100 Greatest Sports Stars - Number 95 - Heather McKay

Australia, it cannot be doubted, has produced many world class sports stars, per capita possibly more than any other country in the world. That and the little green god aside we have to take our hats off to number 95 on our lists of the 100 greatest sports stars ever – possibly the greatest sportswoman that Australia has ever produced. Yet why, we wonder, have so few people ever heard of the incomparable Heather McKay?

It could be the fact that her sport was squash (she is not retired): for whatever reasons the sport has not joined the likes of golf and tennis in the megabucks or for that matter mega interest stakes. It could be, also (and we say this shamefully) that in an oft overlooked sport the female players are generally ignored even more than the male. Whatever the case, it remains that Heather McKay has one of the most outstanding sports records that you will ever hear about.

Domination isn’t quite the word for what she represented in the squash world. She was the ultimate squash player of the 60s and 70s and won 16 British Open titles in a row between 62 and 77. She also won the World Open title when it began in 1979. During this period she was never defeated. Not once. Never. Hats off to Heather! How many other sports stars have that sort of record? Yes, we couldn’t either.

What was more she also played racquetball and field hockey at top levels. Born in 1941 McKay was defeated only twice in her career (once in 60 and again in 62). When she retired in 1981 she had not been beaten since that day in 1962. Her first British Open came at the age of 21 and then there was almost a generation of comfortable wins. In 1968 she won the final against Bev Johnson (also an Australian) without conceding a single point.

Retiring at the age of 40 from top-level squash she has remained active in the Masters Level events, winning two over-45 and two over-50 World Championships. To cap it all she was a member of the Australian Women’s Hockey Team and won the American (Amateur) Racquetball Championship in 1979. Moreover she won the professional version of that title three times (80, 81 and 84) as well as winning the Canadian Racquetball Championship five times.

Some amazing facts about an amazing sportswoman. Although little known outside of her arena, are you surprised any longer to find here on this top 100 sports stars list?

100 Greatest Sports Stars - Number 98 - Annika Sörenstam

Annika Sörenstam giving an interview on the Today Show (aired 24th April 2007), on the opening of her new academy

From the fjords of Sweden, Annika Sörenstam comes in to our list at number 98.  She is often referred to as The Female Tiger as her achievements in womens' golf rank her as one of the most successful golfers (of either gender) in the sport's history.  She won 90 international tournaments before she retired at the end of the 2008 season.  This made her quite comforably the female golfer with the most winds to her name.

The list of her wins is staggering.  She has 72 official tournament wins to her name and that includes ten majors and 18 non-LGPA tournaments.  She also has earned a pretty penny from the sport - her fortune is estimated at well over $US20 million.  She now holds joint American and Swedish citizenship.

She also made history in 2003 when she went head to head against the chaps as the first woman to play in a men's PGA tour event since 1945.  Marketed usually as simply Annika her off course interests include a golf academy along with the usual branded products.  However, she also designs golf courses themselves and, a nobler pursuit perhaps, runs a charitable foundation in her name.

A BBC Tribute to Annika Sörenstam

100 Greatest Sports Stars - Number 100 - Andrew Johns

At Number 100 on our list of the greatest sports stars (ever!) is the legend who goes by the name of Andrew Johns.  An Australian Rugby League footballer he is thought of by many as the best player of all time.  During his career he was often trumpeted as the world's best halfback.  During the 1990s and the 2000s he captained the Newcastle Knights team at home and played 249 games for the team 0 a record.  He also represented Australia in 2 World Cups and played in twenty one test matches for the Aussie national side.

He retired from the game of rugby league at the age of thirty two in 2007.  This was young, but he had had a lot of injuries which, had he continued playing, would have seriously threatened his health both on the pitch and in the future.  However, he finished playing rugby league as the highest points scorer in the history of the Australian First Grade premiership.  How many pointa?  A total of 2,176.


Andrew Johns was announced as the Best Player of the Last 30 Years by the influential Rugby League Week.  For the imaginary Team of the Century  he was named as halfback.  An outstanding career which places him at number 100 in our list of the 100 greatest sports stars in the universe!