The name Deion Sanders might not be the most familiar in the sporting world, but Sanders remains the only player to hit a baseball home run and score a touchdown in the same week.
Sanders was a dual sporting prodigy at the same time. The era of athletes who participate in two sports simultaneously or even as the season’s change seems to be almost dead and buried, with very few such athletes in the present day.
The most recent was women’s cricketing superstar Elyse Perry who represented Australia at both a cricket and a football world cup and excels at both. Perry chose to play cricket full time in 2014 after finding it difficult to train for football and losing her world-class skill at the round ball game.
The last of dual athletes goes well above the plethora of team sports with the likes of Carl Lewis being one of the fastest runners to ever grace this planet as well as winning Olympic gold in the long jump.
The strain on modern-day athletes to maintain training routines and keep up to the set standards on physical as well as mental strength to play more than one sport has become too big in the present day, with talented athletes deciding to focus on only one sport.
The real question remains are the viewers and spectators losing out on the right to see their favourite athletes on a different stage showcasing a new facet of their skill. The way that sport has evolved and will continue to evolve has almost certainly put a nail in the coffin of those trying to pursue more than one sport.
The era of Sanders, Perry and Lewis might be in the past for now but the emergence of quicker sports like Big Bash cricket and fast four tennis might provide the opportunity for more dual-sport athletes.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Hunt wasn't too bad, but Folau was awful! :sick:
Mooty
Roar Rookie
You’ve got to be kidding Hunt and Folau were terrible Aussie Rules players and were only payed huge dollars by the AFL to play to try and attract league and union followers to watch AFL. It didn’t work
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
She was a star and very underrated due to the fact that she played squash. The list is very current with the inclusion of Perry
WADave
Guest
I worked for Heather McKay in the early 1970s in Canberra. She went undefeated in squash for 15 years from 62 to 77 as world champion but also selected to play hockey for Australia in 67 and 71. Also won the north american racquet ball championship and was top ranked in womens tennis senior circuit.
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
You are correct JGK but I used sanders as an example cause he played the two sports simultaneously. Jackson played the two sports at different times of the year. You are correct Booth and Miller could have both been included in the article. I went with the more familiar ones and the superstar in Perry . I could have included O'Donnell, Mundine the list goes on.
JGK
Roar Guru
You can't mention Sanders without mentioning Bo Jackson and giving a nod to Kyler Murray. Also in Australian, Brian Booth captained Australia at cricket and played Hockey at the Olympics. Plus Keith Miller played quite a few senior VFL games and Ray Lindwall quite a few first grade RL games for the Dragons.
josh
Roar Rookie
Both Folau and Karmichael Hunt and three code athletes. League, Aussie Rules and Union.
Lachlan Mitchell
Roar Guru
Yes Izzy Folau probably didn’t excel in AFL as much as he would have liked . But a dual sportsman none the less .
At work
Roar Rookie
Israel Folau - Aussie rules and rugby league :laughing: