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Beckham best - Woods worst, according to new role model survey

By: Jeff James

Listed Under: News

Published: Tuesday, January 26, 2010

David Beckham has been named the best sporting role model of 2009 in a survey by SkillsActive, the Sector Skills Council for Active Leisure and Learning.

Beckham also came seventh in the vote for worst sporting role model of 2009, which was topped, unsurprisingly, by beleaguered golf star Tiger Woods.

As well as creating league tables for the sporting celebrities we most and least should look up to, the SkillsActive research examined the public's views on how we want our sports heroes and heroines to behave.

Fair play was considered the most important factor by 58 per cent of all respondents. In second place came winning (19.2 per cent), while charitable work came in third.

And despite Tiger Woods’ recent indiscretions placing him firmly at the top of the ‘worst’ list, only two per cent of those questioned stated that being involved in a ‘kiss-and-tell story’ made a sports personality a bad role model.

2009’s best sporting role models:
1. David Beckham.
2. Chris Hoy.
3. Lewis Hamilton.
4. Roger Federer.
5. Jenson Button.
6. Ellen MacArthur.
7. Paula Radcliffe.
8. Usain Bolt.
9. Lance Armstrong.
10. Tim Henman.

2009’s worst sporting role models:
1. Tiger Woods.
2. Ashley Cole.
3. Cristiano Ronaldo.
4. Joey Barton.
5. Dwain Chambers.
6. Marlon King.
7. David Beckham.
8. Ronnie O'Sullivan.
9. Freddie Flintoff.
10. Serena Williams.