05-05-2019, 04:48 PM
More and more countries are rising up, and emerging as major economic powers on the world stage. As this happens, many sports are attempting to expand into these emerging markets. Of course, a larger global reach will have many benefits for these sports; however, it also comes with costs. For example, it tends to mean that some nations which had once been major players in the sport will fall by the wayside and become irrelevant. (Of course, this can happen even without global expansion: perhaps one country will produce a dominant player, then several others from the same countries will be inspired to follow in their footsteps - but then the sport's popularity in that country will wane once these players are all retired)
To start us off, here are a couple of examples:
Can anyone think of any other good examples?
To start us off, here are a couple of examples:
- Brazilians in Formula One - In 1970, a 23-year-old Brazilian by the name of Emerson Fittipaldi appeared on the scene with Lotus. He made an impression almost immediately - and, by 1972, he'd become the sport's youngest World Champion up to that point. This set the stage for Brazilian dominance of the sport in the 1980s and early 1990s, as Fittipaldi's compatriots Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna reached even greater heights, winning three World Championships each. Then, in the 2000s and early 2010s, Ferrari drivers Rubens Barrichello and Felipe Massa won several races each: they didn't win any Championships, but they did at least keep Brazil relevant in the sport. However, Massa's retirement at the end of 2017 left the sport without a Brazilian driver, for the first time since 1969. Considering the country's past successes and growing influence on the world stage, this is a very noticeable hole in F1's driver line-up: only time will tell how long it will remain so.
- Swedes in men's tennis - Björn Borg was one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, winning six French Opens and five Wimbledons between 1974 and 1981. His fellow countrymen remained a major presence on the Tour throughout the next decade: Stefan Edberg and Mats Wilander each won multiple Grand Slams in the 1980s and early 1990s, and others (including Anders Järryd and Mikael Pernfors) reached the top 10. Swedish successes in the 2000s were more modest, but they still had their moments: Thomas Johansson won the Australian Open in 2002, and Robin Söderling memorably slew Rafael Nadal in 2009. However, once illness took Söderling out of the equation in 2011, Sweden ceased to have any noteworthy presence on the ATP tour: currently, the highest-ranked Swede is Elias Ymer, who is currently World No. 112 . Still, there's plenty for time for him (and his younger brother Mikael) to make an impression - so, we'll see what happens.
Can anyone think of any other good examples?
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