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Most Dominant Athlete Of All Time

Gunaxin recently posted an online survey on the Most Dominant Athlete of All Time.

The list was limited to 30 male athletes from the following sports: Auto racing, baseball, basketball, boxing, cycling, football, golf, Greco-Roman wrestling, hockey, horse racing, soccer, surfing, swimming, tennis and track.

We think Gunaxin missed one athlete: Petar Stoychev for his impressive domination of the FINA Open Water Swimming Grand Prix circuit for nine consecutive years.

Often times, Stoychev won swims by only a few seconds after competing fiercely for up to 9 hours in cold, rough water against the world’s best marathon swimmers. For that nine-year stretch run, Stoychev certainly has a track record of success that can be nominated for Gunaxin’s list. Stoychev’s nine-year run surpassed the other amazing contemporary marathon swimmers like the seven-year run by John Kinsella, Paul Asmuth and Shelley Taylor-Smith.

The Gunaxin’s nominees included:

Richard Petty (AUTO RACING), 200 career NASCAR wins
Michael Schumacher (AUTO RACING), 91 career Formula 1 wins)
Ty Cobb (BASEBALL), .367 lifetime batting average
Babe Ruth (BASEBALL), .342 lifetime batting average with power
Michael Jordan (BASKETBALL), 6-time NBA champion and 5-time NBA MVP
Wilt Chamberlain (BASKETBALL), 2-time NBA champion and 4-time NBA MVP
Muhammad Ali (BOXING), multi-time world champion
Joe Louis (BOXING), world champion for 140 consecutive months
Sugar Ray Robinson (BOXING), pound-for-pound greatest boxer of all time
Lance Armstrong (CYCLING), 7-time winner of the Tour de France
Jim Brown (FOOTBALL), named greatest pro football player ever
Joe Montana (FOOTBALL), won 4 Super Bowls
Jerry Rice (FOOTBALL), all-time wide receiver leader
Lawrence Taylor (FOOTBALL), greatest defensive player of all time
Tiger Woods (GOLF), world’s best golfer
Jack Nicklaus (GOLF), 18 major victories.
Alexander Karelin (WRESTLING), 3-time Olympic gold medalist undefeated for 13 years
Wayne Gretzky (HOCKEY), NHL all-time points leader
Bobby Orr (HOCKEY), led NHL league in scoring as a defenseman
Secretariat (HORSE RACING), first US Triple Crown champion in 25 years
Diego Maradona (SOCCER), second-best soccer player of all time
Pele (SOCCER), won World Cups
Kelly Slater (SURFING), 9-time ASP World Champion with 54 victories
Michael Phelps (SWIMMING), 8 gold medals in 2008 Olympics
Mark Spitz (SWIMMING), 7 gold medals in 1972 Olympics
Roger Federer (TENNIS), all-time leader in singles Grand Slam victories
Rod Laver (TENNIS), world No. 1 player for 7 consecutive years
Usain Bolt (TRACK), set world record for 100/200 meters and 400-meter relay
Carl Lewis (TRACK), won 10 Olympic medals (9 gold)
Edwin Moses (TRACK), won 107 consecutive finals

And Stoychev’s career is not nearly over. More to come. More to follow.

© 2009 by Daily News of Open Water Swimming

to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline

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