Famous Black Athletes

1 Usain Bolt

Famous As: Olympic athlete

Birthdate: August 21, 1986

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: Jamaican

One of the greatest athletes ever, Usain Bolt is popular by the nickname ‘Lightning Bolt’. He holds the world record for 100 metres, 200 metres and 4 × 100 metres relay and is the only sprinter to win Olympic 100 m and 200 m titles at three consecutive Olympics (2008, 2012 and 2016).

2 Jesse Owens

Birthdate: September 12, 1913

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: American

Died: March 31, 1980

Widely regarded as one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time, Jesse Owens' three world records in less than an hour in 1935 came to be known as the greatest 45 minutes ever in sports. He was credited with destroying Adolf Hitler's myth of Aryan supremacy when he won four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics.

3 Eliud Kipchoge

Famous As: Long-distance runner

Birthdate: November 17, 1984

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: Kenyan

4 Caster Semenya

Famous As: Olympic Athlete

Birthdate: January 7, 1991

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Nationality: South African

5 Jim Kelly

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: May 5, 1946

Sun Sign: Taurus

Nationality: American

Died: June 29, 2013

6 Abebe Bikila

Famous As: Olympic marathon champion

Birthdate: August 7, 1932

Sun Sign: Leo

Nationality: Ethiopian

Died: October 25, 1973

7 Christian Coleman

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: March 6, 1996

Sun Sign: Pisces

Nationality: American

8 Kenenisa Bekele

Famous As: Long-distance runner, Athletics competitor

Birthdate: June 13, 1982

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Ethiopian

9 Yohan Blake

Famous As: Sprinter, Athletics competitor

Birthdate: December 26, 1989

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Nationality: French, Jamaican

10 John Carlos

Famous As: Sprinter, Athletics competitor, Association football player

Birthdate: June 5, 1945

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: American

11 Haile Gebrselassie

Famous As: Marathon runner, Long-distance runner, Athletics competitor

Birthdate: April 18, 1973

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: Ethiopian

12 J. C. Watts

Famous As: Politician

Birthdate: November 18, 1957

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: American

13 David Rudisha

Famous As: Kenyan track and field athlete

Birthdate: December 17, 1988

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: Kenyan

14 Debi Thomas

Famous As: Figure skater

Birthdate: March 25, 1967

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: American

15 Ugo Monye

Famous As: Rugby union player

Birthdate: April 13, 1983

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: British

16 Ibtihaj Muhammad

Famous As: fencer

Birthdate: December 4, 1985

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: American

17 Tirunesh Dibaba

Famous As: long-distance runner, athletics competitor

Birthdate: June 1, 1985

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Ethiopian

18 Dwain Chambers

Famous As: Rugby league player, Sprinter

Birthdate: April 5, 1978

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: British

19 Kipchoge Keino

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: January 17, 1940

Sun Sign: Capricorn

Nationality: Kenyan

20 Meb Keflezighi

Famous As: Marathon runner, Long-distance runner, Athletics competitor

Birthdate: May 5, 1975

Sun Sign: Taurus

Nationality: Eritrean, American

21 Genzebe Dibaba

Famous As: Long-distance runner, Middle-distance runner, Athletics competitor

Birthdate: February 8, 1991

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Nationality: Ethiopian

22 Evelyn Ashford

Famous As: American olympic athlete

Birthdate: April 15, 1957

Sun Sign: Aries

Nationality: American

23 Joe Rokocoko

Famous As: Rugby union player

Birthdate: June 6, 1983

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Fijian, New Zealander

24 Ralph Metcalfe

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: May 29, 1910

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: American

Died: October 10, 1978

25 Alberto Juantorena

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: December 3, 1950

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: Cuban

26 Maria Mutola

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: October 27, 1972

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: Mozambican

27 Mamo Wolde

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: June 12, 1932

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Ethiopian

Died: May 26, 2002

28 Alice Coachman

Famous As: American olympic athlete

Birthdate: November 9, 1923

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: American

Died: July 14, 2014

29 Tyrese Johnson-Fisher

Famous As: American Football Player

Birthdate: September 9, 1999

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: British

30 Wyomia Tyus

Famous As: Olympic Athlete

Birthdate: August 29, 1945

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: American

31 Ralph Boston

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: May 9, 1939

Sun Sign: Taurus

Nationality: American

32 Milt Campbell

Famous As: Football Player

Birthdate: December 9, 1933

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: American

Died: November 2, 2012

33 Antonio Pettigrew

Famous As: Sprinter

Birthdate: November 3, 1967

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: American

Died: August 10, 2010

34 Charles Dumas

Famous As: Olympic athlete

Birthdate: February 12, 1937

Sun Sign: Aquarius

Nationality: American

Died: January 5, 2004

35 John Akii-Bua

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: December 3, 1949

Sun Sign: Sagittarius

Nationality: Ugandan

Died: June 20, 1997

36 Vonetta Flowers

Famous As: American bobsledder

Birthdate: October 29, 1973

Sun Sign: Scorpio

Nationality: American

37 John Youie Woodruff

Famous As: American track and field athlete

Birthdate: July 5, 1915

Sun Sign: Cancer

Nationality: American

Died: October 30, 2007

38 Ashwin Willemse

Famous As: Rugby union player

Birthdate: September 8, 1981

Sun Sign: Virgo

Nationality: South African

39 Adhemar da Silva

Famous As: Olympic Athlete

Birthdate: September 29, 1927

Sun Sign: Libra

Nationality: Brazilian

Died: January 12, 2001

40 João Carlos de Oliveira

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: May 28, 1954

Sun Sign: Gemini

Nationality: Brazilian

Died: May 29, 1999

41 Yobes Ondieki

Famous As: Long-distance runner

Birthdate: February 21, 1961

Sun Sign: Pisces

Nationality: Kenyan

42 Richard Chelimo

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: February 24, 1972

Sun Sign: Pisces

Nationality: Kenyan

Died: August 15, 2001

43 Barney Ewell

Famous As: Athlete

Birthdate: February 25, 1918

Sun Sign: Pisces

Nationality: American

Died: April 4, 1996