Fourteen articles on Olympic sport: legends from Roger Bannister and Olga Korbut to Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Simone Biles and Haile Gebrselassie, plus the Summer Olympics, the Paralympics and the Boston Marathon.
The Olympic Games have produced some of sport's most unforgettable moments, from the first four-minute mile to Michael Phelps' record medal haul. This collection brings together eleven Olympic and athletics legends: Roger Bannister, Olga Korbut, Sergey Bubka, Haile Gebrselassie, Hicham El Guerrouj, Cathy Freeman, Michael Phelps, Yelena Isinbayeva, Usain Bolt, Sun Yang and Simone Biles. Three more articles explore the Summer Olympics, the Paralympics and the Boston Marathon, the world's oldest continuous annual marathon.
Their achievements redefined what seemed possible. Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile in 1954 while studying medicine and training about 45 minutes a day, Bubka broke the pole vault world record 35 times, Gebrselassie set 27 world records, and Isinbayeva became the first woman to clear five metres. Phelps won 28 Olympic medals, more than the all-time totals of over 160 nations.
The stories behind the records are often surprising. Bolt broke a world record with an untied shoelace, Phelps won an Olympic gold while swimming completely blind after his goggles filled with water, Korbut's backflip on the beam was later banned as too dangerous, and Gebrselassie's famous running posture came from carrying his schoolbooks on long runs. Biles' gymnastics career began on a rainy-day field trip.
The Games themselves have a strange history too: artists once won Olympic medals, tug-of-war was an official event, and a rower once stopped mid-race to let a family of ducks pass. Choose an article below to read fifteen facts.
Every item on this page, with the one fact most people get wrong about it.
| Name | Where you'll meet it | The fact worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Usain Bolt | Jamaica, sprinting | He once broke a world record with an untied shoelace. |
| Michael Phelps | USA, swimming | He won 28 Olympic medals, more than the all-time totals of over 160 nations. |
| Simone Biles | USA, gymnastics | She has five gymnastics elements named after her. |
| Olga Korbut | Soviet Union, gymnastics | Her backflip on the balance beam was later banned as too dangerous. |
| Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia, distance running | His famous running posture came from carrying schoolbooks on long runs. |
| Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco, middle distance | His 1500m and mile world records are the longest-standing in the events. |
| Roger Bannister | Great Britain, the mile | He ran the first sub-four-minute mile while training about 45 minutes a day. |
| Sergey Bubka | Ukraine, pole vault | He broke the pole vault world record 35 times. |
| Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia, pole vault | She was the first woman to clear five metres. |
| Cathy Freeman | Australia, 400 metres | She lit the Olympic cauldron in Sydney, then won 400m gold at the same Games. |
| Sun Yang | China, swimming | He is the only swimmer to win Olympic gold at every freestyle distance from 200m to 1500m. |
| Summer Olympics | Modern Games since 1896 | Artists once won official Olympic medals. |
| Paralympics | World's third-largest sporting event | Wheelchair rugby was originally called "Murderball". |
| Boston Marathon | Boston, since 1897 | Champions originally won beef stew instead of prize money. |
Most Olympic Medals
28
Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with 28 medals across five Games. Michael Phelps
Most World Records
35
Sergey Bubka broke the pole vault world record 35 times, often by just one centimetre. Sergey Bubka
Shortest-Lived Record
46 days
Roger Bannister's historic sub-four-minute mile stood as the world record for only 46 days. Roger Bannister
Longest Winning Run
84 of 89 races
Hicham El Guerrouj won 84 out of 89 races during his dominant years in middle-distance running. Hicham El Guerrouj
Jamaica, sprinting
Usain Bolt became a world junior champion at 15 and loved cricket before athletics. Scientists studied his asymmetrical stride, and his fastest section averaged about 44.7 km/h. He lost one Olympic gold because of a teammate's doping.
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USA, swimming
Michael Phelps learned backstroke first because he was afraid to put his face underwater. His wingspan exceeds his height and his body produces unusually little lactic acid. He once won an Olympic gold swimming blind after his goggles filled with water.
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USA, gymnastics
Simone Biles overcame early years in foster care and found her sport on a rainy-day field trip. She was the first woman to land a triple-double and is the most decorated gymnast in World Championship history. Her withdrawal at Tokyo 2020 changed the conversation about athletes' mental health.
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Soviet Union, gymnastics
The "Sparrow from Minsk" charmed the world with her tears at the 1972 Munich Olympics and won six Olympic medals. She sparked a global gymnastics boom and served as a Cold War ambassador. She later spoke out about abuse in Soviet sport and sold her medals at auction.
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Ethiopia, distance running
Haile Gebrselassie set 27 world records and won two Olympic golds, including a Sydney finish closer than the 100 metres. He was the first person to run a marathon in under 2:04. He founded Africa's largest road race and built a business empire.
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Morocco, middle distance
Hicham El Guerrouj nearly quit after Olympic heartbreak until a royal phone call changed his mind. He won four world titles in a row and 84 of 89 races during his peak. In Athens 2004 he finally won Olympic gold, twice.
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Great Britain, the mile
Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier in 1954 as a medical student, with friends as his pacemakers. His record lasted only 46 days before the "Miracle Mile" against John Landy. He retired at 25 and became a leading neurologist.
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Ukraine, pole vault
Sergey Bubka was the first person to clear six metres, often raising his own record by just a centimetre. He won six consecutive world titles but only one Olympic gold. His home town put up a statue of him while he was still competing.
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Russia, pole vault
Too tall for gymnastics, Yelena Isinbayeva switched to pole vaulting at 15 and made her first vault with a borrowed pole. She set 28 world records and won two Olympic golds. She held military rank and later joined the International Olympic Committee.
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Australia, 400 metres
Cathy Freeman became a Commonwealth champion at 16 after starting out running barefoot. Her victory lap with both the Australian and Aboriginal flags sparked a national debate. She was the first Aboriginal athlete to win individual Olympic gold.
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China, swimming
Sun Yang became China's first male Olympic swimming champion and won 11 world titles. His career was shadowed by doping disputes, including a smashed blood sample and a long legal saga. He returned to competitive swimming in 2024.
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Modern Games since 1896
Tug-of-war was once an Olympic event, live pigeons were shot in 1900, and the marathon distance was set for British royalty. A 72-year-old marksman won a medal, and Tarzan actor Johnny Weissmuller was an unbeatable swimmer. Tokyo 2020 was the first Games ever postponed.
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World's third-largest sporting event
The Paralympics began as spinal-injury therapy for World War II veterans. Visually impaired swimmers rely on "tappers", and guides stand on the podium with their athletes. Ibrahim Hamato plays world-class table tennis holding the bat in his teeth.
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Boston, since 1897
The Boston Marathon is the world's oldest continuous annual marathon and always takes place on a Monday. Women had to crash the course to compete, and most runners must qualify to start. Its mascot is a unicorn.
Read the full article →8 questions, every answer is somewhere above.
1. What did Usain Bolt famously break a world record with?
2. How did Michael Phelps win one Olympic gold?
3. What sparked Simone Biles' gymnastics career?
4. What was Olga Korbut's nickname?
5. What shaped Haile Gebrselassie's famous running posture?
6. What was Roger Bannister studying when he ran the first sub-four-minute mile?
7. What did an Australian rower stop for in the middle of an Olympic race?
8. What is the Boston Marathon's official mascot?
By medals, Michael Phelps, with 28 across five Games. Simone Biles, with 11 Olympic medals and five elements named after her, is widely regarded as the greatest gymnast ever.
Roger Bannister, on 6 May 1954, while he was a full-time medical student. His record lasted only 46 days before John Landy broke it, setting up their famous "Miracle Mile" showdown.
Yes. The Ethiopian runner won marathon gold at the 1960 Rome Olympics running completely barefoot, one of the most famous feats in Olympic history.
The most decorated Paralympian has won more medals than Michael Phelps. The Paralympic movement began as rehabilitation therapy for World War II veterans with spinal injuries and is now the world's third-largest sporting event.
The point-to-point course from Hopkinton to Boylston Street drops too much in elevation and can be wind-assisted, so it does not meet the rules for record-eligible courses.
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