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stevep
Boulder climber
Salt Lake, UT
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Jul 11, 2013 - 10:18am PT
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Yeah, that's what Lance said as well Jennie. "Never failed a test". Same with Carl Lewis. But most in track and field think they were doping.
And there is little doubt about the East German women from the 80s. It's highly likely they were doped to the gills.
There are plenty of female athletes to admire. And maybe those you mentioned would have won anyway. But those records were dope enhanced.
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old craghag
Sport climber
Bishop
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Jul 11, 2013 - 11:35am PT
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John Bachar soloing Father Figure. He wanted me to photograph him but, I refused. I was afraid he'd fall from the crux near the top. I hid in the bushes and watched from afar. He sent the climb in perfect Bachar style.
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Jul 11, 2013 - 01:18pm PT
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And for goose bump producing, awe-inspiring performance, don't forget Kerri Strug's second vault in the 1996 Olympics. Perfect execution in a nano second, landing on two feet - with one ankle badly injured - securing the gold for the US women's team.
One of my all time favortie great athletic performances came on my very first visit to a pro baseball game. Dad (who hated baseball) took me to a double-header for my birthday. My favorite ballplayer was Bobby Murcer. He hit four consecutive homeruns, tying a major league record which still stands today. That was fabulously exciting to see.
No one mentioned the perfect game in the World Series. Don Larsen's game still stands as the only perfect game in world series history. Incredible focus and execution.
Another inspiring accomplishment, Greg Louganis won gold medals at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games on both the springboard and platform. He is the only male and the second diver in Olympic history to sweep the diving events in consecutive Olympic Games.
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Seamstress
Trad climber
Yacolt, WA
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Jul 11, 2013 - 01:22pm PT
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For amazingly awesome in several sports, Joan Joyce. I saw her pitch.
Softball
Joyce played for the Brakettes from 1954–1963, the Lionettes from 1964-1966, and again the Brakettes from 1967–1975, In her career, she racked up many of the sports' records, which have yet to be broken:
Most consecutive all-star team selections (18)
Eight-time MVP in the National Tournament (1961, 1963, 1968, 1971 (co-MVP), 1973, 1974, and 1975)
Most victories in a season (42) (in 1974)
Two no-hit, no-run games in National Tournament (four times)
Shutouts in a season (38 in 1974)
Most innings pitched in a game (29 in 1968 against Perkasie)
Career doubles (153)
Doubles in a season (22 in 1968)
Career triples (67)
Brakettes team batting champion (1960, 1962, 1967–69, 1973)
Highest batting average (.467 in 1971)
Her pitches were extremely fast at over 70 miles per hour. She pitched 150 no-hitters and 50 perfect games, with a lifetime earned run average of 0.09. In her record-setting 42-win season, she pitched 38 shutouts. Her 1974 Brakettes team was the first American team to win the world championship.[2]
After softball, she joined the LPGA Tour, which she was on from 1977–1994.[4] Her best finishes included sixth-place in tournaments in 1981, 1982 and 1984, including a round of 66.[4] She is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for lowest number of putts (17) in a single round (both men and women), set at the 1982 Lady Michelob.
Joyce served as player and coach in the United States Volleyball Association with the Connecticut Clippers. She competed in four national tournaments, and was named to the All-East Regional team.
Joyce played on the USA women's national basketball team in 1964 and 1965, setting a national tournament single game scoring record in 1964 with 67 points. She was a four-time Women's Basketball Association All-American, and a three-time Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) All-America player.
In exhibition games, she struck out Ted Williams at Municipal Stadium in Waterbury, Connecticut in 1961 (also during a brief stint in 1966) and Hank Aaron in 1978.[1]
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Fletcher
Trad climber
The great state of advaita
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Jul 11, 2013 - 01:28pm PT
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I agree with all of those seamstress. Good ones! Our family got to see a lot of Greg Louganis this past winter/spring when he was filming a "diving with the stars" type show at our family's aquatic center. That was fun to be around.
Eric
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Worster than you
Mountain climber
Lafayette, CA
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Jul 11, 2013 - 02:07pm PT
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A track and field slant myself, and will throw in a big vote for Jesse Owens, but not his Olympic performance. Check out his "finest hour." In about 45 minutes at the 1935 Big Ten Championships, he broke three world records and tied a fourth (100y, long jump, 220y, 220y hurdles)
I give a hearty vote for Phelps 2008 as well, but my vote for best performance I have watched live-ish (and not mentioned here) goes to the 2012 Olympic men's 800m. Poetry in motion and one of the best field performances (ton of PRs and NRs) in any event ever.
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Alas, Jennie, as much as I want to believe those women's performances, there is simply too much doubt on them to hold them in the same light as other performances. Cynically, we don't know if ANY performance is really clean, but women's performances in the 70s and 80s (Germany and US) leave a long shadow.
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Inner City
Trad climber
East Bay
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Jul 11, 2013 - 02:52pm PT
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I can't believe that this has not been said before,
But Michael Jordan! A large number of hyper-athletic types are all trying to play NBA basketball. Not just big guys, but guards, who are quick and extremely athletic. Jordan stands above them all and this youtube shows his 63 pt performance in the playoffs against Boston.
He had 49 points in the previous game so everyone was quite aware of him.
He still had his way with the mighty Celts. The vid is quite revealing of his otherworldly skills and shown in a no-time-wasted fashion. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91Tmg96qq7k
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Jul 11, 2013 - 03:02pm PT
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Muhammad Ali, Jack Nicklaus, Sugar Ray Leonard, Magic Johnson, Alex Honnold, Kelly Slater, and Lebron James are just some of the greats that have dazzled me for years... but Lynn Hill's free climb of the Nose in a day was the most awe inspiring thing I've ever seen or heard of in my life. When it happened I said it was the greatest athletic achievement of all time.
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Marlow
Sport climber
OSLO
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Jul 11, 2013 - 03:10pm PT
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Yes, here's one of the pictures.
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Rudder
Trad climber
Costa Mesa, CA
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Jul 11, 2013 - 03:44pm PT
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^^^^ YES! :)
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Jul 11, 2013 - 04:34pm PT
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There are plenty of female athletes to admire. And maybe those you mentioned would have won anyway. But those records were dope enhanced.
Alas, Jennie, as much as I want to believe those women's performances, there is simply too much doubt on them to hold them in the same light as other performances. Cynically, we don't know if ANY performance is really clean, but women's performances in the 70s and 80s (Germany and US) leave a long shadow.
Proof, gentlemen?
Droll how cynicism functions without it...
FloJo exhibited none of the pronounced effects steroids cause in women...deepening of the voice, increased body hair (including the growth of dark facial hair), loss of scalp hair, liver or kidney damage, thickening of the brow, increased levels of LDL cholesterol.
...and again, no trace of illegal drugs in her body and no elevated red blood cell count common in steroid users.
Why was Ben Johnson indicted without doubt (steroid use is more detectible in women), yet Florence not?
Prince Alexandre de Merode, chairman of the International Olympic Committee's medical commission, addressed these rumors when he said that Griffith-Joyner had been singled out for rigorous drug testing because of steroid allegations. He said she passed every test.
"So there should not be the slightest suspicion," he said. "Let her rest in peace. The issue is closed."
But it's not closed...
Jealousy and envy will drive scoffers on, tarnishing the legacy of a tried and true sprint phenomenon.
She was in a class by herself... in the eyes of the women she opened doors for, her star will always shine.
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goatboy smellz
climber
Nederland-GulfBreeze
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Jul 11, 2013 - 05:36pm PT
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
Jul 10, 2013 - 08:45pm PT
No offense Goatbot, but your post is out of context.
Which one?
Kit's solo ski decent of the Grand or Ali's comeback.
Please elaborate.
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zBrown
Ice climber
Brujo de La Playa
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Jul 11, 2013 - 05:49pm PT
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Not many atheletes had to overcome polio first.
Wilma Rudoph. (Special guest narration by Guido Pistachio).
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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Worster than you
Mountain climber
Lafayette, CA
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Jul 11, 2013 - 05:58pm PT
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I wrote a great little post explaining my distrust of many performances and then deleted it all. This should be a thread about celebrating the performances, not tearing them down.
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Kalimon
Social climber
Ridgway, CO
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Jul 11, 2013 - 06:27pm PT
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Goatboy I was referring to Kit.
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goatboy smellz
climber
Nederland-GulfBreeze
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Jul 11, 2013 - 06:31pm PT
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Thanks for the reply, personally having skied the Grand with less pressure in my 20's, and taking 30 hours to do it, I thought it was damn impressive.
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Jennie
Trad climber
Elk Creek, Idaho
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Jul 11, 2013 - 07:05pm PT
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Any ski descent of the Grand is an awesome acconplishment.
I've climbed the terrain of all the Grand ski descents and recognized such a feat was well beyond my zone of comfort and daring.
It would have been interesting contemplating such an adventure at a Teton Tea Party at the time Bill Briggs first succeeded at it in the 1970's...
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goatboy smellz
climber
Nederland-GulfBreeze
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Jul 11, 2013 - 07:33pm PT
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I worked with Bill as a ski instructor at his Snow King school.
He taught me all the old tricks.
When he had hip surgery he asked the doctors to fuse his hips in a downhill stance so he could still ski, that's why he walked funny.
Great guy, very inspirational, despite the scientology hoodoo guru.
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Toker Villain
Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
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Jul 11, 2013 - 07:36pm PT
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Anybody seen Balkan Dirt Diving?
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