Top 10 Famous Track and Field Star of all time
We are Going to discuss about top 10 Famous track and field stars of all time. Here is the list of all-time stars of Track and field who stunned the world.
Carl Lewis
- As an Olympic athlete, Carl Lewis was part of five American Olympic Teams, winning 10 medals, nine of them gold. so that he is among famous 10 track and field star of all time. With unsurpassed talent in the long jump and his speed in the sprints, he has gone places where no other track and field athlete has ever visited. His five Olympic appearances are a record for a male athlete, and many of his Olympic performances were in world or Olympic record time. His impressive track and field performances earned him the title of “Athlete of the Century”
His 65 consecutive victories in the long jump achieved over 10 years is one of the sport’s longest undefeated streaks. Throughout his athletics career, Carl set world records in the 100 m, 4 × 100 m, and 4 × 200 m relays, while his world record in the indoor long jump has stood since 1984.
His accomplishments have led to numerous accolades, including being voted “World Athlete of the Century” by the International Association of Athletics Federations “Sportsman of the Century” by the International Olympic Committee, “Olympian of the Century” by Sports Illustrated, and “Athlete of the Year” by Track & Field News in 1982, 1983, and 1984.
2.Usain Bolt
Usain Bolt had an impact both on his chosen sport and in capturing the imagination of the global sporting community in a manner last seen when Muhammad Ali was in his prime.
He entered the decade as the undisputed fastest man on Earth, having completed the 100-200m sprint double at the 2008 Beijing Olympics before setting world records in the 100m (9.58 seconds) and 200m (19.19 seconds) the following year – marks which still stand today. Bolt is famous among track and field star.
It was a tough act to follow, but the fastest man also known as more than the human being on the planet continued to dominate. At the 2012 Olympics in London and the 2016 Games in Rio Bolt repeated his sprint double triumph and anchored the Jamaican 4x100m relay team to gold.
He retired after the 2017 World Championships .
3 Paavo Nurmi, Men’s 800m to Marathon
The most dominant athlete of all time is Paavo Nurmi. Aside from setting a ridiculous 22 world records ranging from 1500m all the way to Marathon, Nurmi till this day remains the only person to ever remain undefeated in the 10,000m throughout his entire running career. ‘The Flying Fin’ as many people called him, was absolutely unchallenged for almost two decades.
Over the course of his career, Nurmi never lost a 10,000m race but also never lost a single cross country race. At his peak, Nurmi won 121 straight races ranging from the 800m upwards.
In fact, he would go on to break even more world records in the 15k, 10-mile run and the one-hour run that would last a total of 17 years. Although he officially set 22 world records, multiple international federations estimate his real world record count to be 58. This record count is more than double of that of Ethiopian legend Haile Gebrselassie.
Edwin Moses
Very few athletes have held any winning streak as long as Edwin Moses. Between 1977 and 1987, Moses won 122 consecutive races. For exactly 9 years, 9 months and 9 days, Moses went undefeated over all 400 meters hurdles races. This is the notable record for all time.
During his era Moses also went on to break his own world record on four separate occasions with his best time standing at 47.02 seconds.
His total Olympics and World Championships medals are not as plentiful as others on this list, the genuine level of dominance displayed by Moses is unrivaled in any event in track & field.
Moses did miss out on the 1980 Olympics because of the boycott. And given that he did manage to break the world record that year, many speculate that he would have likely gone on to win the Olympics that year.
This winning streak of 122 races, makes Moses the proud owner of the longest winning streak in track & field history, almost doubling the second place streak of 65 set by Carl Lewis in the long jump.
5 Armand Mondo Duplantis
Armand Mondo Duplantis has taken the world by storm, bringing pole vaulting into the homes of even casual sports fans. At just 24, the Swedish-American superstar has already made history by breaking the world record multiple times, as well as vaulting six metres or higher more times than any other athlete before him. Still looking towards new heights, Duplantis is just getting started.
his obsession with the unique and challenging sport of pole vaulting started, and he’s been stacking up impressive results from as early as seven years old.
Michael Johnson
Aside from his huge international fame, Michael Johnson is regarded as one of the best sprinters in history. During his career, Johnson managed to win 12 World Championships and Olympic medals, all of which were golds.
He is also the only male athlete in history to successfully win both the 200m and the 400m at the same Olympics – a feat which he famously accomplished in 1996. He is also famous track and field star of all-time.
Johnson is also the only male athlete to ever successfully defend his Olympics 400m title. Not only was Johnson a dominant force among the biggest track & field stages, but he also managed to break nine World Records throughout his career. From the year 1992 up till 2000, Johnson successfully ran under 44 seconds for the 400m each year. Now only one world record remains in his name. team with Johnson established the relay world record of 2:54;29 in 1993 A.D. Currently, 200 metre world record holds Usain bolt and 400 metre World record holds Wayde Van Niekerk.
7.Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Since 1988, Joyner-Kersee has been the unwavering world record holder for the women’s heptathlon. With above a 200 point gap over her closest competitor and by holding all of the top six greatest performances in history, she would ever be remembered for her dominance.
Additionally, Joyner-Kersee had a winning streak that lasted over 10 years and she also has 10 World Championships and Olympic medals ranging from 1987 to 1996. She also has two of the top three greatest long jumps ever recorded.
8. Javier sotomayor
Sotomayor ( born 13 October 1967) is a Cuban former track and field athlete who specialized in the high jump and is the current world record holder. The 1992 Olympic champion, He was the dominant high jumper of the 1990s; his personal best of 2.45 m (8 ft. 1⁄4 in) makes him the only person ever to have cleared eight feet (2.44 m). Sotomayor is a two-time gold medalist at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics and also won two silver medals at the competition.
Since 2007, the English Wikipedia page of Javier Sotomayor has received more than 872,915 page views. His biography is available in 41 different languages on Wikipedia (up from 40 in 2019). Javier Sotomayor is the 20th most popular Athlete (up from 31st in 2019), the 21st most popular biography from Cuba
(up from 25th in 2019) and the most popular Cuban Athlete.
9. Tirunesh DIBABA
From 2005 up to 2016, Tirunesh Dibaba was the face of the women’s 10,000m. For 11 straight years, Dibaba remained undefeated over the 10,000m distance. Between these years, Dibaba won two Olympic 10,000m gold medals as well as three World Championships 10,000m gold. She was also a top-tier 5,000m runner.
At the young age of 18, Dibaba won her first Championships in 5,000m making her the youngest athlete to ever win the World Championships in the 5,000m. On June 6, 2008, Dibaba set the world record of 14:11.15 seconds – a world record that still stands today.
In total, Dibaba won 12 World Championships and Olympic medals and she remains the only female athlete to ever successfully defend her Olympics 10,000 meter title.
10. Allyson Felix
Right now, Allyson Felix is the most celebrated U.S. track athlete, with 11 Olympic medals under her belt. However, every legend has a starting point that determines the rest of their career. For Felix, it was her first Olympic medal. At the 2004 summer Olympics, Allyson Felix took part in the 200 meters at the age of 18.
She finished the race in just 22.18 seconds and stood in second position, behind Jamaican Athlete Veronica Campbell. In addition, she also set a world junior record of 200 meters. After such a successful first Olympics, it’s simple to assume that Felix was overwhelmed with joy, but in contrast, things were different. After the race, Felix was found in tears. Maybe she expected something more from herself.
Felix never fails when it comes to making and breaking records. In 2005 Allyson became the youngest athlete to win a gold medal in 200 meters at the world championships. She achieved this feat at the 2005 Helsinki World Championships.
Next, she successfully defended her title at the 2007 Osaka World Championships. In addition, she also defeated her long time rival Veronica Campbell by finishing the 200 meter sprint in just 21.81 seconds. It was the first time she finished a 200 meter race in under 22 seconds. And, of course, she was elated at her achievement.
In the post race interview, Felix stated her excitement at her excitement and called it “not an easy road.” She also revealed her future plans of preparing well for the then-upcoming Beijing Olympics and winning a gold there.
Later on, at the 2007 Osaka World Championships, Felix won two more gold medals. One for the women’s 400 meter track and the other for the women’s 400 meter relay. After this achievement, Allyson Felix became the second to win three gold medals in a single IAAF World Championship. The first woman to achieve this feat was German sprint track and field athlete Marita Koch.
The 2008 Beijing Olympics proved to be quite challenging for Allyson Felix. This time apart from participating in the 200 meter track and 400 meters relay, she also went for the 100 meter track. Unfortunately, she could not qualify for the 100 meter track despite her best efforts.
In the finals of the 200 meter race, Felix was again face to face with her long time rival Veronica Campbell. This time Felix put in her best performance in terms of time and finished the race in just 21.93 seconds. However, even this was not enough to win a gold as Campbell gave the best performance of the decade and finished in 21.74 seconds. This defeat was difficult for Allyson Felix, and she worked extremely hard for it and missed the gold for just a few seconds. After the loss, Felix was again in tears.
Nonetheless, Felix did not break down completely after her first loss. Instead, she aspired to avenge her loss in the 400 meter relay. Allyson Felix participated in the 400 meter relay as a part of the U.S. women’s team. She gave an amazing performance there and helped her team to reach the first position. Subsequently, she earned her first gold medal at the Olympics, defeating rival Veronica Campbell.
Allyson Felix was slowly getting better at not just sprint track but also at relays. Before the 2009 Berlin World Championships, she participated in another international sprint relay. She was a part of the U.S 400 meters relay team along with Lauryn Williams, Carmelita Jeter, and Muna Lee. The team gave an astounding performance and even became the fastest women’s sprint relay in the last 12 years.
Felix received her third gold medal for 200 meters at the 2009 Berlin World Championships. She made history as she became the first woman to win three gold medals for the world 200 meter race. This time too, she was up against Veronica Campbell. In the beginning, it seemed as if Veronica was going to win, but at about 130 meters, Felix paced up. She kept increasing her lead and, in the end, won the gold medal. Allyson Felix achieved this amazing feat at just 23 years old. The world already knew by then that she was going to be the next big thing in athletics.
In the year 2010, Felix decided to broaden her spectrum and started participating in 400 meter events. That very year she participated in the IAAF Diamond League and won two trophies for 200 meters and 400 meters. Thereafter, she became the first person in history to achieve this feat. Later on that year, Felix also participated in the 2010 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. There she ended up being the 100 meters champ by completing the sprint in 11.27 seconds.
In 2011 Allyson Felix again participated in the World Championships in Athletics. There she took part in the 200 and 400 meter races as well as relays. In the end, Felix won two gold medals for the relays and a silver and bronze medal for the 400 and 200 meter event.
The London Olympics took place in 2012. This time too, Allyson Felix decided to participate in not just the 200 meter event but also in the 100 meter event. Unlike the previous Olympics, she qualified for the 100 meter spot. However, the event was stacked with controversy. Allyson Felix and her training partner Jeneba Tarmoh were in a dead place for the qualifying position. A second qualifying race was scheduled for them, but as Tarmoh backed out, Felix automatically Qualified.
When the name Allyson Felix pops up somewhere, it’s normal to think about the record breaking moments. And indeed, the 2012 summer Olympics was nothing different. In the 200 meter finals, Felix gave the personal best of her career. She finished the race in just 21.69 seconds. Thus becoming the third-fastest American and fourth fastest ever in terms of time until that point.
Allyson Felix participated in the 4 x 100 meter relay along with Tianna Madison, Carmelita Jeter, and Bianca Knight. The team did not just win a gold medal in that event but also broke a world record. In 1985, East Germany set a record of completing 4 x 100 meters in 41.37 seconds. But finally, the US girls completed the relay in just 40.82 seconds.
During the finals of the 4 x 400 meter relay, Allyson Felix achieved another feat. Here Felix ran a 48.2-second leg, and the team won in a time of 3:16.87. Therefore setting the record of the third-fastest time in Olympic history.
That year she competed in a total of four events. They were 100 meters, 200 meters, 4 x 100 meter relay, and 4 x 400 meter relay. And it is not surprising that other than the 100 meter event, she won gold in all the other events. Therefore, after this, she became the second American woman to win three Olympic gold medals in athletics. The first person to achieve this was American Athlete Florence Griffith Joyner.
In 2015 Felix returned to participate in the 2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Before this event, Felix was on a long break as she was suffering from a hamstring injury. This time she participated in the 400 meter event and won by completing the race in just 50.19 seconds. Subsequently, she won her ninth U.S championship title.
Next came the 2015 Beijing World championships. But this time, Allyson was put in a dilemma due to the 200 and 400 meter schedules. The 400 meter final was placed just an hour after the 200 meter semi-finals. Therefore, even though Felix had world records in both events, she was forced to choose between two.
Finally, Allyson chose 400 meters over 200 meters and did not disappoint her fans. From the very beginning of the race, she took the lead and finished it with her personal best of 49.26 seconds. After this, Allyson Felix became the first woman to win the most number of world titles for 200 as well as 400 meters. Additionally, she also became the only American track and field athlete to collect the most gold medals. She had also won the most overall medals in the World Championship.
Later on, Allyson Felix managed to bag two more silver medals. The first one is for the 400 meter relay, and the second silver for the 4 x 400 meter relay.
Allyson Felix had a gym accident in 2016. She accidentally dropped from a pull-up bar and ended up twisting her ankle and tearing ligaments. Therefore, due to this accident, she missed the Diamond League meet.
Next came the 2016 Olympic Trials. Back then, she was still suffering due to the accident. However, she managed to participate. During the 400 meter trials, Felix went past her injury and overtook her opponents with a record breaking 49.68 seconds. However, fatigue and physical strain started to show during the 200 meters final. Even after Felixs’ best efforts, she lost the race by 0.01 seconds and missed the third spot in the team. Nonetheless, a sports person like Allyson Felix was not born to back down. And she proved herself again in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics.
In the 2016 Olympics, she managed to achieve three more medals. Two gold and one silver. She won the silver medal for the 400 meter event, where she missed the gold by 0.07 seconds. The first spot was then grabbed by Bahamian athlete Shaunae Miller.
The performance was disappointing, but she made up for it in the relays. The 4 x 100 meter relay was controversial in some ways. During the race, Felix dropped the baton while handing it to another teammate. Therefore according to the rules, the U.S team was supposed to be disqualified. However, with a repeated investigation, it was found that the baton dropped due to some external reasons. The Brazilian athlete in the neighboring lane swung her arm, and due to that, Felix accidentally lost her balance. Therefore the USA team was not disqualified.
In the final, the USA team won in 41.01 seconds and received the gold medal. Allyson won her second gold medal via the 4 x 400 meter relay.
In 2018 Allyson took an unusual break from her sports career. She participated in a lesser number of championships and focused more on her mental growth. Later on, she revealed her pregnancy and finally gave birth on 28th November 2018. She had a difficult pregnancy, to say the least. A few months after her delivery Allyson Felix got involved in some legal issues with Nike. Due to this array of events, she was unable to partake in any sports events or championships.
In July 2019, Allyson Resumed her career. Although she was a new mother then, it did not stop her from excelling in athletics. Felix participated in the US national championships and the IAAF World Championships one after the other. And Finally, by the end of the season, Felix surpassed Usain Bolt for the most gold medals in the world championship.
In 2020 Allyson Felix was supposed to participate in the Olympics for the first time since becoming a mom. Unfortunately, things were postponed due to the pandemic, and she had to wait till June 2021.
Allyson, at the age of 35, qualified for the 400 meters event by finishing her trial in 50.02 seconds. In The Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Allyson Felix was going to participate in the last individual Olympic event of her career. However, a lot of people started doubting her performance due to her age and her performance in the semi-finals. Felix had the second slowest qualifying time of 49.89 seconds, and that put a lot of pressure on her. Nonetheless, with her unwavering spirit, Allyson gave her best and secured a bronze medal at the Olympics. She finished the race in 49.46 seconds and claimed her 10th Olympic gold medal.
Allyson received another gold medal after competing in the women’s 4 x 400 meter final. This medal concluded her Olympic career and broke her tie with American athlete Carl Lewis. Currently, she is the most decorated American track and field athlete in the history of the Olympics.
Allyson Felix reacts after winning bronze in the 4×400-meter mixed relay final at the 2022 World Athletics Championships on July 15, 2022 in Eugene, Ore. For one last time, Team USA fans got to see Allyson Felix flying down a world championships track as the rest of the field struggled to catch up.