Best athletic performance ever

[74-911]

Originally Posted by Geneman

Franz klammers final downhill run in 75 ( or 76?) olympics to win gold .. To vanquish all the young guys..... Video online...

agree... that run was unbelievable, a win or die trying effort.

[Jon B]

Marvin Hagler and Thomas Hearns
April 15, 1985
World Middleweight Championship, Round 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PPhyBUsxaA

[stevej37]

Ahh...Tommy 'The Hit Man' Hearns
He was a tough sob

[JavaBrewer]

Fun thread. I really can't choose a favorite/best - there are so many memorable events in my lifetime. Pure athletic - I have to go with Ironman competitors and NBA. And full disclosure I don't play BB, never cared for the sport, but after meeting a few NBA stars in person I can appreciate their physical attributes compared to regular folks.

[sugarwood]

Easily the greatest comeback in sports history........... Biblical.

Augusta, Ga. After four back surgeries and personal scandals that forced him to rock bottom, Tiger Woods made it all the way back when he claimed his fifth Masters title, finishing at 13-under par.

The guy literally couldn't even walk 2 years prior and came back to beat every golfer on the planet.

[Jon B]

Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier
March 8, 1971
World Heavyweight Championship, Highlights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQhFhdmW6Vs

[Rawknees'Turbo]

Robbie Lawler versus Rory MacDonald - one of those, "so you want to be a fighter?", holy shiiiiit, type fights.

[drcoastline]

Secretariat, the greatest athlete to have ever lived, man or beast, hands down no one or anything else even comes close.

The Belmont 1973 final leg of the Triple crown. Chick Anderson- "Secretariat is widening now he is moving like a tremendous machine. He's all alone."

Winning distance 31 lengths.

[Porsche-O-Phile]

2004 Red Sox ALCS, games 4, 5, 6 and 7 against the Yankees. If you like baseball it’s some of the best you’ll see. Stunning. I couldn’t believe what I was witnessing when I watched / listened to (some on the radio in the garage) those games. It was magic.

[KFC911]

Y'all should've been there....

I couldn't miss that afternoon back in '83

[1990C4S]

Originally Posted by Crowbob

Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr would disagree, both of whom have said my former neighbor Gordy Howe was the greatest hockey player of all time. Gretzky, Orr and Howe were selected (in that order, I think) as the top three Hockey players of all time.

There were hundreds, probably thousands of better players. But what Paul Henderson did in 1972 was the greatest performance I have ever seen. He carries an all-star team, scored the winning goal in three straight games (in the Soviet Union), scored a hat trick in the final game, then netted the winner with 21 seconds remaining. Simply incredible, and even more so because he was just 'average'.

[DWBOX2000]

Love Hearns. Great phot. He always seemed gracious in victory and defeat. Loved the way his hair bounced with his punches. He had great everything.

Now being a Boston person, Hagler will allways hold a dear place in my sport's heart. I have a fake autograph to prove it.

Now if you want the greatest conditioned athletes, I would say go watch some wrestling. Spending 6 minutes of trying to prevent your face from being jammed in the mat or being stuck on your back is exhausting.

[Crowbob]

Originally Posted by 1990C4S

There were hundreds, probably thousands of better players. But what Paul Henderson did in 1972 was the greatest performance I have ever seen. He carries an all-star team, scored the winning goal in three straight games (in the Soviet Union), scored a hat trick in the final game, then netted the winner with 21 seconds remaining. Simply incredible, and even more so because he was just 'average'.

Excellent point.

Peak performance and sustained excellence are two very different things. I was possibly an above average athlete. Like most, I had the heart but not the body. Anyways, there have been a couple of brief moments where it all came together. Once was an awesome experience during a 200m footrace. It seemed like with every stride just at exactly the right moment I pushed off extended perfectly and planted each time exactly right. It seemed effortless, it was joyous. I was accelerating with every stride! I honestly don’t even remember where I placed in the race.

Those personal moments of perfection are probably the reason each of us admires our athletes of choice so much. It is for me, anyway.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by drcoastline

Secretariat, the greatest athlete to have ever lived, man or beast, hands down no one or anything else even comes close.

+1

Was a freak of nature with a gigantic blood pump.

Still counts.

[Mike Andrew]

I have to go with Ali - Liston and Ali - Foreman. Both required a dip into something 99.5% of us don't have to prevail over an opponent thought, by most, to be invincible.
The Klammer run also came to mind.

Oddly, I see no drivers here which surprises me since this is a car forum.

[sammyg2]

[sammyg2]

Originally Posted by Mike Andrew

Oddly, I see no drivers here which surprises me since this is a car forum.

Doesn't count if yer sitting down .....

[stevej37]

[QUOTE=Crowbob;10797572]Excellent point.
Once was an awesome experience during a 200m footrace. It seemed like with every stride just at exactly the right moment I pushed off extended perfectly and planted each time exactly right. It seemed effortless, it was joyous. I was accelerating with every stride!

reminds me of this!

[Steve Carlton]

Simone Biles' performances would certainly qualify.

[Jay Auskin]

I grew up in Chicago...so take your pick: