JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE
By simply judging this photograph, one would not know that Jackie Joyner-Kersee used to suffer severe asthma. But her discipline and dedication as a track and field athlete would help her overcome this and many other obstacles. She is ranked among the greatest athletes in long jump and heptathlon.
On Sept. 29, 1988, the four-time Olympic gold medalist leapt 7.40 meters to set what was then an Olympic record in long jump before an ecstatic crowd in Seoul, Korea. There were many rumors at the time linking her to supposed illegal substance use, but investigations would never prove any such claims.
Oscar Robertson The Offender
The NBA had a crazy year from 1961-62. The defense playing practically disappeared and the number of possessions each team had per game sky-rocketed. Beyond Wilt Chamberlain, almost no one gained anything more from this offensive boom. Unless you were Oscar Robertson. His triple-double average was buoyed by the fact that the team points per game average that year (118.8) was the highest in the league's history.
Of course, we will never see that little emphasis placed on defense ever again, so the probability of a player being able to maintain that kind of output for an entire season is non-existent.
JUAN MARICHAL
Avid baseball fans don’t have to watch a game to appreciate Juan Marichal. Just watching him train, winding up for a right-handed pitch can be entertaining enough. Marichal is known for his pinpoint accuracy. However, it is his high leg kicks, perhaps the highest in Major League history, that immediately distinguishes him from his peers.
This picture was taken on August 8, 1970, of the San Francisco Giants, who he played, for thirteen years.
ABEBE BIKILA
Before Ethiopian marathon runner, Abebe Bikila, started his athletic career, he first joined the Ethiopian Imperial Guard, and rose to the rank of captain. It was part of his regular exercise to run 20km a day through the Sululta Hills, and he was subsequently trained for the marathon by a Swedish coach who was the first to spot his potential.
Abebe Bikila runs barefoot in this photograph as he crosses the Arch of Constantine. With a time of 2:15:16.2, he set the Olympic world record on Sept. 10, 1960. Such competitions are held at night to avoid the sweltering heat of the daylight hours.
PAU GASOL
Spaniard professional basketball player, Pau Gasol, found himself at the tail end of a basketball rivalry that spanned decades. A rivalry that started even before the Magic Johnson and Larry Bird era, back when the Lakers and Celtics first met in the NBA finals in 1959.
This picture was shot during Game seven of the 2010 NBA Finals, where the Lakers won against the Celtics, and Pau Gasol was an instrumental figure in that game scoring 19 points, and grabbing 18 rebounds. Here, he celebrates as he finds himself at the successful end against their long-time rivals.