Andre Agassi will always be remembered for his bright pink racquet wires and Michael Schumacher for his `victory leap'. They are examples of people who came into a sport as players but left as icons. No sport is the same after the most impressive player in it retires. And a gap left by the likes of Michael Jordan, Pete Sampras and Pele will never be filled.
When a great sportsperson retires they leave a void and it is as if a light has gone out. Fans are the worst hit as it means being loyal to a sport that is bereft of the person they liked and admired. When seven-time Formula One World Champion MichaelSchumacher announced his retirement in September, it marked not only the end of his reign as king of formula one, but also the end of an era. "If the best guy in the world retires it is certainly a sad day," said Austrian Niki Lauda, a triple champion who, incidentally, retired twice during his career. It certainly was a sad day in Formula One and for fans world over, for it will be hard to imagine motor-sport
without the Red Baron.
They influence us in ways we never imagined possible. Some even end up following in the footsteps of these athletes. Serena Williams says of Andre Agassi, ''I used to watch Agassi. He was just everything that I aspired to be, not only on the court but off the court.'' For Formula One Driver Narain Karthikeyan his dream came true when he got the chance to race against Schumacher. "I looked up to him before I came to Formula One, he was one of my heroes, and racing against him was just a great feeling."
Sometimes, when we think of people who have retired we believe that they have run out of steam. Sporting greats like Martina Navratilova did not quit. They just stepped back. They gave way to those who aspired to be like them. After all what can they do when they have given everything they possibly can to a sport?
Lance Armstrong, after winning 6 consecutive Tour De France titles retired without pomp or show. He like other legends brought character and strength to the game.
There are people who come into sports and leave without making an impact. Then there are those who leave behind a legacy; People who gave their lives to the sport. They made their way to the top and when they found there was nothing higher for them to achieve, they stepped aside, leaving it to another to lead the way. Each of them authored a unique chapter in their respective field. Each one of them will go down in history not as mere sports stars, but as LEGENDS.
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