There were 24 nominees, there are now 10 finalists. At the end of a first phase of the ballot which recorded more than 760.000 online votes, only 10 names remain in the race for the honorary title of greatest athlete in the history of the World Games. The consultation began on January 8. It proposed a list of 24 nominees. In the lead, before the second phase of voting, was Malaysian squash player Nicol David (photo above), with more than 200.000 votes. Now retired, she won the gold medal three times at the World Games (2005, 2009 and 2013). She is ahead of Russian sumo wrestler Batyr Altyev (90.003 votes), and Irishman James Kehoe, a former tug-of-war specialist (45.936 votes). The Frenchman Patrice Martin, multiple world water skiing champion, current candidate for president of the national Olympic committee (CNOSF), was among the 24 nominees, but he was not selected as a finalist. The final winner is due to be announced on February 1. This extensive consultation was launched by the International World Games Federation to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the first edition of the multi-sport event, organized in 1981 in Santa Clara, United States. The World Games bring together sports disciplines not included in the Olympic program every four years. The next edition is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Birmingham, Alabama (United States).
