- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1979–1997
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 93.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 94.0
- Longevity
- 92.0
GOAT Rank · 26
Greatest Athletes who debuted in the 1970s
This ranking is led by Carl Lewis, Yuriy Sedykh and Edwin Moses. GOAT Rank currently ranks 26 eligible athletes who debuted in the 1970s using verified career records across dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Quick answer
According to GOAT Rank's current model, Carl Lewis ranks #1 on this list with a GOAT Score of 93.1.
How the GOAT Score is calculated →#AthleteGOAT Score
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1974–1992
- Country
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 92.0
- Statistics
- 94.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1976–1988
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 94.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1976–1992
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 88.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1974–1987
- Country
- 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
- Peak
- 96.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1975–1992
- Country
- 🇵🇹 Portugal
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1971–1990
- Country
- 🇳🇴 Norway
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1976–1992
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 90.0
- Longevity
- 82.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1977–1996
- Country
- 🇳🇴 Norway
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1978–1996
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1978–2012
- Country
- 🇯🇲 Jamaica
- Peak
- 88.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 96.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1975–1990
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 88.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1979–active
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 86.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 84.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1977–1986
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 90.0
- Statistics
- 92.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1979–1993
- Country
- 🇮🇹 Italy
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 90.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1971–1984
- Country
- 🇨🇺 Cuba
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 88.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 72.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1974–1984
- Country
- 🇩🇪 East Germany
- Peak
- 92.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 82.0
- Honours
- 86.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1976–1992
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 86.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1979–1988
- Country
- 🇱🇹 Lithuania
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 88.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1979–1988
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 84.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 70.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1973–1991
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1976–1988
- Country
- 🇩🇪 Germany
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 80.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 84.0
- Longevity
- 78.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1971–1984
- Country
- 🇺🇸 United States
- Peak
- 94.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 80.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1978–1994
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 90.0
- Dominance
- 82.0
- Statistics
- 86.0
- Honours
- 82.0
- Longevity
- 76.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1976–1984
- Country
- 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
- Peak
- 86.0
- Dominance
- 74.0
- Statistics
- 84.0
- Honours
- 78.0
- Longevity
- 74.0
- Sport
- Athletics
- Career
- 1976–1990
- Country
- 🇪🇹 Ethiopia
- Peak
- 84.0
- Dominance
- 70.0
- Statistics
- 76.0
- Honours
- 74.0
- Longevity
- 80.0
| # | Athlete | Sport | Country | Career | GOAT Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Carl Lewis | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1979–1997 | 93.1 |
| 8 | Yuriy Sedykh | Athletics | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | 1974–1992 | 91.5 |
| 10 | Edwin Moses | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1976–1988 | 91.3 |
| 29 | Evelyn Ashford | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1976–1992 | 89.5 |
| 40 | Jarmila Kratochvílová | Athletics | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | 1974–1987 | 88.7 |
| 45 | Rosa Mota | Athletics | 🇵🇹 Portugal | 1975–1992 | 88.4 |
| 49 | Grete Waitz | Athletics | 🇳🇴 Norway | 1971–1990 | 88.3 |
| 50 | Daley Thompson | Athletics | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1976–1992 | 88.0 |
| 53 | Ingrid Kristiansen | Athletics | 🇳🇴 Norway | 1977–1996 | 87.8 |
| 54 | Willie Banks | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1978–1996 | 87.7 |
| 55 | Merlene Ottey | Athletics | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | 1978–2012 | 87.6 |
| 60 | Sebastian Coe | Athletics | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1975–1990 | 87.5 |
| 62 | Joan Benoit Samuelson | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1979–active | 87.5 |
| 88 | Marita Koch | Athletics | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1977–1986 | 86.3 |
| 105 | Alessandro Andrei | Athletics | 🇮🇹 Italy | 1979–1993 | 85.7 |
| 107 | Alberto Juantorena | Athletics | 🇨🇺 Cuba | 1971–1984 | 85.6 |
| 143 | Bärbel Wöckel | Athletics | 🇩🇪 East Germany | 1974–1984 | 84.1 |
| 146 | Larry Myricks | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1976–1992 | 84.0 |
| 152 | Ana Ambrazienė | Athletics | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 1979–1988 | 83.8 |
| 161 | Valerie Brisco-Hooks | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1979–1988 | 83.5 |
| 164 | Steve Ovett | Athletics | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1973–1991 | 83.4 |
| 165 | Ingrid Auerswald | Athletics | 🇩🇪 Germany | 1976–1988 | 83.3 |
| 174 | Randy Williams | Athletics | 🇺🇸 United States | 1971–1984 | 83.1 |
| 175 | Steve Cram | Athletics | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1978–1994 | 83.0 |
| 257 | Ainsley Bennett | Athletics | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | 1976–1984 | 78.7 |
| 277 | Kebede Balcha | Athletics | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 1976–1990 | 76.5 |
Compare the leaders
Carl Lewis vs Yuriy SedykhRead the full methodology
Sport lists use the raw In-Sport GOAT Score. Cross-sport lists use the official competition-depth adjustment. No scores are recalculated for this page.
Read the full methodologyFrequently asked questions
How is this ranking calculated?
Five verified components are weighted consistently: dominance, peak, longevity, honours and statistics.
Who is included?
According to GOAT Rank's current data model, only verified athletes with sufficient career history, metrics, honours and independent sources are eligible. Rank and score are read live.
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