Bing's Most Searched Sports Stars of 2013

When Bing first started out as Live Search it used to have a search service called xRank. xRank kept track of notable celebrities, musicians, politicians and bloggers and ranked them in order of popularity from Bing search query results. Microsoft shut that service down in 2010. However, like Google Microsoft still publishes results of some of the most popular searches at the end of each year. Here are the most popular athletes searched by country.

USA’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

The popularity of American sports in the US is echoed by the nine home-grown stars who make up the list for America. Quarterback Tim Tebow leads the list, ahead of now-retired footballer Ray Lewis and a clutch of big name basketball stars.

1. Tim Tebow
2. Tiger Woods
3. Kevin Ware
4. Ray Lewis
5. Lebron James
6. Danica Patrick
7. Dwight Howard
8. Derek Jeter
9. Maria Sharapova
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Australia’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Representing the country’s multifarious sporting interests, the Australian top 10 is comprised of all-Aussie athletes from a number of disciplines, including tennis, surfing, cricket and boxing. At number one, it’s five-time Olympic champion swimmer Ian Thorpe.

1. Ian Thorpe
2. Lleyton Hewitt
3. Stephanie Gilmore
4. Cadel Evans
5. Bernard Tomic
6. Casey Stoner
7. Sally Pearson
8. Michael Clarke
9. Daniel Geale
10. Ricky Ponting

Italy’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Italy’s list is crammed with huge names from Italian athletics, though it’s a non-playing Brazilian who tops the pile: former Milan footballer Leonardo was the most searched for name, in a year that saw the Paris-Saint Germain sporting director receive a 13-month ban for pushing a referee.

1. Leonardo
2. Pietro Mennea
3. Valentino Rossi
4. Federica Pellegrini
5. Sara Errani
6. Roberto Baggio
7. Mario Balotelli
8. Roger Federer
9. Claudio Marchisio
10. Giuseppe Rossi

Brazil’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Mixed martial artists and Brazilian soccer player, past and present, make up the most searched list for Brazil. Ronaldo – a two-time World Cup winner with Brazil – tops the list, edging out compatriot and current international Neymar.

1. Ronaldo
2. Neymar
3. Emerson Sheik
4. Alexandre Pato
5. Jose Aldo
6. Roberto Carlos
7. Cesar Cielo
8. Ronaldinho Gaúcho
9. Anderson Silva
10. Vitor Belfort

Canada’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

North American athletes rule the top 10 for Canada, with golfing legend Tiger Woods taking the top spot. Despite failing in the sport’s four major tournaments, and suffering a prolonged injury break with an elbow complaint, Woods’ form neared its best throughout the year, with the 38-year-old ending the year as world number one.

1. Tiger Woods
2. Danica Patrick
3. Lance Armstrong
4. Aaron Hernandez
5. Lamar Odom
6. Sidney Crosby
7. Tim Tebow
8. LeBron James
9. Kris Humphries
10. Serena Williams

China’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

It’s basketball and football that sport fans in China have been following the most this year, with two entries for each in the top five. Outspoken former Chinese footballer and now coach Li Yi was the most popular individual athlete.

1. Li Yi
2. Kobe Bryant
3. Li Na
4. Cristiano Ronaldo
5. Yao Ming

France’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Soccer dominates in France, with all but three in the top 10 involved with the beautiful game. Former France World Cup winner Zinedine Zidane – now sporting director at La Liga’s Real Madrid – is the highest placed Frenchman at number two, while Paris Saint-Germain Captain Thiago Silva is the most commonly searched player still playing in France.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Zinedine Zidane
3. Thiago Silva
4. Franck Ribery
5. Maria Sharapova
6. Edinson Cavani
7. Usain Bolt
8. Serena Williams
9. Zlatan Ibrahimovi?
10. David Beckham

Germany’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Former Germany international and current Bayern Munich chairman Uli Hoeneß has overseen one of the most successful periods in the Bundesliga club’s history, as the Bavarians secured a historic treble this year. Away from the Allianz Arena, the 61-year-old is the most popular Bing-searched name in sport, beating Munich player Mario Götze and manager Pep Guardiola to the number one spot.

1. Uli Hoeneß
2. Mario Götze
3. Lance Armstrong
4. Pep Guardiola
5. Cristiano Ronaldo
6. Robert Lewandowski
7. Rafael van der Vaart
8. Mario Gomez
9. Miriam Gössner
10. Magdalena Neuner

India’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

In a list dominated by cricketers, it’s the man known as the ‘little master’ who takes top spot. The highest run scorer in international cricket of all time, Tendulkar retired after his 200th test match in November.

1. Sachin Tendulkar (pictured)
2. Virat Kohli
3. Milkha Singh
4. Suresh Raina
5. Yuvraj Singh
6. Rahul Dravid
7. Jwala Gutta
8. Saina Nehwal
9. Rohit Sharma
10. Gautam Gambhir

Japan’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Japanese figure skater Mao Asada scooped top spot, in a list that features only sports stars from Japan. Asada enjoyed a triumphant year, winning first prize at the 2013 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, as well as collecting a bronze medal at the World Figure Skating championships.

1. Mao Asada
2. Mero Imai
3. Atsuto Uchida
4. Shinji Kagawa
5. Miki Ando
6. Ryo Ishikawa
7. Ichiro
8. Daisuke Takahash
9. Yutaka Take
10. Keisuke Honda

Spain’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Formula One star Fernando Alonso flies the flag for his sport as the only F1 driver to make any top 10. The Spaniard – who finished second in this year’s championship with Ferrari – joins six of his compatriots in Spain’s list. Meanwhile, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo gets one over on perennial rival Lionel Messi of Barcelona, with the former topping the chart, and the latter failing to break in to the top 10.

1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Neymar
3. Iker Casillas
4. Fernando Alonso
5. Pepe
6. Rafa Nadal
7. Gareth Bale
8. Sergio Ramos
9. Isco
10. David Villa

UK’s most searched for sports stars of 2013

Despite six English Premier League players making up the top 10 for the UK, it’s one of the stars of Spain’s La Liga who takes top spot here: Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. The Argentina international won his fourth consecutive FIFA Ballon d’Or in January.

1. Lionel Messi
2. Luis Suarez
3. Gareth Bale
4. Mo Farah
5. Rio Ferdinand
6. Eden Hazard
7. Robin Van Persie
8. Frank Lampard
9. Chris Froome
10. Wilfried Zaha

Source: MSN