Sébastien Loeb, the last great myth of sport

Sébastien Loeb (1974, Haguenau, France) achieved on 13 November at the Wales Rally World Rally eighth row, which he elevated to one of the best athletes of all time. Always with his co-driver Daniel Elena and always at the wheel of a Citroen, Loeb has forged his legend.

With this eighth title, the French became more gimped motorists worldwide, surpassing the seven of Michael Schumacher in Formula 1. It was the last great challenge to be down. For Loeb has found no rival in their discipline, rallies since claimed his first World Cup back in 2004.

Since then he has been unbeatable. In 2008 was the Finns Juha Kankkunen and Tommi Mäkinen that store four titles each (Mäkinen also achievements consecutively) and became the largest. However, this did not stop his hunger and won three more up to date.

Thus, Loeb is now one of the great myths of sports, because in their discipline is setting a time and is reaping some numbers difficult to overcome. Within the world of motorsport can match it to the already mentioned Schumacher ; to motorcyclists Giacomo Agostini (15 world titles between 1966 and 1975), Angel Nieto (13 between 1969 and 1984) and Valentino Rossi (nine between 1996 and 2011), and compatriot Stephane Peterhansel, the Dakar Rally winner of nine (six between 91 and 98 on motorcycles and three cars, in 2004, 2005 and 2008).

Compared with other athletes, Loeb is in the same Olympus that people like Roger Federer, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Lance Armstrong, Kelly Slater, Gisela Pulido, Sheila Smith or Jansher Khan, among others. Athletes who are a benchmark in their disciplines and examples to follow. Just do a quick review of their careers to find out where to place the pilot Alsatian.

Of Federer is little to say. Suffice it to say that is the player with more Grand Slams and has been world number one 285 weeks, including 237 in a row, that is, over four and a half in front of the ranking. Same as golfers Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods . The first holds 18 majors and the second 14, besides being the world number one a total of 623 weeks (almost 12 years), 281 (5.5 years) consecutively. Lance Armstrong dominated cycling by winning seven straight years Tour de France between 1999 and 2005, record date.

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of less followed sports highlights Slater , American surfer, boasts 11 World (1992, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 2005, 06, 08, 10 and 11) and is the youngest (20 years) and oldest (39) to win the championship. Also Pulido , our great Gisela, which is eight times kitesurf world champion freestyle uninterrupted version (2004-2011) since it is professional, besides being the youngest world champion (10 years). Or Herrero , a Spanish, skating won 15 World between 1994 and 2004 and Jansher Khan , Pakistan, dominated the squash with eight titles 'World Open' and a runner-up in 10 years (between 1987 and 1996).

If there was any doubt whether to include Loeb, he was responsible for removing it. No longer are you more challenges, but keep getting fatter some records already at the height of the largest in sports history.