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26 May, 2016 09:39

London Olympics gold medalists top world's fittest athletes list

London Olympics gold medalists top world's fittest athletes list

Two stars of the London 2012 Olympic Games have finished top of the pile once again after being voted the world's fittest athletes.

US decathlete Ashton Eaton and British heptathlete Jessica Ennis-Hill both won gold in London and they've now been chosen as the fittest male and female athletes on the planet.

Sports Illustrated appointed a panel of experts from a variety of sporting and academic backgrounds to assess athletes based on characteristics that define fitness and conditioning - strength, speed, endurance, agility, flexibility and skill in his or her respective sport.

With 10 and seven events to prepare for respectively, Eaton and Ennis-Hill have to touch on every element of physical and mental conditioning during the course of training and competition.

In addition to being the reigning Olympic champion, Eaton is also the current world record holder in his event with 9,045 points.

Ennis-Hill struggled with injury after winning gold in London and missed the 2014 season through pregnancy, but bounced back in style to claim gold at the 2015 World Championships in Beijing.

Wednesday night weights 😬 #keepworking

Фото опубликовано Jessica Ennis-Hill (@jessicaennishill)

NBA star LeBron James claimed second place in the men's list, with CrossFit Games competitor and last year's fittest man Ben Smith in third.

UFC fighter and current interim light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was voted in fourth place, with Jamaican sprinter and current 100m world record holder Usain Bolt rounding off the top five.

Top US women's track and field athlete Allyson Felix was voted second in the women's standings, with 19-year-old US gymnast Simone Biles taking third place ahead of her bid for gold at this year's Olympics.

US swimmer Katie Ledecky finished fourth after winning five gold medals at last year's World Championships, while tennis legend Serena Williams completed the top five in the women's section.

Other notable entries on the men's list include Kazakhstani boxer Gennady Golovkin who came 12th, Swedish footballer Zlatan Imbrahimovic in 27th and UFC star Conor McGregor in 39th.

Russian long jumper Darya Klishina scraped into the top 50 on the women's list in 49th place, while former UFC women's bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey finished 19th.

World's Fittest Athletes

Men

1. Ashton Eaton - US athlete
2. LeBron James - Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player
3. Ben Smith - CrossFit Games competitor
4. Jon Jones - UFC fighter
5. Usain Bolt - Jamaican sprinter
6. Cristiano Ronaldo - Real Madrid footballer
7. Russell Westbrook - Oklahoma City Thunder basketball player
8. Jordan Burroughs - US wrestler
9. Novak Djokovic - Serbian tennis player
10. Renaud Lavillenie - French pole vaulter

Women

1. Jessica Ennis-Hill - British athlete
2. Allyson Felix - US athlete
3. Simone Biles - US gymnast
4. Katie Ledecky - US swimmer
5. Serena Williams - US tennis player
6. Gwen Jorgenson - US triathlete
7. Claressa Shields - US boxer
8. Maggie Steffens - US water polo player
9. Holly Holm - UFC fighter
10. Kerri Walsh-Jennings - US beach volleyball player

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