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The ascension of 16-year-old Luke Littler at the PDC darts world championship in London has been a remarkable sporting highlight of the year. He is a strong contender for the BBC sports personality of the year award in December, joining the ranks of other teenage athletic prodigies.
Pelé
Pelé, also known as Edson Arantes do Nascimento, scored goals in every stage of the elimination round as Brazil claimed their first ever victory in the men’s football World Cup in Sweden in 1958. At the young age of 17, Pelé went on to become the most outstanding player of his time and was a crucial member of the Brazilian teams that also won the tournament in 1962 and 1970. His exuberant and fearless style of play was complemented by a charming personality off the field, and in 2000 he was jointly recognized by Fifa as the player of the century alongside Argentina’s Diego Maradona.
Nadia Comăneci
Nadia Comăneci, a Romanian athlete, became widely known after her outstanding performance at the Montreal Olympics at the age of 14. She achieved a perfect score of 10 on both the uneven bars and the balance beam, making her the first person to ever do so. However, the organisers in 1976 were not prepared for this incredible feat and were unable to display her score accurately as their scoreboard did not have double digits. Comăneci’s first Olympic appearance resulted in her winning three individual gold medals, one individual bronze medal, and one team silver medal. She went on to win two more gold medals at the Moscow Olympics in 1980.
Mike Tyson
Mike Tyson’s actions outside of boxing and eventual conviction for sexual assault distinguish him from the other athletes on this list who are celebrated as heroes. However, his talent and skill as a young boxer cannot be denied. In November 1986, just under two years after his debut as a professional boxer, Tyson became the WBC heavyweight champion at the age of 20 years and four months, making him the youngest person ever to achieve this title.
Tiger Woods
Similar to Tyson, Tiger Woods did not achieve the highest level of success in his sport as a teenager, but he was on a promising path. He began his professional career at the age of 20 in 1996 and by the end of April the next year, he had become the youngest person to win the US Masters. This accomplishment narrowly surpassed that of Jordan Spieth, who also won the title at the age of 21 in 2015, but was slightly older than Woods was at the time.
Abhimanyu Mishra
A conversation about darts is not finished without someone asking, “Is it considered a sport?” This also applies to chess, in which there have been younger prodigies than Littler. At the age of 14, Bobby Fischer won his first US open chess championship, and in 2021, Abhimanyu Mishra became the youngest grandmaster at just 12 years and four months old.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
Snooker is also a sport where brains and accuracy dominate and Ronnie O’Sullivan has been at the top of the game for decades, having broken through with his first competitive 147 maximum break at the 1991 English amateur championship when he was 15. He truly has burned the candle at both ends, as when he won the 2023 UK championship at 47 years and 363 days – his eighth title – he set a new record as the oldest ever winner.
won the Australian Open in 1997
Boris Becker and Martina Hingis emerged victorious at the 1997 Australian Open.
From 1976 to 1984, only Björn Borg, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe were able to secure the victory in the men’s singles event at Wimbledon. However, in 1985, Boris Becker not only disrupted the usual pattern but also made history as the first unseeded player to claim the title at the young age of 17.
Ten years after, Martina Hingis amazed the world of tennis. At the age of 15 years and 9 months, her victory in doubles with Helena Suková at Wimbledon in 1996 made her the youngest player to ever win a grand slam title, and by the next year, she became the youngest female to be ranked as the world’s number one player.
are two notable English footballers
Two prominent English football players are Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney.
Two young footballers, Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney, made a significant impact for the England men’s team in quick succession. At the 1998 World Cup, 18-year-old Owen stood out with a remarkable solo goal in England’s loss to Argentina, while a similarly-aged Rooney became England’s top scorer in the team’s journey to the Euro 2004 quarter-finals. However, their current reputations differ greatly from their early successes. Owen is now primarily known for his unenthusiastic commentary on football and disinterest in movies, while Rooney is recovering from his recent dismissal as manager of Birmingham City after a disastrous tenure.
Emma Raducanu
Another potential cautionary tale for Littler is that of Emma Raducanu. The 18-year-old British tennis player became the first qualifier, man or woman, to win a grand slam singles title with an astonishing breakout win at the US Open in 2021. She has been unable to replicate that lighting-in-a-bottle moment with deep runs into other tournaments though, and since then has been plagued by injuries and the loudmouthed criticism of the likes of Piers Morgan. Raducanu is now preparing for the Australian Open after eight months out.
Katie Ledecky
Littler may prefer to pursue a career path similar to that of Katie Ledecky rather than following in the footsteps of Radacanu or Rooney. Ledecky made waves at just 15 years old when she won the gold medal in the 800m freestyle swimming event at the 2012 London Olympics, narrowly missing a world record. Since then, she has gone on to win six more Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals, making her the most decorated female swimmer. Given Littler’s potential to dominate in a sport where athletes can compete at the highest level well into their 50s, he could surpass all other athletes in history with the most world titles.
Source: theguardian.com
