Muhammad Ali was the self-professed 'greatest' and he lived up to the tag while still known to the world as Cassius Clay, a brash and friendly 18-year-old who competed in the light heavyweight division at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.
Clay advanced to the final with ease. The referee stopped his opening bout against Belgian Yan Because in the second round, and Clay scored unanimous points decisions over Soviet Gennadi Shatkov - the middleweight gold medallist in Melbourne four years earlier - and Australian Anthony Madigan.
In the first round of the final, against three-time European champion Zbigniew Pietrzykowski, Clay looked in trouble. Disconcerted by his southpaw opponent, Clay took a flurry of punches and showed his inexperience by closing his eyes against a combination. But in the second round, Clay used agile footwork to steer clear of Pietrzykowski, a light middleweight bronze medallist at the 1956 Games, and was able to lower his guard.
Clay Attacks
Clay went on the offensive and threw four hard right hands to the Pole's face, but he later admitted: "Even after round two, I knew I needed to win the final round." He did, moving in and out and unleashing a series of combinations. Abandoning his straight left, Clay drove a right through Pietrzykowski's guard and the Pole was defenceless on the ropes, his face covered in blood, when the bell came to his rescue.
With his Olympic gold medal secured, Clay turned professional and went on to become one of the most famous people in the world. In 1964, he stopped Sonny Liston to become heavyweight world champion, a title he defended nine times over the next four years. Clay converted to Islam, changing his name to Muhammad Ali, but, when he refused to be drafted into the United States army during the Vietnam War, he was stripped of his title and did not fight for three-and-a-half years.
Ali knocked out George Foreman to regain his title in 1974 and defended it 10 more times before losing to Leon Spinks, whom he then defeated seven months later. He retired from boxing in 1981 with a professional record of 56 wins and 5 losses, and in 1996 was chosen to light the Olympic flame during the opening ceremony of the Atlanta Games.
Stevenson's Treble
Teófilo Stevenson was the first boxer to win the same weight division at three Olympics. The Cuban, competing in what is now known as the super-heavyweight division, made his Games debut at Munich in 1972.
In the quarter-finals, Stevenson faced a rematch with Duane Bobick, who had beaten him at the previous year's Pan American Games, and stopped the American in the third round. His semi-final victim, Germany's Peter Hussing, admitted "I have never been hit so hard in all my 212 bouts", and Stevenson's opponent in the final - Romanian Ion Alexe - forfeited because of a broken thumb.
Four years later in Montreal, Stevenson disposed of his first three opponents in a record seven minutes and 22 seconds. Romanian Mircea Simion made it to the third round in the final before his handlers threw in the towel.
Hungarian István Levai ran around the ring for three rounds to become the first Olympic boxer to go the distance against Stevenson in the semi-finals of the 1980 Games in Moscow. Stevenson then defeated Soviet Pyotr Zayev to earn his third gold medal.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Great Olympic Decathletes
Only two men retained an Olympic decathlon title in the 20th century, Britain's Daley Thompson and American Bob Mathias. The first to do it was Mathias, a clean-cut and self-confident all-American boy. In 1948, at the London Games, he became the youngest man to win an Olympic track and field title.
In his boyhood, there seemed little likelihood of Mathias evolving into a sporting hero. He was anaemic and was prescribed iron pills, liver pills and frequent naps to conserve his strength. Yet at the age of 17, two months after graduating from high school and six weeks after competing in his first decathlon, Mathias had claimed the Olympic crown in London.
It was the stuff of Hollywood, quite literally, as he and wife Melba went on to star as themselves in the 1954 movie The Bob Mathias Story. Mathias was a politician in later life, serving as a Republican in the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1974.
Surprise Winner
His remarkable ascent from high school track and field star to Olympic champion within a matter of months began at the Southern Pacific Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Games in Los Angeles. He had only three weeks to prepare for the event and had never competed in the pole vault, long jump, javelin or 1,500 metres. Despite this, he won and two weeks later at Bloomfield, New Jersey, he beat three-time national champion Irving Mondschein to become the surprise winner of the National AAU, which served as the American Olympic trials.
Mathias, born in the small farming town of Tulare, California, was an unknown at the London Olympics, yet after the first day of the decathlon competition he was third of the 39 athletes. One of his favourite events, the discus, was still to come, and his throw of 43.99m, the best of the competition, put him in front.
Light was failing in the London fog by the time of the javelin, the penultimate event. There were no infield lights, so cars were driven into Wembley Stadium and their headlights were turned on to illuminate the foul line. Mathias scored 7139 points and was 165 points clear of Frenchman Ignace Heinrich, the silver medallist.
World Record Holder
Mathias was the world record holder when he arrived in Helsinki four years later to defend his title. He did so in spectacular fashion, with 10.9 seconds in the 100m, a 6.98m long jump, 15.30m shot, 1.90m high jump, 50.2secs 400m, 14.7secs 110m hurdles, 46.89m discus, 4.00m pole vault, 59.21m javelin and four minutes 50.8secs for the 1,500m. He broke his own world record with 7887 points and finished a remarkable 912 points clear of team-mate and runner-up Milton Campbell. Mathias then retired from athletics having never lost a decathlon competition.
He was an officer in the Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956, and, after leaving Congress, became a consultant to the President's Council on Physical Fitness. He was the first director of the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs from 1977 until 1983, the year he was enshrined in the US Olympic Hall of Fame.
In his boyhood, there seemed little likelihood of Mathias evolving into a sporting hero. He was anaemic and was prescribed iron pills, liver pills and frequent naps to conserve his strength. Yet at the age of 17, two months after graduating from high school and six weeks after competing in his first decathlon, Mathias had claimed the Olympic crown in London.
It was the stuff of Hollywood, quite literally, as he and wife Melba went on to star as themselves in the 1954 movie The Bob Mathias Story. Mathias was a politician in later life, serving as a Republican in the House of Representatives from 1967 to 1974.
Surprise Winner
His remarkable ascent from high school track and field star to Olympic champion within a matter of months began at the Southern Pacific Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Games in Los Angeles. He had only three weeks to prepare for the event and had never competed in the pole vault, long jump, javelin or 1,500 metres. Despite this, he won and two weeks later at Bloomfield, New Jersey, he beat three-time national champion Irving Mondschein to become the surprise winner of the National AAU, which served as the American Olympic trials.
Mathias, born in the small farming town of Tulare, California, was an unknown at the London Olympics, yet after the first day of the decathlon competition he was third of the 39 athletes. One of his favourite events, the discus, was still to come, and his throw of 43.99m, the best of the competition, put him in front.
Light was failing in the London fog by the time of the javelin, the penultimate event. There were no infield lights, so cars were driven into Wembley Stadium and their headlights were turned on to illuminate the foul line. Mathias scored 7139 points and was 165 points clear of Frenchman Ignace Heinrich, the silver medallist.
World Record Holder
Mathias was the world record holder when he arrived in Helsinki four years later to defend his title. He did so in spectacular fashion, with 10.9 seconds in the 100m, a 6.98m long jump, 15.30m shot, 1.90m high jump, 50.2secs 400m, 14.7secs 110m hurdles, 46.89m discus, 4.00m pole vault, 59.21m javelin and four minutes 50.8secs for the 1,500m. He broke his own world record with 7887 points and finished a remarkable 912 points clear of team-mate and runner-up Milton Campbell. Mathias then retired from athletics having never lost a decathlon competition.
He was an officer in the Marine Corps from 1954 to 1956, and, after leaving Congress, became a consultant to the President's Council on Physical Fitness. He was the first director of the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs from 1977 until 1983, the year he was enshrined in the US Olympic Hall of Fame.
Great Olympic Distance Runners
Finland produced a plethora of outstanding distance runners in the 20th century, but none as remarkable as Paavo Nurmi and Lasse Virén. Nurmi is one of only four Olympians to win nine gold medals, the others being American swimmer Mark Spitz, Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina and American sprinter Carl Lewis.
In Antwerp in 1920, Nurmi made his Olympic debut in the 5,000 metres and took silver behind Frenchman Joseph Guillemot. Nurmi got his revenge three days later when he defeated Guillemot in the 10,000m. He added individual and team gold medals in the cross-country race.
Nurmi's most memorable achievement came on the 10th July 1924 at the Paris Olympics. Just three weeks before the Games, on 19th June in Helsinki, Nurmi had run the 1,500m and 5,000m in quick succession and set world records in both. He had improved his own 5,000m world record by more than seven seconds with 14 minutes 28.2secs - a mark that stood for eight years - and cut 2.1secs off the 1,500m record with 3:52.6.
Parisian Gold
In Paris, Nurmi won the 1,500m in 3:53.6 and just 42 minutes later lined up for the 5,000m. He held off a strong challenge by fellow Finn Ville Ritola to win in 14:31.2, at that time the second fastest time in history. As in Antwerp, Nurmi won individual and team gold in the cross country and the following day finished first in the 3,000m team race to claim a fifth Paris gold.
Finnish officials denied Nurmi the chance to defend his 10,000m title in Paris by refusing to enter him in the event. Nurmi made his point soon after the Games, on 31st August 1924, by shattering Ritola's 10,000m world record by 17 seconds in 30:06.2 - a mark that stood for almost 13 years.
At Amsterdam in 1928, Nurmi regained his Olympic 10,000m crown in an Olympic record 30:18.8, and added silver medals in the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase. By then, cross-country races had been dropped from the Olympic programme. In 1932, Nurmi would have started favourite in the 10,000m and marathon, but he was barred from competing by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He had accepted more than his expenses while on tour the year before the Games and was charged with professionalism.
Sensational Debut
Lasse Virén made a sensational Olympic debut in the 10,000m at Munich in 1972. The 23-year-old policeman was in fifth place midway through the race when he stumbled and fell. It seemed his chance had gone, but Virén got up and chased down the leading group. With 600m left, Virén made his move and ran away from his rivals to win in a world record 27:38.4, a second inside the seven-year-old mark of Australian Ron Clarke. Belgium's Emiel Puttemans was second and Ethiopian Miruts Yifter third.
Virén completed the long distance track double when he added the 5,000m title in an Olympic record 13:26.42, with Tunisia's Mohamed Gammoudi second and Briton Ian Stewart third. Four years later in Montreal, Virén retained his 10,000m title with ease, finishing 30m clear of Portugal's Carlos Lopes in 27:40.38, with Briton Brendan Foster third.
The 5,000m was tougher, but Virén led at the bell and held off New Zealand's Dick Quax and German Klaus-Peter Hildenbrand to take his fourth gold medal in 13:24.76. He became the first and, as yet, only man to retain the 5,000m title.
In Antwerp in 1920, Nurmi made his Olympic debut in the 5,000 metres and took silver behind Frenchman Joseph Guillemot. Nurmi got his revenge three days later when he defeated Guillemot in the 10,000m. He added individual and team gold medals in the cross-country race.
Nurmi's most memorable achievement came on the 10th July 1924 at the Paris Olympics. Just three weeks before the Games, on 19th June in Helsinki, Nurmi had run the 1,500m and 5,000m in quick succession and set world records in both. He had improved his own 5,000m world record by more than seven seconds with 14 minutes 28.2secs - a mark that stood for eight years - and cut 2.1secs off the 1,500m record with 3:52.6.
Parisian Gold
In Paris, Nurmi won the 1,500m in 3:53.6 and just 42 minutes later lined up for the 5,000m. He held off a strong challenge by fellow Finn Ville Ritola to win in 14:31.2, at that time the second fastest time in history. As in Antwerp, Nurmi won individual and team gold in the cross country and the following day finished first in the 3,000m team race to claim a fifth Paris gold.
Finnish officials denied Nurmi the chance to defend his 10,000m title in Paris by refusing to enter him in the event. Nurmi made his point soon after the Games, on 31st August 1924, by shattering Ritola's 10,000m world record by 17 seconds in 30:06.2 - a mark that stood for almost 13 years.
At Amsterdam in 1928, Nurmi regained his Olympic 10,000m crown in an Olympic record 30:18.8, and added silver medals in the 5,000m and 3,000m steeplechase. By then, cross-country races had been dropped from the Olympic programme. In 1932, Nurmi would have started favourite in the 10,000m and marathon, but he was barred from competing by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He had accepted more than his expenses while on tour the year before the Games and was charged with professionalism.
Sensational Debut
Lasse Virén made a sensational Olympic debut in the 10,000m at Munich in 1972. The 23-year-old policeman was in fifth place midway through the race when he stumbled and fell. It seemed his chance had gone, but Virén got up and chased down the leading group. With 600m left, Virén made his move and ran away from his rivals to win in a world record 27:38.4, a second inside the seven-year-old mark of Australian Ron Clarke. Belgium's Emiel Puttemans was second and Ethiopian Miruts Yifter third.
Virén completed the long distance track double when he added the 5,000m title in an Olympic record 13:26.42, with Tunisia's Mohamed Gammoudi second and Briton Ian Stewart third. Four years later in Montreal, Virén retained his 10,000m title with ease, finishing 30m clear of Portugal's Carlos Lopes in 27:40.38, with Briton Brendan Foster third.
The 5,000m was tougher, but Virén led at the bell and held off New Zealand's Dick Quax and German Klaus-Peter Hildenbrand to take his fourth gold medal in 13:24.76. He became the first and, as yet, only man to retain the 5,000m title.
Great Olympic Divers
Greg Louganis is the greatest diver of all time, but is best remembered for striking his head on the springboard during the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. As he attempted a reverse two-and-a-half somersault pike in the penultimate round of qualifying, Louganis hit the back of his head on the board and fell clumsily into the water. The American received stitches to his scalp wound and, 35 minutes later, resumed diving.
In his autobiography, 'Breaking the Surface', Louganis said: "I was underwater before I realized that I'd hit my head. Once I did, the first emotion I felt was embarrassment. This was the Olympics, I was a gold medallist, and here I'd gone and hit my damn head on the board. I'd had accidents before, but never at the Olympics."
Controversy followed in 1995 when Louganis announced he had AIDS and had been HIV positive at the time of the Seoul Games. He was criticised for failing to reveal the fact after striking his head on the springboard, and admitted he was deeply concerned for his fellow athletes. "All kinds of thoughts raced through my head. What if I cut my scalp? What if I'm bleeding?" he said. "I was in a total panic that I might cause someone else harm. It was sheer terror. I didn't even pause to think that I might be badly injured."
Promising Debut
Louganis, born to parents of Samoan and Swedish ancestry, was adopted by Peter and Frances Louganis at nine months old and grew up with asthma and dyslexia. He made his Olympic debut at Montreal in 1976 as a 16-year-old and won silver in the 10-metre platform behind Italian legend Klaus Dibiasi, a three-time Olympic champion.
The USA boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan robbed Louganis of the chance to add to his medal tally. He had won the 10m platform at the 1978 World Championships in Berlin and would have started favourite for both the platform and springboard titles in Moscow.
At the 1992 World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Louganis became the first diver to get a perfect score of 10 from all seven judges in a major international meet. He won the diving double of platform and springboard and defended the titles four years later in Madrid.
Double Joy
On his return to the Olympic arena, at Los Angeles in 1984, Louganis became the first man to win double diving gold since American Pete Desjardins in 1928. The margins of victory were colossal. In the springboard he scored 754.41 to win by 92.1 points and he won the platform by 67.41 points with 710.91.
Four years later in Seoul, Louganis overcame his collision with the springboard to retain both titles and in doing so became the first man to achieve the double at two Olympics. Fellow American Patricia McCormick had achieved the feat in the women's events in 1952 and 1956.
Louganis scored 730.80 to win the springboard title by 25.92 points. The platform title was in the balance until the last dive. Louganis performed a reverse three-and-a-half somersault and edged out China's Xiong Ni by 1.14 points with 638.61.
In his autobiography, 'Breaking the Surface', Louganis said: "I was underwater before I realized that I'd hit my head. Once I did, the first emotion I felt was embarrassment. This was the Olympics, I was a gold medallist, and here I'd gone and hit my damn head on the board. I'd had accidents before, but never at the Olympics."
Controversy followed in 1995 when Louganis announced he had AIDS and had been HIV positive at the time of the Seoul Games. He was criticised for failing to reveal the fact after striking his head on the springboard, and admitted he was deeply concerned for his fellow athletes. "All kinds of thoughts raced through my head. What if I cut my scalp? What if I'm bleeding?" he said. "I was in a total panic that I might cause someone else harm. It was sheer terror. I didn't even pause to think that I might be badly injured."
Promising Debut
Louganis, born to parents of Samoan and Swedish ancestry, was adopted by Peter and Frances Louganis at nine months old and grew up with asthma and dyslexia. He made his Olympic debut at Montreal in 1976 as a 16-year-old and won silver in the 10-metre platform behind Italian legend Klaus Dibiasi, a three-time Olympic champion.
The USA boycott of the 1980 Moscow Games in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan robbed Louganis of the chance to add to his medal tally. He had won the 10m platform at the 1978 World Championships in Berlin and would have started favourite for both the platform and springboard titles in Moscow.
At the 1992 World Championships in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Louganis became the first diver to get a perfect score of 10 from all seven judges in a major international meet. He won the diving double of platform and springboard and defended the titles four years later in Madrid.
Double Joy
On his return to the Olympic arena, at Los Angeles in 1984, Louganis became the first man to win double diving gold since American Pete Desjardins in 1928. The margins of victory were colossal. In the springboard he scored 754.41 to win by 92.1 points and he won the platform by 67.41 points with 710.91.
Four years later in Seoul, Louganis overcame his collision with the springboard to retain both titles and in doing so became the first man to achieve the double at two Olympics. Fellow American Patricia McCormick had achieved the feat in the women's events in 1952 and 1956.
Louganis scored 730.80 to win the springboard title by 25.92 points. The platform title was in the balance until the last dive. Louganis performed a reverse three-and-a-half somersault and edged out China's Xiong Ni by 1.14 points with 638.61.
Great Olympic Field Athletes
One of the most remarkable athletic achievements of the 20th century established Bob Beamon as an Olympic legend on 18th October 1968. The previous day, Beamon, favourite to win the long jump at the Mexico City Games, had struggled to qualify for the final.
The 22-year-old American had won 22 of his 23 competitions that season, but his first two qualifying attempts were fouls. With one attempt remaining, Beamon followed the advice of teammate Ralph Boston, the world record holder, and started his jump several centimetres before the takeoff board. As a result, Beamon qualified with ease.
The next day, Beamon needed only one incredible leap to secure the gold medal. With a legal tailwind of two metres per second, Beamon sailed out to 8.90m in the first round. The jump was so long that the official optical measuring device was rendered useless, the rail-mounted contraption being unable to reach Beamon's point of impact. Instead, an old-fashioned steel tape measure was used.
Record Destroyed
In the previous 33 years, the long jump world record had improved by 22 centimetres, yet in a moment Beamon had destroyed Boston's mark by an incredible 55cm. The world record stood for almost 23 years until fellow American Mike Powell jumped 8.95m. Beamon's leap is still an Olympic record 40 years on and still the second longest jump in history.
Beamon cleared 8.04m in the second round at Mexico City and then took no further part in the competition. His winning jump was 71cm better than that of East Germany's Klaus Beer, the silver medallist.
Discus thrower Al Oerter was the first track and field athlete to win the same event at four consecutive Olympics, a feat since matched by fellow American Carl Lewis in the long jump.
Gold Run
Oerter's gold run began at Melbourne in 1956 with an Olympic record throw of 56.36m. Four years later, in Rome, he broke the Olympic record twice with throws of 58.43m and 59.18m and in Tokyo the Olympic record fell twice to Oerter again as he claimed a third successive gold with 60.54m and 61.00m throws.
In Mexico City, Oerter broke the Olympic record for a sixth time with 64.78m to land a fourth gold medal. He set the world record four times and on the first occasion, on 18th May 1962 in Los Angeles, became the first man to record a legal throw of over 200 feet with 61.10m.
The most successful field athlete in Olympic history is an American called Ray Ewry, who won eight gold medals. Ewry, born on the 14th October 1873, contracted polio as a young boy and was confined to a wheelchair. It was feared he would be paralysed for life, but Ewry exercised on his own and became a superb athlete.
Jumping for Joy
All Ewry's medals were won in standing jump events, none of which were included after the 1912 Games. At the second modern Olympiad in Paris, Ewry won the standing high jump (1.65 metres), standing long jump (3.30m) and standing triple jump (10.58m). Four years later in Saint Louis he retained all three titles, with 1.50m in the standing high jump, 3.47m in the standing long jump and 10.54m in the standing triple jump.
The standing triple jump was dropped from the Olympic programme at London in 1908, but Ewry won both the standing high jump (1.57m) and standing long jump (3.33m) for a third time. He won another two gold medals at the Intercalated Games in 1906.
The 22-year-old American had won 22 of his 23 competitions that season, but his first two qualifying attempts were fouls. With one attempt remaining, Beamon followed the advice of teammate Ralph Boston, the world record holder, and started his jump several centimetres before the takeoff board. As a result, Beamon qualified with ease.
The next day, Beamon needed only one incredible leap to secure the gold medal. With a legal tailwind of two metres per second, Beamon sailed out to 8.90m in the first round. The jump was so long that the official optical measuring device was rendered useless, the rail-mounted contraption being unable to reach Beamon's point of impact. Instead, an old-fashioned steel tape measure was used.
Record Destroyed
In the previous 33 years, the long jump world record had improved by 22 centimetres, yet in a moment Beamon had destroyed Boston's mark by an incredible 55cm. The world record stood for almost 23 years until fellow American Mike Powell jumped 8.95m. Beamon's leap is still an Olympic record 40 years on and still the second longest jump in history.
Beamon cleared 8.04m in the second round at Mexico City and then took no further part in the competition. His winning jump was 71cm better than that of East Germany's Klaus Beer, the silver medallist.
Discus thrower Al Oerter was the first track and field athlete to win the same event at four consecutive Olympics, a feat since matched by fellow American Carl Lewis in the long jump.
Gold Run
Oerter's gold run began at Melbourne in 1956 with an Olympic record throw of 56.36m. Four years later, in Rome, he broke the Olympic record twice with throws of 58.43m and 59.18m and in Tokyo the Olympic record fell twice to Oerter again as he claimed a third successive gold with 60.54m and 61.00m throws.
In Mexico City, Oerter broke the Olympic record for a sixth time with 64.78m to land a fourth gold medal. He set the world record four times and on the first occasion, on 18th May 1962 in Los Angeles, became the first man to record a legal throw of over 200 feet with 61.10m.
The most successful field athlete in Olympic history is an American called Ray Ewry, who won eight gold medals. Ewry, born on the 14th October 1873, contracted polio as a young boy and was confined to a wheelchair. It was feared he would be paralysed for life, but Ewry exercised on his own and became a superb athlete.
Jumping for Joy
All Ewry's medals were won in standing jump events, none of which were included after the 1912 Games. At the second modern Olympiad in Paris, Ewry won the standing high jump (1.65 metres), standing long jump (3.30m) and standing triple jump (10.58m). Four years later in Saint Louis he retained all three titles, with 1.50m in the standing high jump, 3.47m in the standing long jump and 10.54m in the standing triple jump.
The standing triple jump was dropped from the Olympic programme at London in 1908, but Ewry won both the standing high jump (1.57m) and standing long jump (3.33m) for a third time. He won another two gold medals at the Intercalated Games in 1906.
Great Olympic Gymnasts
Nadia Comaneci was just 14 years old when she became the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded the perfect score of 10.0. The Romanian achieved the feat on the uneven parallel bars at the 1976 Montreal Olympics and went on to get the maximum mark another six times during the Games.
Four of Comaneci's 10s came on the uneven bars, two on the balance beam and one in the floor exercises. Famously, the scoreboards in Montreal were not able to display scores of 10.0, and the marks were shown as 1.00 instead.
The perfect performances were accompanied by a glut of medals. Comaneci won gold in the coveted all-round competition as well as the beam and asymmetric bars, and bronze in the floor exercises. Three of her 10s came in the team competition, but the Romanians still had to settle for silver behind the Soviets.
Olympic Return
Comaneci returned to the Olympic arena four years later in Moscow, where she retained her beam title and won gold in floor exercises. Judges deliberated for 28 minutes after her final apparatus of the all-round competition and then awarded her 0.075 points less than she needed to equal the overall score of Soviet Yelena Davydova.
It was a controversial and angrily disputed decision in favour of the home gymnast. Comaneci was forced to settle for silver and won another silver in the team competition to take her tally of Olympic medals to nine - five gold, three silver and a bronze. That is not the abiding memory of Comaneci, however, and she admits: "Not many people remember how many medals I won, but they still remember that first perfect 10."
In November 1989, shortly after the Berlin Wall had fallen, Comaneci defected from Romania and settled in North America. In 1996 she married American gymnast Bart Conner, a double Olympic champion in 1984.
Star Quality
Before Comaneci arrived on the scene, Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut was the darling of the Games. The 17-year-old shot to prominence with a sensational routine on the uneven parallel bars as the Soviets took team gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics. "It was amazing. One day, I was a nobody, and the next day I was a star," she said.
Unlike Comaneci, who kept her emotions in check, Korbut wore her heart on her sleeve. She shared her joy with the audience during the team triumph and, two days later, in the individual all-round competition, wept openly with disappointment as she dropped out of medal contention.
Ironically, it was errors on the uneven bars that cost Korbut. She had led with two disciplines to go, but three mistakes resulted in a score of 7.5 and ended her challenge as teammate Lyudmila Turischeva struck gold.
Korbut Bounces Back
Korbut regained her form and composure in time for the individual apparatus finals the next day and earned gold medals on the balance beam and in floor exercises and a silver on uneven bars.
Four years later, Korbut was outshone in Montreal by new teen sensation Comaneci, but won a fourth Olympic gold in the team competition and took her medal tally to six with a silver on the balance beam.
Four of Comaneci's 10s came on the uneven bars, two on the balance beam and one in the floor exercises. Famously, the scoreboards in Montreal were not able to display scores of 10.0, and the marks were shown as 1.00 instead.
The perfect performances were accompanied by a glut of medals. Comaneci won gold in the coveted all-round competition as well as the beam and asymmetric bars, and bronze in the floor exercises. Three of her 10s came in the team competition, but the Romanians still had to settle for silver behind the Soviets.
Olympic Return
Comaneci returned to the Olympic arena four years later in Moscow, where she retained her beam title and won gold in floor exercises. Judges deliberated for 28 minutes after her final apparatus of the all-round competition and then awarded her 0.075 points less than she needed to equal the overall score of Soviet Yelena Davydova.
It was a controversial and angrily disputed decision in favour of the home gymnast. Comaneci was forced to settle for silver and won another silver in the team competition to take her tally of Olympic medals to nine - five gold, three silver and a bronze. That is not the abiding memory of Comaneci, however, and she admits: "Not many people remember how many medals I won, but they still remember that first perfect 10."
In November 1989, shortly after the Berlin Wall had fallen, Comaneci defected from Romania and settled in North America. In 1996 she married American gymnast Bart Conner, a double Olympic champion in 1984.
Star Quality
Before Comaneci arrived on the scene, Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut was the darling of the Games. The 17-year-old shot to prominence with a sensational routine on the uneven parallel bars as the Soviets took team gold at the 1972 Munich Olympics. "It was amazing. One day, I was a nobody, and the next day I was a star," she said.
Unlike Comaneci, who kept her emotions in check, Korbut wore her heart on her sleeve. She shared her joy with the audience during the team triumph and, two days later, in the individual all-round competition, wept openly with disappointment as she dropped out of medal contention.
Ironically, it was errors on the uneven bars that cost Korbut. She had led with two disciplines to go, but three mistakes resulted in a score of 7.5 and ended her challenge as teammate Lyudmila Turischeva struck gold.
Korbut Bounces Back
Korbut regained her form and composure in time for the individual apparatus finals the next day and earned gold medals on the balance beam and in floor exercises and a silver on uneven bars.
Four years later, Korbut was outshone in Montreal by new teen sensation Comaneci, but won a fourth Olympic gold in the team competition and took her medal tally to six with a silver on the balance beam.
Great Olympic Hurdlers
It is said there are two certainties in life - death and taxes. Between 26th August 1977 and 4th June 1987 there were three certainties in life - death, taxes and Ed Moses in the 400 metres hurdles. During that time, Moses won 122 consecutive races - including 107 finals - in 22 different countries.
It is arguably the greatest winning streak in sport. Sandwiched between defeats to West Germany's Harald Schmid and American Danny Harris, Moses was unbeaten for nine years, nine months and nine days. It should have earned him three Olympic gold medals, but the USA's decision to boycott the 1980 Moscow Games in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan robbed Moses of that opportunity.
Edwin Corley Moses, born in Dayton, Ohio, was only 20 when he made his Olympic debut at Montreal in 1976. It was his first international competition and came just four months after his first 400m hurdles, but he was not hampered by a lack of experience. He won in a world record 47.64 seconds and the margin of victory - he was eight metres clear of silver medallist Michael Shine - was the largest in the event's history.
Natural Talent
Moses, it seemed, had been built for the 400m hurdles. His freakishly long stride of almost three metres allowed him to take an unprecedented 13 steps between hurdles instead of the usual 14 and make one of the most demanding track and field events look ludicrously simple.
There is little doubt Moses would have collected a second gold medal in Moscow had it not been for the USA boycott. In 1980 he was at the height of his powers and had an air of invincibility. Between the Montreal Games and his return to the Olympic arena at Los Angeles in 1984, Moses improved his world record three times. He clocked 47.45secs in Los Angeles on 11th June 1977 and 47.13secs in Milan on 3rd July 1980.
Then, in Koblenz, Germany on 31st August 1983, Moses ran his lifetime best of 47.02secs, which stood as a world record for almost nine years and is still the second fastest time in history.
Olympic Oath
In Los Angeles, Moses was given the honour reading the Olympic oath. If it added to the pressure he was under to deliver a second gold medal, it did not show. He regained his title in 47.75secs, with Harris second in 48.13secs and Schmid third in 48.19secs.
At the age of 33, Moses made his third and final Olympic appearance. Ironically he ran his fastest Olympic final at Seoul in 1988, clocking 47.56secs, and finished third. American Andre Phillips won in an Olympic record 47.19secs, with Senegal's Amadou Dia Bâ four-hundredths of a second behind.
Moses, who still has four of the seven fastest 400m hurdles times in history, won two gold medals at the World Championships. At Helsinki in 1983 he finished 1.11secs clear of Schmid in 47.50secs and four years later in Rome he pipped Harris by two hundredths of a second to win in a championship record 47.46secs.
It is arguably the greatest winning streak in sport. Sandwiched between defeats to West Germany's Harald Schmid and American Danny Harris, Moses was unbeaten for nine years, nine months and nine days. It should have earned him three Olympic gold medals, but the USA's decision to boycott the 1980 Moscow Games in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan robbed Moses of that opportunity.
Edwin Corley Moses, born in Dayton, Ohio, was only 20 when he made his Olympic debut at Montreal in 1976. It was his first international competition and came just four months after his first 400m hurdles, but he was not hampered by a lack of experience. He won in a world record 47.64 seconds and the margin of victory - he was eight metres clear of silver medallist Michael Shine - was the largest in the event's history.
Natural Talent
Moses, it seemed, had been built for the 400m hurdles. His freakishly long stride of almost three metres allowed him to take an unprecedented 13 steps between hurdles instead of the usual 14 and make one of the most demanding track and field events look ludicrously simple.
There is little doubt Moses would have collected a second gold medal in Moscow had it not been for the USA boycott. In 1980 he was at the height of his powers and had an air of invincibility. Between the Montreal Games and his return to the Olympic arena at Los Angeles in 1984, Moses improved his world record three times. He clocked 47.45secs in Los Angeles on 11th June 1977 and 47.13secs in Milan on 3rd July 1980.
Then, in Koblenz, Germany on 31st August 1983, Moses ran his lifetime best of 47.02secs, which stood as a world record for almost nine years and is still the second fastest time in history.
Olympic Oath
In Los Angeles, Moses was given the honour reading the Olympic oath. If it added to the pressure he was under to deliver a second gold medal, it did not show. He regained his title in 47.75secs, with Harris second in 48.13secs and Schmid third in 48.19secs.
At the age of 33, Moses made his third and final Olympic appearance. Ironically he ran his fastest Olympic final at Seoul in 1988, clocking 47.56secs, and finished third. American Andre Phillips won in an Olympic record 47.19secs, with Senegal's Amadou Dia Bâ four-hundredths of a second behind.
Moses, who still has four of the seven fastest 400m hurdles times in history, won two gold medals at the World Championships. At Helsinki in 1983 he finished 1.11secs clear of Schmid in 47.50secs and four years later in Rome he pipped Harris by two hundredths of a second to win in a championship record 47.46secs.
Great Olympic Middle Distance Runners
Kipchoge 'Kip' Keino recorded the most decisive victory over 1,500 metres ever seen at the Olympics when he finished 20m clear of favourite and world record holder Jim Ryun at the 1968 Games in Mexico City. The achievement was remarkable in itself, yet the circumstances surrounding the triumph were nothing short of astonishing.
For a start, Keino had been suffering violent stomach pains caused by a gall bladder infection. During his first event in Mexico City, the 10,000m, he was running with the leaders until, with two laps to go, he doubled up with pain and collapsed onto the infield. The Kenyan jumped back up and finished the race, but was disqualified for leaving the track.
Doctors advised Keino, an uncoached Nandi tribesman, to withdraw from the Games, but the 28-year-old refused and four days later won a silver medal in the 5,000m. Tunisian Mohamed Gammoudi took gold, edging out Keino by 0.15 seconds in a thrilling sprint finish.
Caught in Traffic
Then, on the day of the 1,500m, Keino got caught in a traffic jam and had to run the final mile to the stadium. It was a less than ideal preparation, but the 1,500m represented Keino's last chance of Olympic gold in Mexico and he was wary of Ryun's finishing kick, the American having set a world record of three minutes 33.1secs the previous year.
In an effort to negate Ryun's strong finish, Keino set off at a murderous place as the rest of the field waited for him to run out of steam. He did not and won in 3:34.91, a remarkable time at altitude and 2.98secs clear of Ryun. It was an Olympic record that stood until 1984, when Sebastian Coe ran 3:32.53 in Los Angeles. On the same day that Keino won his gold medal, his wife Phyllis gave birth to their third daughter back in Kenya. She was named Milka Olympia in his honour.
Four years later in Munich, Keino failed in his bid to defend the 1,500m title. Finn Pekka Vasala won in 3:36.33, with Keino 0.48secs behind in second. But by then the Kenyan had already clinched a second Olympic gold. It came in the steeplechase, an event Keino had little experience of. His hurdling technique was mediocre at best, but his speed between the barriers was sufficient to hold off the challenge of team-mate Ben Jipcho and win in 8:23.64.
World Records
Keino had made his Olympic debut at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, where he was fifth in the 5,000m. In 1965, he sliced 6.4secs off the 3,000m world record in his first race at the distance in Helsingborg, Sweden. His time of 7:39.6 stood for more than seven years. Later the same year he broke the 5,000m world record in Auckland, New Zealand with 13:24.2.
Both Keino's parents died when he was young, and he was brought up by his aunt. He was a physical training instructor with the Kenyan police before his athletics career blossomed. He turned professional after the Munich Games and the following year retired from athletics with enough money to buy farmland in Eldoret, where he and his wife set up an orphanage, the Kip Keino Children's Home. In 2000, the Kip Keino School was created to cater for 300 children aged between six and 13.
For a start, Keino had been suffering violent stomach pains caused by a gall bladder infection. During his first event in Mexico City, the 10,000m, he was running with the leaders until, with two laps to go, he doubled up with pain and collapsed onto the infield. The Kenyan jumped back up and finished the race, but was disqualified for leaving the track.
Doctors advised Keino, an uncoached Nandi tribesman, to withdraw from the Games, but the 28-year-old refused and four days later won a silver medal in the 5,000m. Tunisian Mohamed Gammoudi took gold, edging out Keino by 0.15 seconds in a thrilling sprint finish.
Caught in Traffic
Then, on the day of the 1,500m, Keino got caught in a traffic jam and had to run the final mile to the stadium. It was a less than ideal preparation, but the 1,500m represented Keino's last chance of Olympic gold in Mexico and he was wary of Ryun's finishing kick, the American having set a world record of three minutes 33.1secs the previous year.
In an effort to negate Ryun's strong finish, Keino set off at a murderous place as the rest of the field waited for him to run out of steam. He did not and won in 3:34.91, a remarkable time at altitude and 2.98secs clear of Ryun. It was an Olympic record that stood until 1984, when Sebastian Coe ran 3:32.53 in Los Angeles. On the same day that Keino won his gold medal, his wife Phyllis gave birth to their third daughter back in Kenya. She was named Milka Olympia in his honour.
Four years later in Munich, Keino failed in his bid to defend the 1,500m title. Finn Pekka Vasala won in 3:36.33, with Keino 0.48secs behind in second. But by then the Kenyan had already clinched a second Olympic gold. It came in the steeplechase, an event Keino had little experience of. His hurdling technique was mediocre at best, but his speed between the barriers was sufficient to hold off the challenge of team-mate Ben Jipcho and win in 8:23.64.
World Records
Keino had made his Olympic debut at the 1964 Games in Tokyo, where he was fifth in the 5,000m. In 1965, he sliced 6.4secs off the 3,000m world record in his first race at the distance in Helsingborg, Sweden. His time of 7:39.6 stood for more than seven years. Later the same year he broke the 5,000m world record in Auckland, New Zealand with 13:24.2.
Both Keino's parents died when he was young, and he was brought up by his aunt. He was a physical training instructor with the Kenyan police before his athletics career blossomed. He turned professional after the Munich Games and the following year retired from athletics with enough money to buy farmland in Eldoret, where he and his wife set up an orphanage, the Kip Keino Children's Home. In 2000, the Kip Keino School was created to cater for 300 children aged between six and 13.
Great Olympic Sprinters
The five gold medals won by American sprinter Michael Johnson are an indication of how good an athlete he was, but so too are his world records for 200 metres and 400m. Both records remain intact and no-one is close to threatening them.
"I don't spend any time thinking how long they are going to last," said Johnson. "Records are meant to be broken and I actually hope I will be there to witness it when they do go because it will be a fantastic athletic performance."
Johnson's times are so good that he may have to live to be a very old man to get his wish and see his records fall, but it will not be the first time he has been forced to wait. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Johnson was the overwhelming favourite to win the 200m but contracted food poisoning 12 days before the opening ceremony and did not recover quickly enough. He was eliminated in the 200m semi-finals, and a gold medal in the 4x400m relay alongside Quincy Watts, Steve Lewis and Andrew Valmon was scant consolation, even though it came in a world record two minutes 55.74 seconds.
Atlanta Double
Four years later in Atlanta, Johnson's wait for an individual Olympic gold medal came to an end. Johnson, the first man to be ranked number one in the world at both 200m and 400m, had not been beaten at the longer distance in seven years, winning 54 finals in succession. In Atlanta he claimed gold in an Olympic record 43.49secs and finished 10 metres clear of Britain's Roger Black, his nearest rival. It was the largest margin of victory ever in the event.
He surpassed the achievement three days later in the 200m final. Johnson had clocked 19.66secs at the US Olympic trials to break the 17-year-old world record of Italian Pietro Mennea by six hundreds of a second. In the Olympic final he ran a phenomenal 19.32secs to defeat Namibia's Frank Fredericks by four metres. The record still stands 12 years on.
In 1998 at Uniondale, Johnson, Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew and Tyree Washington set a world record of 2:54.20 for the 4x400m relay and, the following year in Seville, Johnson took the 11-year-old 400m world record of fellow American Butch Reynolds, improving it by 0.11secs to 43.18secs. Both world records still stand.
World Record
"I had been chasing the 400m record for nearly 10 years and it all came right in Seville," said Johnson, who clocked 21.22secs for the first 200m and 21.96secs for the second. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, Johnson became the first man to win the 400m twice, finishing 0.56secs clear of fellow American Alvin Harrison in 43.84secs. It was no surprise, as Johnson had taken 400m gold at the previous four World Championships. He then teamed up with Harrison, Pettigrew and Calvin Harrison to win his fifth Olympic gold in the 4x400m relay.
Johnson won nine gold medals at World Championships. In addition to his run of successes in the 400m, he won the 200m twice and was in three successful 4x400m relay teams.
"I don't spend any time thinking how long they are going to last," said Johnson. "Records are meant to be broken and I actually hope I will be there to witness it when they do go because it will be a fantastic athletic performance."
Johnson's times are so good that he may have to live to be a very old man to get his wish and see his records fall, but it will not be the first time he has been forced to wait. At the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Johnson was the overwhelming favourite to win the 200m but contracted food poisoning 12 days before the opening ceremony and did not recover quickly enough. He was eliminated in the 200m semi-finals, and a gold medal in the 4x400m relay alongside Quincy Watts, Steve Lewis and Andrew Valmon was scant consolation, even though it came in a world record two minutes 55.74 seconds.
Atlanta Double
Four years later in Atlanta, Johnson's wait for an individual Olympic gold medal came to an end. Johnson, the first man to be ranked number one in the world at both 200m and 400m, had not been beaten at the longer distance in seven years, winning 54 finals in succession. In Atlanta he claimed gold in an Olympic record 43.49secs and finished 10 metres clear of Britain's Roger Black, his nearest rival. It was the largest margin of victory ever in the event.
He surpassed the achievement three days later in the 200m final. Johnson had clocked 19.66secs at the US Olympic trials to break the 17-year-old world record of Italian Pietro Mennea by six hundreds of a second. In the Olympic final he ran a phenomenal 19.32secs to defeat Namibia's Frank Fredericks by four metres. The record still stands 12 years on.
In 1998 at Uniondale, Johnson, Jerome Young, Antonio Pettigrew and Tyree Washington set a world record of 2:54.20 for the 4x400m relay and, the following year in Seville, Johnson took the 11-year-old 400m world record of fellow American Butch Reynolds, improving it by 0.11secs to 43.18secs. Both world records still stand.
World Record
"I had been chasing the 400m record for nearly 10 years and it all came right in Seville," said Johnson, who clocked 21.22secs for the first 200m and 21.96secs for the second. At the 2000 Games in Sydney, Johnson became the first man to win the 400m twice, finishing 0.56secs clear of fellow American Alvin Harrison in 43.84secs. It was no surprise, as Johnson had taken 400m gold at the previous four World Championships. He then teamed up with Harrison, Pettigrew and Calvin Harrison to win his fifth Olympic gold in the 4x400m relay.
Johnson won nine gold medals at World Championships. In addition to his run of successes in the 400m, he won the 200m twice and was in three successful 4x400m relay teams.
Great Olympic Sprinters/Long Jumpers
Jesse Owens is perhaps the greatest Olympian of all. The black American won an unprecedented four track and field gold medals at the Berlin Games in 1936. He achieved the feat under the steely glare of the Führer Adolf Hitler, who had wanted Germany's first Olympics to demonstrate Aryan racial superiority. By the end of the 1936 Games, the people of Berlin had rejected the Nazi propaganda and hailed Owens as their hero.
It was not the first time Owens, the son of sharecroppers and the grandson of slaves, had overcome racist bigotry. While at Ohio State University, he had been forced to live off campus with other African-American athletes and, when he travelled with the team, Owens had to eat at 'blacks only' restaurants and sleep in 'blacks only' hotels.
A year before the Berlin Games, Owens had proved himself to be an outstanding athlete. At the Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor on 25th May 1935, Owens equalled the 100 yards world record of 9.4 seconds, shattered the long jump world record by 15 centimetres with a leap of 8.13 metres, cut 0.3secs off the 220yds world record in 20.3secs and slashed 0.4secs off the 220yds low hurdles world record in 22.6secs. His long jump record lasted 25 years until broken by fellow American Ralph Boston in 1960.
Records Fall
Two months before the Games, Owens added the 100m world record to his collection. His time of 10.2secs stood for 20 years. More records fell as Owens, born James Cleveland Owens on 12th September 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, chased gold in Berlin. He won the 100m in 10.3secs, lowered the 200m Olympic record to 21.1secs in the heats and then went 0.4secs faster to win the final, and won the long jump with 8.06m, an Olympic record that lasted 24 years.
The decision of Avery Brundage, president of the US Olympic Committee, to pick an all-white team for the 4x100m relay looked to have robbed Owens of the chance of a fourth gold medal. However, the threat posed by the Dutch team forced the Americans to rethink, so Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, runner-up in the 100m, were included alongside Frank Wykoff and Foy Draper. The USA, with Owens running the leadoff leg, won in 39.8secs, a world record that stood for more than 20 years.
One athlete who can legitimately lay claim to the title of greatest Olympian ahead of Owens is the man who emulated him 48 years later. Carl Lewis, inspired by Owens' granddaughter carrying the Olympic torch into the stadium during the 1984 opening ceremony in Los Angeles, matched what Owens had achieved in Berlin.
Four Golds
Lewis won the 100m by two-tenths of a second in 9.99secs, the 200m in an Olympic record 19.80secs, the long jump by 30cm with 8.54m and the 4x100m relay with Ron Brown, Sam Graddy and Calvin Smith in a world record 37.83secs.
Four years later in Seoul, Lewis retained his 100m title in a world record 9.92secs after Canadian Ben Johnson had been disqualified for drug use, and also his long jump title with a leap of 8.72m. He took silver in the 200m. At the Barcelona Games in 1992, the America won a third long jump title, defeating world record holder Mike Powell by 3cm with 8.67m, and regained the 4x100m relay title with Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell and Dennis Mitchell in a world record 37.40secs.
His ninth and final Olympic gold medal came with a fourth consecutive success in the long jump, thanks to an 8.50m leap in Atlanta. Lewis is one of only four Olympians to win nine gold medals - the others being Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi, American swimmer Mark Spitz and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina - and one of only three to win the same individual event four times alongside American discus thrower Alfred Oerter and Dane Paul Elvström, a single-handed dinghy sailor.
In a glittering career, Lewis also won eight gold medals at World Championships, held the 100m world record twice and was a member of 4x100m relay world record-breaking teams five times.
It was not the first time Owens, the son of sharecroppers and the grandson of slaves, had overcome racist bigotry. While at Ohio State University, he had been forced to live off campus with other African-American athletes and, when he travelled with the team, Owens had to eat at 'blacks only' restaurants and sleep in 'blacks only' hotels.
A year before the Berlin Games, Owens had proved himself to be an outstanding athlete. At the Big Ten meet in Ann Arbor on 25th May 1935, Owens equalled the 100 yards world record of 9.4 seconds, shattered the long jump world record by 15 centimetres with a leap of 8.13 metres, cut 0.3secs off the 220yds world record in 20.3secs and slashed 0.4secs off the 220yds low hurdles world record in 22.6secs. His long jump record lasted 25 years until broken by fellow American Ralph Boston in 1960.
Records Fall
Two months before the Games, Owens added the 100m world record to his collection. His time of 10.2secs stood for 20 years. More records fell as Owens, born James Cleveland Owens on 12th September 1913 in Oakville, Alabama, chased gold in Berlin. He won the 100m in 10.3secs, lowered the 200m Olympic record to 21.1secs in the heats and then went 0.4secs faster to win the final, and won the long jump with 8.06m, an Olympic record that lasted 24 years.
The decision of Avery Brundage, president of the US Olympic Committee, to pick an all-white team for the 4x100m relay looked to have robbed Owens of the chance of a fourth gold medal. However, the threat posed by the Dutch team forced the Americans to rethink, so Owens and Ralph Metcalfe, runner-up in the 100m, were included alongside Frank Wykoff and Foy Draper. The USA, with Owens running the leadoff leg, won in 39.8secs, a world record that stood for more than 20 years.
One athlete who can legitimately lay claim to the title of greatest Olympian ahead of Owens is the man who emulated him 48 years later. Carl Lewis, inspired by Owens' granddaughter carrying the Olympic torch into the stadium during the 1984 opening ceremony in Los Angeles, matched what Owens had achieved in Berlin.
Four Golds
Lewis won the 100m by two-tenths of a second in 9.99secs, the 200m in an Olympic record 19.80secs, the long jump by 30cm with 8.54m and the 4x100m relay with Ron Brown, Sam Graddy and Calvin Smith in a world record 37.83secs.
Four years later in Seoul, Lewis retained his 100m title in a world record 9.92secs after Canadian Ben Johnson had been disqualified for drug use, and also his long jump title with a leap of 8.72m. He took silver in the 200m. At the Barcelona Games in 1992, the America won a third long jump title, defeating world record holder Mike Powell by 3cm with 8.67m, and regained the 4x100m relay title with Michael Marsh, Leroy Burrell and Dennis Mitchell in a world record 37.40secs.
His ninth and final Olympic gold medal came with a fourth consecutive success in the long jump, thanks to an 8.50m leap in Atlanta. Lewis is one of only four Olympians to win nine gold medals - the others being Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi, American swimmer Mark Spitz and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina - and one of only three to win the same individual event four times alongside American discus thrower Alfred Oerter and Dane Paul Elvström, a single-handed dinghy sailor.
In a glittering career, Lewis also won eight gold medals at World Championships, held the 100m world record twice and was a member of 4x100m relay world record-breaking teams five times.
Great Olympic Swimmers
What Mark Spitz accomplished at the 1972 Olympics in Munich is unique. The American swimmer won seven gold medals, a feat that has never been matched at a single Games. The way he achieved it, with world records in each of the seven events, made it all the more remarkable.
Although the Spitz gold rush was incredible, it wasn't a huge surprise. After all, six of the seven world records he broke in Munich were already his prior to the Games, and before the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City he had brashly predicted he would win six gold medals.
Spitz failed to deliver on that occasion. He did win two gold medals, in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, but was only third in the 100m freestyle, second in the 100m butterfly - losing to fellow American Doug Russell for the first time in 10 races - and last in the 200m butterfly final.
Records Tumble
It was all very different in Munich. Spitz began on 28th August with gold and a world record of two minutes 0.70 seconds in the 200m butterfly. Later the same day he anchored the USA 4x100m freestyle relay team to gold in a world record 3:26.42. The next day, Spitz won his third gold with another world record (1:52.78) in the 200m freestyle.
Back in the pool on 30th August, Spitz collected two more gold medals and two more world records, winning the 100m butterfly in 54.27secs and bringing the 4x200m freestyle relay team home in 7:35.78. On 3rd September, in what was purported to be his weakest event, Spitz won the 100m freestyle in a world record 51.22secs and the next day he swam the butterfly leg of the medley relay as the USA won in a world record 3:48.16.
In an amazing eight days, Spitz had won seven gold medals and set seven world records. He is one of only four athletes to win nine gold medals during his Olympic career, the others being American sprinter Carl Lewis, Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.
The Greatest
Although Spitz has an unsurpassed Olympic record, a case can be made for ranking fellow American Johnny Weissmuller ahead of him as the greatest swimmer of all time. The limited number of events available to Weissmuller during the Paris Games of 1924 and Amsterdam Games of 1928, mean his Olympic record cannot be fairly compared to that of Spitz but the longevity of his records is a testament to his greatness.
Weissmuller was the first man to swim 100m freestyle in under a minute and won the event in Paris in an Olympic record 59.0secs. That was well outside the world record of 57.4secs he had set in Miami earlier that year. He improved his Olympic record to 58.6secs as he retained his Olympic title four years later in Amsterdam, and his world record stood for more than 10 years.
Five Golds
In winning the 400m freestyle title in Paris, the 6'3" Weissmuller broke Canadian George Hodgson's Olympic record three times. He cut a massive 20.2secs off Hodgson's time to take gold in 5:04.2, yet that was nowhere near the world record of 4:57.0 he had set in New Haven the previous year. Weissmuller also won 4x200m relay gold medals at the 1924 and 1928 Games - both in world record times - to take his tally to five golds, and he won a bronze in waterpolo at Paris.
But Weissmuller is best remembered for what happened once his swimming career was over. He became the most famous screen Tarzan of all time, playing the role in 12 movies between 1932 and 1948.
Although the Spitz gold rush was incredible, it wasn't a huge surprise. After all, six of the seven world records he broke in Munich were already his prior to the Games, and before the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City he had brashly predicted he would win six gold medals.
Spitz failed to deliver on that occasion. He did win two gold medals, in the 4x100m and 4x200m freestyle relays, but was only third in the 100m freestyle, second in the 100m butterfly - losing to fellow American Doug Russell for the first time in 10 races - and last in the 200m butterfly final.
Records Tumble
It was all very different in Munich. Spitz began on 28th August with gold and a world record of two minutes 0.70 seconds in the 200m butterfly. Later the same day he anchored the USA 4x100m freestyle relay team to gold in a world record 3:26.42. The next day, Spitz won his third gold with another world record (1:52.78) in the 200m freestyle.
Back in the pool on 30th August, Spitz collected two more gold medals and two more world records, winning the 100m butterfly in 54.27secs and bringing the 4x200m freestyle relay team home in 7:35.78. On 3rd September, in what was purported to be his weakest event, Spitz won the 100m freestyle in a world record 51.22secs and the next day he swam the butterfly leg of the medley relay as the USA won in a world record 3:48.16.
In an amazing eight days, Spitz had won seven gold medals and set seven world records. He is one of only four athletes to win nine gold medals during his Olympic career, the others being American sprinter Carl Lewis, Finnish distance runner Paavo Nurmi and Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina.
The Greatest
Although Spitz has an unsurpassed Olympic record, a case can be made for ranking fellow American Johnny Weissmuller ahead of him as the greatest swimmer of all time. The limited number of events available to Weissmuller during the Paris Games of 1924 and Amsterdam Games of 1928, mean his Olympic record cannot be fairly compared to that of Spitz but the longevity of his records is a testament to his greatness.
Weissmuller was the first man to swim 100m freestyle in under a minute and won the event in Paris in an Olympic record 59.0secs. That was well outside the world record of 57.4secs he had set in Miami earlier that year. He improved his Olympic record to 58.6secs as he retained his Olympic title four years later in Amsterdam, and his world record stood for more than 10 years.
Five Golds
In winning the 400m freestyle title in Paris, the 6'3" Weissmuller broke Canadian George Hodgson's Olympic record three times. He cut a massive 20.2secs off Hodgson's time to take gold in 5:04.2, yet that was nowhere near the world record of 4:57.0 he had set in New Haven the previous year. Weissmuller also won 4x200m relay gold medals at the 1924 and 1928 Games - both in world record times - to take his tally to five golds, and he won a bronze in waterpolo at Paris.
But Weissmuller is best remembered for what happened once his swimming career was over. He became the most famous screen Tarzan of all time, playing the role in 12 movies between 1932 and 1948.