Sports are more than mere pastimes. Whether you enjoy football or horse racing, there is a thing that bonds all sports lovers – the thrills of seeing your favourite athlete or team win a match or event. But have you ever wondered who the best sporting record-holders are? Those people who’ve managed to change the game for good? We surely did and put up a list of our favourite records. Check them out!
1. Michael Phelps
Swimming may not be the most popular sport out there, but nobody deserves the gold medal of all sporting record-holders more than Michael Phelps. We could easily call him “the supreme swimmer,” holding over 18 gold medals in the field.
Not only can he brag with such a record, but six of those golds come from his very first Olympics in Athens in 2004 while a further eight from Beijing Olympics in 2008 – the most won by a single athlete throughout the history of the Games.
2. Miroslav Klose
If you’ve ever been into placing free bets at sporting events, you probably already know how hard it is to find the best soccer team to bet on. Especially in the Miroslav Klose’s era. Known as Mr Consistent, Klose has already won four World Cups and humiliated Brazil with a 7-1 score in last season’s tournament. No doubt, a great achievement not only for Germany but also for the coach’s personal Palmares.
3. Usain Bolt
From football to running, Usain Bolt is another achiever that tops the charts as one of the most iconic record-holders in history. The champion became a legend in 2012 when he managed to win the title of the fastest man on earth.
Winning a world record didn’t stop his ambitions, so maybe we’ll have the honour to watch him break yet another impossible speed record.
4. Lance Armstrong
You don’t have to like cycling to know that Lance Armstrong is one of the most inspirational figures of all time. Between 1999 and 2005, he won seven Tour de France races – seven years in a row, that is.
Not only did he won these races, but he did so after surviving testicular cancer. Sure, there have been discussions about doping, but nothing can replace the fact that he is indeed the greatest cyclist of all times.
5. Bob Gibson
Bob Gibson is one of those names that may not tell you much unless you’re really into baseball. If that’s your favourite sport, though, you might have heard already about the Year of the Pitcher. If you hadn’t, all we can say is that Gibson managed to pitch 47 consecutive scoreless innings and threw 13 shutouts in the 1968 baseball season.
The record still stands today, alongside other records he managed to break, and Gibson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981.
6. Martin Brodeur
Ice hockey is another beloved sport, and the one who has written the sport’s history is Martin Brodeur. The Canadian goaltender spent his entire career with the New Jersey Devils and is the only goalie in history with eight 40-win seasons.
7. James Robinson
Ending our list of best sporting record-holders, none other than James Robinson, the one and only jockey that has won nine wins in the 2000 Guineas race. While this record remains unequalled to date, Robinson holds an impressive book of records.
During his career, he has also won six Derbies and 24 British Classics. Needless to say, his records remain unmatched after over 140 years from his death.
