Starting off with....
10. Gordie Howe - ice hockey
Ice hockey is a really cool sport - I love that blood bounces on the ice! Unlike my bro who would probably argue that lacrosse is better, I love the pace of ice hockey and I marvel at the way that some players can take a knock and still remain upright on their skates! As a newbie figure skater, I appreciate just how difficult it is to keep your balance, let alone skating at high speed, stopping so quickly, all while pushing a puck. Gordie Howe is a champion Canadian hockey player who was only sixteen when he hit the big time (and he's now an old fart!)- a true inspiration to aspiring young sportsmen! He was named third in the NHL's 100 Players of All Time and considering that Wayne Gretsky was one of the ones above him, that's a pretty mean feat!
9. Ayrton Senna - Formula I Racing
I have fond memories of watching the Formula One grand prix as a kid when we were lucky enough to still have it here in Adelaide. I remember sometimes going to a friend of the family's house to watch from Wayville and getting all excited about our chosen driver's potential victory (I know that Jodie always went for 'Junior Burger' aka Gerhard Berger) but I had a soft spot for the Brazilian driver Ayrton Senna - what a great sportsman and champion. It was always a toss up between Senna and Frenchman Alain Prost for me. I was very sad when Senna was killed and unfortunately I was never able to see him in the flesh as the first time I went to the Grand Prix was a year or two after he died. Thinking of Senna brings back such fond memories of times when we actually had family time!8. Kieran Perkins - swimming
Now seriously, who didn't watch Kieren Perkins' historic record-breaking swim in the 1500 metre event in 1992 and then watch him smash it again in 1994?! That was an exciting sporting day for Australia. He's an all-round good sportsman and bloke and one of the greatest long-distance swimmers ever produced in this country and, indeed, the world. He is a prime example that just because you're successful, doesn't mean you can't be a nice person, humble and family orientated. And I will always remember going with Isobel to the Royal Show where he was doing a lap of honour in the back of a truck and her stalking him for his autograph, followed by us trying to ring his hotel room to chat with him!
7. James Blake - tennis
James Blake is probably the most recent addition to this list but there are good reasons for me picking him and not someone like Federer or Nadal or going back to someone like Magnus Norman, Pat Rafter or Goran Ivanisevic.
1. I met James Blake at the Adelaide International Tennis tournament and he was one of the ONLY competitors on that day to talk to the staff working that day; the rest merely snubbed us (not being specific at all...Lleyton...The Poo!). He was friendly and accommodating.
2. He is strong and fast across the court which I like to see in a tennis player. He is not afraid to admit his shortcomings and although he is not the best player around, always gives it his all and is a good sportsman.
3. *undoes collar* He's hot!
1. I met James Blake at the Adelaide International Tennis tournament and he was one of the ONLY competitors on that day to talk to the staff working that day; the rest merely snubbed us (not being specific at all...Lleyton...The Poo!). He was friendly and accommodating.
2. He is strong and fast across the court which I like to see in a tennis player. He is not afraid to admit his shortcomings and although he is not the best player around, always gives it his all and is a good sportsman.
3. *undoes collar* He's hot!
6. David Seaman - football
I could have picked so many English football greats to top this list - Becks, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer....but a sentimental favourite won out. So faithfully nicknamed 'Handy Mitts' by our family when I was a teenager, Seaman brought many a good moment in the sport, except the bit where he let Brazil win the quarter-final in the 2002 world cup. I actually cried when it happened and it looked like he would too! Like the amazing Peter Shilton before him, it was like he had magnets on his gloves - the balls just seemed to be sucked towards them. My greatest appreciation for the sport was cemented when I was a kid so I could really appreciate Seaman's brilliance when I understood the sport so much better. And how could you go past a guy with a surname like that!? Words that sound suggestive but aren't. *smiles*
I could have picked so many English football greats to top this list - Becks, Ryan Giggs, Michael Owen, Alan Shearer....but a sentimental favourite won out. So faithfully nicknamed 'Handy Mitts' by our family when I was a teenager, Seaman brought many a good moment in the sport, except the bit where he let Brazil win the quarter-final in the 2002 world cup. I actually cried when it happened and it looked like he would too! Like the amazing Peter Shilton before him, it was like he had magnets on his gloves - the balls just seemed to be sucked towards them. My greatest appreciation for the sport was cemented when I was a kid so I could really appreciate Seaman's brilliance when I understood the sport so much better. And how could you go past a guy with a surname like that!? Words that sound suggestive but aren't. *smiles*
5. Michael Murphy - diving
I love the sport of diving. I appreciate the incredible difficulty of what divers make look so simple - it is elegant, beautiful and powerful. And well before the lovely Matthew Mitcham won the gold medal for Australia in Beijing, there was an Australian diver called Michael Murphy. He was a Commonwealth champion, an unsung hero as he never really received the recognition from the public that he deserved. That's the problem with Australia - unless you win a medal, you don't factor. He never won an Olympic medal but he still came fourth (which is still a fantastic achievement in a sport dominated by China, Russia and other Eastern Bloc countries. I still cheered for him every time. He is now a commentator, I believe. 
4. Mohammed Ali/Cassius Clay
What a friggin' champion! He had it all....the talent, the looks, the charisma. His cocky, confident slogans have pervailed in history "Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A Bee" and "I am the Greatest!". The moment he knocked George Foreman to the ground and then hovered, knowing that he had him (he could have sunk that last punch but didn't), and he didn't want to spoil the beauty of the moment - now that's a charismatic sportsman. And what a brave man, to still make appearances despite his debilitating illness and inspire an entire generation of new boxers! Not a fan of boxing but I love him!
3. Kristi Yamaguchi - figure skating
Kristi Yamaguchi was the first skater to make me really love figure skating. I loved watching her - she was an Olympic champion when I was in high school, right when I began to really get into the sport. She wasn't the most technically consistent but like Michelle Kwan, had real beauty and artistry in her skating and was light across the ice, which is why I liked her (and why I didn't like skaters like Tonia Harding or a later champion Tara Lipinsky). She won the competition trifecta (US championship, World Championship and Olympic Gold Medal) in the same year that Tonia Harding organised the attack on her teammate, Nancy Kerrigan, and I am so glad it wasn't Kristi that she hurt!
2. Harry Kewell - football
I really am wild about Harry! Yeah, sure, he doesn't often co-operate with the Australian team and hasn't been a golden boy but I love him! I used to support him when he played with Leeds (and unfortunately then went to Liverpool, before redeeming himself with Galatasray). Although he's been injured a lot, particularly in the 2000s, he still seems to be a bloody star on the field when he plays for Australia. There was a load of hoopla about Tim Cahill scoring the goals but who set the goals up?! Harry! He was a great addition to the team and you knew that they would pick up when he came on the field. And he ain't bad to look at either. :) And I'm still convinced that Australia lost to Italy in the 2006 World Cup because Harry wasn't playing - damn gout! :( I am very sad that he is quite likely retiring from international competition. It's a sad day for football.
1. Philippe Candeloro - figure skating
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Philippe Candeloro, the French figure skater, I think, has to be my favourite all-time sportsman. Everything he has ever done, I have loved! His long programme of D'Artagnan was awesome - his footwork where he simulates a sword-fight is just incredible! If you can find it anywhere, check it out! His famous Godfather programme was extremely memorable for the self-named Candeloro Spin. The Candeloro spin was created when he fell in training during a sit spin and spun on his ass. It looked so good, it became his trademark move but unfortunately he wasn't allowed to use it later as it became illegal. I love that I still thought he was the best even when he fell, because he got right back up and still stayed in character. He has a wicked sense of humour and in his show skating, this has been his strong point. I saw him last doing a TV special of Mulan with Michelle Kwan. He played the hero - and what a hero he is!
!Philippe Candeloro, the French figure skater, I think, has to be my favourite all-time sportsman. Everything he has ever done, I have loved! His long programme of D'Artagnan was awesome - his footwork where he simulates a sword-fight is just incredible! If you can find it anywhere, check it out! His famous Godfather programme was extremely memorable for the self-named Candeloro Spin. The Candeloro spin was created when he fell in training during a sit spin and spun on his ass. It looked so good, it became his trademark move but unfortunately he wasn't allowed to use it later as it became illegal. I love that I still thought he was the best even when he fell, because he got right back up and still stayed in character. He has a wicked sense of humour and in his show skating, this has been his strong point. I saw him last doing a TV special of Mulan with Michelle Kwan. He played the hero - and what a hero he is!
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