Every once in a lifetime, the world of sports is amazed by athletes who started competing at a very young age. Let us look at the feat of champions who began young, wowing the crowd and achieving numerous awards under their names.
1. Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso is destined for racing. At the age of three, he already competed in kart racing. It was in 1996 when he earned his first championship. He is the youngest to ever compete in F1 racing at the age of 19.
2. Ronnie O' Sullivan
An English trickshot master is how Ronnie is described in professional snooker. O'Sullivan was named "The Rocket" due to his rapid shots and positioning. At the age of 10, he was already expected to rise as a champion superstar in the art of pooling. He played and competed in many games while growing up. In 1993, he emerged as the champion in the UK Championship at the age of 17. He was 19 when he won another title.
3. Marjorie Gestring
Gestring was only 13 years old when she participated in the Summer Olympics. She was known in springboard diving as the youngest champion to win a medal in the Olympics. Her stint was short-lived, however, as World War II stopped her career.
4. Shaun Edwards
Edwards was only 17 when he joined a professional rugby game. He signed a €35,00 agreement with the Wigan Warriors. At 21, he led the team to victory. At the time, he was already the team captain. He was already a champion in the eyes of the fans and scouts.
5. Mike Tyson
Bad, badder, and baddest! That's what people call him. Tyson is the "Baddest Man on the Planet." At the tender age of 18, he already earned 26 wins out of 28 fights. His 20th year became something to remember, as he won the World Boxing Council (WBC) heavyweight championship, becoming the youngest to have ever won the title.
6. Ian Thorpe
Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe inked his name in history as the youngest athlete to win the world championships. He was only 15 years old when he won several swimming titles. He was also a consistent Olympic champion.
7. Jahangir Khan
Squash is his game, and Jahangir Khan is his name. He became the youngest champion at the age of 15 in the World Amateur Championship. The Guinness World of Records awarded him as the winningest athlete with 555 consecutive games.
8. Pele
Pele, whose real name is Edson Arantes Do Nascimento, had a successful football career. At the age of 15, he topped the 1957 league. He was considered the best football player of all time, according to some fans. He scored his first goal in the World Cup at 17 despite having a knee injury. Pele is the masses' champion, a crowd favorite, and a shining star for Brazil.
9. Boris Becker
Becker was a special athlete in the eyes of the elite. His early career was underrated, but he stunned the skeptics after winning the Wimbledon singles at 17. He erased the decade-drought history of the Germans with his Wimbledon win. Becker also mentored world No. 1 tennis player Novak Djokovic.
10. Martina Hingis
Hingis was a prodigy in tennis. She was only four years old when she first competed. In 1994, she won the Wimbledon Open and pursued her winning ways to America. She was 15 years old when she became the Grand slam champion. Years later, Martina continued her excellent tennis streak, bagging numerous titles, then later grabbed the No. 1 spot in singles and doubles.
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