-
ESPN staff
Welcome to ESPN’s fan vote, where you, the reader and sports fan, will decide which individual or team has been the most dominant in the 21st century.
For our fourth match-up, we pit Usain Bolt, unquestionably the fastest man on the planet, against golf legend Tiger Woods.
(Please vote in the poll at the bottom of this page to decide the winner.)
Usain Bolt at the Olympics (2008-2016)
Usain Bolt — the world’s fastest man, a record he has held for 13 years now — is the most dominant sprinter of all time.
Here are the facts: He won the 100m and 200m across three consecutive Olympics, the only person in history to achieve this feat. Include the relays, and he has eight Olympic golds. Between 2009- 2015, he won the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay in every World Championships (except for a false start disqualification in 2011). His 11 World Championship golds are more than anyone in history.
In this period, he went on a run (no pun intended) where he won 17 straight 200m finals, and 14 straight 100m ones. He broke the 100m record thrice, the 200m record twice and the 4x100m relay record thrice.
And he made it all look as easy as a jog in the park.
Woods and the ‘Tiger Slam’ (2000-2002)
During a remarkable 10-month run in 2000-01, Tiger Woods became the only player to win four consecutive golf majors in the modern era. Though not achieved in the same calendar year, the ‘Tiger Slam’ showed his utter domination of the majors at his peak.
Woods started with a record 15-shot victory margin at the 2000 US Open. Then with a win at The Open at St Andrews, he beat Jack Nicklaus’ record of being the youngest man to complete a Career Grand Slam. A month later, with a tense three-hole playoff victory over journeyman Bob May at the PGA Championship, Woods became the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three majors in one year. (Jack Nicklaus won three consecutive majors in 1971-72.)
Seven months later, with the spotlight firmly on him, Woods saw off David Duval and Phil Mickelson at the 2001 Masters to make history. He was 25 at the time.
(If the poll doesn’t load, click here to try again. The poll will close at 5PM IST on Wednesday, June 24)