You don't need to be an 'investor' to invest in Singletrack: 6 days left: 95% of target - Find out more
Sugar Ray Robinson, many better known and remembered but none better or more dominant imho.
Cavendish might well end up dominating sprinting, but is that enough to be considered dominant in tour cycling?
There is a common theme though - these sports you are talking about are all minority participation, mostly. The bigger the sport, the more competition, the more players, surely?
Tennis perhaps is the biggest sport mentioned here surely? Maybe cycling or distance running too.
Anne-Caroline Chausson
[img] 
[/img]
19 (NINETEEN) World Titles in MTB/BMX
She's also 2008 Olympic Champion in BMX
Wilt Chamberlain. Only a two-time NBA Champion, but as an individual completely dominated. His [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_career_achievements_by_Wilt_Chamberlain ]career achievements[/url] are incredible.
Valentino Rossi.
And in terms of a more niche sport, didn't Rodney Mullen only lose something like one flatland competition in 11 years?
Ian Holmes
Dougie Lampkin
Stefan Everts
(funny how they're both the offspring of multiple world championship winning fathers)
Ingemar Stenmark.
All Blacks - dominance like theirs in a team sport is quite unusual.
Lester Piggott, won his first race at the age of 12, won the derby at 18, was champion jockey 11 times and hold the all time record for 30 English classic victories a week after coming out of retirement at the age of 56 he won the richest mile race in the world with a ride of sheer genius, no one else in the world would have won on this horse that day. That he was 56 years old makes it all the more amazing.
Its intresting to look at the Us comentry, they hardly mention the great man till he turns up and wins.
Michael Johnson was pretty much unbeatable for a lengthy period. I would imagine Usain Bolt, as long as he avoids false starts, should win every race he enters.
19 (NINETEEN) World Titles in MTB/BMXShe's also 2008 Olympic Champion in BMX
And she hasn't won the best of all moutain bike races, what I think is the pinnacle of our sports 😉
Martin Schanche - 6 FIA European rallycross titles. Not too shabby.
I know Nico won the most world champs etc, but surely Mr Steve Peat has dominated (male) DH (British DH in particular) over the last 15-20 years?
When you take in his influence on supporting other riders, local races and being in the top 10 world riders for so long it's hard to see past him.
To do all that and to be a nice chap without a mad person's ego is pretty cool too.
Whoever posted the pic of Bernie has to have the answer. No other person has shaped an entire sport in the same way, with the possible exception of William Webb Ellis.
.
For competitors the answer has to be WG Grace.
My first thought was Bjorn Dunkerbeck, and glad to see his name come up already. World champion at just 18 then world champion for the next 12 years. And this year world race champion.
World speed record holder for any water craft.
A machine.
Not anymore.
I'd say Robby Naish over Dunkerbeck anyway.
So, injury set her back both times
I agree that if she hadn't got injured she might have dominated her sport, but she did and she didn't. Though then again, what about all the other global championships she hasn't won during her period of "domination"? This thread is about people dominating their sport, not just being the best at the particular sport they do.
Or do you think Kelly Holmes dominated middle distance running over many years? I mean her results when not injured suggest she would have beaten everybody if she'd stayed fit.
Another +1 for Bjorn Dunkerbeck in Windsurfing - proper domination of the sport.
He would be the equivalent of genuinely dominating XC [b]and[/b] DH for the best part of two decades.
He is dominant now in sprinting, and very successful, but in historical terms? In the sport overall?
Well in historical terms, at the age of 26 after only 5 years of riding the TdF, he's only 2 behind the most stage wins ever won by a sprinter in the TdF. He's only 14 behind the most stage wins by anybody. Given his mentor, Erik Zabel, was winning stages up to the age of 32, and his hit rate, you'd expect him to take the sprinters' record next year and the overall record before he retires. Only Mercx averaged more stage wins per tour then Cav is.
Given the rare chance of a sprinters' WC he won that too.
I'd suggest that was pretty dominant - I don't think there is much disputing that he is the best road race sprinter there's ever been.
how about nick craig
What has Nick Dominated? certainly not the world .Been a very good rider for years but not dominated.
Mercxx in road cycling. Followed by the badger and coppi. Nico in dh. The aussie cricket team for several decades. Prob tyson in boxing even if he was a total animal. Sampras and graf in tennis. And can't be bothered to think of anymore
I'm no football fan, but hey.. these guys are pretty good I've been told... Semm to have won a few things..donestuff..kicked balls around..got paid billions for doing it.. yadda yadda, but can't deny their dominance.
[img] 
[/img]
ElfinsafetyOk; name a female marathon runner who has bin as dominant in her sport as comprehensively as Paula has. Y'know, as the TITLE QUESTION ASKED?
You can't, can you?
Ingrid Kristiansen, you Muppet!
No other runner in history, - male or female has held the World Records on: 5,000m, 10,000m, 15 km, half marathon and marathon concurrently.
Perhaps the greatest female distance runner of all time. IAAF World Champion on all surfaces: On Track, Road and Cross Country
Andy Mapple was rather impressive too. Even if his wakeboard was on the wrong way round.
[img] 
[/img]
This man did alright for himself.[img] 
[/img]
Ryoko Tani, -48kg womens Judoka.
Undefeated in major championships from 1996 to 2008 when a dodgy decision in the Beijing Olympics meant she could only win bronze, her fifth Olympic medal.
World Champion from 1993 to 2007, missing only 2005 for the birth of her 1st child.
So fast and dominant for well over a decade. Also had a record 84 fights undefeated.
I wondered if there was a long running tiddly winks champion and had a look. I dunno if he's really consistent from looking at the squiggly lines. But I like the fact it's all there charted and graphed for future generations to look upon this most sporting of talents and weep!
http://www.etwa.org/ratings/index.html
If waterskiing was an Olympic sport (it is supported by the IOC, or was, but not in the games) Andy Mapple OBE would certainly now be a British hero of Redgrave status. For whatever reason, it never got in the games, but was often on the shortlist. I think there were 7 Olympic games within his career as IWSF ranked world No1 and he would certainly have been favourite at them all, subject to injury. Bit unfortunate for him, but the yanks love him nevertheless.
[img] 
[/img]
Good shout. Boxing has been a major sport for over 100 years, was the pre-eminent sport in the US 1900-1950, and the one man who always tops the pound for pound lists is SRR. Given the multitude of great fighters at all the different weights, it's sort of amazing that there is a consensus view. But there is, and it is that Sugar Ray Robinson was the greatest fighter who ever laced them up.Sugar Ray Robinson, many better known and remembered but none better or more dominant imho.
Floyd is a very dominant active fighter. Whatever you think of his pissing around not fighting Pacquiao, it's fair to say that he has never been taken into deep waters in any fight as a pro. It's fingers of one hand trying to come up with fights where he has even been under pressure for a round or two (Castillo fight from memory he didn't dominate). He'll go down as a true great, but no modern fighter can match the old timers in terms of their records.
Another (really) niche guy not mentioned yet - [url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marion_Tinsley ]Marion Tinsley[/url] was the greatest checkers players of all time, the game we would call draughts. He was literally playing a different game to everyone else - lost 7 games in 45 years! He got bored playing humans, and battled computers in his latter years - he passed away in the 90s.
martin lampkin.multiple world champion? much respect for a silsdan lad but he won once and that when most of the competition was born in yarkshire
doug has 10 world titles and did dominate for a period
Bou though is significantly better than anyone currently riding and will win as many world championships as he wants
Climber side.
[img] 
[/img]
Fred Beckey not only pretty much instituted climbing in the states... he dominated the lifestyle! He is 80 in that photo! and still a semi homeless dirtbag.
Man.
And, of course,
[img] 
[/img]
The greatest female marathon runner in history. Has won a countless number of races. Holds the WR which is almost 3 minutes faster than the next best time. Has won several races in a faster time than any other woman has ever run.
Elfin thedoctor is right. I am a fan of Radcliffes but she has never been dominant even in the marathon. Unlike Kristianson Radcliffe competes at a time when there are significantly more marathon runners around. weitz was also more dominant IMO.
I struggle to see how Kurt Albert dominated anything. He wasn't even the best climber in the Frankenjura. In fact, he wasn't even the best climber in his house! That was Gullich and he wasn't as good as Moffet.
I was trying to think of dominant climbers, but it's difficult to measure. John Dunne dominated my local Yorkshire Grit scene for 10 years, that's as far as I got.
Another +1 for Bjorn Dunkerbeck in Windsurfing - proper domination of the sport.[b]He would be the equivalent of genuinely dominating XC and DH for the best part of two decades.[/b]
True, but to do a proper comparison with cycling it would also be the equivalent of having picked up a few road and trials championships while truly dominating XC and DH.
Hey was winning: (with a rough (arguable) comparison to cycle sports)
Course racing and long distance (Road)
Slalom (XC)
Wave (DH)
Freestyle (Trials)
Speed (Time trial)
Is there anyone out there who can ride a road bike like Contador, XC bike like Absalon, DH like Danny Hart, Trials like Danny Mac, Time Trial like Cancellara and compete on one of these disciplines today and then the other the next.
Bikebouy sort of beat me to it, but my suggestion was going to be Ryan Giggs.
And related, although not on a performance level - Sir Alex
Agree with lots above, plus a blast from the (recent) past:
Ingemar Stenmark - slalom master skier
2nd vote for Gretzky. For obvious reasons he's still known as 'The Great One' He holds 61 NHL records, scored 1000 points MORE than the 2nd record holder (Mark Messier) & theres still no hockey player even on the horizon who'll take his place.
[img] 
[/img]
Dominant climber now is Adam Ondra. By far the best in the world and likely to be for a good few years yet.
Joss Naylor?
Those who know the name know I'm right!
True, but to do a proper comparison with cycling it would also be the equivalent of having picked up a few road and trials championships while truly dominating XC and DH.Hey was winning: (with a rough (arguable) comparison to cycle sports)
Course racing and long distance (Road)
Slalom (XC)
Wave (DH)
Freestyle (Trials)
Speed (Time trial)Is there anyone out there who can ride a road bike like Contador, XC bike like Absalon, DH like Danny Hart, Trials like Danny Mac, Time Trial like Cancellara and compete on one of these disciplines today and then the other the next.
Yup, that sums up Dunkerbeck better. True master...
Jared Graves and Jill Kintner in 4x, especially as 4x is dead.
anyone said jan zelezni* yet?
(javelinist)
(*spelling?)
Joss Naylor?
Those who know the name know I'm right!
*cough* Billy Bland *cough*
My actual vote would go to Haile Gebrselassie though.
Ricky Carmicheal in motocross? Unbeatlable for ten years fromt eh mid 90s IIRC
Mike Tyson dominated heavyweight boxing like no other . World class opponents were mostly terrified before the first bell and usually dispached in double quick time . Then Buster Douglas went and beat him , albeit with the help of a long count , and it all went downhill from there as they say .
Not really. He was certainly dominant but the opposition was pish-weak. He in fact faced no world-class fighters in their prime at all pre- Douglas. Larry Holmes was a great fighter, but way past his best (40 yo), as was Michael Spinks who was a world class light-heavy in his day. Who else did he fight that was seriously good pre-Douglas?Mike Tyson dominated heavyweight boxing like no other . World class opponents were mostly terrified before the first bell and usually dispached in double quick time . Then Buster Douglas went and beat him , albeit with the help of a long count , and it all went downhill from there as they say .
Iron Mike doesn't crack the top ten all time of heavy weights, more like top 20. Which is still high praise, given the history of the most important division in boxing.
He fought , and beat , everybody who was around at the time , what more could he do . Quality of opposition is subjective but the original question was not who has dominated their sport because the opposition was shit was it . Anyway it wasn't just that he beat them it was how he beat them .
What about Alberto Tomba? Seem to remember him being pretty sucessful when I was growing up
In there, take a peek, is Laird Hamilton. Now I know he's not dominated his sport (surfing) but he has dominated Big Wave surfing and developed toe-in surfing. He's got b*lls I say.
[img] 
[/img]
Tyson in his prime would have given any heavyweight from any era a good fight if not a good hiding. Ali is the greatest no question but Tysons speed, power and ferocity would have had all of them in a world of hurt.
Garry Kasparov. Pretty much dominated chess championships for the duration of his 20 odd year career.
Is chess a sport now?
I'd say so. Given, not a physically demanding sport - much like snooker in that respect - but mentally I imagine it would be in order to compete at the top level. Not many other hobbies have world championships either. 🙂
Nigel Mansell, Colin Macrae, The Williams Sisters, Nick Faldo
Nigel Mansell, Colin Macrae, The Williams Sisters, Nick Faldo
❓
McRae only won the WRC once
Mansell only won the F1 title once
Williams sisters are worth a mention
Faldo, although he won 6 majors, didn't dominate golf in the way someone like Nicklaus or Woods did.
Right. After much pub discussion I think I have a winner. (But as I never heard of him Im sure someone will b able to tear it apart).
I cant think of anyone achieving the domination of their sport for 26 years or more. So I present to you:
Gordon Richards
And for those who have no idea who he is:
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gordon_Richards ]Wiki[/url]
Granted, he did need some help to win but....
Nigel Mansell, Colin Macrae
er, Ayrton Senna/Michael Schumacher, Carlos Sainz/Juha Kankkunen/Tommi Makinen
Jockeys don't count. It's the horse that does all the work.
*puts marshmallows on stick ready for flaming*
Franz Klammer??
[url= http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Webster_(sidecar_racer) ]Steve Webster[/url] 10x sidecar world champ
The correct answer is of course Don Bradman.
His results show the largest deviation from the next best of any sportsman in any major sport.
Lots of other sportsmen can lay claim to long periods of dominance but if you look at the results they were just consistently a bit better than everyone around them. Bradman was [i]miles[/i] better than everyone around him.
Usain Bolt for example is currently totally dominating sprinting he is between 3 and 5% faster than the guys around him which is a huge margin in sprinting. Bradman's batting average is 30% better than anyone who ever played cricket
How about Joey Dunlop?
26 TT victories,
24 Ulster GP victories,
13 NW200 victories.
I think it's fair to say that he pretty much dominated road racing!
In one of the nineties winter olympics I remember hearing about a speed skater who won everything from the sprint to the marathon. Can't remember who he was though, anyone here know?
MB - Eric Heiden, became a cyclist after that.
I still think its ACC FTW. All those victories and world champs in downhill. Then total domination of the mega and other marathon DH events. AND if she made a comeback to downhill she would still probably kick ass after all those years of retirement. She was/is on a totally different level to the competition.
Ingemar Stenmark
Red Rum?
Pele
Ali
Merckx
They were my faves when i were a lad
Sergey Bubka - Pole Vaulter
had an olympic curse but dominated the sport for 16 years as world champion setting 35 world records and still holds the world record set 17 years ago...
Never smashed the world record by any margin more than 1cm which I always though strange until I realised he got paid quite a princely sum every time he broke the W. So 35 big pay days rather than 1!!!
You can't say that one person is better than all the others as it's impossible to compare objectively by I'll restate that Redgrave definitely up there.
He won 5 Olypmic golds - that covers 17 years. During that time he also won 9 World Championships. Rowing World Champs don't cover events that are at the Olympics in Olympic years so that means that Redgrave won the top event of the year 14 times out of 17. In the years he didn't win the WC, he got two silvers and a bronze. For a couple of those seasons he didn't win, he was also competing in Bobsleigh.
He was also unbeaten from 1993 to 1996 inclusive.
And other than the first couple of WC wins (Coxed pairs - more prestigeous than it would be now but maybe not a top event), he always raced in the competitive categories. Pairs and Coxless fours. In fact, during some periods, he was so dominant that some other countries stopped putting their best people in those categories as they knew that they couldn't win.
Ron Jeremy !!! 😳
Joss Naylor?
Those who know the name know I'm right!*cough* Billy Bland *cough*
My actual vote would go to Haile Gebrselassie though.
Joss was a great athlete but only really excelled at the longer fell races. Over shorter distances he was not a patch on the likes of Kenny Stuart who IMO was possibly the best fell runner of all time. More dominant still would be Ian Holmes but how many have heard of him?
Billy Bland very good but dominant in his day?
Haille maybe but again he was up against some fantastic runners such as Tergat who on occasion beat him.
[img] 
?gl=GB[/img]
Not this time though!
In fact, during some periods, he was so dominant that some other countries stopped putting their best people in those categories as they knew that they couldn't win.
Of course the GB rowing team wouldn't have ever done that with Redgrave when the competition was too good...
Which does really point out one of the issues with suggesting dominance in a sport like rowing - the best people quite often don't compete against each other at all.
Lots of people mentioning those who were "virtually unbeatable" but for 9 years 9 months and 9 days Ed Moses was totally unbeatable. 122 consecutive wins, 107 in finals and even after finally being defeated he replied with a further 10 consecutive wins.
If you want to beat Ed in this thread you need to find someone who remained undefeated for at least 9 years 9 months and 10 days.
there is only one 'athlete' that has dominated so much.....
[img] 
[/img]
I can only think of Dale Holmes on his bmx. Havent really followed any other sports.
This thread is also naturally rather insular - I'd suggest that Birgit Fischer has a rather better record than SSR. Gold medals at 6 consecutive games she competed in (would almost certainly have been 7 but for the boycott of LA84). Gold medals at all but one non-Olympic year WC for 20 years (excluding the 3 years for which she was "retired").
In fact I don't know why I didn't remember her before - arguably with her 20 year reign at the top of a very physically tough Olympic sport she trumps everybody else.
The correct answer is of course Don Bradman.
I seem to recall a statistical comparison a few years back, and it's actually Gretzky.
Anyhoo, it's those two, by miles ...
If you want to beat Ed in this thread you need to find someone who remained undefeated for at least 9 years 9 months and 10 days.
I dont agree. Coe and Ovett remained unbeaten for long periods because they avoided each other!
In addition some sports have high barriers to entry for example show jumping (pardon the pun) its not open to kids off council estates so it quite possible that the best show jumper has never ridden a horse! If you invest millions in show jumping and somehow become the "best" is that the same as Moses who fought off challenges from every track runner who fancied their chances?
Your example of Moses is a good one though, great athlete and poetry in motion!