Biggest Individual Sports Achievements last 50 years?

[Dru Edwards]

What do you think are the Biggest Individual Sports Achievements in last 50 years? Include team sports.

Wayne Gretzky can make this list numerous times but his single season points total for the '81-'82 season, when he was only 20 years old (when it started), is amazing. He demolished the record for each of the most goals, assists, and points with 92-120-212. He had set the assist/point record the previous year.

On a side note for that season, Gretzky also set the record with 10 hat tricks (which he duplicated) and he also set the record for the quickest games to 50 goals (39 games). Gretzky would also go on to surpass the points and assist totals for a season.

[Lkristians]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

What do you think are the Biggest Individual Sports Achievements in last 50 years? Include team sports.

Wayne Gretzky can make this list numerous times but his single season points total for the '81-'82 season, when he was only 20 years old (when it started), is amazing. He demolished the record for each of the most goals, assists, and points with 92-120-212. He had set the assist/point record the previous year.

On a side note for that season, Gretzky also set the record with 10 hat tricks (which he duplicated) and he also set the record for the quickest games to 50 goals (39 games). Gretzky would also go on to surpass the points and assist totals for a season.

A glorious era in the NHL. I had season tix from 1978-1985 for the NY Islanders (4 Stanley Cups!), and had the privilege of seeing Wayne play. His trade to LA put hockey on the West Coast map. Wasn't quite the same when he went to St. Louis and NY, though.
In your other thread, someone mentioned Bobby Orr. He changed the way defensemen played the game. An offensive defenseman. Remarkable.

[alnico5]

This doesn't meet your 50 year criteria because it happened in 1952 but I am taking the liberty to mention it anyway. At the 1952 Olympics, Emil Zatopek, a Czech runner, decided to enter the marathon at the last moment. He had never run a marathon before. He won the gold medal. Days before, he also won the 5000 and 10,000 meter Olympic gold medals. He is probably the greatest runner of all time.

[Cypress Knee]

I would think that either Bob Beamon's record-shattering long jump in the 1968 Olympics or Roger Bannister's sub-four minute mile would have to be in the conversation.

Beamon's long jump was mind boggling. The world record had increased over the years by an inch here, and inch there, and he jumped almost two feet over the existing record, and out of the range of the optical measuring device in use at the time.

Bannister's breaking the four-minute mile barrier led the way for what had once been deemed impossible to becoming routine.

And last, Billy Mills wasn't exactly at the same level, but his Gold Medal as the first American to win the 10,000 at the Olympics was certainly exciting. I think the announcer lost his job over the call.

[Gitfiddlemann]

I would count the "Tiger Slam" among the biggest individual achievements in sports in the last 50 years, that is, holding all 4 major trophies on his mantle at one time, in a span of less than a year. Just not in the same year, which would have made it a Grand Slam.
Starting in June of 2000, Tiger won the U.S. Open (by 15 shots), the Open, and the PGA. The following April he added the Masters.
It may be hard for non-golfers to fully grasp this as a great achievement, but all golfers truly understand what a monumental feat that is in today's game.

[M19]

Probably not one of the "Biggest," but the most nail-biting, tense, fantansic one-of-a kind sporting events in my life was the Twins' Game 7 extra-innings 1-0 win in the 1991 World Series.

I can still hear Jack Buck shouting, "The Twins are going to win the World Series! The Twins have won it! It's a base hit! It's a one nothing, ten-inning victory!"

Then all h*** broke loose!





Oh, and then there's that hockey game thing at the 1980 Olympics...

[Lkristians]

Originally Posted by AndreF

I would count the "Tiger Slam" among the biggest individual achievements in sports in the last 50 years, that is, holding all 4 major trophies on his mantle at one time, in a span of less than a year. Just not in the same year, which would have made it a Grand Slam.
Starting in June of 2000, Tiger won the U.S. Open (by 15 shots), the Open, and the PGA. The following April he added the Masters.
It may be hard for non-golfers to fully grasp this as a great achievement, but all golfers truly understand what a monumental feat that is in today's game.

Hard to argue with that!

[catdaddy]

Regardless of how you feel about the man, Pete Rose breaking Ty Cobb's all time total hits record has to be among the biggest achievements.

[hubcapsc]

I was at the ultra muddy 1987 Motocross Des Nations at the
pristine Unadilla NY track (they only race there once a year,
it starts out all grass). The American team was amazing the
way they pounded through that mud, beating all the rest
of the best in the world...

https://www.cyclenews.com/2013/08/ar...s-des-nations/

-Mike "best race I ever saw"

[jseth]

I would have to say that Tiger Woods' comeback victory at the Masters last year would be an even "greater" accomplishment than his holding all four major championship trophies in one year's time...

Both are incredible achievements, to be sure, but coming back and winning the Masters in his 40's, after EVERYTHING that's transpired for him, physically, emotionally and mentally... that's just freakin' amazing!!!

And I truly do not think he's finished with amazing golfers everywhere just yet...

[AmericanEagle]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ehXQ1Z7lGU

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Lkristians

A glorious era in the NHL. I had season tix from 1978-1985 for the NY Islanders (4 Stanley Cups!), and had the privilege of seeing Wayne play. His trade to LA put hockey on the West Coast map. Wasn't quite the same when he went to St. Louis and NY, though.
In your other thread, someone mentioned Bobby Orr. He changed the way defensemen played the game. An offensive defenseman. Remarkable.

That was an amazing run for the Islanders. Consider that there were 3 consecutive NHL dynasties and those teams and players are some of the best ever... Canadiens won 4 Cups in a row immediately followed by the Islander's 4 immediately followed by the Oilers' 4 in 5 years.

Bobby Orr is the only defenseman to win the Art Ross trophy as the NHL's leading scorer and he did it twice. He also won a record 8 consecutive Norris trophies as the league's best defenseman. Shame his bad knees canceled his last few seasons.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by jseth

I would have to say that Tiger Woods' comeback victory at the Masters last year would be an even "greater" accomplishment than his holding all four major championship trophies in one year's time...

Both are incredible achievements, to be sure, but coming back and winning the Masters in his 40's, after EVERYTHING that's transpired for him, physically, emotionally and mentally... that's just freakin' amazing!!!

jseth, you make a good case.

Tiger Woods, Memorial Day 2017


Tiger Woods, April 2019


I'm trying to think if he was ever asked that question in an interview. Would be curious to hear his take.

[Gitfiddlemann]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Bobby Orr is the only defenseman to win the Art Ross trophy as the NHL's leading scorer and he did it twice. He also won a record 8 consecutive Norris trophies as the league's best defenseman. Shame his bad knees canceled his last few seasons.

Yes, what a shame.
I wonder if modern medicine couldn't have done a better job with his knee issues. I mean, in that last year, his knees were bone on bone.
But in his prime, man. Every time he had the puck the entire energy level in the building went up. He was a force like no other I've ever seen in hockey.

[robj144]

Surprised no one has mentioned Michael Phelps' 8 gold medals in 2008.