And Australia’s greatest living athlete is ...

adam says:

03:49am | 27/10/09

two words

kurt fearnley

next question

David says:

12:09am | 27/10/09

Motorcycle riders not being athletes?

Someone needs to rid their minds of the 1930s cigar chomping Grand Prix stereotype.

Casey Stoner is well worth a mention, as is Cadel Evans and Emma Snowsill. She wins a lot, why not her? She’s even a triathlete and ironwoman.

Shano says:

12:43pm | 26/10/09

Let’s consider this for a moment from a holistic viewpoint. Ricky Ponting hit’s off scratch playing golf. Scott Draper was a davis cup player in the Top 100 in the world and went on the PGA tour. TIm Cahill, well he’s quite the diver….....Who won the Rexona challenge ? that’s right ! Billy Slater
GO QLD

Andrew says:

12:37pm | 26/10/09

I reckon Australia’s greatest living athlete is of the equine form, that being Bart Cummings’ new star So You Think.

I’d say Bart is our greatest sportsman, and his horses our greatest athletes.

S says:

12:24pm | 26/10/09

if it’s so random winning a medal at the games, how come i aint doin it ?

Nick says:

11:58am | 26/10/09

Stoner should be well up on the list in my opinion. He’s competing at the top of his sport and destroying the competition much like Schumacher in F1. There is a distinct difference in winning, and winning by 17+ seconds on a wet track (yesterday in Malaysia) with a bike that bucks and carries on worse than a rodeo bull.
I don’t expect many people will agree with me, but I also don’t expect many to race bikes either and truly fathom the skill required.

KW says:

09:14am | 26/10/09

I’m a big fan of all the names on the list, but surely you’re kidding with Darren Lockyer???!?
That’s a joke right!??!!?
The guy has struggled to make basic tackles all year. If you wanted to nominate a leaugie, there are COUNTLESS names you would put before geriatric lockyer…...Hayne, Slater, Inglis, Moi Moi, Morris brothers, Watmough…. could go forever with better athletes than Lockyer!

Charles says:

08:34am | 26/10/09

Change the headline from ‘Athlete’ to ‘sportsperson’ and then I’d agree with the list.  Under the definition of Athlete: A person possessing the natural or acquired traits, such as strength, agility, and endurance, that are necessary for physical exercise or sports, especially those performed in competitive contexts - then you’d have to add the likes of Cadel Evans and I’d vote for him due to the time span and continued success he has achieved.

Under the term Athlete, Ponting & Stoner would not be on any list.

Olympic athlete (no shit) says:

06:59am | 26/10/09

Sharwood I think you’re on the money with Hooker. He is a champ in all senses of the word.

JB is right to nominate Cadel Evans to the list, but there is nothing like an Olympic gold medal - something that is SO random and hard to achieve in the road race.

Exercise Scientist can go shove his comments up his jumper. Olympic athletes are the hardest working, most talented and noble sports people. Unlike the mostly fame seeking, 3-times-a-week-training, hard drinking, violent and arrogant footballers of various codes.

Dan says:

11:06pm | 25/10/09

Gry Ablett is great, but I can’t consider him Australia’s number 1 athlets since I don’t regard him even as the best player in the AFL. The best AFL player is arguably Chris Judd. He seems to be overlooked, as he does’t play for the number 1 team, but he has never had a bad season and his 2009 season was brilliant.

Australia’s best athlete, or sportsman, is probably between Ricky Ponting (whom I don’t like), Tim Cahill and Casey Stoner.

Lyndon says:

04:41pm | 25/10/09

ive seen hooker come up the ranks through interclub competition and now onto the world stage where he has kicked arse, he is not only a good pole vaulter but great in other areas of track and field, he is a really fast runner as well!
all great sportsmen though - I wouldnt be trying to compare them

S.L says:

04:35pm | 25/10/09

With League the major media sport in my neck of the woods I’m surprised Darren Lockyer got the guernsey for this sport in this debate. As an athlete I couldn’t see past Billy Slater and wished he played football instead of league. This guy runs rings around everyone for his athletisism, speed, hand eye co-ordination etc. Your other nominees are worthy but I think “Billy the Kid” is it! I could see him and Tim Cahill causing complete havoc in South Africa next year. Well I can dream cant I?  A great argument starter for sure Anthony!

Mr Pastry says:

04:13pm | 25/10/09

I hardly think cricket players should sit under the banner of athlete.  Wearing long trousers and cardigans while taking part in an event does not conjure up an image of intense effort. ... and breaks for something to eat, ridiculous.  Steve Hooker is a worthy best Australian athlete currently competing, thank you for giving him a mention as his is sadly ignored here because he has a clearly defined neck.

John A Neve says:

09:59am | 25/10/09

Have of those nominated so far aren’t “athletes”, they are professional entertainers.
Best living australian athlete would have to be Derek Clayton, no one else comes close.

Glen says:

09:59pm | 24/10/09

There is no such thing as the best current athlete.  It is a coffee table topic for a rainy afternoon or if the beers are plentyful at a BBQ.

rob Mc says:

07:16pm | 24/10/09

Mate ...Mark Webber !! World talks about Mr Jenson and Mr Hamilton . But sadly Mark Webber , from multiple fractures to his leg to winning GPs ...surely worth a mention !

exercise scientist says:

03:32pm | 24/10/09

Rubbish.  The best athletes are in competitive sports with millions of participants - soccer, tennis, basketball etc. There are tens of thousands of professional soccer players in the world.

The Olympics are for obscure amateur ‘sports’ which no one has any real interest in. The only reason anyone watches Olympic events is due to jingositic nationalism.

Ned says:

12:54pm | 24/10/09

Won’t disagree with Hooker as number one, but Casey Stoner has to be further up the list - probably two or three. He competes at the highest level in an international sport, has been world champion (and will be again) and he regularly manages to finish in front of the greatest motorcycle racer of all time, Valentino Rossi. Did you see him at Phillip Island last weekend? The kid is Rembrandt with a motorcycle!

Macca says:

12:26pm | 24/10/09

Anthony, A few seasons ago (2 or 3, escapes me) Tim Cahill was nominated for the Ballon D’Or, Award for best footballer playing in Europe, of which their are 50 nominees. He has also been nominated as one of Everton’s top 50 players of all time, a club that has been pretty competitive for nearly the past 50 years, and he is one of the top 2 or 3 players at a club that is consistently in the top 5 in the arguably the best football league in the world. Hard to go past that in a game which is played by roughly every second person on the planet.

Ricky Pointing is pretty hard to top as he’s the opposite of Giteau, having won pretty much everything, as a captain and individual

Stoner has been competitive this year despite his chronic illness. You’ve gotta be a tough cookie do hurl a bike around corners really fast when you feel like your about to faint

no mention for Cadel Evans? As far as work rate and fitness goes, I don’t think you’ll find anyone who lives and breaths their sport more than Cadel. Unfortunately, he suffers from Hooker’s syndrome, more popular overseas than at home.

Hooker is a class act, but probably not our greatest, but I’d by more weetbix if you put him on the box

JB says:

09:40am | 24/10/09

CADEL EVANS

pistola says:

09:17am | 24/10/09

I think you’re wrong about Cahill not making a list of the world’s top 100. He is quite easily one of the top 20 or 30 players in the world at the moment.

Happy to go with your nomination of Steve Hooker though, what a champion.

Jon Ryan says:

07:54am | 24/10/09

Good piece.

Has to be Ponting for me though. Comfortably the world’s best batsman, in what is a pretty crowded field.

Yes, you lost the Ashes under him - and wasn’t that bloody fantastic?

But if you’re talking about ‘greatest living athlete’ you’re looking at the performance of individuals, and Ponting’s as a batsman have been outstanding in the past few years.

Probably not fair to penalise him for playing a team game.