A selection of biographies about famous sportsmen and sportswomen from the fields of athletics, football, cricket, tennis, boxing, baseball and cycling.
Athletics
Roger Bannister (1929 – ) (Great Britain, athletics) Roger Bannister became the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile in Oxford, 1954.
Usain Bolt (1986 – ) (Jamaica, athletics) Usain Bolt holds the world record for 100m and 200m. Bolt won triple Olympic gold at the 2008, 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
Mo Farah (1983 – ) (GB, athletics) 2012 and 2016 Olympic champion. Gold at 5000, and 10,000. 2011 World Championship Gold at 5,000. Silver in 10,000m.
Haile Gebreselassie (1973 – ) (Ethiopia, athletics) Double Olympic gold in 10,000m. Held world record for the marathon for three years with 2.03.59.
Eric Liddell (1902 – 1945) (Scottish, athletics) Represented Scotland at Rugby Union and GB athletics. Olympic gold medallist at 400m (1924).
Tegla Laroupe (1973 – ) (Kenya, athletics) Held world record for the marathon and won five world championships at the half-marathon.
Carl Lewis (1961 – ) (US, athletics) Nine-time Olympic gold medalist, Carl Lewis won gold over three Olympics and was the great star of 1980s track and field.
Jesse Owens (1913-1980) Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
Paula Radcliffe (1973 – ) (Great Britain, athletics) Current holder of women’s marathon record time. Gold in marathon world championship 2005.
Emil Zatopek (1922 – ) (Czechoslovakia, athletics) Won four Olympic gold medals at 10,000m, 5,000m and marathon. Including three gold in the 1952 games.
Baseball
Babe Ruth (1895-1948) US, baseball. Set numerous baseball records – was famous for his big hitting. He won many titles with the New York Yankees.
Basketball
Michael Jordan (1963 – ) (US, basketball) 6*NBA champion. Considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
Boxing
Muhammad Ali (1942 – ) US, boxing Olympic champion and world heavyweight champion of the world.
Cricket
Sir Donald Bradman (1908 – 2001) Australia, cricket. Donald Bradman was by far the greatest ever batsmen in cricket. Finished with test average of 99.94
C.B.Fry (1872 – 1956) (England, cricket, football) Represented England at football and cricket. Also played in F.A. Cup final. Scored 30,000 first-class cricket runs.
Sir Viv Richards (1952 – ) (West Indies, cricket) Considered one of the greatest batsmen of all time. He played for West Indies during the 1970s and 80s.
Sir Gary Sobers (1936 – ) (West Indies, cricket) One of greatest all-rounders in the game.
Sachin Tendulkar (1973 – ) (India, cricket) Only player to score 30,000 runs in international cricket. Won world cup with India in 2011. Played in 200 Test matches.
Shane Warne (1969 – ) (Australia, cricket) One of the greatest leg-spin bowlers of all time. Warne took over 1,000 wickets in international cricket and became one of the five ‘Cricketers of the Century.’
Cycling
Lance Armstrong (1971 – ) (US, cycling) Armstrong dominated cycling through the early 2000s, winning seven consecutive Tour de France wins (99-05). But, in 2012 was stripped of wins due to drug use.
Chris Froome (1985 – ) (Great Britain, cycling) Kenyan born British athlete, Chris Froome won 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 Tour de France and was 2nd in the Vuelta Espagne 2014, 2016.
Eddy Merckx (1945 – ) Belgium, cycling. Merckx is the most successful cyclist ever – winning both classic one-day races and the major tours, including 5* Tour de France.
Football
David Beckham (1975 – ) (England, football) Won league title in four different countries. 115 appearances for England.
George Best (1946 – 2005 ) (Northern Ireland, football) Mercurial genius considered one of the greatest natural talents. Played for Manchester United 1963-74
Alex Ferguson (1941 – ) (Scotland, football) Scottish football manager for Aberdeen and Manchester United. During his 26 years at Manchester United, he won 38 trophies.
Diego Maradona (1960 – ) (Argentina, football) Joint FIFA player of Century with Pele. Won 1986 World Cup with Argentina.
Jose Mourinho (1963 – ) (Portugal, football) Football manager who has achieved success with clubs in Italy (Inter Milan), Spain (Real Madrid) and England (Chelsea).
Lionel Messi (1987 – ) (Argentina, football.) Messi has led Barcelona FC to domestic and European. The finalist with Argentina in 2014 World Cup.
Pele (1940 – ) (Brazil, footballer) Winner of three World Cups with Brazil. Pele was the greatest footballer of the century. He scored 1281 goals in 1363 games.
Cristiano Ronaldo (1985 – ) (Portugal, football) One of the greatest football players of all time. Has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid and Portugal.
Wayne Rooney (1985 – ) (England, football) Represented England over 100 times. With Manchester United has won Premier League five times.
Bill Shankly (1913 – 1981) ( – Great Britain, football) Managed Liverpool FC 1959- 1974 leading the club to three First Division championships and one UEFA Cup.
Motor Racing
Aryton Senna (1960 – 1994) Brazilian motor racing champion. Three times Formula One world champion (’88,’90,’91). Died in a motor racing accident, Bologna, Italy.
Tennis
Roger Federer (1981 – ) (Switzerland, tennis) Has won 17 singles Grand Slam titles. Held no.1 world ranking for 302 weeks overall.
Billie Jean King (1943 – ) US, tennis. Billie Jean King won a total of 38 Grand Slam titles. – 12 singles titles.
Fred Perry (1909 – 1995) (GB, Tennis) 8 grand slams (in short amateur career). Also was table tennis world champion.
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