Nigel Benn
Graeme Sharp

Thomas Billington.

My sporting hero as a kid, and IMO one of the greatest British sportsmen of all time would have to be Francis Morgan Oyodélé Thompson. Yes, I did look that bit up, until I checked on Wikipedia I always thought his name was simply Daley Thompson.

Gold medals at two Olympics, a World Championships, two European Championships and three Commonwealth titles. Also broke the decathlon world record on four occasions and remained unbeaten in the decathlon for nine years.

spot on, always remember that back flip in 1984

Mike Gregory, Graeme Obree and Daley Thompson for me.

What about Daley thompsons T-shirts with slogans on ....

"is the worlds second best athlete Gay" having a pop at carl Lewis... you couldnt get away with that these days...

and anyone that whistles along to the National Anthem After being presented with an olympic Gold is a legend all the way....



from the Times
"What was going through your head when you whistled the national anthem on top of the podium in Los Angeles?
Nothing. I don't know why I did it, I just fancied a whistle. I thought they're playing my song up there and I fancy whistling along, that was about it. "

Superb.....

I don't know why people generally have to look so far back for greatness. Nobody has mentioned woods or federer. Anyway, i'm going for Usain Bolt. What he did was unbelievable.

Sporting hero is tough, there's so many that I admire or have admired at various time in my life.

Growing up, John Barnes was my idol, then Gower, then Robin Smith. I was always Robin Smith on the field. As I've got older, I've respected folk like Steve Waugh for what he was, if he didn't want to get out, he didn't get out. Jonty Rhodes was an incredible athlete and led the way for cricketers to be athletes as well. Linekar was another massive favourite of mine, I couldn't give a monkeys about his goalhanging, his movement was class and his first touch exceptional.

I could go on all day, I've so many, but Nick Faldo was special, so dedicated. Mike Tyson, not a hero but somebody who demanded respect as a raw teenager with so much aggresion, he was box office. Botham I only got the fat bloke bowling medium paces, fielding at slip. Darren Gough was somebody I idolised, tried to mimic his action. Lara, breaking the world record, losing it, getting it back. His concentration, WOW.

Really hard this.

Brian McClair and David Lyon.

Choccy, bleedin' choccy.

That's like me saying my hero was John Spencer.

Or, Cat saying his hero was, O'Neill Donaldson. Bloody choccy.

David Beckham & Ian Botham for me.

Becks is a decent call, not my idol, but somebody who I respect.

Paul Scholes and Tiger Woods are mine.

Putt them away in 1988 mate.

Anyhow, if Choccy was your hero, why have yo ustill got a lifesize poster of Neil Webb hanging on your wall with a glory hole cut out ?

For me the Heroes bit is not just about their sporting success or their personalities it is a combination of both. I often find that i am drawn to flawed geniuses people like Alex Higgins, John Mc Enroe or George Best. all of them great in their particular sport but all of them being REAL Characters who all stuck two fingers up at the establishment.

Probably one of the best though was Cassiuis Clay not just for what he did in the ring but also what he did as a person. refusing to go to Vietnam and being stripped of his titles but still coming back to be a true champion.

Cricket - Robin Smith loved the way he came out chewing his gum with the guard off his helmet. The guy oozed COOL and a great batter

Rugby - Bob Jackson, everything a sportsman should be rolled in to one guy

Football - Ryan Giggs, purely based on his sporting ethic

but my top sporting hero was Linford Christie, i was a 100m runner in my early to late teens until my knee injury and he was the guy i aspired to be.
I saw him in Sheffield, the speed of him was immense.

Depends on which time of my life you are taling about.

When I was a kid growing up

Cricket - Clive Lloyd, just an absolutely brilliant cricketer batting, fielding or even bowling. Had the please to meet hima few times and a real gent.

Rugby League - Could only be John Bevan, Parry Gordon a close second

Football - Kevin Keegan

Rubgy Union - yes I watch that as well, Fran Cotton and Graham Price

I was a member of the front row club myself.

American Football - John Riggins and Steve Largent

Tim Henman and Lee Briers

RL - Malcolm Reilly- toughest man i ever saw on the field but off it a pleasure to interview

Cricket - Michael Holding- Poetry in motion and frighteningly Quick

and non human- Red Rum - you will never see his like again

RL - Malcolm Reilly- toughest man i ever saw on the field but off it a pleasure to interview

Cricket - Michael Holding- Poetry in motion and frighteningly Quick

and non human- Red Rum - you will never see his like again

bob champion

Kenny dalglish..

Little andy greg...

Got me thinking, they aren't my heroes or anything, but I quite dig Torvill & Dean y'know, what they did in '84 was it. There's something sort of enchanting about what they did with the Bolero, telling a story and all that, just find it really captivating watching them and how they got to be the bestin the world, although I acknowledge that in getting for 11,000 attempts, this could be my gayest post yet, and there's been some pretty decent attempts so far.

Dan Marino when i was i lad he was one of my heros
Bob Nudd was another i was big in to fishing in my teens did alot of match fishing.
Football. Not real a hero but one of the best footballers i have every seen Georgi Kinkaldze