ESPN’s unveiling of the top 100 professional athletes of the 21st century stirred up a hornet’s nest across the sports world. Ranking these sporting legends is like walking a tightrope, challenging yet exhilarating. The star-studded lineup, led by Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, and LeBron James, paints a clear picture of athletics. As opinions fly and debates reach a fever pitch, insights from outlets like Citius Mag add more fuel to the fire when discussing Eliud Kipchoge.

Citius Mag weighed in on ESPN’s list of the greatest athletes of the 21st century, expressing disappointment. “ESPN finished publishing its list of the greatest athletes of the 21st century. No distance runners, no field event athletes, and no multi-event athletes made the final top 100 list,” he lamented. He further pointed out that only Allyson Felix, an 11-time Olympic medalist is ranked at No. 63, and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, an eight-time Olympic medalist was ranked at No. 77, represented track and field. However, regarding distance runners, was he referring to Eliud Kipchoge? Yes!

The exclusion of Eliud Kipchoge’s name from the list came as a shock to many. Known for his achievements as a Kenyan long-distance runner, Kipchoge has triumphed in 16 out of 20 official marathons. Despite being 39 years old, he is now gearing up for the Paris Olympics, where he aims to continue his winning streak on August 11th, following his victories in Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. However, after this post circulated, the track and field community expressed disappointment and frustration over his absence which ignited debates and calls for recognition of his accomplishments till now.

Fans fume over ESPN’s Top 100 List, Eliud Kipchoge, and track legends left out!

Amid the buzz over ESPN’s list of the top 100 athletes of all time, fans voiced their frustration passionately. One fan exclaimed, “ESPN not including Eliud Kipchoge in their top 100 athletes of all time is wild,” given that Kipchoge, often hailed as the world’s greatest marathoner, dominated his field with 16 marathon victories and held the world record from 2018 to 2023.

His impressive career began with a win in the 5,000 meters at the 2003 World Championships, followed by a bronze at the 2004 Athens Olympics, a silver at the 2008 Beijing Games, and another silver at the 2007 World Championships. Others joined in the outcry, with one person noting, “Kipchoge and others being left off this list is a joke,” and another lamenting, “Why are my girls so low—Allyson Felix and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce?!”

Well, it is a shocker as Allyson Felix, the most decorated track and field athlete in history who boasts an unmatched record with 20 World Championship medals and 11 Olympic medals, including seven golds. In 2022, at the age of 36, Felix bid farewell to the sport at the World Championships in Eugene, Oregon. There, she helped the USA secure bronze in the mixed 4x400m relay and claimed her 14th gold medal at Worlds, surpassing Usain Bolt’s total of 14 World Championship medals. While Bolt was ranked at number 9 spot.

Meanwhile, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is nothing less! She has captured gold in the 100 meters at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics and earned a silver in the same event at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Despite their incredible achievements, Felix and Fraser-Pryce’s lower rankings on ESPN’s list have stirred debate among fans. Criticism also turned towards ESPN’s alleged bias, with one comment stating, “ESPN should have just made a USA-only list given their clear bias towards American sports. I don’t want to disrespect any athletes, but this list is trash!!”

This debate continued when Chris Chavez spoke in defense of Eliud Kipchoge’s legacy, He highlighted his remarkable achievements from 2003 to 2023, highlighting multiple marathon championships and world records. Another commentator argued, “Not just that, he is not on the list. I think you can make a strong argument he should be #1 on the list.”

It’s disheartening to see when an athlete has put heart and soul into their sport, striving for recognition, yet still falls short. Kipchoge set a world record with a 2:01:39 finish at the 2018 Berlin Marathon, only to surpass it with a 2:01:09 in 2022, a record later broken by Kelvin Kiptum in 2023. In 2023, he made history as the first runner to win five Berlin Marathons, marking his 15th career marathon victory with just three losses. What are your views on this? Do you think he deserved a spot on the list?