The ten British sports people you currently respect the most

[kabbes]

Emms has retired, true. But, then, Radcliffe hasn't achieved much either in the last few years.

What about the England Women's cricket team?

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

Chris Hoy didn't retire - he's injured.

 

[London_Calling]

The problem I have with the women's cricket team is there's not a lot of opposition for them, and what there is isn't all that - except for the inevitable convicts and maybe a couple of others. It's like being world class at curling.

Chris Hoy didn't retire - he's injured.

He didn't ? Is he?

 

[kabbes]

Too much Bran Flakes, if you know what I mean

 

[London_Calling]

Worst advert in history - it would look poor if this were the 1970s: "On yir bike!". Fook off you simple Sweaty.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

He didn't ? Is he?

Intends to defend his titles at 2012 though paduan learner Jason Kenny may well be too strong for him by then.

The Bran flakes ad is gash but he's one of sports good guys and fully deserves the exposure and cash.

 

[stavros]

Certainly no British footballer with the unlikely but possible exception of Giggs.

How about Paul Scholes? I agree Giggs has been the better player though.

 

[paulhackett]

Some not mentioned before.. some I don't respect off the field, some so much I removed them (Phil Taylor for the indecent assault conviction), some I don't respect for peeing on tv..

Jonny Wilkinson - turns up every 4 years and occasionally wins
Ben Ainslie - turns up every 4 years and wins
Dean Macey - for the aura of 'throwback' he gave off
Alex Ferguson - I hate him..
Kenny Dalglish - for Hillsborough amongst many things
Ronnie O'Sullivan - genius
Andrew Flintoff - turns up every 4 years and wins
Mick Channon - Better trainer than footballer?
Andy Murray - stupid amount of pressure
Darren Clarke - for the Ryder Cup

 

[1927]

if you will play for wales there are certain things you're going to have to forego.

He hardly had a choice did he? It was either Wales or Sierra Leone.

 

[London_Calling]

Some not mentioned before.. some I don't respect off the field, some so much I removed them (Phil Taylor for the indecent assault conviction), some I don't respect for peeing on tv..

Jonny Wilkinson - turns up every 4 years and occasionally wins
Ben Ainslie - turns up every 4 years and wins
Dean Macey - for the aura of 'throwback' he gave off
Alex Ferguson - I hate him..
Kenny Dalglish - for Hillsborough amongst many things
Ronnie O'Sullivan - genius
Andrew Flintoff - turns up every 4 years and wins
Mick Channon - Better trainer than footballer?
Andy Murray - stupid amount of pressure
Darren Clarke - for the Ryder Cup

Nice ideas.

I did think of 'that sailing guy' who you've kindly identifed as Ben Kingsley, sorry Ainslie, but O'Sullivan didn't occur and perhaps he should have.

Same with SAF, though he is just so charmless it irks me to consider him.

Mick Channon is another interesting choice, how many get to the very top in two completley different sports?

 

[paulhackett]

Nice ideas.

I did think of 'that sailing guy' who you've kindly identifed as Ben Kingsley, sorry Ainslie, but O'Sullivan didn't occur and perhaps he should have.

Same with SAF, though he is just so charmless it irks me to consider him.

Mick Channon is another interesting choice, how many get to the very top in two completley different sports?

If you'd said 5 people currently in sport or 10 people over the past 10 or 20years it would have been a lot easier to make a list. At the moment there are a lot of reluctant shoe ins just to make up numbers. I'm sure Ainslie is fantastic but he doesn't come with the same bragging rights as a Flintoff.

If you'd allowed a few years leeway, I would have had Martin Johnson and Jason Robinson (does league and union count as at the top in 2 sports?) and probably now Rebecca Romero? who won medals at cycling and rowing at the olympics, so she's my new Mick Channon..

Off the top of my head, of recent sportsmen, I can only think of Liam Botham as a professional in RL, RU and cricket. As football and cricket seem to be all year, the days of Phil Neale, Chris Balderstone (even Ian Botham) playing both have gone? I think post-war someone like Compton was the last to get international recognition in football and cricket (or maybe it was Edrich?).

 

[London_Calling]

There are a lot of cyclists to choose from, and maybe even rowers.

Interesting that no one has mentioned Christine Ohuruogu.

 

[paulhackett]

There are a lot of cyclists to choose from, and maybe even rowers.

Interesting that no one has mentioned Christine Ohuruogu.

I don't know about other people, but some sports are tainted or the sport itself and the amount of success by all the British competitors swamp the individual achievements? If you put in Hoy, why not Wiggins, Cavendish, Pendleton.. people remember David Wilkie probably as much for the commentary when he won and that no-one else from Britain could swim without rubber rings in 1976..

Athletics and cycling both have doping issues.

 

[kabbes]

I nominate Christine Ohuruogu.

 

[London_Calling]

People in leafy Surrey can't even pronouce 'Christine'.

 

[kabbes]

Is it pronounced "BMW X-5"?

 

[London_Calling]

It's euphemistically pronouced 'Londoner'.

 

[kabbes]

I pronounce it "Clean as a whistle, mate"