World's Most Popular Athletes

The term "most popular" is highly subjective. An athlete can be extremely popular in one country, but is fairly obscure in another. Case in point, NASCAR's Dale Earnhardt Jr. is wildly popular in America but is relatively unknown outside his home country. In this article, I opt instead to focus on the most popular athletes in individual countries. The countries of interest are the United States, Japan, and China.

1. United States: Tiger Woods

Considering how diverse the U.S. is in terms of sporting interests, the mainstream popularity of Tiger Woods--the superstar of a second tier sport--is rather intriguing. Every time Tiger shows up for an event, spectator attendance and TV ratings for the tournament go off the roof. Conversely, sparse crowds and dismal viewership await Tiger-less events. The so-called "Tiger Effect" is so well-documented that some networks have had to resort to showing taped coverage of Tiger Woods on a live telecast!

Not only Mr. Tiger is the most popular athlete in America, he is also the highest paid athlete in both the United States and the world. According to Forbes, Tiger Woods earned an average of 100 million dollars a year mostly from sponsorships and endorsements. But his staggering pay is not without merits. Numerous studies have shown that an endorsement from Tiger significantly improves his sponsor's sales and revenue. This clearly demonstrates the extreme popularity of the golf superstar.

2. Japan: Ichiro Suzuki

The Japanese have always had a strong fascination with Japanese athletes who perform well on foreign soil. The obsession started with Hideo Nomo, the first Japanese baseball player to have success in the U.S. major league, and continues with a host of superstars in the likes of Ichiro Suzuki (baseball), Hideki Matsui (baseball), and Shunsuke Nakamura (soccer). The most famous and most popular of the bunch is Mariners' Ichiro Suzuki.

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The key factor that contributes to Ichiro's sustained popularity is the fact that he isn't just a Japanese player who has success in the major league; he is one of the league's best players, having won a MVP award, 9 Gold Gloves, and a number of batting titles. Moreover, Ichiro has been able to maintain a high level of excellence throughout his 9 years (and counting) in the States.

Being the most popular athlete in Japan, however, is both a blessing and a curse. The good men and women of the Japanese media may not have the annoying antics of the American paparazzi, but they are never short in number. Whether it is on the field, in the clubhouse, or around the player's home, hordes of Japanese journalists and cameramen are always on stand by squeezing every ounce of privacy the superstar still has. If you are a famous person in Japan, you should expect this type of media onslaught and more.

3. China: Liu Xiang

There is no other country in the world where the phrase "Country First" carries as much weight as in China. All Chinese athletes have one uniform goal in life-to win an Olympic gold medal for their country, even if they have to sacrifice their personal ambitions. Case in point, top Chinese tennis players recently declined a chance to play in the Wimbledon championship (the most important event on the tennis calendar) so they could play in their national championship.

Perhaps no Chinese athlete faces as much pressure to perform as Liu Xiang, the former 110m-huddle world champion. This is due to the fact that no Chinese athlete has ever won an Olympic medal in track and field. Nothing would satisfy China's pride more than for its athletes to win a medal (preferably gold) in the discipline. But we all remember what happened in the 2008 Olympics. Just seconds before the race of his life, Liu Xiang had to withdraw (due to injuries) from the Beijing Olympics leaving the entire nation of China in shock and disbelief. In a span of a few seconds, Liu Xiang--China's most popular athlete--became the country's most hated athlete. But things are not all doom and gloom for Liu. He will have a chance to redeem himself if he manages to win a gold medal in the next Games and make his country proud.