Some accomplishments of athletes over 40
Some accomplishments of athletes over 40

Published: July 8, 2008

A look at some major accomplishments over the past quarter-century by athletes who were over 40:

•Dara Torres: At age 41, the swimmer won two events at the 2008 U.S. Olympic Trials, the 50- and 100-meter freestyles, setting an American record in the 50 free.

•Nolan Ryan: In 1990, at age 43, he threw the sixth no-hitter of his career, blanking Oakland 5-0 while pitching for Texas. The next season, at age 44, Ryan tossed his seventh no-hitter against Toronto.

•Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: The NBA's all-time leading scorer won his fifth league title at age 40, in 1987 with the Los Angeles Lakers, and at age 41 in 1988, also with the Lakers.

•George Blanda: The quarterback-kicker played a record 26 years in the NFL. In 1970 season, at age 43, he led the Oakland Raiders to four victories and a tie in a five-game stretch with last-second touchdown passes or field goals.

•Eamonn Coghlan: In 1994, the 41-year-old Irish miler and former world champ at 5,000 meters became the first person over 40 to run a sub-4 minute mile. Coghlan clocked a 3:58.15 at a race in Cambridge, Mass.

•George Foreman: In 1994, at age 45, the boxer regained part of the heavyweight title he lost to Muhammad Ali 20 years earlier, stopping Michael Moorer with a two-punch combination in the 10th round.

•Jack Nicklaus: In 1986, the golfing great won his last major title, the Masters, at age 46.

•Darrell Green: Elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, the Washington Redskins cornerback was 42 when he retired after the 2002 season.

•Martina Navratilova: A month before turning 50 in 2006, the tennis great finished her career by winning her 59th Grand Slam title.

From Staff and Wire Reports

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