Four of Colorado's own athletes have landed on Sports Illustrated's list of the world's fittest athletes!
In the latest issue of Sports Illustrated (SI) magazine, a team panelists compiled lists of the top 50 fittest athletes in the world. Four Colorado Olympians have been named among the top athletes: Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin, Emma Coburn, and Jenny Simpson. No male athletes from Colorado made SI's list. The panel consists of trainers, strength and conditioning coaches, and performance experts. All of the athletes on the lists were considered based on their performances over the last 12 months, the rigorous demands and risks of their respective sports, training regimens, and many other components. https://www.instagram.com/p/BXro5SjhPcD/ Skier Lindsey Vonn, 32, came in at No. 10, right behind tennis star Serena Williams. SI says the 5'10", 160-pound skier is one of six women to win World Cup races in all five disciplines (77 wins total). A two-time Olympic medalist, Vonn is a favorite to win the downhill at the PyeongChang Olympics next year. https://www.instagram.com/p/BX_8nPuFj3-/ At just 22 years of age, skier Mikaela Shiffrin has already won the World Cup overall title and two world championship medals. Like Vonn, she's looking to medal in the Olympics, with potential wins in slalom, giant slalom, and combined. Shiffrin ranked at No. 13 on SI's list.
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Coming in at No. 34, Emma Coburn, 26, is the first American woman to not only medal but win gold in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the 2017 IAAF World Championships. The track and field runner also won a bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
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Jenny Simpson, 31, ranked at No. 41 on SI's list and is considered one of the greatest female 1,500-meter runners in U.S. history. She won silver at Rio and bronze at the world championship earlier this year.
Clinching the top spot as the world's fittest female athlete is American gymnast Simone Biles, while Real Madrid soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo has been named fittest male athlete. You can view the full results here.
Were you surprised by the results by Sports Illustrated? Are there any other Colorado athletes you wish were included in the lists? Let us know in the comments below!
