Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

October 11, 2008 5:34:17 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

World's Best Athlete? Never Heard of Her

Posted Jun 22, 08 1:03 PM CDT in Sports 

(Newser) – The greatest athlete in the world today is 5'3'', 115 pounds, and named Sheila Taormina. You've probably never heard of her, but you should give this "force of nature" your attention now, writes ESPN the Magazine. Poised to become the first woman ever to compete at the Olympics in three different sports, Taormina is a model of versatility.

After snagging an Olympic gold in the 1996 swimming relay, a sixth-place triathlon finish in 2000, and a world triathlon championship in 2004, Taormina moved on to her newest challenge: the pentathlon. Despite having never fenced, shot, or ridden a horse, she quickly shot to the top of the field, winning the Pan Am Championships and qualifying for Beijing.

Source ESPN

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • US Olympic Medalist Details Sex Abuse

    Sep 16, 08 10:00 AM CDT
    US Olympic Medalist Details Sex Abuse Olympic medalist Margaret Hoelzer was sexually abused, she tells the AP in the hopes of helping other victims. The abuse by the friend of a father started when she was 5 years old, the swimmer says, and did not stop until the family moved 2 years later. The abuser was arrested after Hoelzer told her mother years later, but was never charged. More »

  • Swimmer Torres Set for Shoulder Surgery

    Aug 27, 08 4:55 PM CDT
    Swimmer Torres Set for Shoulder Surgery Dara Torres will finally get some relief after swimming to three silver medals with a damaged shoulder, CNN reports. The 41-year-old is scheduled today for a surgery she put off before the Olympics. Torres went to Beijing armed with anti-inflammatories, but started having intense pain while there. She plans to be back in the pool within 10 days of the operation. More »

  • China's Gold Rush Pays Off Nicely for Athletes

    Aug 23, 08 11:04 AM CDT
    China's Gold Rush Pays Off Nicely for Athletes Decades ago, bringing glory to the motherland would have been the sole reward for victorious Chinese Olympians. The glory is still there—plenty of it, as China leads the gold medal table—but champions can now expect an average reward of $300,000 in cash and bonuses, even before corporate sponsorship deals roll in, the Los Angeles Times reports.
    More »

  • Spitz Starts Life as Second-Greatest

    Aug 21, 08 7:37 AM CDT
    Spitz Starts Life as Second-Greatest Outspoken and prickly in the best of times, Mark Spitz is slowly adjusting to being the second-greatest Olympian of all time, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mustering a little grace for the occasion, Spitz says he's relieved at the downgrade. "He's got the burden of inspiring the youth as they go forward," Spitz says. "That is a relief." More »

  • Public Recreation Suffers as China Pays Olympic Bills

    Aug 19, 08 4:23 PM CDT
    Public Recreation Suffers as China Pays Olympic Bills While elite athletes reap the benefits of Beijing’s lavish Olympic spending, Chinese citizens complain that public recreation programs are suffering, reports NPR. The government has directed $430 million to public sports facilities since 2000, but that’s only half its annual budget for training athletes. “Government resources aren't nearly enough to meet people's exercise needs,” said one official.
    More »

Sheila Taormina clears an obstacle during the horse riding event of the women's Modern Pentathlon competition of the Pan American Games, in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, July 23 2007.   (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Sheila Taormina gets ready to take part in the swimming event of the women's Modern Pentathlon competition of the Pan American Games in Rio de Janeiro, Monday, July 23, 2007.   (AP Photo/Armando Franca)
Sheila Taormina got her first Olympic gold as part of the US swimming relay team in 1996, and will compete for another medal in the pentathlon in this year's Games.   (AP Photo)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 1)

Tags

2008 Beijing Olympics  • athlete  • swimming  • triathlon


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Sports Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »