Mastering one sport is hard enough, yet these stars walked away and reached the summit of another. Whose crossover career is the most remarkable? Cast your vote!
1Jannik SinnerA champion junior alpine skier who gave up the slopes for tennis and became the world No. 1.1000pts
2Bo JacksonThe only athlete named an All-Star in both Major League Baseball and the NFL.753pts
3Jim ThorpeOlympic decathlon champion who then starred in professional football and baseball.652pts
4Rebecca RomeroBritish athlete who won Olympic medals in both rowing and track cycling.652pts
5Ellyse PerryAustralian who represented her country at the top level in both cricket and football.565pts
6Sonny Bill WilliamsTwo-time Rugby World Cup winner with the All Blacks who also starred in rugby league and boxed as an unbeaten heavyweight.339pts
7Clara HughesCanadian Olympic medallist in both summer cycling and winter speed skating.339pts
8Deion SandersPro Football Hall of Famer who also played Major League Baseball at a high level.339pts
9Babe Didrikson ZahariasOlympic track-and-field gold medallist who became one of golf's all-time greats.0pts
10Primož RogličSlovenian junior world team champion in ski jumping who switched to road cycling in his twenties and won four Vuelta a España titles and the 2023 Giro d'Italia.
11Ester LedeckáCzech snowboarder who also raced alpine skiing and won Olympic gold in both sports at the same Games in Pyeongchang 2018, an unprecedented double.
12John SurteesSeven-time motorcycle Grand Prix world champion who moved to cars and won the 1964 Formula One title, the only world champion on two and four wheels.
13Eddie EaganAmerican who won Olympic boxing gold in 1920 and bobsleigh gold in 1932, the only athlete with golds at Summer and Winter Games in different sports.
14Bob HayesOlympic 100 metres champion in 1964 who became a Hall of Fame wide receiver for the Dallas Cowboys and also won a Super Bowl ring.
15Eric HeidenWinner of all five speed skating golds at Lake Placid 1980 who turned professional cyclist, won the US pro road title and rode the 1986 Tour de France.
16Lauryn WilliamsOlympic sprint relay champion who took up bobsleigh and won silver at Sochi 2014, a medallist at both the Summer and Winter Games.
17Christa Luding-RothenburgerEast German speed skating Olympic champion who won track cycling silver at Seoul 1988, medalling at Summer and Winter Games in the same year.
18Ronda RouseyOlympic judo bronze medallist who became the first UFC women's bantamweight champion and later a WWE women's champion.
19Brock LesnarNCAA heavyweight wrestling champion and WWE star who tried out for the Minnesota Vikings, then won the UFC heavyweight title in only his fourth fight.
20Hakeem OlajuwonNigerian who played football and handball as a teenager, only took up basketball at 15 and became a two-time NBA champion and 1994 MVP.
21Tim DuncanPromising swimmer from the US Virgin Islands who turned to basketball after a hurricane wrecked his island's only Olympic pool, then won five NBA titles.
22Antonio GatesCollege basketball player who never played college football yet became an eight-time Pro Bowl tight end with the San Diego Chargers.
23Jason RobinsonRugby league star with Wigan who switched codes in 2000 and scored England's try in the 2003 Rugby World Cup final.
24Jim BrownCleveland Browns rushing great who was also an All-American lacrosse player and is enshrined in the halls of fame of both sports.
25Denis ComptonEngland Test batsman who also won the league title and the FA Cup with Arsenal, starring at the top level of cricket and football.
26Remco EvenepoelBelgian youth international footballer who quit the game at 17, took up cycling and became road world champion and double Olympic champion.
Photo credits
- Ellyse Perry — Bahnfrend, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Clara Hughes — Tabercil, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Primož Roglič — Petar Milošević, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ester Ledecká — David Sedlecký, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Eric Heiden — UweFan, CC BY 3.0
- Lauryn Williams — Trackinfo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Christa Luding-Rothenburger — Nicola, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Ronda Rousey — Shared Account, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Brock Lesnar — Diego Serrano, CC BY 2.0
- Tim Duncan — Geoff Livingston, CC BY 2.0
- Antonio Gates — All-Pro Reels, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Jason Robinson — University of Salford Press Office, CC BY 2.0
- Remco Evenepoel — Matheusikidia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Comments 1
Born in the Dolomites and a promising skier first, he qualifies on a road not taken rather than a second career: https://youpick.best/articles/jannik-sinner-ranked-many-ways
YP
ypb-teamAug 21
