# Most athletic person ever. **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 10, 2017, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635 "2017-06-10T19:59:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/81 "2017-06-13T18:54:13Z")
> [@madsircool](#): > > I meant that he trained as a Peking Opera performer…not as a martial artist. He is not a Bruce Lee or Chuck Norris. Jackie Chan is a martial artist. I expect Lee or Norris would beat him in a fight but Chan is a black belt in at least one discipline so he is no slouch. > [@](#): > > After entering the film industry, Chan along with Sammo Hung got the opportunity to train in Hapkido under the grand master Jin Pal Kim, and Chan eventually attained a black belt. Jackie Chan also trained in other styles of Martial Arts such as Karate, Judo, TaeKwonDo, & Jeet Kune Do. > > SOURCE: [Jackie Chan - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Chan#Early_life) ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/82 "2017-06-13T19:50:11Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > I added Deion Sanders above but my vote is for Bo Jackson. Phenomenal athlete, a multi-sport star. It’s a shame his career was cut short by injury. It seems to me the ability to perform athletically without getting hurt is intrinsically part of the concept of “athleticism.” ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/83 "2017-06-13T21:16:01Z")
Someone made a case for Herschel Walker a few posts back – I don’t know if he’s in the conversation of _the_ best athlete but he was definitely a phenomenal athlete regardless. ---
**Author:** ![Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a183cd/32.png) [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barkis_is_Willin)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/84 "2017-06-13T23:25:44Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > It seems to me the ability to perform athletically without getting hurt is intrinsically part of the concept of “athleticism.” The ability to perform without getting injured is more about luck than athleticism. Especially for a running back. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/85 "2017-06-14T00:22:49Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > The ability to perform without getting injured is more about luck than athleticism. Especially for a running back. Particularly in Jackson’s case – his hip injury was a truly freak thing, from an awkward angle on a tackle, and, IMO, had nothing to do with his athleticism (or any perceived lack thereof). Video of the play on which he was injured, with some discussion from Jackson and others: Also, I think it says something for Jackson’s athleticism that in 1991, he hit 3 home runs for the White Sox, while playing with a degenerative hip condition that would require replacement of his hip joint a few months later. And, then, after taking 1992 off to rehabilitate, he hit 29 home runs in '93 and '94, while playing on an artificial hip! ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/86 "2017-06-14T03:35:54Z")
Other guys have come back from pretty serious injuries. Bo Jackson was an impressively strong and fast baseball player but was not a great one; he was certainly not one of the 2000 best players in major league history. That he played both professional football and baseball is itself wildly impressive, of course, but so did Deion Sanders. The votes for Jackson are basically because he was quite famous, wildly out of proportion to his actual accomplishments. In terms of his combination of strength, agility and speed he is easily matched by any number of decathletes we’ve never heard of. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 4:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/87 "2017-06-14T04:15:23Z")
Haven’t seen any women on this list. I’d nominate Babe Didrikson Zaharias, although her personality made her a person most people would NOT want their daughters to emulate. > **[Babe Didrikson Zaharias](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babe_Didrikson_Zaharias)** > > Mildred Ella "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias (/zəˈhɑːriəs/; née Didrikson; June 26, 1911 – September 27, 1956) was an American athlete who excelled in golf, basketball, baseball and track and field. She won two gold medals in track and field at the 1932 Summer Olympics, before turning to professional golf and winning 10 LPGA major championships. > Mildred Ella Didrikson was born on June 26, 1911, the sixth of seven children, in the coastal city of Port Arthur, Texas. Her mother, Hannah, and her fathe... ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/88 "2017-06-14T10:11:29Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Haven’t seen any women on this list. I’d nominate Babe Didrikson Zahariasl She was mentioned in the first response. ---
**Author:** ![Marci\_Al](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Marci\_Al](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marci_Al)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/89 "2017-06-14T10:27:34Z")
The two most accepted measures for a human male are running prowess and physical strength. So it’s either Bolt or Alexeyev. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 11:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/90 "2017-06-14T11:09:32Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > Other guys have come back from pretty serious injuries. That may be so but there’s a difference between a running back trying to regain form from a hip injury and QB trying to recover from a broken leg or even back surgery. There’s a reason why running backs typically have among the shortest-lived careers in the NFL and why backs such as Adrian Peterson, who have been consistently good over a decade, are extremely rare. A running back has to use his legs to accelerate and run over people. A hip injury or an injured ACL takes a great running back and makes him just another running back. > [@RickJay](#): > > Bo Jackson was an impressively strong and fast baseball player but was not a great one; he was certainly not one of the 2000 best players in major league history. He absolutely was among one of the most talented running backs of his time; he was just never completely healthy. But if you look at yards per rush, it’s right up there with the all-time greats. He had 5.4 yards per carry, which would put him at 5th best all time in that respect. Some might point out that he didn’t carry the ball that much but then again, he shared the backfield with Marcus freaking Allen. Jackson had a 221-yard game that was a record until Napolean Kaufman broke it about a decade later. I would love to have seen someone with his raw talent play in today’s game where offenses spread the ball around more. As a football player, Jackson was among the most talented to play as any I’ve seen. He’s probably underrated as a football player. > [@RickJay](#): > > That he played both professional football and baseball is itself wildly impressive, of course, but so did Deion Sanders. If he’s overrated, it’s as a baseball player. A pretty pedestrian batting average, but with awesome raw power. From 1987 to 1990 he hit 22, 25, 32, and 28 homers respectively. This was before the steroids era of the 1990s and early 2000s, so he was among the league leaders in power stats. He could have hit better for average. Still, overall, it’s an impressive resume. I’d still argue that Deoin Sanders was, overall, better. Certainly better football player. Sanders was probably a better contact hitter and was good on the bases, but lacked Jackson’s power. > [@RickJay](#): > > The votes for Jackson are basically because he was quite famous, wildly out of proportion to his actual accomplishments. In terms of his combination of strength, agility and speed he is easily matched by any number of decathletes we’ve never heard of. I’d agree that he’s probably not among the best of the best, but he was still a phenom. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/91 "2017-06-14T14:54:57Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Marci Al** : > > The two most accepted measures for a human male are running prowess and physical strength. So it’s either Bolt or Alexeyev. Bolt isn’t even unambiguously the best runner in the world. He’s certainly the best sprinter, but does that make him a better runner than the best marathoner? And even if we take strength and speed as the only two criteria, what’s Bolt’s clean-and-jerk, or Alexeyev’s 100 meter? If there’s someone out there who’s nearly as fast as Bolt and nearly as strong as Alexeyev, that person would probably qualify as more athletic than either. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/92 "2017-06-14T16:47:47Z")
Somehow I doubt Vasily Alekseyev was very fast. I think the “most athletic” title pretty much has to go to someone who has exhibited skill in many disciplines, because there’s no objective way to say that the world’s fastest sprinter is faster than the worst’s best weightlifter is strong. And we’re not even into endurance, agility, or any of that. The world’s best gymnast would surely think Usain Bolt a hapless klutz at gymnastics; why would s/he not qualify as a superior athlete? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/93 "2017-06-14T16:56:53Z")
> [@RickJay](#): > > \*\*Somehow I doubt Vasily Alekseyev was very fast. > \*\* > I think the “most athletic” title pretty much has to go to someone who has exhibited skill in many disciplines, because there’s no objective way to say that the world’s fastest sprinter is faster than the worst’s best weightlifter is strong. And we’re not even into endurance, agility, or any of that. The world’s best gymnast would surely think Usain Bolt a hapless klutz at gymnastics; why would s/he not qualify as a superior athlete? Not running but Olympic weightlifting requires speed, power, balance and co-ordination. Still not necessarily most athletic. ---
**Author:** ![TonySinclair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@TonySinclair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TonySinclair)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/94 "2017-06-14T17:25:04Z")
> [@Barkis\_is\_Willin](#): > > The ability to perform without getting injured is more about luck than athleticism. Especially for a running back. Right, I prefer running backs who didn’t have their legs ripped out of their sockets. ---
**Author:** ![phungi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/phungi/32/395_2.png) [@phungi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phungi)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/95 "2017-06-14T18:59:00Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > I only really follow basketball so I’m ignorant of the wider sports world, but I’m wondering if there’s anyone in the running for most athletic seven footer beside Wilt Chamberlain. He’s known for basketball, but he also did track and field, weight lifting, and ran ultra marathons, though I’m dubious about the PRs you find for him online. But looking at old video he’s certainly quick and agile for such a big guy. If his claim of [sleeping with 20,000 women](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29K5HnIJ4AY) is even _close to_ valid, he gets my vote… ---
**Author:** ![BlankSlate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blankslate/32/80_2.png) [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/96 "2017-06-14T19:31:03Z")
> [@marshmallow](#): > > I only really follow basketball so I’m ignorant of the wider sports world, but I’m wondering if there’s anyone in the running for most athletic seven footer beside Wilt Chamberlain. He’s known for basketball, but he also did track and field, weight lifting, and ran ultra marathons, though I’m dubious about the PRs you find for him online. But looking at old video he’s certainly quick and agile for such a big guy. Did you ever see the young [Shaquille O’Neal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DSN1KnAW-Y)? A 7’1" monster who could run the floor. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/97 "2017-06-15T00:14:03Z")
> [@asahi](#): > > He {Bo Jackson} absolutely was among one of the most talented running backs of his time; he was just never completely healthy. He had limited NFL playing time, but, IIRC, it had little to do with any injuries (until the hip injury ended his football career). He had committed to playing baseball full-time with the Royals, which was why the Buccaneers (who had drafted him with the first overall pick in 1986) were never able to sign him – they wanted him to only play football. As he never signed with Tampa Bay, Jackson was draft-eligible once again in ‘87, and the Raiders picked him, telling him that they would be willing to let him play baseball, and then join the Raiders after the Royals’ season had ended. Thus, he did this for all four seasons in which he played for the Raiders, only joining the team in October (which is why he never played in more than 11 games in a season). ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/98 "2017-06-15T02:35:36Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > She was mentioned in the first response. I didn’t notice that I was on page 2 until after I made that post. :smack: ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/99 "2017-06-15T03:04:58Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > He had limited NFL playing time, but, IIRC, it had little to do with any injuries (until the hip injury ended his football career). > > He had committed to playing baseball full-time with the Royals, which was why the Buccaneers (who had drafted him with the first overall pick in 1986) were never able to sign him – they wanted him to only play football. As he never signed with Tampa Bay, Jackson was draft-eligible once again in ‘87, and the Raiders picked him, telling him that they would be willing to let him play baseball, and then join the Raiders after the Royals’ season had ended. > > Thus, he did this for all four seasons in which he played for the Raiders, only joining the team in October (which is why he never played in more than 11 games in a season). At the time (and still now, I think), you could make more $$$ if baseball than in football. You’re right in saying that his early years were not necessarily about injuries. Firstly, as I mentioned earlier, sharing the backfield with #32 had something to do with that. And you’re also right in that baseball was probably more of a commitment. The injury factored into his longevity as an NFL back. Still, 5+ yard per carry is quite impressive. I don’t use that stat to compare him to Jim Brown or Walter Payton as though they had similar accomplishments. But I think it’s fair to say that any guy who can play somewhat regularly over 5 years and _average_ 5+ yds per touch is a damn talented running back. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [June 15, 2017, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635/100 "2017-06-15T03:07:54Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#): > > Did you ever see the young [Shaquille O’Neal](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DSN1KnAW-Y)? A 7’1" monster who could run the floor. Shaquille had awesome legs, feet, and body control for someone his size. The only issue was his arms / hands when shooting. I remember the one time he got into an actual fight with another player on the floor – can’t remember who now. But O’Neal threw a punch with bad intentions and I swear, everyone – Shaq, the intended target, and the NBA – is lucky that thing didn’t land flush on the guy’s jaw. If Shaq had connected, he would have shattered the guy’s face. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/most-athletic-person-ever/788635.md?page=6)