Is Andy Murray the greatest British sportsman
- Thread starter Jedi boro
- Start date
Cardiffdaffs
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Tony McCoy - 20 jump jockey titles, 1 Grand National, 2 Cheltenham Gold Cups)
Ian Botham 5,200 Test runs, 383 Test wickets, five Ashes victories)
Sir Chris Hoy 6 Olympic gold medals, 11 World titles)
But it’s Mo Farah for me. The double double of 5000 and 10000 m Olympic titles and 6 World Championship titles.
Prior to Farah, no Briton had won a World or Olympic crown at either 5,000m or 10,000m. He has dominated both events. His successes are unprecedented, and elevate him above the confines of athletics.
He emerged at a time when it was regarded as unthinkable for a British runner to outperform the legions of Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes who were dominating the long-distance scene, and he has had to overcome considerable personal hardships to succeed in his sport.
He was one of the heroes of London 2012, and successfully continued his winning spree in two of the most gruelling disciplines imaginable.
Ian Botham 5,200 Test runs, 383 Test wickets, five Ashes victories)
Sir Chris Hoy 6 Olympic gold medals, 11 World titles)
But it’s Mo Farah for me. The double double of 5000 and 10000 m Olympic titles and 6 World Championship titles.
Prior to Farah, no Briton had won a World or Olympic crown at either 5,000m or 10,000m. He has dominated both events. His successes are unprecedented, and elevate him above the confines of athletics.
He emerged at a time when it was regarded as unthinkable for a British runner to outperform the legions of Kenyan and Ethiopian athletes who were dominating the long-distance scene, and he has had to overcome considerable personal hardships to succeed in his sport.
He was one of the heroes of London 2012, and successfully continued his winning spree in two of the most gruelling disciplines imaginable.
Alzi
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Sadly Farah is (rightly or wrongly) a bit tainted over his links to Salazar now.
Cardiffdaffs
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He was at the time of the Rio Olympics in 2016 but never proved. Appreciate he’s not going to be everybody’s idea of greatest British sportsman but for me he is.
Jedi boro
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There’s definitely a question mark, sadly.
Why risk his reputation that way on some one so toxic who HAS been proven to have not been clean.
So was Mo the exception ???
Mo Farah's former coach Alberto Salazar gets four-year ban for doping violations
The US Anti-Doping Agency has banned Mo Farah’s American former coach for four years for doping violations
www.theguardian.com
Jedi boro
Well-known member
Salazar was found by an arbitration panel to have trafficked testosterone – a banned performance-enhancing substance – to multiple athletes, administered a prohibited IV infusion, and also tampered or attempted to tamper with Nike Oregon Project athletes’ doping control process.
Farah was with Salazar for nearly seven years during which time he went from being just outside elite level to virtually unbeatable. He stuck with his famed coach after allegations against Salazar first surfaced in a BBC and ProPublica report in 2015 and only left in 2017. At the time, Farah denied his decision was connected to the doping claims.
Farah was with Salazar for nearly seven years during which time he went from being just outside elite level to virtually unbeatable. He stuck with his famed coach after allegations against Salazar first surfaced in a BBC and ProPublica report in 2015 and only left in 2017. At the time, Farah denied his decision was connected to the doping claims.
MolteniArcore
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Can't trust Mo's results sadly so for me he is tainted badly. Far too many questions with him.
alanmoodysdog
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watched the last few games of his Australian exit last night and got to admire his guts and tenacity, he looked a broken man walking and moving but fought hard and with power.... god knows what he will be like in his 40s/50s
MolteniArcore
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Forgot about Froome. He was an exceptional rider and what's to say that without his terrible accident he might have sneaked another Tour win in.
There was the doping scandal but he was cleared and I would tend to think based on what I have read that he would be clean.
I'd probably have Cav over Froome. Especially if he wins again at the Tour this year.
MolteniArcore
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Yes, I agree, and I can't believe I forgot Cav!! Model sportsperson and really puts himself under big personal danger in the sprints every time.
Another from fell/mountain running is Ian Holmes. Utterly incredible. Multiple British and English Champion. Winner of pretty much all the big races in the UK and some Internationals (which weren't such a big thing in his heyday). At 57 he is still holding his own at the sharp end of the top races and is completely untouchable in his age class.
en.wikipedia.org
Ian Holmes (runner) - Wikipedia
Cardiffdaffs
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If you define sports by those two criteria you are also dismissing the sports of curling, bowls, archery and shooting as well.
Jedi boro
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Now hey I’d never dismiss curling.
That’s what our Winter Olympics is based on.
Edwards' record is remarkable. We used to measure it out just to show junior athletes how far 3 bounds took him. It's mind blowing when you see it.
Don‘t forget we’ve been rather good in the skeleton probably more than curling.
Laughing
Well-known member
I am indeed or at least the oed is.
Laughing
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Isn't curling just cleaning like our mums used to do it.