I think it's like this in order

1. Decathalon
2. Wrestling
3. Rugby
4. Water Polo
5. Football (Soccer in America)

My vote goes to Rugby.

Agility, leaping ability, speed, endurance, strength.

Plus there are no hiding places else you would be found out

doyin13:

My vote goes to Rugby.

Agility, leaping ability, speed, endurance, strength.

Plus there are no hiding places else you would be found out

Not exactly my definition of athleticism. I will go for gymnastics and basketball every day of the week

A-40:

Not exactly my definition of athleticism. I will go for gymnastics and basketball every day of the week

Hmmm. . . .Gymnastics measures agility and strength but it is hardly a test of speed or endurance.

Basketball can be argued yes.

My vote is in this order:

(1) Decathlon
(2) Kick-boxing
(3) Rugby
(4) Swimming
(5) Gymnastics

Football!!!!!!

Aerial ability(Bierhoff)
Jump(Vidic)
Power(Rooney)
Strength(Batistuta)
Pace(Ronaldo)
Quick feet(Messi)
Foot-work(Ronaldo de Lima).
Dive(Petr Cech)
Instincts(Petr Schmeichel)
Close cruise control(George Best)

@doyin
It's Rugby all the way
From the full-backs to the forwards, tell me how you can escape without being active
It's hit or be hit

What other sport do you bash people all through the game and at the end you shake hands like nuffin happened
It's not only a true test of Athleticism, it's a true test of sportsmanship

@Eldee

Mehnnn. . . . . .We should meet up for Drinks at Greenwich

Good on you Lad

@ Eldee,

Whhat about Boxing?
I saw Ali humiliated George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle".
They hugged after Ali knocked the big guy out.
There are many games people whack themselves and get on with it.

doyin13:

Hmmm. . . .Gymnastics measures agility and strength but it is hardly a test of speed or endurance.

Basketball can be argued yes.

No, you're both wrong. Gymnastics measures much more of balance, coordination, flexibility and leaping ability (all forms of athleticism) than the ones you put there. And gymnastics definately doesn't measure strength. Usually it's the other way around. You have to be light to be very effective.

But I picked the decathalon b/c it takes a rigorous toll on the body (2-day event) while measuring an athletes speed, strength, skill, stamina, endurance, and perseverance. The emphasis of the first day is on speed, explosive power, and jumping ability; the second emphasizes technique and endurance.

Hannibal:

@ Eldee,

Whhat about Boxing?
I saw Ali humiliated George Foreman in the "Rumble in the Jungle".
They hugged after Ali knocked the big guy out.
There are many games people whack themselves and get on with it.

Boxing is not sumn you do every other week
I watched London Irish Vs Toulouse at Twickenham, about four Toulouse players were being treated for injuries, the game was still going on
It's like one of 'em Battles of Troy, any man that falls doesn't stop the game, he knows the team still has to win, that's sportsmanship

The good thing about Rugby is that these guys will do anything for the team
One man speeds like he's the only one in the team, yet the whole team fights like they're just that one man

And they know they'll still come back to do it next two weeks

@Doyin
How bout next Six Nations, drinks on me . . . tickets on you

The Decathlon does not qualify as a sport does it. . .More like a series of events.

doyin13:

The Decathlon does not qualify as a sport does itMore like a series of events.

The Decathalon fits under the track and field mold. Therefore it qualifies as a sport.

Tennis should be in that list.

American Football Hands Down.

Why do you always get things wrong?
Aerial ability(Bierhoff) Klose
Jump(Vidic) Ayala
Power(Rooney) Drogba/Essien
Strength(Batistuta) Same as above
Pace(Ronaldo) Thierry Henry
Quick feet(Messi) Agreed
Foot-work(Ronaldo de Lima). Or Dinho
Dive(Petr Cech) C.Ronaldo
Instincts(Petr Schmeichel) Oliver kahn
Close cruise control(George Best) george what? Better George Washington

@dayokanu
Very funny

@doyin
Gymnastics might not test your endurance but definitely your speed at least to think and make your next move

@FOD
I agree with you on that one

Someone said Be(a)dminton.  No be me talk am oh

What is "Athleticism", anyway?

People have different definitions but i simply see it as the ability to give something extra in your sport its a combination of many things but Agility is a very important component

Decathlon and Heptathlon are not sports but combination of sports so rule that out.

Swimming and track athletics depends on the distance. While they tests your cardiovascular and muscular fitness, they do not test much else.

Boxing is obviously number one.

Take any weight from cruiserweight downwards. You have to be as fit as a MOFO.

It tests endurance, speed, agility, flexibility, strength, lateral, forward and backward movement. It puts severe pressure on the waist as you try to move your head. Neck muscles are also used to keep your opponent from gaining advantage in a clinch. It also tests strongness of chin - and the ability to keep moving even when your brain is befuddled from punches. It is easy to be athletic when your mind is clear. Lets see if you can be athletic when your brain has turned to mush. Footballers always take break and lie down whenever they receive a hit to the head. Boxers have to keep moving.

Rugby takes too many breaks for the scrum. I have played Rugby at school. You only play in bursts, not running all the time. Even when a player has the ball, you see his teammates standing just behind as they cannot run ahead of him. The ball is then passed from left to right along a straight line. Many Rugby players have small pot belly 

Basket ball.

It tests your speed, balance, strenght, jumping ability etc.

Some of those players in the NBA can be successfull in most other sports including athletics, boxing and rugby.

I think number one is track and field number two is boxing

@ SeanT21. . .
i'm a cornerback, the hardest position to play in football and i disagree wit football been the rawest sport.
i'll go with track. that's a REAL MAN'S sport period. the sprinters have it easy, but quarter milers, and all the other events, its no joke ! i run track in the off season and trust me i dont look forward to practise at all lol
secondly i'll say boxing/MMA/UFC or those fast paced combat sports. that goes for body mass building, cardio, agility watch UFC fighters or boxers conditioning thats sum intense stuff !
the hard part of football is the mental/learning part of it. classrooms, learning and remembering the playbook is wayy harder than the physical aspect of the game

Cycling

I think Rugby

rugby just like American football is played in short bursts and, even worse than football, the pile on each other for a while. soccer requires more athleticism than rugby