Nicol David Takes Home The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time

8-time world champion Nicol David has been crowned The World Games Greatest Athlete of All Time as per online polling. With an astounding lead of 318,943, the 8-time world champion squash player beat out her second place by a margin of over 200,000 votes.

Cover image via Marie Claire

After retiring in 2019, Nicol took home nearly every honour in the squash world. Her World Games Gold Medals in Cali from 2013, Kaohsiung in 2009, and Duisburg in 2005 put her in the top running for the poll.

Nicol has heard praise from a worldwide community, including congratulations from the World Squash Federation president, Zena Woolridge, who called Nicol as soon as she learned the good news. Woolridge suggests that Nicol not only played a tremendous role as a true ambassador for the sport but also served as a role model for thousands. The award symbolizes her victory and true recognition for her astounding career.

Over her nearly two decades as a professional squash player, Nicol has taken home world titles eight times and held the number one standing in the world for squash for an astounding 108 months consecutively. With 7 Asian games titles and two commonwealth games gold medals, she is one of the world's most decorated athletes.

Nicol amassed 81 titles throughout her career, with her last title placing occurring at the Ciudad de Floridabalanca Open in Colombia circa 2017.

Nicol has taken on the career path as a mentor-based out of Colombia and has started a series of programs assisting young women in athletics.

Congratulations to Datuk Nicol David on this historic award!

Photo by Hamish Irvine