Athletes are now more and more focused on specific workouts that lead to the perfection of the sport they practice. Think of athletics, for example, where those considered polyvalent, that is, hepthatlete and decathletes, are good at everything but would not excel in any of the disciplines included in their sport, precisely because they do not have an ad hoc preparation. And the same goes for the modern pentathlon. 

Moving on to the winter sports that have just ended, it is difficult for a champion of the Nordic combined to win in a ski jumping competition with specialist opponents, or equally in a cross-country race; the same principle is valid for biathlon, where extraordinary athletes in the combination of the two disciplines could not be dangerous opponents either in cross-country skiing or in shooting. Continue to read and find who are the most famous athletes in the world.

Famous athletes

Eddie Eagan


We are talking about a very high profile character, because after his career as an athlete, thanks to studies in law at Harvard, Oxford and Yale, he became a brilliant lawyer. First, however, Eddie Eagan had the ability to win gold in boxing, light heavyweight category in 1920 in Antwerp, and then, 12 years later, in 1932 at Lake Placid, he was part of the four-man bobsleigh crew that won the gold.

Jacob Tullin Thams

He started with the Nordic combined, then when they finally split the two disciplines by implementing solo jumping competitions, he became the strongest ski jumper of the early 1920s. In fact, he imposed himself at the Chamonix Games in 1924 and, once his career on the snow was closed, he completely changed course (it should be said). In fact, he became a brilliant sailor and in Berlin in 1936 he won the silver in the 8 meters class.

Christa Rothenburger-Lunding

Christa Rothenburger-Lunding is a unique case. Born in East Germany and always competing with her husband’s surname, she is the only one able to win Olympic medals in different editions, but in the same year. She was in fact a great speed skater and in Sarajevo 1984 she won the gold in the 500 m; four years later, in Calgary 1988, she won the 1000m and she was silver in the 500m and just a few months later, in Seoul 1988, she participated in track cycling and was silver in the 5000m. She then reappeared in winter version in Albertville 1992, where she was bronze again in the 500m. 

Clara Hugues


Profile similar to that of the aforementioned German. Despite having started as a speed skater, she in Atlanta 1996 she climbed the podium twice in cycling: she was in fact bronze both in the time trial and in the road test. After numerous titles, in 2003 she left cycling and returned to her first love: so in Turin 2006 she will be gold in the 5000m and she silver in the team pursuit and in Vancouver 2010 bronze again in the 500m. However, we will see her again on a saddle in London 2012, now 38 years old and incredibly fifth in the time trial.

Lauryn Williams

She was the daughter of the wind, she was a specialist in the 100 m: she won silver in Athens 2004 (as well as world titles obtained in the individual test and in the relay together with the monumental Allyson Felix). In London 2012 she was involved in the 4x100m which then went on to win gold, but her presence was not in the quartet of the final: she only ran in the heats, thus contributing to the rise of Team USA but without being decisive. From November 2013 she put her skills as a sprinter to good use by moving to the bobsleigh and in Sochi 2014 it was a success: in the bobsleigh at 2 she became the brakeman of Elana Meyers-Taylor and she won the silver.

Edwin Flack

Let’s jump two centuries and go back to 1896, the first ever edition of the Modern Games, in Athens. Flack worked as an accountant and took a month off to participate in the Games: he did well, because he took home three medals. After having made a journey of hope between train and ship, he put two golds around his neck in athletics, in the 800 m and in the 1500 m. He was also an excellent tennis player: in the doubles he conquered the bronxo ex-aequo paired with George Robertson.

Emile Sarrade


This is perhaps the most bizarre of characters. In Paris 1900 there were disciplines that are no longer practiced today, at least at the Olympic level. And so this muscular Parisian was a second line of the transalpine national rugby team at 15, which that year won gold. Thanks to his physicality, however, he was also part of the tug-of-war team, with which he won silver. The tug-of-war went out of the Olympic basket after Antwerp 1920.

Johnny Weissmüller

Who doesn’t know Tarzan’s iconic scream? It belongs to the voice of this actor, the first famous interpreter of the epic of the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Before becoming an actor, however, the handsome Johann (a native of Timisoara, Romania, but a naturalized American) was one of the most medalized athletes in Olympic history, as well as the first swimmer to go under the minute in the 100m freestyle. In Paris 1924, in the first edition in which he swam in a 50 m pool, he was gold in the 100 sl, 400 sl and in the 4×200 sl relay; in Antwerp 1928 he still two gold medals, reconfirming himself in the 100 sl and in the 4×200 sl relay. Still in Paris, however, he was also part of the water polo team, with which he won the bronze.

Karch Kiraly

Superfine volleyball player, from a very young age he was immediately integrated into the titular sextet of the National team that in Los Angeles 1984 won gold. He soon became the captain and in Seoul 1988 his team repeated the success. With his charming blond tuft he arrived in Italy, where he played for two seasons in Ravenna, at the end of which, in 1992, he closed with an indoor career and devoted himself completely to beach volleyball, with which he had already had some approaches. And so, in 1996 in Atlanta, when the discipline was introduced, paired with Kent Steffes he took home another gold.

Rebecca Romero

Daughter of an English mother and a Spanish father, Rebecca began her career as a tank top; this led her, in Athens 2004, to win silver with the crew of the four sculls. Due to persistent back problems, however, she decided to stop rowing and to change sport, starting to practice track cycling. She in Beijing 2008 she dominated the final of the individual pursuit, giving her compatriot Wendy Houvenhagel more than two seconds. 

World’s most famous athletes

Ester Ledecka


It is the latest in order of time and she has gone around the world the image of her incredulous non-exultation of her. In Pyeongchang 2018 the Czech was enrolled in both alpine skiing and parallel snowboarding. On February 17, in the supergiant, gold seemed to be done for Anna Veith by now; then she got off, with bib 26 and the time of victory. She didn’t believe it either, because she didn’t compete as a favorite and in fact she didn’t cheer, believing that the time on the big screen was wrong. But it was all true. A few days later she confirmed herself in what was her “true” discipline, that is, the parallel giant. Two golds in seven days.

Mikaela Shiffrin 

Mikaela Shiffrinis one of the best performing athletes in theAlpine skiingRight now. The two-time Olympic gold medalist won four titles at the 2021 World Championships (including gold in combined) to add to her already historic track record in the sport, which includes being the youngest slalom athlete in the world. Olympic skiing history, winning the largest number of World Cup slalom races (45) in history. She is also the first skier to win the world championship in the same discipline (slalom) in four consecutive editions.

Hanyū Yuzuru

HanyÅ« Yuzuruhe is reigning champion in men’s individual competition and will certainly be the man to beat in Beijing, as he is on the hunt for a third consecutive title in the discipline – a feat not centered since 1928. The Japanese phenomenon is no stranger to making history, however. Yuzuru was the first Asian male individual skater to win Olympic gold, the youngest skater to win gold since 1948, and is the first and only male individual skater in the running to reach a Super Slam – winning all major competitions in his career as a junior and pro.

Suzanne Schulting


There are many sparkling names in theshort trackwhich will be worth admiring in Beijing 2022, including Lim Hyo-jun (KOR),Arianna Fontana(ITA) and the Hungarian brothers Shaolin Sandor and Shaoang Liu (HUN). However, after what Suzanne Schulting was able to do at the 2021 World Championships, the spotlight at the Games will all be on this formidable Dutchwoman. The 23-year-old has won gold in every event of the competition (including the overall standings), becoming only the second woman, and the fourth overall skater in history, to break the medal table at the World Cup. Schulting may struggle to hit the same feat in Beijing, but it’s worth tuning into the race just to see it in action.

Natalie Geisenberger

The sledding competition at the Olympics has traditionally been dominated by Germany, which has won 42 medals. And whileFelix LochAndTobias WendlAndTobias Arltare certainly worth keeping an eye on in the men’s singles and doubles, compatriot Natalie Geisenberger is the most successful female luge in Olympic and World history – that’s why she is the athlete to follow at all costs. The 33-year-old could make history in Beijing by becoming the first athlete to win three consecutive gold medals in the women’s competition. In doing so, she would be on par with Armin Zöggeler (ITA) who holds the record for sledging medals at the Games, with six. Additionally, if she and her teammates are successful in defending the crown in the team relay, Geisenberger will become the most decorated Olympic luge in history with seven medals.

Mikaël Kingsbury

There will be 13 disciplines in thefreestyle competitionin Beijing 2022, which means there are a lot of athletes worthy of attention, including David Wise (halfpipe),Sarah Hoefflin(slopestyle) and Perrine Laffont (moguls). But Mikaël Kingsbury leads the pack, and with good reason. The Canadian is the most decorated skier of all time in the moguls, and holds the record for the most career World Cup titles and victories, as well as earning the most medals at the Freestyle World Championships of any other male competitor in history. Oh, he’s also the reigning Olympic and world champion in the humps – so yeah, you can’t miss Kingsbury in action in the moguls race in Beijing 2022.

Chloe Kim



The snow board Much like freestyle, it holds many disciplines under the sports umbrella – with each having its fair share of famous athletes. It is therefore difficult to narrow the field down to just one athlete “to watch”, but keep abreast of the performance of Chloe Kim in the halfpipe is a great suggestion! Kim made history at PyeongChang 2018, after hitting gold in the halfpipe at just 17, becoming the youngest female athlete to win Olympic gold in snowboarding. She is also the reigning World and X Games Champion in the specialty, and the first to win the title in all three major events, as well as the Youth Olympic Games. It goes without saying that Kim is already one of the most appealing names in snowboarding, and in Beijing she could hit the jackpot once again.
Ireen Wüst

The Netherlands totally dominated the speed skatingat the Winter Olympics, winning 121 total medals in the sport. To understand the context, Norway, which is in second place in the medal table (based on the total number of medals won), has only 84. At PyeongChang 2018, the Dutch skaters took home 16 of the 42 medals available. Ireen Wüstshe racked up 11 of those 121 medals, making her the most medaled speed skater in Olympic history (and the winter Olympian with the most active titles). In fact, she is the first athlete to have won a gold medal in an individual event in four different Winter Games, and if Wüst wins again in Beijing, she will be the first and only athlete to have won gold in five editions. of the Games (including the Summer Olympics).
Previous article26 Things To Do When You’re Bored
Next articleBest Corny Jokes For Adults And Kids