The Best Sporting Achievement

One of my friends feels that being a heavyweight champion in boxing is the best sporting achievement. He is an awful boxer himself, so he is coming from a biased perspective. However, I understand why he would say that. That is probably the most bravado accomplishment knowing, there isn't a man alive who can fight better than you.

However, I look at the best sporting achievement from a different angle. Some people have never had a fight or even thrown a punch. Boxing is a unique sport, and a lot of people have never participated. Because of this, I feel the best sporting achievement is being the fastest sprinter in the world. Specifically, all those gold medals and world records that Usain Bolt holds. Every single person, who is able-bodied has had a foot race in some way. All children have had a short foot race. The pool of people who have done this event is far greater than the amount who have ever fought or took part in boxing.

It's tricky for me to explain but hopefully, you understand what I'm trying to say.

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Heavyweight World Champ and the Olympic 100m are the two [individual] sporting events that transcend sport and are part of wider popular culture.

100m probably shades it by virtue of being, by default, an undisputed thing (as opposed to boxing and its many sanctioning bodies).

I've always thought grand tour cycling would be the hardest thing to actually do, but on your terms then yes, it's who is the fastest runner in the world.

100m sprinter is it because it's the most available to all. Everyone understands what 'the fastest person in the world' means.

Some form of Grandslam I reckon. As in a Tennis player winning every major competition, not just one.

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Originally Posted by phonics

100m sprinter is it because it's the most available to all. Everyone understands what 'the fastest person in the world' means.

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Steroids?

Michael Phelps.

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Originally Posted by Baz

Michael Phelps.

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Im sure if Usain ran the 120m, 150m, 80m while running backwards and the 50m while eating a curry pattie, he would also be victorious.

I'd love to see a backwards running race. Would there be a backwards sprint start position as well?

Heavyweight champion meant a lot back in the day, but the quality of the past ~20 years or so has been so abysmal in the division that it cannot be that anymore.

Until relatively recently being the Heavyweight Champion just meant keeping your distance and jabbing away for 12 rounds. Efficient, sure, but it's some hollow shit as far as achievements go.

Your reading too much into it. Being heavyweight king is something. That means a lot to all men who think they are alpha. That is a lot of men. Its a super high achievement.

If that's your yard stick then I would say Worlds Strongest Man has it beat.

Neither of them is a better accomplishment than the fastest man in the world.

That's what I told my wife.

before she became your ex-wife.

100m is probably the most renowned individual sporting achievement.

World Cup winner has to be the best team one as it's (arguably) the pinnacle of the most popular sport on the planet. Champions League is probably a higher technical level but in terms of prestige it's not as high, to me

I agree that the hundred meters are perhaps the most renowned, but I can't help but feel that is it a bit of a shit event. Which is why we only pay attention to it every four years, for ten seconds.

9.58 seconds.

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I'd love to see a backwards running race. Would there be a backwards sprint start position as well?

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Replace the walking marathon with that. It'll look stupider and more impressive.

Tour de France winner surely. The mental and physical endurance required to win it far surpasses the 100m sprint.

Ignoring the doping (which can be aimed at sprinting as well), the bike specs differences are minimal and it's reliant on the rider.

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Originally Posted by SincereTheRebel

That is probably the most bravado accomplishment knowing, there isn't a man alive who can fight better than you.

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Within incredibly narrow parameters.

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Originally Posted by Spikey M

If that's your yard stick then I would say Worlds Strongest Man has it beat.

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You could make a decent argument for that when you factor in the abuse they have to put their bodies through. It must be the only sport where sleeping is dangerous (at least since cyclists stopped inadvertently turning their blood into custard).

Was this thread meant to be the best achievement in sport or the hardest sport to be physically capable of doing exceptionally in?

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

Was this thread meant to be the best achievement in sport or the hardest sport to be physically capable of doing exceptionally in?

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There must be a great deal of overlap.

The brief was unclear.

A 9 darter.

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If it's purely mental strength.

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Originally Posted by Giggles

A 9 darter.

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That's got to be one of the easiest.

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Originally Posted by Lewis

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If it's purely mental strength.

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Spending 9/11 knocking our thin vertical objects seems more celebration than mourning.

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Originally Posted by Yevrah

That's got to be one of the easiest.

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There's no right answer to it anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EOYdS5QZasM

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Originally Posted by Jimmy Floyd

I'd love to see a backwards running race. Would there be a backwards sprint start position as well?

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"Retro Running" is a real thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH7dZOZPpp4

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

The 400m backwards must be horrible.