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Jessica Ennis-Hill is a British retired track and field athlete. She specialized in multi-eventing disciplines and 100 meters hurdles. In 2012, she won an Olympic gold in the heptathlon. She was introduced to sports as a young girl and immediately took an interest in athletics. She has won several other titles as well in addition to her Olympic gold.
Cathy Freeman is a former sprinter known for her achievements in the 400 meters events. Her personal best of 48.63, set at the 1996 Olympics, makes her the eighth-fastest woman of all time. She gave Australia an Olympic gold at the 2000 Olympics. Also a humanitarian, Freeman is credited with founding the Cathy Freeman Foundation.
Five-time Olympic medalist and renowned sprinter Justin Gatlin is a specialist in the 100m and the 200m categories. In 2005, he became the first to win both the 100m and the 200m world titles. He was a childhood fan of Mike Tyson and had initially been a hurdler.
Two-time Olympic decathlon champion Ashton Eaton began his international career in 2008, winning his first international medal, a silver, at the 2011 World Championships. In the following year, he won two gold medals, one in Heptathlon at the World Indoor Championships and the other in Decathlon in London Olympic Games, defending his Olympic title four years later in Rio de Janeiro.
Long-distance runner Steve Prefontaine had competed in only one Olympic, finishing fourth in the 5000m race in Munich. However, he had begun breaking records since high school and excelled in cross-country running. His tragic death in a car accident after attending a party ended his life and his sports dreams.
Rebecca Adlington made headlines with her double-gold win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, in which she aced both the 400m and 800m freestyle events. After retiring at 23, she has worked for BBC as a sports pundit and participated in shows such as I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!
Born to former New York City mayor and media magnate Michael Bloomberg, Georgina Bloomberg was no stranger to the glitz of an affluent lifestyle. An elite equestrian, she now owns the New York Empire team. She has also co-authored a few novels and is an animal rights activist and a philanthropist.
Greg Louganis was born to high-school students and was raised by his adoptive parents. Before becoming a renowned diver, he had studied drama and excelled in dance and gymnastics. The four-time Olympic gold medalist is HIV-positive and an LGBT icon. His memoir, Breaking the Surface, was made into a TV movie.
Delilah DiCrescenzo is an American track and field athlete who competes in the 3000 meters steeplechase. She helped Team USA win the gold medal at the Americas Cross Country Championships in 2009. Delilah DiCrescenzo is the subject of a hit song titled Hey There Delilah by the popular American rock band Plain White T's.
Northern Irish motorcycle racer Jonathan Rea began his career with motocross and then switched to circuit racing later. He made history when he became the first racer to win six WorldSBK titles, that too, back-to-back. He earned the second place in the 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award race.
Colin Jackson is a Welsh former athlete who represented Wales and Great Britain during his career. Jackson, who specialized in hurdles, won the silver medal in the 110m hurdles at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. His world record for the 110m hurdles stood for more than ten years, while his world record for the 60m hurdles stood for almost 27 years.
Annette Tånnander is a former athlete who competed in the high jump and heptathlon events. She represented Sweden at the 1976 and 1984 Summer Olympics. After retiring from athletics, Annette Tånnander went on to pursue a career as a massage therapist and fitness trainer. She also co-wrote a book titled The Complete Idiot's Guide to Fitness.
Ole Einar Bjørndalen is a Norwegian former biathlete and coach. Nicknamed the King of Biathlon, Bjørndalen has 13 Winter Olympic Games medals under his belt and is second only to Marit Bjørgen, who has 15 medals, in the list of multiple medalists. Having won 45 medals, Ole Einar Bjørndalen is also the most successful biathlete at the Biathlon World Championships.
Former track and field athlete from Sweden, Carolina Klüft is an Olympic gold medalist. Born to Swedish soccer player Johnny Klüft and long jumper Ingalill Ahlm Klüft, Carolina was naturally drawn toward sports at an early age. She is also a student of peace and development and participates in charitable campaigns.
Katerina Stefanidi is a Greek pole vaulter best known for winning the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2017, she won the gold medal at the IAAF World Championships. Stefanidi has also won two gold medals at the European Championships in 2016 and 2018. Katerina Stefanidi is considered the greatest Greek female athlete of the modern era.
An enthusiastic runner since his student life, David Cecil, 6th Marquess of Exeter, began participating in professional events from the age of nineteen, eventually winning a gold medal in the 400-metre hurdles at the 1928 Olympic Games and a silver at 1932 Olympics. Also a Conservative Party member, he remained associated with different sports organizations even after his retirement.
English track and field athlete Mary Denise Rand made history by becoming the first woman from her country to earn a track and field Olympic gold medal. The long jumper also has a Commonwealth gold to her credit and has been named a Member of the Order of the British Empire.
John Naber is an American retired competitive swimmer, sports broadcaster, writer, and motivational speaker. Naber won four gold medals and a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. A former world record-holder, Naber was honored with the prestigious James E. Sullivan Award in 1977. In 1982, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
