Bolt, Fraser-Pryce deserving of being among 100 greatest athletes of the 21st century
Published:Friday | July 19, 2024 | 12:09 AMOrane Buchanan/Staff Reporter
USAIN BOLT and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce’s names appearing on an ESPN list of the 100 greatest athletes of the 21st century threw up much discussion yesterday.
The sport broadcasting powerhouse listed Bolt as the ninth greatest athlete of the century while Fraser-Pryce enters the list at number 77.
Jamaica’s first 400-metre champion, Bertland Cameron, now a renowned coach, felt that Bolt’s position in the top 10 of the list, given his contribution to the sport, was justified.
“Bolt’s personality and the way he carried himself was just phenomenal,” Cameron said, pointing out that his charisma attracted many to track and field and was just as important as his on-the-track performances.
“It doesn’t take anything for him to be liked, and watching him over the years allowed me to realise that he had no fear, and if he had any, you wouldn’t recognise it,” said Cameron.
Bolt, widely regarded as the greatest sprinter of all time, holds the men’s 100- and 200-metre world records at 9.58 and 19.19, respectively. He is the only sprinter to win the sprint double title at three consecutive Olympic Games. Cameron added that the manner in which Bolt carried himself throughout his career was exemplary as even his competitors were appreciative of what he accomplished.
“His performances were beyond boundaries and were special. I just loved to be close to him to see his charisma as he was that great. None of his competitors had anything bad to say about it, and he is a gift from God who simply showcased himself as the greatest of all time.”
Cameron added that to have two athletes on the top 100 list is a “dream”.
“It’s awesome as Jamaica is small and to have two athletes on the list is a dream. We have more athletes knocking on the door for top 100 spots,” he said.
Ahead of Bolt on the list, in order of greatest down, are US swimmer Michael Phelps, tennis great Serena Williams, football legend Lionel Messi, NBA’s LeBron James, NFL’s Tom Brady, another tennis great, Swiss Roger Federer, American gymnast, Simone Byles, and former PGA Tour number-one Tiger Woods.
Bolt is ahead of the late Kobe Bryant of Los Angeles Lakers fame.
Affectionately called the ‘Pocket Rocket’, Fraser-Pryce is a two-time Olympic gold medallist over 200 metres, who, at the 2008 games, became the first woman from the Caribbean to win gold in the blue riband sprint.
According to former long jumper and hurdler Maurice Wignall, Fraser-Pryce’s joy for the sport also makes her a likeable character.
“When it comes to Fraser-Pryce, what stands out the most is her genuine joy for the sport. She has won everything there is to win, and she still has the joy for the sport, which makes people want to associate with her. Even when she is better than the field, she’s always pleasant,” said Wignall.
The seven-time national champion, Fraser-Pryce is heading to her fifth Olympic Games, and Wignall shared that similar to Bolt, Fraser-Pryce is a highly respected athlete who could or, maybe, should be ranked higher than 77.
“For her to be at 77th when she is probably the most decorated female athlete, I find that a little strange. She is the total package because if you look at all the things that would make up a great athlete, Fraser-Pryce has it. Marie-Josée Ta Lou-Smith recently came to Jamaica, and she shared that part of the reason for coming to Jamaica was to hang out with Fraser-Pryce.”
Fraser-Pryce, who along with Bolt, are two of three athletics professionals on the list, is just ahead of the oldest boxing world champion at 49 years’ old, Bernard Hopkins, and lies behind mixed martial artist Georges St Pierre.
American 200- and 400-metre specialist Allyson Felix, at 63, is the other athlete on the list.
According to ESPN, experts in individual sports were asked to vote to rank the top athletes in their sport since January 1, 2000 (no accomplishments before this date were to be considered). Those votes pared down pools in each sport to lists of 10 to 25 athletes each, which constituted the overall candidate pool for the top athletes of the 21st century so far. Each voter was presented two randomly selected names and asked to pick which one had the better career in the 21st century. Across repeated, randomised head-to-head matchups, more than 70,000 votes were cast at this stage, and using an Elo rating system, the list was pared down from 262 to 100. That list was then evaluated by a panel of experts for any inconsistencies or oversights, resulting in the top 100 ranking.