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Super Sunday Woods, Armstrong achievements amazing
It was a weekend to savor. A time when sporting endeavor and achievement transcended sport. The wonder of Woods. The astonishing Armstrong. Both were joys to behold. It was only a shame they had to do what they did on the same day. Sharing the headlines hardly seemed fair. Much has been written about the magnificence of Tiger Woods. Indeed you can read many an opinion about this Grand Slam king on this very web site. So forgive me for shoving my oar in the Woods waters too.
I don't want to get into comparisons between him and Jack Nicklaus or necessarily dissect his latest record-breaking feat at St Andrews, where he became the youngest player in history at 24 to complete his Grand Slam set of all four major championships. No, I'd much rather impress on you -- in more general terms -- just how amazing a sportsman we're witnessing and that we shouldn't take one minute of his greatness for granted. Few people rise to the ranks of global sports icon. Pele, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan are three who did. They were and are bigger than sport itself. Woods is next in line. Anyone who saw Pele at his footballing prime, Ali at his boastful and brilliant best or Jordan taking basketball to new heights were truly privileged. Such figures are usually required to leave their sport before they are handed legendary status. And sometimes, even during their heyday, they are heralded without onlookers fully appreciating just how rare a sporting specimen they're seeing.
We loved watching them, we knew they were special. But did we step back often enough and say: "This is as good as it gets, now and maybe for all time?" The miracle of Tiger is happening here and now. Let's not wait to embrace the fact that this is the greatest golfer the world has ever seen ... probably the best we'll ever see. Talking of miracles, Lance Armstrong's recovery from cancer to conquer last year's Tour de France was a bewildering achievement. He had testicular, brain and lung cancer just a few years ago and was given no more than a 40 percent chance of survival. His return to full health and then to his bike were fabulous feats. But to win cycling's most grueling event was almost beyond belief. Now to triumph in the Tour in successive years carries the fairytale to even more preposterous heights. Armstrong is a living marvel. It was a super Sunday for sport, for history and for the human spirit. Tiger Woods and Lance Armstrong made it thus. Phil Jones is a co-host of "World Sport," the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International. The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer.
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