Indian cricket great Sachin Tendulkar turned 40 yesterday. Hard to believe, right? Hayden Meikle looks at other examples of elite athletes who kept going into their fifth decade, or beyond.
Michael Jordan (basketball)
His second comeback was less successful than his first. But the greatest basketballer of all time, who was 40 by the time he hung up his Nikes for good, was still a fine player in his third spell in the NBA.
WG Grace (cricket)
The original Mr Cricket played 44 first-class seasons, played his last test at 50, and was 59 when he made his final first-class appearance.
George Foreman (boxing)
Won the world heavyweight boxing crown at 45 and did not retire until he was 48.
Brett Favre (American football)
Played in the NFL for 20 years, finishing his career with the Minnesota Vikings aged 41. His career-best passing mark, 446 yards, was set in his final season.
Irene van Dyk (netball)
About to turn 41, and she is still drilling the ball through that net. Thank you, South Africa. Thank you, thank you, thank you.
Michael Schumacher (motorsport)
The great German driver was 41 when he returned to Formula 1 with Mercedes in 2010. Carried on driving for drei, sorry, three more years.
Mariano Rivera (baseball)
Plenty of participants in America's pastime play on into their 40s but few do it as well as ''Mo''. The Panama-born pitcher is widely acclaimed the greatest ''closer'' of all time. He comes in to finish teams off and usually does it quickly. Shame he plays for the Yankees. At 43, this is his final season.
Martina Navratilova (tennis)
The Czech great won her final grand slam title, the US Open mixed doubles, a month before her 50th birthday.
Gordie Howe (ice hockey)
One of the game's greats did not know when to stop. Played in the NHL until he was 51, and joined a lower-tier professional team for one game when he was 69, thus appearing in professional hockey across SIX decades.
Dara Torres (swimming)
Competed at five Olympics, winning three silver medals in London in 2008, aged 41.
Ned Hughes (rugby)
Our oldest All Black - and Brad Thorn would need to keep going for a couple more years to beat him. Hughes, a Southlander, was 40 years and 123 days old when he played against the Springboks in 1921.
Vijay Singh, Tom Watson, Jack Nicklaus, Sir Bob Charles and too many others to mention
Age is often just a number in golf.
