Carl Lewis has set many world records in track and field, winning sixty-five consecutive competitions in ten years, and earning ten Olympic gold medals, and so much more, in fact, he went on to be voted as the “World Athlete of the Century” and “Sportsman of the Century by track and field organizations.
Lewis’ winning moment is captured in this photograph, as he celebrates during the Summer Olympics on Aug. 8, 1992. He set another world record, this time in the 4x100m relay. He ran the final leg in just 8.86 seconds—a record that would remain unbroken until 2007.
TED WILLIAMS
Teammates surround Ted Williams during Spring Training in March of 1956. Everyone would be curious as to what Williams had to say when it comes to the sport of baseball. He was a six-time American League batting champion, also an MVP award recipient, and in this photograph he is acting out his batting form to his audience in Florida.
In 1956, Ted Williams hit .345, with a Major League best of .479 that season. He played for 19 years solely as a left fielder for the Boston Red Sox.
DICK BUTKUS
This is a photograph of Dick Butkus hustling his way through a game with the St. Louis Cardinals. This was taken the same season that he would be awarded the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. He won it again the next season for his relentless efforts.
Dick Butkus was regarded as one of the most intimidating linebackers of the game, and this picture shows us a little bit of how “The Most Feared Man” operates in the field. He played for the Chicago Bears from 1965 to 1973.
FLORENCE GRIFFITH-JOYNER
The famously controversial track and field athlete achieved her suspiciously good record and was accused multiple times of using PEDs. She does go down as one of the most tested athletes in sports history! Not once did she fail. Her 200m time in the 1988 Olympics still has yet to be challenged.
The closest anyone has come was Allyson Felix at the 2012 Olympics, and even she was well short with a time of 21.69.
SERENA WILLIAMS
In 2015, Serena Williams beat Maria Sharapova to claim her sixth Australian Open title. It also marked her 16th consecutive victory over the Russian pro-tennis player. This photograph shows Serena Williams in 2007 as she celebrates winning a point against Sharapova.
This was the year she would start with renewed vigor, challenging herself to rise up in the rankings once more. She was unseeded in the 2007 Australian Open tournament after dropping to number 81 in the world rankings, regarded as out of shape. She ousted Maria Sharapova in the tournament, marking the start of her journey back to the number one spot.