Yes surprised how low Sampras is myself as well.

26-30

 

 

26. Bjorn Borg - 200pts

27. Sachin Tendulkar - 197pts

28. Jesse Owens - 195pts

29. Chris Evert - 194pts

30. Bobby Charlton - 191pts

 

We've hit the 200 points mark folks! Swedish tennis player Bjorn Borg is the person to do it. Six points behind is Chris Evert (who I definitely didn't think was a man until about ten minutes ago), however we also have the highest Indian and the oldest athlete in the field between them; Owens in particular is almost certainly remembered more for his legacy than his achievements alone. We do however still have another cricketer and older sportsperson to come and they're both the same person. Rounding off this group we have the other Bobby who finishes a little higher than his 1966 compatriot.

21-25

 

 

21. Johann Cruyff - 226pts

22. Carl Lewis - 215pts

23. Bradly Wiggins - 206pts

24. Mark Spitz - 203pts (one 8th, one 18th)

25. George Best - 203pts (one 8th, no 18ths)

 

A very European and North American batch here (however that is most of the sportspeople left so fair enough). Footballers Cruyff and Best top and tail here, with an athlete, a cyclist (although Wiggins being in the Final when none of the actual cycling greats even qualified is still annoying) and a swimmer with some excellent facial hair in between.

16-20

 

 

16. Haile Gebrselassie - 260pts

17. Rafael Nadal - 254pts

18. Novak Djokovic - 252pts

19. Don Bradman - 235pts

20. Lewis Hamilton - 234pts

 

And into the Top 20 we go, where we have both the highest African and highest 'Asian' representatives in this competition. In fact, four of the five are the highest representatives of their countries, however three of those are down to the fact that they were the only representatives in the Final. Hamilton is not the highest Englishman, nor is he the highest motor racer but Top 20 is never bad! Nadal and Djokovic being next to each other is fairly interesting, however that's not the last time we'll see an occurrence like this...

11-15

 

 

11. Martina Navaratilova - 285pts

12. Mo Farah - 280pts

13. Steffi Graf - 276pts

14. Cristiano Ronaldo - 264pts

15. Lionel Messi - 262pts

 

Aaand as if by coincidence, we have Ronaldo and Messi conveniently next to each other as well. Which means I can simply sum them both up as probably the two greatest active football players and the two my generation will remember. At #13 we have tennis veteran Steffi Graf, at #12 we have the stunning Mo Farah who has recently turned his hand to marathons, and just missing out on the Top 10 is veteran tennis player Navaratilova, who can't even say she was the highest American female tennis player in this contest. At least she was in the top half.

This is a very good top 20 so far. There isn't anybody who shouldn't be there.

Indeed, a fantastic 11-20 so far. All there with being one of the greats in their sport. Ronaldo this time ahead of Messi reversing the positions from Ultimate Footballer.

10

 

 

10. Chris Hoy - 288pts

 

Reatroactively editing this oops but at #10 was actually cycling great Chris Hoy. He started his career as a motor racer however his legacy stands with his achievements in the velodrome. 6 Olympic Golds and 11 World Championship Golds show that. He's the highest placed Scot here, however only the second highest Brit (if you were eagle-eyed you would have noticed I'd forgotten him when I mentioned Steve Redgrave being the highest Brit but considering I didn't notice I don't blame you).

7-9

 

 

7. Aryton Senna - 296pts

8. Steve Redgrave - 295pts

9. Michael Phelps - 293pts

 

And into the Top 10 we go! At #9 we have Michael Phelps, who the first time I saw him race at the 2010 Olympics was hyped up to be the definite winner before being beaten on the line by Chad Le Clos :P However he remains the most decorated Olympian of all time, and setting 39 World Records in his career, he is clearly deserving of his place here.

 

At number 8 we have the highest Briton here in rower Steve Redgrave. He wouldn't have been my stand-out choice for that accolade but he's clearly very well respected on here, and winning gold medals at five consecutive Olympic games as well as nine world championships is no mean feat. He's also the highest rower, but I can't actually remember if any other rowers were even nominated so that isn't as much of an achievement.

 

And at #7 we have the great Aryton Senna, who sadly died during the San Marino Grand Prix aged just 34. However he managed to rack up 41 wins and 3 championships during his career, and with standing records including the most wins leading throughout a Grand Prix and the most consecutive pole positions, his legacy quite clearly lives on. He's neither the highest South American nor the highest motor racer in the list, however finishing 8th out of all the sportspeople that have ever existed is no mean feat.

Great start to the Top 10 there. The best swimmer in a generation, the greatest British Olympian and the much missed Aryton Senna, an F1 great.

Oops I made a mistake, posts above are edited in now :blush: (which also means I lose my witty remark about Lisa Carrington to the abyss).

6

 

 

6. Michael Schumacher - 312pts

 

It's quite fitting to have Schumacher revealed now I guess with his wife and daughter giving their first interview since his horrific accident. He's the first above 300 points which I think certainly signifies a move to the absolute elite of sport, and he's the highest motor racer in the competition. Holding records for the most World Championship titles, the most Grand Prix wins, the most fastest laps and the most races won in a season, he really is a legend. Let's continue to pray for his recovery.

The greatest F1 driver I've seen bar his comeback with Mercedes. Such a shame what happened to him with that skiing accident, very much missed in the paddock.

Delighted to see Schumacher here. An all time legend indeed and, for me, the greatest the sport has ever seen, bar one (but it's almost a coin toss decision)

Until 2014. I haven't seen domination like him and Ferrari from 2000-2004. I weren't around in 1988 when McLaren won all bar one during that season.

I don't think the sport had ever seen a driver/team domination like that before. Fangio had been dominant but he always changed teams every years and the McLaren dominance was briefer and harder contested by other teams, '88 aside. It's partly why I put Schumacher second.

After the death of Senna he had no genuinely brilliant rival for almost 10 years. Hakkinen, by his admission, was his toughest rival but had a car worthy for only a couple of years and it wasn't until Alonso arrived that the challenge resumed. Hill, Villeneuve, Montoya, Coulthard and everyone else were well beneath him.

Conversely the 84-93 era saw Prost, Lauda, Senna, Mansell and Piquet, all at the height of their powers and all regularly rated in the sports best ever drivers, and in largely equal equipment.

5

 

 

5. Pelé - 247pts

 

Now I wouldn't usually call 5th an underperformance but as the winner of the Ultimate Footballer and one of the most revered sportspeople of all time, I was expecting Pele to be competing for 1st, so to see him over 70 points off the pace is quite surprising. With three Guinness World Records and the all time South American highest goalscorer, he is the highest South American and the highest footballer in this countdown. But there are still four people ahead of him.

4

 

 

4. Serena Williams - 357pts

 

Just missing out on the Top 3 we have the highest female sportsperson in our countdown, Serena Williams. Williams has won 39 Grand Slam titles and having held all four Grand Slam titles simultaneously twice, she is an unbeatable player out of the current crop. Although looking at her stats it is interesting to see her so much higher than both Navratilova and Graf! She's neither the highest tennis player nor the highest American though...

I thought Pele would have been in the top 3.

Serena Williams ahead of Pele. Wow!. Bar her US Open controversies she is one of the best tennis players I've seen.