and basketball professionally. He lost his Olympic titles when it was discovered that he was paid for playing two seasons of semi-professional baseball. The International Olympic Committee restored his Olympic medals after his death.
Daniel Ray Ainge, a multi-sport star, is a retired professional basketball and baseball player. This great athlete is the only one to be called a high school first team All-American in football, basketball, and baseball. He is now the President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association.
“Bo” Jackson, an American former baseball and football player, is the only athlete to be known as an All-Star in two major American sports. He gained recognition in the 1980s as a multifaceted athlete, who excelled in baseball and football at an early age. He was named as the greatest athlete of all time by ESPN.
Deion Luwynn Sanders is an outstanding American athlete who played football and baseball at the professional level during the same time period. He is the only person to play in both a Super Bowl and the World Series. Sanders won the Jim Thorpe Award in 1988. He now works as an analyst for CBS Sports and the NFL Network.
Ellyse Perry is the youngest sportswoman to represent Australia in senior international cricket. She is also the first Australian woman to have appeared in both cricket and association football World Cups.
Marion Jones is a former American world champion track and field athlete and a professional basketball player. She was considered as the number-one female athlete in track and field when she was in her early 20s. Jones achieved success in all her athletic endeavors which includes the track and the long jump pit. She bagged three gold medals and two bronze medals at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. However, she was later stripped of the titles when she admitted of having used steroids.
Michael Jordan is an American former professional basketball player. Considered as the greatest basketball player of all time, Jordan played 15 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Chicago Bulls and Washington Wizards. He won five regular season MVP awards, six NBA finals MVP awards, three All-Star game MVP awards, six NBA championships, and a defensive player of the year award.
Jeffrey William or Jeff Wilson, one of the most gifted all-round sportsmen of New Zealand, has represented his country in both rugby union and cricket. He also plays basketball and has won national secondary school titles in track and field.
The hugely popular and outstanding Katie Taylor is a boxer from Ireland. Currently, she is the Irish, European, World and Olympic boxing Champion at 60 kg division. She is well-known as the best female boxer in the World. Taylor has also represented her country in association football. She was the flag bearer for Ireland at the 2012 Summer Olympics opening ceremony in London. She bagged an Olympic gold medal in the lightweight division, and was named as the Sportsperson of the Year at the 2012 People of the Year Awards in September 2012.
John Elway is a former American football quarterback. He played college football in Stanford and played professionally for the Denver Broncos for 16 years, which was highly successful. Elway won two Super Bowl titles during his playing career with the Denver Broncos. He is currently the General Manager and Executive Vice President of Football Operations for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League (NFL). Elway also excelled in baseball. He was selected by the New York Yankees in the second round of the 1981 MLB Draft.
Others on the List of Multi-sport Athletes
Lottie Dod
Tennis, Golf, Field Hockey, Archery
Mary Browne
Tennis, Golf
Margaret Curtis
Tennis, Golf
Ellsworth Vines
Tennis, Golf
Althea Gibson
Tennis, Golf
Willie Davenport
Track and Field, Bobsledding
Glenn Davis
Football, Track and Field
Gary Gubner
Track and Field, Weightlifting
Adam Gemili
Track and Field, Football
Lolo Jones
Track and Field, Bobsledding
Renaldo Nehemiah
Track and Field, Football
Gérard Blitz
Swimming, Water Polo
Otto Herschmann
Swimming, Fencing
Robert Hughes
Swimming, Water Polo
Johnny Weissmuller
Swimming, Water Polo
Shaun Palmer
Snowboarding, Mountain Biking, Motocross
Karmichael Hunt
Rugby Union, Football
Sonny William ‘Sonny Bill’ Williams
Rugby, Boxing
Tim Buzaglo
Football, Cricket
Monty Betham
Boxing, Rugby League
John Surtees
Motorcycle racing, Formula One
John Hopoate
Rugby League, Boxing
Anthony Mundine
Boxing, Rugby League
Herschel Walker
Football, Bobsledding, Mixed Martial Arts
Jarryd Lee Hayne
Football, Rugby League
Donna Wilkins
Netball, Basketball
Nasser Salih Nasser Abdullah Al-Attiyah
Rallying, Shooter
Travis Alan Pastrana
Motocross, Rallying
Alessandro Zanardi
Racing, Para-cycling
Paul Tracy
Automobile Racing, Mountain Biking
Kenneth Wayne Shamrock
Mixed Martial Arts, Wrestling
Nickolas Robert “Nick” Diaz
Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing
Adam John Hollioake
Cricket, Mixed Martial Arts
Keith Jardine
Mixed Martial Arts, Boxing
Brock Edward Lesnar
Wrestling, Mixed Martial Arts
Alistair Cees Overeem
Mixed Martial Arts, Kickboxing
Robert Malcolm “Bob” Sapp
Kickboxing, Mixed Martial Arts
David Michael “Dave” Bautista Jr.
Mixed Martial Arts, Wrestling
Franklin Roberto “Bobby” Lashley
Mixed Martial Arts, Wrestling
Gary Roberts
Ice hockey, Lacrosse
Hayley Wickenheiser
Softball, Ice hockey
Peter Zezel
Ice hockey, Soccer
Lionel Conacher
Ice hockey, Football
Bill Ezinicki
Ice hockey, Golf
Jon Mirasty
Ice hockey, Mixed Martial Arts
Joe Nieuwendyk
Hockey, Lacrosse
Sven Tumba
Ice hockey, Golf
Carl Voss
Ice hockey, Football
Ralph McKittrick
Golf, Tennis
Masashi Ozaki
Golf, Baseball
Babe Didrikson Zaharias
Golf, Basketball, Track and Field
Alison Shanks
Cycling, Netball
Clara Hughes
Cycling, Skating
Eric Arthur Heiden
Cycling, Skating
Christa Luding-Rothenburger
Cycling, Speed skating
Rebecca Romero
Cycling, Rowing
Lance Armstrong
Cycling, Swimming
Albert Alderman
Cricket, Football
Andrew Flintoff
Cricket, Boxing
C. B. Fry
Cricket, Football
Chris Balderstone
Cricket, Football
Denis Charles Scott Compton
Cricket, Football
Leslie Compton
Cricket, Football
Ian Botham
Cricket, Football
Rudie van Vuuren
Cricket, Rugby Union
Johnny Douglas
Cricket, Boxing
Simen Agdestein
Chess, Football
Sir George Thomas, 7th Baronet
Chess, Badminton, Tennis
Jesse Lumsden
Football, Bobsledding
Eddie Eagan
Boxing, Bobsledding
Tom Zbikowski
American Football, Boxing
Mihai Leu
Boxing, Rallying
Michael Westbrook
American Football, Mixed Martial Arts
Wilt Chamberlain
Basketball, Volleyball
Nathaniel Clifton
Basketball, Baseball
Dave DeBusschere
Basketball, Baseball
Timothy Theodore “Tim” Duncan
Basketball, Swimming
Greg Lee
Basketball, Beach Volleyball
John Lucas II
Basketball, Tennis
Charlie Ward
Basketball, Tennis
Sammy Byrd
Baseball, Golf
Gene Conley
Baseball, Basketball
Pat Connaughton
Baseball, Basketball
Chuck Connors
Baseball, Basketball
Steve Hamilton
Baseball, Basketball
Mark Hendrickson
Baseball, Basketball
Wes Shivers
American Football, Mixed Martial Arts
Brian Jordan
Baseball, Football
Rick Rhoden
Baseball, Golf
Tim Stoddard
Baseball, Basketball
Wayne Athorne
Australian Rules Football, Track and Field
Dean Brogan
Australian Rules Football, Basketball
Bob Edmond
Australian Rules Football, Weightlifting
Jim A. Matthews
Australian Rules Football, Tennis
Mike Pyke
Australian Rules Football, Rugby Union
Ken Slater
Australian Rules Football, Tennis
Ron Taylor
Australian Rules Football, Boxing
Bruce Arena
Soccer, Lacrosse
Chuni Goswami
Cricket, Football
Harold Jarman
Cricket, Association Football
Ron Tindall
Cricket, Football
Curtis Woodhouse
Football, Boxing
Knut Anders Fostervold
Football, Cycling
Gary Neville
Cricket, Football
John Brodie
American Football, Golf
Ron Brown
Track and Field, American Football
Michael Carter
American Football, Track and Field
Ray Edwards
American Football, Boxing
John Elway
American Football, Baseball
Darren Fells
American Football, Basketball
Turner Gill
American Football, Baseball
Herbert Goodman
American Football, Mixed Martial Arts
Otto Graham
American Football, Basketball
Bud Grant
American Football, Basketball
Bob Hayes
American Football, Track and Field
Drew Henson
American Football, Baseball
James Jett
American Football, Track and Field
Ernie Ladd
American Football, Wrestling