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They are the game changers - the athletes who forever tied their name to their sport with a moment of innovation.

Whether it’s a complicated move planned for months in the gym or an instinctive burst of inspiration, these original thinkers made such a big difference they were emulated for years to come.

From gymnastics to boxing to football, there is room for thinking differently in every sport. Here are some of the pioneers who did it with style.

The Biles on the Floor - and more

The American gymnast Simone Biles is considered one of the greatest of all time, having won a record 32 Olympic and World Champions medals. She has four signature moves in three different gymnastic events associated with her. Yep, you read that right - four.

It all began with the ‘Biles on the floor’, which she first successfully completed at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2013. This move featured an incredible blind landing, which meant she couldn't see the floor when she landed as she came down from a flip - instead operating on pure instinct and timing.

Six years later, the 'Biles II' debuted at the World Championships in Germany. In this, the athlete flipped twice while twisting three times before hitting the ground. To copy it properly a gymnast has to be every bit as inch-perfect as the move’s creator. Good luck with that!

These moves were followed by the ‘Biles on the vault’, which finished with a dramatic double twist on a somersault. With a difficulty rating of 6.4, it is often said to be one of the hardest in the sport to complete.

Then there was the ‘Biles on the balance beam' featuring a double-double dismount, which Team USA said had never been completed before their star nailed it in 2019.

The Fosbury Flop

American athlete Dick Fosbury was already experimenting with different high jump techniques when he was at school aged 16. By the time of the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, he was ready to make his mark.

The introduction of safer foam mats, rather than sandpits or thinner pads, meant high jumpers did not have to land on their feet after clearing the cross bar.

Dick took advantage of the softer landing, and started sprinting diagonally towards the bar before curbing then leaping backwards.It worked so well he won Gold in Mexico and, to this day, the Fosbury Flop is the common technique used by high jumpers.

The Cruyff Turn

Simple but effective, the iconic Cruyff turn has become an important part of modern footballers' skill set.

It was named after the brilliant Dutch player Johan Cruyff, who first used it in the 1974 World Cup to escape an opponent trying to take the ball from him.

Essentially, it's a smooth bit of trickery. Cruyff shaped as if to pass, but then dragged the ball behind his standing leg with the inside of his foot.

He then turned his body 180 degrees and raced away with the ball. Years later, superstars such as Lionel Messi still do the turn.

It’s not just outfield players these days either. Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker did one to fool Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes during the Merseysiders’ 4-0 win at Anfield on 19 April 2022.

The Ali Shuffle

Boxing great Muhammad Ali famously described how his style in the ring was to “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.

The charismatic heavyweight champion was known to fans around the world for his remarkable career in the ring, and later again for his portrayal in the 2001 movie Ali.

A highly skilful boxer, Ali was also great at confusing his opponents - hence the famous shuffle.

Bouncing on his toes from front to back, then side to side, it looked like a TikTok-ready dance move, long before the platform existed. Ali often used his shuffle to distract an opponent before landing a punch. Ouch.

This article was published in August 2022