When it comes to the greatest World Games athlete we've ever seen, she is one of us.
A worthy winner
Squash legend Nicol David has officially been crowned the World Games' Greatest Athlete of All Time.According to The Star Online, the now retired eight-time world champion squash player received the most votes out of ten shortlisted athletes in the final round of voting which ended at 9pm on Monday (1 February).
The 37-year-old, who was the only Asian to make the shortlist, collected a whopping 318,945 votes.
Her nearest rivals came nowhere close to unseating David: tug-of-war athlete James Kehoe from Ireland received 113,120 votes while powerlifter Larysa Soloviova of Ukraine garnered 80,790 votes to come in at second and third place respectively.
And David, who won three gold medals and one bronze medal over four outings in the World Games, wants you to know that she appreciates all your love.
“These past few days I’ve been truly overwhelmed by all the love. You took your time to vote and share with your family, friends and media about my nomination.
“It means the world to me how each of you have taken this to heart and I want to give my heart back to you all, ” she was quoted as saying.
Just like one of her dominating squash matches, David led the field in voting from the get go, and notching 300,000 votes from the overall 1,204,637 votes casted is indeed an achievement of its own.
A total of 23 past and present athletes representing various sports from all editions of the World Games' 40-year history were nominated for the worldwide poll.
Another feather on her cap
After spending nine years at the top of the women’s squash world rankings and winning 81 professional titles, the Penangite called time on her professional career back in 2019.The squash legend achieved a lot in her 20-year career, but these are some of her most memorable achievements:
#1 Eight-time world champion
Winning the coveted World Champion title isn’t an easy task, but Nicol makes it look like a walk in the park after winning it eight times! The 35-year-old won her first title in 2005 and her last one in 2014. She also holds the record of the most championship titles for a female squash player.
#2 G.O.A.T
Getting the ‘Greatest of All Time’ recognition is a big thing because you need to be someone not only with a great track record but truly legendary to earn it. And Nicol proved her prowess on court after being voted as the G.O.A.T by squash fans around the world in 2018.
#3 Longest reigning no.1 player in the world
If you ask Nicol what’s her favourite number, she’d probably answer one because she wouldn’t know any other number than that. That's because she held on to the number one spot for over nine years! The World Champion currently holds the record for the longest consecutive number one streak (109 months) and the most months at the top (112 months).
#4 Youngest person ever to be awarded a Datukship
At the tender age of 25, Nicol was conferred the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri award (DSPN) which carries the title Datuk by the Penang government in 2008. She became the youngest person ever to receive the award from the state.
#5 56-match winning streak
Winning any competition requires a lot of hard work and dedication, and Nicol’s level of dedication and passion to her sport led her to a staggering 56-match winning streak! Wow, wonder how it feels like to be unbeaten that many times.
She is truly the walking definition of an icon, and she definitely deserves to be called the G.O.A.T.