The Olympic Records That May Never Be Broken
Whether we’ve played in a local basketball or softball league, or have trained vigorously for throughout our high school and college careers, there is something about competitive sports that draws us in. The Olympics even more so represents that draw as it is a culmination of skill, stamina, and accomplishment, and an overall awe-inspiring event to see athletes trying to test the limits of what humans are capable of doing.
The Olympic pathway is not an easy one for an aspiring athlete; hours of vigorous training, mental visualization, and meticulous attention to self-care are all part of the success formula that must be followed on the way to the gold. With the Tokyo Olympics being played after a year-delay, there is certainly a buzz in the air, with the world watching more so than other years. Let’s look at some of the truly amazing records in Olympic history that might possibly stand the test of time.
Nadia Comaneci: Perfect 10 Score – Gymnastics, 1976 (Montreal)
Near-perfect gymnastics routines were all we had to look forward to until pint-sized pistol Nadia Comaneci stepped up to compete for Romania in Montreal in 1976. This is even more astounding considering Comaneci was only 14 at the time.
Not only did she take a perfect 10 from each judge, but she went on to earn six more perfect scores in the Olympics, making her a legend in her category.
Javier Sotomayor: 2.45 Meters – High Jump, 1992 Olympics (Barcelona)
Javier Sotomayor was the one to watch on the high jump event in the 1990s; his strength, stamina, and speed made him a crowd favorite.
Sotomayor’s personal best was an impressive 2.45 meters or over 8 feet; he is to date the only person to have cleared this height in competition.
Usain Bolt: 9.54 and 19.30 Seconds – 100 Meter And 200 Meter Relays, 2008 (Beijing)
Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt won 3 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Games, being a formidable contender for gold medals with American swimmer Michael Phelps.
Though much of the focus was on Phelps securing 8 gold medals, the Jamaican sprinter’s times of 9.54 for the 100-meter and 19.30 for the 200-meter were arguably impressive.
United States: 239 Overall Medals, 1904 (St. Louis)
While the United States has statistically done well in all Olympic competitions, none is quite so memorable as the 1904 games in St. Louis, where they blew the other countries out of the water.
This home-soil victory breaks down with 78 gold, 82 silver, and 79 bronze medals, making it the single largest haul in Olympic history.
China: 53 Gold Medals in Table Tennis
If you are a loyal Olympic follower, you’ve likely seen the serious advantage that China has over the rest of the world in table tennis.
Rigorous training and discipline have contributed to an astonishing 53 gold medals, with South Korea trying to close the gap with only 18 wins.
Dick Fosbury: 7 Feet, 4 Inches – High Jump, 1968 (Mexico City)
Fosbury’s record-setting move has become so iconic that it has been used to secure wins in the high jump since he debuted in 1968 for the United States.
Fosbury’s “Flop” is a trademark arch of the back over the high jump bar, which he used to secure a 7’4” jump and an Olympic record in 1968.
Greg Louganis: 99-Point Dive – Diving, World Aquatic Championships (1983)
American Greg Louganis was already rising to fame in the early 80s, but skipped the 1980 Olympics due to the boycott of the Soviet Union, so the 1984 Los Angeles Games were his first Olympics.
Louganis demolished the competition on the board, with a score of 100 points better than his silver-clad competitors in both springboard and platform.
Bob Beamon: 8.90 Meters – Long Jump, 1968 (Mexico City)
Expectations for the long jump were exceeded at the 1968 Mexico City Olympic games. Bob Beamon stepped up to take the gold with this unprecedented event. Beamon’s jump was so far that Mexico City officials didn’t have the equipment to measure the jump initially.
Bob Beamon saw 8.90 meters on the scoreboard but not being using to metric measurement, still had no real idea that it translated to 29 feet and 2.5 inches, almost 22 inches longer than the previous record.
Florence Griffith Joyner: 10.62 seconds – 100-Meter Dash, 1988 (Seoul)
Florence Griffith Joyner holds two impressive titles for fastest female competitor/runner in both the 100 and the 200-meter dash.
Although others have since beaten her impressive 10.62 and 21.34 second times, none have been done in the Olympic arena. The honor is uniquely hers, which she famously won in Seoul, South Korea.
US Softball Team: .343 Team Batting Average – Softball, 2004 (Athens)
The 2004 US Softball team was dubbed “The Real Dream Team” by sportscasters as they broke records and shattered opponents at the summer games, with an astonishing .343 team batting average and combined 73 hits over the nine games.
Among nine other records being broken that year, the team took gold by scoring 51:1, only allowing for a single run in the sixth inning of the game. They are one of the 10 Olympic teams inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall Of Fame.
Michael Phelps: 23 Gold Medals – Swimming, 2004-2016 (Athens, Beijing, London, Rio)
American Michael Phelps may just be the greatest Olympian to ever compete; his landslide poolside victories has afforded him 23 gold medals from 2004 to 2016. He even broke fellow American Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games in 2008.
With more medals under his speedo than countries like Portugal, Morocco, and Nigeria, it’s unlikely that anyone will break this achievement anytime soon.
Inge de Bruijn: 53.80 Seconds – 100-Meter Butterfly, 2008 (Beijing)
Inge de Bruijn is a swimmer from the Netherlands who continually seeks to blast through her own limitations and break her own previously set records.
In 2000 in Sydney, she had previously set a record, but apparently, that wasn’t good enough for her. Swimming the 100-meter butterfly in 53.80 seconds, she bested her own time by a full body length in 2008 in Beijing.
Kenenisa Bekele: 12:57.82 Minutes – 5000 Meter Race, 2008 (Beijing)
Breaking records that were set as far back as 1980, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele took home Olympic gold in several long-distance races.
Breaking his previously held stats for 2004, Bekele took gold in Beijing in both the 5000 and the 10,000-meter races, breaking the previous 5000-meter record by a full eight seconds, cementing his status as world champion.
Birgit Fischer: Medals 24 Years Apart – Kayaking, 2004 (Sydney)
Birgit Fischer simply wasn’t getting enough gold after meeting in five Olympic games; she had to come back 24 years after her first one to earn more. She has the distinction to be the youngest and oldest paddler to win gold a gold medal.
The kayaking legend was trailing four Hungarian competitors at the halfway point, yet pushed her team to the lead and a sixth gold medal for Germany.
Tommie Smith: 19.83 Seconds – 200-Meter Run, 1968 (Mexico City)
Tommie Smith was not only a powerful competitor at the 1968 Mexico City Games, he used his athletic prowess to make a social stand on the platform.
After securing a gold medal in the 200-meter run, Smith then held a black-gloved fist up in the air, a symbol of the Black Power movement. It became one of the most famous pictures in Olympic history, and Smith was suspended from the remainder of the Games.
Mark Spitz: 7 Gold Medals – Swimming, 1972 (Munich)
Mark Spitz put his money where his mouth was when he took home seven gold medals at the 1972 Olympic games in several swim relays.
Taking home the trophy for the 100 meters and 200-meter freestyle as well as the butterfly event, he may have been an early inspiration for his future successor, MIchael Phelps.
Ian Millar: 10 Olympic Games – Equestrian Showjumping
Evergreen Ian Millar has been nicknamed “Captain Canada” as he became a legendary Olympic name. He began his run in equestrian competitions for the Canadian team in the 1972 games.
Millar has one of the longest-running records of Olympic success; an impressive 10-game streak led to retirement after the 2012 London games.
Rulon Gardener: Beat Opponent Who Hadn’t Lost In 13-Years – Greco-Roman Wrestling, 2000 (Sydney)
When an opponent hasn’t lost a match in over thirteen years, their record alone could be enough to intimidate a potential competitor.
Rulon Gardener didn’t let that stop him; he easily took down Greco-Roman wrestling opponent Alexander Karelin at the 2000 Sydney games.
Stefka Kostadinova: 2.09 Meters – High Jump, 1996 Olympics (Atlanta)
Kostadinova retains the long-standing world record high jump of 2.09 meters since 1987. She has influenced others going for high jump glory.
This 1996 Olympic champion has also earned titles such as two-time world champion and five-time Indoor World champion in her chosen sport.
The Olympic games aren’t the only place where sports gold moments are made and records are broken. Check out these memorable moments and records in sports history that also display amazing human achievements.
Jonathan Edwards: 18.29 Meters – Triple Jump, World Championship (Gothenburg)
Triple jumper Jonathan Edwards is yet another athlete that continues to push his own boundaries and up to his game in the competition.
At the historic World Championships, he beat his own record set twenty minutes previous by achieving a legendary jump of over 18.29 meters or over 60 feet.
Lance Armstrong: 7 Tour De France Wins – Cycling
Lance Armstrong was dominant during his cycling career, holding the record for the winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times, from 1999-2005.
Armstrong was a role model for people after having survived a bout with testicular cancer, being the spokesman for the Livestrong campaign. Unfortunately, in 2013, after years of allegations and denial that he was using performance-enhancing drugs, Armstrong was stripped of his Tour de France titles.
Wayne Gretzky: 215 Points In A Single Season – NHL
Hands-down probably the greatest hockey player of all-time, Wayne Gretzky even had the nickname “The Great One.”
With an amazing 2,857 career points, 1,963 assists, and 215 points in a single season, Gretzky holds numerous records in the NHL. What’s truly astonishing is that if you took away all of his 894 goals, he would still have the record for most career points.
Mike Powell: 8.95 Meters – Long Jump, 1991 World Championships (Tokyo)
At the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo, newcomer Mike Powell broke a long jump record previously held by long jumper Bob Beamon.
Beating Beamon’s 23-year record by a mere 2 inches, Mike Powell has held the distinction of World Champion long-jumper for over 20 years.
Joe DiMaggio: 56-Game Hit Streak – MLB
Joe DiMaggio added some serious clout to the Yankee Clippers in the 1940s; his 56-game hit streak has only been threatened a handful of times since.
Pete Rose, Jimmy Rollins, and Luis Castillo have come close to the mark with impressive stats, but DiMaggio takes home the trophy for his skill and accuracy.
Randy Barnes: 74.3 Feet – Shot Put, Sunkist Invitational, 1989 (Los Angeles)
Barnes set another personal best in January of 1989 when he competed in the shot put event at the Sunkist Invitational Los Angeles.
Beating his own previously held record, he threw an impressive 74.3 feet, allowing him to compete in the 2005 Long Driving Championship.
Fanny Blankers-Koen: 11.5 Seconds – 100-Meter Hurdles Track And Field, 1948 (Amsterdam Olympic Preliminary)
Thirty-year-old mother Fanny Blankers-Koen would have been more successful at the 1948 Olympics were it not for restrictions on female athletes.
Despite limiting female athletes in the 1948 Olympics to three individual competitions, Blankers-Koen took home four gold medals in track and field events in London.
Galina Chistyakova: 7.52 Meters – Long Jump, 1988 Olympics (Seoul)
Galina Chistyakova is a Russian-born athlete who represented her country well at the 1988 Olympics, taking home a bronze medal for her efforts.
With several achievements to her name, her most notable include a world record in the triple jump as well as a 7.52-meter record in the long jump.
Mondo Duplantis: 6.18 Meters – Pole Vault, Diamond League, 2020 (Rome)
Mondo Duplantis, a Swedish-American pole vaulter, at the age of 20 years old made history at the Diamond League event in Rome in 2020.
Breaking the legendary Sergey Bubka’s record of 6.14 meters. Duplantis wanted to make it clear that he holds the record for both indoors and outdoors with 6.15 and 6.18 meters, respectively.
Jurgen Schult: 74.08 Meters – Discus, 1986 (Neubrandenburg)
German-born athlete Jurgen Schult was a fierce competitor in all things track and field in the 80s. He has held the world discus record since 1986, with an astonishing 74.08 meters thrown.
Schult represented Germany well in the 1988 Olympic games in Seoul, taking home the gold there, and a silver medal in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.
Yuriy Sedykh: Hammer, 1986 European World Championships
It takes a strong resolve, and an even stronger arm, to compete in Hammer championships; Yuriy Sedykh is a world-class record-breaker.
His world record hammer throw of over 86.74 meters is still one of the longest-standing distance throws in track and field history.
Jarmila Kratochvilova: 47.99 seconds and 1:53.28 minutes – 400 and 800-Meter Dash, 1983 World Championships
Jarmila Kratochvilova is a Czech-born track and field competitor who seemed to have a golden streak of accomplishments in the early 80s.
Her 400-meter win at the 1983 World Championships is impressive, but her 800 is still the longest-running individual world record in athletics.
Marita Koch: 400 Meter Dash, 1985 World Championships
Marita Koch is a German-born runner with a distinguished track and field record. She holds one of the longest-running records in sports history.
During her career, she collected fourteen indoor world records, sixteen outdoor world records, and her stellar record of 47.60 in the 400 Meter Dash.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 26-Game Losing Streak – NFL
Not all sports records are impressive and illustrious, we sometimes have those noteworthy seasons where teams and individuals take a nosedive.
In 1976, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into the NFL in a memorable, but not in a great way. Their 26 losses in a row, which took place over two seasons, is very much a record that likely won’t be broken anytime soon.
Walter Johnson: 110 Career Shutouts – MLB
Walter Johnson, a super-human pitcher for the Washington Senators, spent most of his career on the mound shutting down would-be home runs.
He holds the record for the most career shutouts, with over 110 games to his credit. He held the lead in strikeouts as well for an impressive 12 years.
CY Young: 511 Career Wins – MLB
Walter Johnson may have had an impressive run with the Washington Senators, but he pales in comparison to CY Young’s near-perfect record.
Even though pitchers ran hot and were used hardback in his day, his 511 game wins will likely never be disputed; it’s just too fantastic.
Secretariat: Largest Margin Victory At The 1973 Belmont Stakes
Secretariat was a formidable force on the racetrack, so much so that few dared to compete against him. His 1973 win at the Belmont is proof.
Four other horses competed against him that day, but he pulled ahead with little effort and closed the deal, winning by 2 minutes and 24 seconds, and over 31 lengths difference.
Bob Gibson: 1.12 Earned Run Average in 1968 – MLB
The era of pitching greats culminated with Bob Gibson in 1968; he attained a 1.12 ERA, bringing his team all the way to the World Series.
He remains one of the greatest pitchers of all time, accumulating 3,117 strikeouts, two Cy Young awards, and two World Series wins during his career.
Richard Petty: 200 NASCAR Wins
It’s easy to see why Richard Petty has been nicknamed “The King.” His track record of over 200 wins makes him one of the best in the biz.
With over 712 top ten finishes in a career that spanned nearly three decades, Petty is easily one of the best NASCAR drivers of all time.
John Stockton: 15,806 Career Assists – NBA
NBA legend John Stockton makes this impressive list with his 15,806 career assists as point guard for the Utah Jazz, nearly 10.6 per game.
From 1987-1996, this ten-time NBA-All Star led the league in game assists a whopping nine times. His record will likely never be contested.
Cal Ripken, Jr.: 2,130 Consecutive Games Played -MLB
Ripken wasn’t dubbed “The Iron Man” for sitting on the bench. His unsurpassed streak of nearly 2, 362 games played has yet to be broken.
Ripken passed Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 in 1995 and he never looked back. Only six other players in history have played over 1,000 games.
Byron Nelson: 18 Single-Season PGA Tour Wins – Golf
1945 was a good year for golfer Byron Nelson. It was that year that he took home 18 out of 35 PGA tour wins, including 11 straight tournaments.
Both Arnold Palmer and Tiger Woods pay homage to Byron Nelson and his incredible record, citing that it’s likely no one will ever break that streak.
Barry Bonds: 73 Home Runs In A Season – MLB
Barry Bonds, while now a name linked to baseball infamy for the use of steroids, still holds the all-time record of career home runs, with 762, surpassing Hank Aaron’s 755 number. Bonds also holds the record for 688 intentional walks,
Bonds happens to also be the record-holder for most home runs in a single season, with 73, one he broke in 2001, that was previously held by Mark McGwire, who knocked in 70 homers 3 years earlier in 1998.
Oscar Robertson: Averaging A Triple-Double The Entire Season – NBA
Youngsters today will not appreciate the skill and prowess of basketball great Oscar Robinson, otherwise known as “The Big O.”
During 1961-1962 with the Cincinnati Royals, he averaged 30 points, 11 assists, and 12 rebounds per game, averaging a triple-double over the entire season.
Wilt Chamberlain: 100 Points Scored In One Game – NBA
This kind of record is not likely to be broken ever again, and we are still shocked that Wilt Chamberlain ever did it to begin with.
He brought his team to victory with 100 points scored in a single game against the New York Knicks, cementing his reputation as a giant on the court.
Nolan Ryan: 5,714 Career Strikeouts – MLB
The great baseball pitcher Nolan Ryan has a career that has spanned nearly three decades, and he’s done quite a bit of play that contributes to his impressive record.
With over 5,714 strikeouts, 7 career no-hitters, and an arm that can throw over 100 miles per hour, it’s easy to see why no one else even comes close.
John Wooden: 10 NCAA Championships
While a coach is only as good as his top players, John Wooden can claim his piece of success as one of the greatest basketball coaches of all-time.
Wooden racked up 10 NCAA championships in a 12-year period, including 7 in a row. He also holds six illustrious “Coach Of The Year” titles.
Pele: Soccer – 760 Career Official Goals Scored
Sure, we know Beckham, Ronaldo, and Messi, but who paved the way for soccer superstardom? Pele sets the bar for the greats that we watch today.
Pele holds an impressive 760 official goals, with 1,281 overall being scored during his career. Reuters named him “Athlete Of The Century” in 1999.
Jerry Rice: 22,895 Career Receiving Yards – NFL
Anyone who knows anything about football has heard of legendary receiver Jerry Rice. This all-time NFL superstar has run in 208 touchdowns.
With three Superbowl appearances and 13 Pro Bowl endorsements, it’s easy to see why Rice’s exemplary record of achievements will not be surpassed.
Johnny Vander Meer: Back To Back No-Hitters – MLB
Vander Meer has the unique, unbreakable distinction of pitching back-to-back no-hitters against the Boston Braves and the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1938.
His 13-seasons netted him a pretty mediocre 119-121 record overall, but this feat will likely never be done again.
Rickey Henderson: MLB – Most Stolen Bases
Rickey Henderson called it. He claimed he would break Lou Brock’s impressive record of stolen bags, and in 1991 he did just that.
Thanks to his 130-steal single season, he netted 1.406 steals over his career as well as 2,295 career runs scored. Those are some impressive stats.
Martin Brodeur: NHL – Most Wins Over A Career
Even at the ripe old age of 41, Martin Brodeur continues to maintain the gold standard when it comes to playing goalie for the New Jersey Devils.
Brodeur is the only goalie in NHL history with eight 40-win seasons and a grand win total of 656 games and counting, including 119 shutouts.
Montreal Canadiens: NHL – Five Straight Stanley Cups
Dominate was the perfect word to describe the monster Montreal Canadiens in the late 50s. Their record of Stanley Cup wins has yet to be challenged.
Members of the original six teams starting the NHL, the Canadiens achieved this jaw-dropping accomplishment from 1955-1960. Well played, Montreal.
Boston Celtics: Eight Consecutive NBA Championships
While some might call two or three wins a lucky streak, there has yet to be a name given to the dynasty set up by the famed Boston Celtics.
The Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers have both tried to supersede this great achievement, but they have not been able to an impossible eight championships.
Lionel Messi: Soccer – Most Goals In A Calendar Year
Messi can make heads turn on the soccer field, and it’s not due to the fashionable soccer uniforms he dons as part of the Barcelona/Argentina team.
He holds the record for most individual goals in a calendar year; 91 of them, to be exact. He continues to best his own records year after year.
Brett Favre: NFL – Most Consecutive Games Started
Green Bay Packers frontman Brett Favre has had a long and illustrious career in the yellow and green, including some record-breaking achievements.
Despite bumps, bruises, injuries, and what some would call advanced age for a player, Favre took the field a whopping 297 times to start play.
Abby Wambach: Soccer – 184 International Goals
US soccer superstar Abby Wambach has an astonishing 184 international goals to her name; her athletic prowess is not unnoticed in professional circles.
This accomplishment is particularly noteworthy, as it surpasses the men’s comparable title held by Ali Daei, who achieved 109 goals during his career.
Don Hutson: Most Touchdowns In The NFL
Not only does legendary Packer Don Hutson hold the distinction of the most touchdowns in a season, but he scored eight consecutive season wins.
Perhaps the exemplary play of the Green Bay Packers is due to the inspiration of this voracious ancestor, who set the bar—and our expectations—high.
Georgia Tech: 200 Point Plus Win-NCAA Football
In one of the most embarrassing displays of skill on the football field, Georgia Tech brought their best game to the field when playing Cumberland in 1916.
Much to Cumberland’s display, this 222-0 display is not something that Cumberland descendants are proud of; they’re still trying to live it down.
Pete Maravich: Career Points Record-NCAA Basketball
We should have known that “Pistol Pete” Maravich was going to score big when he averaged 40 points per game during his freshman year at LSU.
He went on to score an impressive 3,667 points over the course of his entire college career, making him one of the highest-scoring NCAA players of all-time.