TIME released on Thursday The Most Influential People of 2023 and a handful of athletes around the globe were honored.
Sports icons included on this prestigious top-100 list include Brittney Griner, Patrick Mahomes II, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Mikaela Shiffrin, and Iga Swiatek.
"One of the most inspiring initiatives for us at TIME over the past few years has been convening TIME100 honorees from around the globe," TIME Interim Editor in Chief Sam Jacobs, TIME Executive Chairman and Contributing Editor Edward Felsenthal said of the annual list which began nearly two decades ago.
World No. 1 tennis player Poland’s Swiatek highlights the entire list as the youngest person at the age of 21.
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"At this year’s first gathering of TIME100s, in Davos, Switzerland, the overarching theme was the confluence of interconnected challenges, from climate and public health to democracy and equality, TIME's representatives added.
Each of these remarkable athletes were selected in different categories with the NFL's Mahomes and soccer star Messi included under the "Titans" section while WNBA’s Griner under “Icons” after the 32-year-old was detained in a Russian prison for nearly 10 months.
Fellow soccer champion Mbappé and the WTA's Swiatek were under "Innovators" while alpine skiing Olympian Shiffrin was included in "Pioneers."
Sports
Other influential people around the world that made the list include artists Michael B. Jordan and Beyoncé, President Joe Biden and business magnate Elon Musk.
