Sports

Heroine of Greek mythology, Atalanta is a huntress of unmatched agility and speed. An Argonaut and participant in the Calydonian Boar Hunt, she is famous for her challenge: any suitor had to outrun her on pain of death.

Annie Oakley (1860-1926) was an American sharpshooter who became the star of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show. Nicknamed “Little Sure Shot,” she embodied the mythologized figure of the conquest of the West while pushing back the limits placed on the women of her time.

American mountaineer and educator (1850–1935), pioneer of women's mountaineering. In 1908 she climbed Huascarán in Peru, a summit of nearly 6,800 meters, setting an altitude record for the Western Hemisphere. A women's rights activist, she planted a suffragist flag at the top of a Peruvian mountain.

Alain Colas (1943-1978) was a French sailor and a leading figure in the early days of solo offshore racing. Winner of the English Transat in 1972, he disappeared at sea in 1978 during the first Route du Rhum aboard his trimaran Manureva.

Alain Gerbault (1893-1941) was a French sailor, World War I aviator, and top-level tennis player. He made the first solo east-to-west crossing of the Atlantic, then a solo round-the-world sailing voyage between 1923 and 1929.

Alfred Nakache (1915-1983) was a French swimmer and water polo player, nicknamed “the swimmer of Auschwitz.” The 1941 world record holder in the 200 m breaststroke, he was deported to Auschwitz in 1944, where he survived, before returning to competition and taking part in the 1948 Olympic Games.

Nepalese Sherpa who took part in numerous Himalayan expeditions in the 20th century. An iconic figure of the Sherpa community, he contributed to several major ascents in the Himalayas as a guide and high-altitude porter.

Anna Kournikova is a Russian tennis player born in 1981 in Moscow. Turning professional at just 14, she reached the world top 10 and won two Grand Slam doubles titles at the French Open and Wimbledon alongside Martina Hingis. A media icon of the 1990s and 2000s, she came to embody the intersection of sport and popular culture.

Ayrton Senna was a Brazilian Formula 1 racing driver and three-time world champion (1988, 1990, 1991). Regarded as one of the greatest drivers in history, he died in a racing accident at the Imola circuit in 1994.

American athlete considered one of the most versatile in the history of sport. An Olympic gold medalist in track and field in 1932, she later became a leading professional golfer and a co-founder of the women's LPGA tour.

Billie Jean King is an American tennis player, one of the greatest champions in the history of the sport. A pioneer of gender equality in sports, she won 39 Grand Slam titles and founded the first professional women players' association.

Bobby Fischer was an American chess player, considered one of the greatest in history. In 1972, he became world champion by defeating the Soviet Boris Spassky, putting an end to decades of Soviet domination of the game.

Carl Lewis is an American athlete who specialized in sprinting and the long jump. Regarded as one of the greatest athletes in history, he won nine Olympic gold medals between 1984 and 1996.

An Australian athlete of Aboriginal descent, Cathy Freeman became Olympic champion in the 400 metres at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. She is an iconic figure of reconciliation between Australians and Aboriginal peoples.

British sailor born in 1946, famous for her solo Atlantic crossings in the 1970s. After her sporting career, she became a successful novelist, notably in the thriller and saga genres.

Dawn Fraser is an Australian swimmer, considered one of the greatest sprinters in the history of swimming. She won the gold medal in the 100-metre freestyle at three consecutive Olympic Games (1956, 1960, 1964), an unmatched feat in this event.

Diana Nyad is an American long-distance swimmer and journalist, famous for her open-water crossings over very long distances. In 2013, at the age of 64, she became the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage.

Argentine footballer considered one of the greatest players in history. An exceptional playmaker, he led Argentina to victory at the 1986 World Cup. He became a worldwide popular icon, and his career was marked by both genius and excess.

New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, Edmund Hillary was the first man to reach the summit of Everest (8,849 m) on 29 May 1953, accompanied by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. He then devoted his life to helping the people of Nepal.

Éric Tabarly was a French sailor and naval officer, a major figure in offshore racing. Winner of the solo transatlantic race in 1964 and 1976, he revolutionized the design of racing yachts and inspired an entire generation of French skippers.

Dutch athlete regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of the 20th century. At the 1948 London Olympic Games, a mother of two and aged 30, she won four gold medals, a feat that earned her the nickname “the Flying Housewife”.

Florence Arthaud (1957-2015) was a French sailor, the first woman to win the Route du Rhum in 1990. Nicknamed “the little sweetheart of the Atlantic,” she established herself as a major figure in offshore racing.

American athlete specializing in sprinting, nicknamed “Flo-Jo.” She still holds the world records in the 100 m and 200 m set in 1988, and was one of the fastest and most high-profile sprinters in history.

British aviator and sailor (1901-1972), a pioneer of solo navigation. In 1966-1967 he completed a solo round-the-world voyage under sail with just one stopover, aboard the Gipsy Moth IV.

Soviet and later Russian chess player, world champion from 1985 to 2000. Regarded as one of the greatest players in history, he was the youngest world champion of his era and a pioneer in facing artificial intelligence.

Hélène Boucher (1908–1934) was a French aviator who set several world speed records in the 1930s. Nicknamed “the fiancée of the air,” she stands as a pioneering figure in women's aviation, before dying tragically at age 26 in a training accident.

Isabelle Autissier (born in 1956) is a French sailor, the first woman to complete a solo round-the-world offshore race under sail. Trained as a fisheries engineer, she also became a writer and an advocate for ocean conservation.

French physician and polar explorer (1867–1936), Jean-Baptiste Charcot led several scientific expeditions to Antarctica aboard the Pourquoi-Pas?. A pioneer in the exploration of the southern regions, he also contributed to oceanographic research.

Jesse Owens was an American athlete who specialized in sprinting and the long jump. He became a legend of track and field by winning four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, publicly defying the racist Nazi ideology.

Native American athlete from the United States (Sac and Fox Nation), regarded as one of the most versatile sportsmen in history. A double Olympic champion in 1912, he was also a professional American football and baseball player.

Joe Louis was an American boxer, world heavyweight champion from 1937 to 1949. Nicknamed the “Brown Bomber,” he defended his title a record number of times and became a major figure in African American emancipation.

A Polish sailor born in 1936, she became in 1978 the first woman to complete a solo circumnavigation of the globe by sailboat. Her achievement, accomplished aboard the sailboat Mazurek, took 401 days.

Soviet gymnast, one of the greatest champions in the history of sport. She won 18 Olympic medals between 1956 and 1964, a record that stood unmatched for a long time.

Larry Bird is an American basketball player considered one of the greatest in NBA history. A star of the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, his rivalry with Magic Johnson defined the league's golden age.

A French socialist politician, Léo Lagrange was appointed Under-Secretary of State for Sports and Leisure in the Popular Front government in 1936. He worked to make sport and holidays accessible to the working classes, before dying in combat in June 1940.

Earvin "Magic" Johnson is an American basketball player, the iconic point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980s. Considered one of the greatest players in history, he left his mark on the sport through his court vision and his rivalry with Larry Bird.

Margaret Court is an Australian tennis player, considered one of the greatest in history. She holds the all-time record for Grand Slam singles titles, across both men and women, with 24 crowns.

Marie Marvingt (1875-1963) was a French athlete, aviator, and journalist nicknamed “the fiancée of danger.” A pioneer of aviation and mountaineering, she conceived the idea of the air ambulance and was one of the most decorated women in the history of France.

American swimmer born in 1950, considered one of the greatest in the history of swimming. At the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, he won seven gold medals, each accompanied by a world record, a feat that remained unmatched until Michael Phelps.

Martina Hingis is a Swiss tennis player, one of the most precocious in history. World number one at sixteen, she won five Grand Slam singles titles in the late 1990s before becoming a major doubles champion.

Czechoslovak then American tennis player, considered one of the greatest players in history. She dominated the women's circuit in the 1970s and 1980s, winning a record number of singles and doubles titles.

French aviator born in 1898, Maryse Bastié set numerous world records in the 1930s, including a solo crossing of the South Atlantic in 1936. A pioneer of feminism through action, she also served Free France during the Second World War.

Mia Hamm is an American soccer player, one of the greatest players in the history of women's soccer. A forward for the United States national team, she won two World Cups and two Olympic titles before retiring in 2004.

Michael Jordan is an American basketball player regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time. As the leader of the Chicago Bulls, he won six NBA titles in the 1990s and left a lasting mark on global sports culture.

Michel Platini is a French footballer, considered one of the greatest playmakers in history. A three-time Ballon d'Or winner, he was captain of the France team that won the European Championship in 1984, before becoming a coach and then a leader of European football.

American boxer, three-time world heavyweight champion, considered one of the greatest athletes of the 20th century. A leading figure in the struggle for civil rights, he refused to be drafted for the Vietnam War on the grounds of his convictions.

A Romanian gymnast, at age 14 she became the first athlete in history to score a perfect 10 at the Olympic Games, in Montreal in 1976. A multiple Olympic champion, she revolutionized artistic gymnastics worldwide.

Naomi James, née Power, was a New Zealand-born sailor who became a naturalised British citizen. In 1978, she became the first woman to complete a solo round-the-world voyage by sailing past the formidable Cape Horn, aboard the Express Crusader.

Naomi Ōsaka is a Japanese-American professional tennis player born in 1997 in Osaka. A former world number 1, she has won four Grand Slam titles. She has also been a vocal advocate for social justice and athletes' mental health.

Olga Korbut is a Soviet gymnast, born in 1955 in Belarus. Nicknamed “the Sparrow of Minsk,” she revolutionized artistic gymnastics at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, where she won three gold medals and captivated audiences worldwide with her daring and her freshness.

French sailor born in 1944, a crew member for Éric Tabarly before becoming the skipper of large multihulls. The holder of the crewed round-the-world sailing record, he won the Jules Verne Trophy and became a media figure known for his outspokenness.

Austrian mountaineer born in 1942, Peter Habeler is famous for making the first ascent of Everest without supplemental oxygen in 1978, alongside Reinhold Messner. This feat revolutionized our understanding of the limits of human endurance at high altitude.

Italian mountaineer born in 1944, Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres. He was also the first to summit Everest solo and without supplemental oxygen.

American mountaineer and businessman (1929–2015), Richard Bass was the first person to climb the Seven Summits — the highest peak on each continent. He reached the summit of Everest on April 30, 1985, at the age of 55, becoming the oldest climber to have done so at the time.

British sailor born in 1939, the first person to complete a solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the globe under sail (1968–1969), aboard his ketch Suhaili. In doing so he won the Golden Globe Race, ushering in the era of the great solo ocean races.

Norwegian figure skater, three-time consecutive Olympic champion (1928, 1932, 1936) and ten-time world champion. Reinventing herself as a Hollywood movie star, she revolutionized figure skating by bringing dance and showmanship into the sport.

Steffi Graf is a German tennis player, considered one of the greatest champions in the history of the sport. In 1988, she achieved the unique feat of the “Golden Slam” by winning all four major tournaments and the Olympic gold medal in the same year.

Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989) was an American boxer regarded as one of the greatest boxers of all time, pound for pound. World welterweight then middleweight champion, he dominated boxing in the 1940s and 1950s.

Sylvie Guillem (born 1965) is a French ballet dancer considered one of the greatest ballerinas of the 20th century. Trained at the Paris Opéra Ballet, she revolutionized classical dance with her exceptional technique and expressiveness. She became an étoile at 19 before pursuing an international career at the Royal Ballet in London.

A Nepali Sherpa of Tibetan origin, Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953, alongside Edmund Hillary. This historic ascent made him one of the most celebrated mountaineers in the world.

Vera Menchik was a Russian-British chess player of Czech origin, the first women's world chess champion. She dominated women's competition from 1927 until her death in 1944.

Polish mountaineer (1943–1992), she was the first woman to climb Everest in 1978 and the first European woman to reach its summit. She disappeared in 1992 during her attempt to climb Kangchenjunga.

American athlete specializing in sprinting. Struck by polio in her childhood, she became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track and field at a single edition of the Olympic Games, in Rome in 1960.

Russian pole vaulter born in 1982, Yelena Isinbayeva is considered the greatest athlete in the history of women's pole vault. A two-time Olympic champion and three-time world champion, she set 28 world records over the course of her career.

French international footballer of Algerian descent, considered one of the greatest playmakers in history. World champion in 1998 and European champion in 2000 with the France national team, he later enjoyed a brilliant coaching career at Real Madrid.

Annika Sörenstam is a Swedish professional golfer, regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of women's golf. A dominant force on the LPGA Tour throughout the 1990s and 2000s, she won 72 tournaments before retiring from competition in 2008.

South African athlete specializing in the 800 metres, two-time Olympic champion (2012, 2016) and three-time world champion. Her career was marked by controversy over the eligibility rules tied to testosterone levels in intersex women in sport.

Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese footballer born in 1985, regarded as one of the greatest players in history. A prolific goal scorer, he has won five Ballon d'Or awards and shone at the biggest European clubs as well as with the Portugal national team.

Hou Yifan is a Chinese chess player born in 1994, considered the best female player of her generation. Having become an international grandmaster at 14, she won the Women's World Championship title several times, becoming the youngest world chess champion in history.

Kobe Bryant was an American basketball player, considered one of the greatest in NBA history. He spent his entire professional career (1996-2016) with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning five championship titles. He died in a helicopter crash in 2020.

Dutch sailor born in 1995, Laura Dekker became in 2012 the youngest person to complete a solo circumnavigation by sailboat, at just 16 years old. Her 518-day voyage aboard her sailboat Guppy took her around the globe, departing from the Netherlands.

LeBron James is an American professional basketball player, considered one of the greatest of all time. Playing in the NBA since 2003, he became the league's all-time leading scorer in 2023.

Li Ling is a Chinese artistic gymnast specializing in apparatus events. She represented China in high-level international competitions in the early 21st century.

Argentine footballer born in 1987, considered one of the greatest players in history. A playmaker and forward, he has won a record number of Ballons d'Or and led Argentina to victory in the 2022 World Cup.

An American long-distance swimmer, Lynne Cox set world records by crossing some of the coldest and most dangerous waters on Earth. She is best known for her 1987 crossing of the Bering Sea, swimming from Alaska to the USSR at the height of the Cold War.

Magnus Carlsen is a Norwegian chess player, considered one of the greatest in history. World champion from 2013 to 2023, he held the record for the highest Elo rating ever achieved.

Marta Vieira da Silva, born in 1986 in Dois Riachos, Brazil, is a footballer regarded as one of the greatest players in history. Six times named the world's best player by FIFA, she has become a symbol of the struggle for the recognition of women's football.

Mary Kom is an Indian boxer born in 1983 in the state of Manipur. A six-time amateur world champion and Olympic bronze medalist in 2012, she became an icon of women's sport in India. Nicknamed "Magnificent Mary," she also serves as a member of parliament in the Rajya Sabha.

American international footballer, two-time world champion and Olympic champion. A major figure in the fight for gender equality and LGBTQ+ rights, she left her mark on women's football through her activism as much as through her performances.

Michael Phelps is an American swimmer regarded as the greatest Olympian of all time. With 23 Olympic gold medals, he holds the all-time record for the most titles at the Olympic Games.

German Formula 1 racing driver, considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport. A seven-time world champion, he dominated the discipline, notably behind the wheel of Ferraris in the early 2000s.

An extreme South African-Swiss adventurer born in 1966, Mike Horn is one of the most daring explorers of our time. He has completed unprecedented expeditions in the most hostile regions of the globe, including a solo circumnavigation of the world without motorized assistance.

Serbian tennis player born in 1987, considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport. He holds the record for the most men's Grand Slam titles and dominated the professional tour for over a decade.

Rafael Nadal is a Spanish tennis player born in 1986, considered one of the greatest in history. Nicknamed “the King of Clay,” he has won a record number of titles at Roland-Garros.

Roger Federer is a Swiss tennis player, considered one of the greatest in the history of the sport. Winner of 20 Grand Slam tournaments, he left his mark on tennis in the early 21st century through his elegance and his longevity.

Sarah Storey is a British Paralympic athlete, one of the most decorated in her country's history. First a swimmer and then a cyclist, she has amassed a record number of gold medals over several decades of competition.

American tennis player considered one of the greatest in the history of sport. She dominated the professional circuit for more than two decades, winning 23 Grand Slam singles titles, a record in the Open Era.

Simone Biles is an American artistic gymnast, considered the greatest in the history of her discipline. A multiple Olympic and world champion, she left her mark on the sport with never-before-seen skills and by speaking out about the mental health of elite athletes.

American golfer born in 1975, considered one of the greatest players in the history of golf. Winner of 15 major tournaments, he profoundly revived the popularity and worldwide audience of the sport.

Jamaican sprinter widely regarded as the fastest man in history. The world-record holder in both the 100 m and the 200 m, he dominated his sport across three consecutive Olympic Games.