Originally posted by Red Night
ovett was an olympian, but I forget what sport...the rest didn't ring a bell. what did they play?
I'm a huge sports fan...I can tell you about athletes from all over the world...you have to remember that your massachussetts sized island is more than a little isolated from the rest of the world and not just by the fog.
Keep in mind you're asking for famous English athletes, these are all famous for their acheivements:
Coe / Cram / Ovett - 3 x Middle Distance Runners - untouchable between them in the 80's.
Linford Christie - Olympic gold Medal - 100m (later banned for drug use)
Roger Black - awesome 400m runner
Females -
Sally Gunnell - 400m Hurdles gold medalist
Paula Radcliffe - Marathon Runner - female WR holder, 10k track world champ.
might aswell add Kelly Holmes - double olympic champion - 800 / 1500 metres
Away from athletics:
Sir Steven Redgrave - 5 x Olympic gold medalist
Beefy - Ian Botham - Legendary Cricketer
Adrian Moorhouse / Duncan Goodhew - Swimmers - Olympic Gold & very bald respectively.
Longshot outsiders
The crafty cockney? Eric Bristow - Darts legend wherever darts is played
The nugget - Steve Davis - multi world snooker champion, also well regarded in Pool - beating Efan Reyes at one time - known.
Bob "the rock" Cooper? RPS world champ.