CELEBRATION OF ATHLETIC ACHIEVE MENT

SPORTS Celebration of Athletic Acheivment VERA LEE, opinion editor Jackie Robinson: In a time of rampant segregation, Georgia native Jackie Robinson signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers and became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball. Throughout his 10-year career, Robinson won the Rookie of the Year award and became the first African American to win the National League Most Valuable Player Award in 1949, while maintaining an impressive .313 batting average. In 1997, the MLB gave Robinson one of the highest honors of being the first player to have his uniform number, 42, retired from all major league teams. With Robinson’s addition to the MLB came the end of the baseball color line and more opportunities for African Americans to display their athletic ability, changing the MLB forever. Muhammad Ali: Muhammad Ali, an icon of American boxing, is widely renowned as one of the greatest heavyweight boxers. Ali won a gold medal in the 1960 Summer Olympics. In the 1964 World Heavyweight Championship, against everyone’s expectations, Ali beat Sonny Liston, the undefeated champion. He also participated in several publicized boxing matches like the Fight of the Century against Joe Fraizer and The Rumble in the Jungle against George Foreman. Outside of the ring Ali was an activist, sharing how proud he was of his African American heritage and publicly opposing the Vietnam War due to religious and ethical reasons.

Usain Bolt: Nicknamed Lightning Bolt for his speed, Bolt is an 11-time World Champion and an eight-time Olympic gold medallist. The pride of Jamaica, Bolt was able to run the 100-meter dash in 9.58 seconds, a record that has not been broken for 14 years. After his retirement in 2017, Bolt continues to hold the world record in two other events: the 200-meter dash, and the 4x100 meter relay.

Michael Jordan: Michael Jordan is widely accepted across the country as one of the greatest basketball players of all time. In his 15 seasons of playing in the National Basketball Association, Jordan played shooting guard and won six NBA championships. Renowned for his slam dunks from the free-throw line, Jordan has become a basketball icon. At the end of his career, Jordan won three NBA All-Star Games MVP awards and the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award. Jordan has also achieved other accomplishments like owning his own NBA basketball team, starring in beloved children’s film “Space Jam” and being the face of popular shoes “Air Jordans.” In 2016, Michael Jordan became the first billionaire in NBA history.

Michael Phelps: With a total of 28 Olympic medals, Michael Phelps is not only the most decorated Olympic swimmer, but also the most decorated Olympian across all sports. At the age of 15, Phelps qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics - becoming the youngest to do so since 1932. In the Olympics and World Championships he participated in, he broke record upon record. He currently holds the world record for the men’s 400-meter individual medley, completing the course in four minutes and three seconds.