Marathon – 2:03.38 – Patrick Makau (Kenya)
The legend about the appearance of the marathon says that the Greek warrior Pheidippides ran from the site of the battle of Marathon to Athens with the speed of an arrow fired from a bow. However, he would still hardly be able to compete with modern professionals marathon running. Kenyan Patrick Makau didn't have good news for the spectators waiting for him at the finish line of the 2011 Berlin Marathon, but the athlete tried his best. He broke away from his closest pursuers, who, by the way, were his compatriots, by four minutes, but, most importantly, crossed the finish line, setting a record time for completing the distance - 2:03.38, improving by 21 seconds the achievement of Haile Gebrselassie from Ethiopia, set at the same Berlin Marathon, but three years earlier.
Run, 800 m – 1:40.91 – David Rudisha (Kenya)
Kenya is famous for its endurance runners. long distances, but, of course, he can’t help but be proud of guys like, for example, David Rudisha, a specialist in 800-meter races. In 2010, the 22-year-old athlete won the World Cup and the African Championship, simultaneously twice updating the world record, which previously belonged to the Dane Wilson Kipketer and stood for 13 years. However, Rudisha did not stop there; he cherished wish there was a victory at Olympic Games, and in August 2012 David made his dream come true. It was as if he had no opponents in the final, and Rudisha won without any visible effort gold award, setting a new world record of 1:40.91. At the same time, it seems that even such an achievement is not the limit for the Kenyan, and hardly anyone will be surprised when the athlete is able to improve the result shown at the Olympics one more time or two.
Running, 3000 m steeplechase – 8.58.81 – Gulnara Samitova-Galkina (Russia)
There are many names of our compatriots in the list of world records in athletics; however, new names appear there infrequently, but each world record holder from Russia is all the more valuable to us. The 3000 meter steeplechase is a middle-aged discipline, but in Olympic family it joined only in 2008. And this reunion turned out to be triumphant for the athlete from our country. Gulnara Samitova-Galkina finished in splendid isolation at the Beijing Olympic Stadium, setting a record time of 8:58.81. Over the past five years, only Yulia Zaripova has come close to the record; she currently has the second result in history - 9:05.02 - however, it is still quite far from updating the record set by Gulnara.
High jump – 2.09 m – Stefka Kostadinova (Bulgaria)
Not all world records are updated as frequently. A number of achievements have remained inviolable since the last century. One of these record pillars athletics- the achievement of Stefka Kostadinova from Bulgaria, who specialized in high jump. Throughout her sports career, she had many bright victories, but the athlete probably remembers the 1987 World Championships in Rome with special trepidation. It was there that she set one of the oldest records in athletics today, jumping over the bar set at a height of 2.09. For 26 years, only Blanka Vlasic seriously tried to storm the record of the Bulgarian athlete, but it stood, and it is unknown when the next contender to improve the result will appear.
Pole vault – 6.14 m – Sergey Bubka (Ukraine)
The best world record of the Soviet and Ukrainian track and field athlete Sergei Bubka is not yet 20 years old, but it has already been recorded as “eternal”. If the day ever comes when someone can surpass the incredible 6.14, it will surely be the new record holder's second birthday.
Bubka improved his own record 16 times, and still did not reach his limit. Sergei conquered the height of 6.14 at a competition in Italian Sestriere, and since then no one except the record holder himself has even tried to set the bar even close to this mark. The best after Bubka were Russian Maxim Tarasov and Australian Dmitry Markov, but their result was only 6.05. To one of the greatest sporting achievements No one has yet been able to come close to humanity, and the question of whether this record will ever be broken still remains open.
Pole vault – 5.06 m – (Russia)
Record breakers often have to break through psychological barriers that no one has been able to overcome before them. A striking example of this was demonstrated by one of the most famous Russian athletes -. During her career, she set 28 world records, breaking the bar for the first time at various heights from 4.82 to 5.06. Elena became the first athlete to reach the five-meter mark, and on the day this happened, Isinbayeva was applauded by the whole world. Millions of people applauded the Russian as she won Olympic gold in Beijing with a score of 5.05. A year later, at the Diamond League stage in Zurich, Elena improved her achievement by another centimeter, and since then the mark of 5.06 has been the ultimate dream of all athletes in the jumping sector. However, it is premature to talk about overthrowing the record holder: besides Isinbayeva, only one athlete climbed to the five-meter height - American Jennifer Sur.
Run, 100 m – 9.58 – Usain Bolt (Jamaica)
Of course, in no case should we forget about the fast man planet - Jamaican Usain Bolt. It makes hearts beat faster and lights a fire in the eyes. His mini-shows on the track receive maximum television ratings. And besides, he also runs very fast. And so fast that no one can keep up with him. Bolt currently holds three world records. At the London Olympics, Usain, as part of the Jamaican 4x100 relay team, won gold with a score of 36.84. His personal bests have not been updated since the World Championships in Berlin, but a crazy 19.19 in the 200m and a simply insane 9.58 in the 100m are the best the athletics world has seen in the new century. We can only hope that Bolt himself decides not to stop there and will be able to improve his amazing records a little more.
World biathlon legend
Photo: © RIA Novosti/Alexey Filippov
Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjoerndalen is a true legend modern sports. He is the most decorated athlete in the history of the Winter Olympics. He has 13 medals, eight of which are gold. The Norwegian also shares the record for the most Winter Olympics champion titles with skier Björn Deli.
In addition, the husband of Belarusian biathlete Daria Domracheva, after the Games in Salt Lake City, became the world's only absolute Olympic champion in biathlon.
By the way, Bjoerndalen has every chance to go to Pyeongchang. His participation will be announced soon.
Record holder from Russia
Russian luger Albert Demchenko holds the record for the number of participations in the Olympics. He competed at seven Games in a row (1992, 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2014). However, he shares this achievement with the Japanese ski jumper Noriaki Kasai, who also repeated this record in Sochi.
But not everything worked out so perfectly in Demchenko’s career. The luger was involved in a big doping scandal that broke out last year. As a result, the International Olympic Committee found him guilty of violating anti-doping rules and deprived the Russian of two silver medals Games in Sochi. He was also banned for life from participating in the Olympic Games.
Tikhonov's record
Soviet biathlete, four-time Olympic champion, Olympic silver medalist, Honored Master of Sports of the USSR Alexander Tikhonov is also a record holder. He won gold medals at four Olympics in a row. It was even included in the Guinness Book of Records.
Until 2002, no one managed to break another of his records. He was the only one in biathlon who managed to win the most gold.
Oldest Olympic medalist
Back in 1924 (this is the date that is considered the start of the Winter Olympic Games), Swedish curler Carl August Kronlund went down in history as the oldest medalist. He was 59 years and 155 days old when he won silver with the team.
Youngest Olympic medalist
The youngest medalist in the history of the White Olympics was the athlete from South Korea, Yun Mi Kim. In 1994, at the Olympic Games in the Norwegian city of Lillihammer, the short speed skater won Olympic gold. At that time she was only 13 years and 83 days old.
Longest Olympic torch relay
The Olympic torch relay before the Games in Sochi broke all records and became the longest in the history of the competition. Olympic flame traveled a total of 65 thousand kilometers, and about 14 thousand people became honorary torchbearers.
True, another record was recorded, which one can hardly be proud of. For the first time in history, the flame went out more than 100 times during the entire relay...
TV presenter Vladimir Pozner.
Record number of Olympic participants
In 1994, sports delegations from 67 countries took part in the Winter Olympic Games in Lillehammer (Norway). 1,737 athletes submitted applications. This became a record in the entire history of the Games.
The athletes who show the best results during the entire Olympic Games become an Olympic record holder. True, for this he needs to engage in one of the following types sports: athletics or weightlifting, shooting, including archery, swimming, speed skating (including short track) and cycling. A total of 128 are recorded in the table of Olympic records. highest achievements Games
Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee does not recognize records in other sports. But those who became interested in the sport in childhood and achieved outstanding success in their homeland have every chance to write their name into the history of the Olympic Games not just by being present at them. Due to the large number of disciplines, it is easiest for track and field athletes to do this, and therefore there are always more of them in the corresponding lists.
01
Usain Bolt. Jamaica
In the 100 m race at the London Games in 2012, the athlete established olympic record, covering the distance in 9.63 s. The previous record, set in 2008 in Beijing, also belonged to him - 9.69 s. At the same time, he ran 200 m in 19.30 s. It is noteworthy that the world records at these distances also belong to him - 9.58 and 19.19 s. Throughout his career, the athlete set a total of 8 world records, became an Olympic champion 6 times and a world champion 11 times.
02
Sven Kramer. Norway
At the Sochi Olympics in 2014, the speed skater spent only 6 minutes 10.76 seconds on the 5000 m distance. He is one of the most decorated athletes in the history of this sport, a three-time Olympic champion, an eight-time world champion in classical all-around, and a 17-time world champion in individual distances.
03
Elena Isinbaeva, Russia
In Beijing in 2008, she cleared a height of 5.05 m in the pole vault. Throughout her career, she has set about 30 records in this discipline, including the current one - 5.06 m (2009). She became an Olympic champion twice, won the World Championships three times and the World Indoor Championships four times.
04
Kenenisa Bekele. Ethiopia
At the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008, he set two records at once: 5000 m and 10,000 m, running the first distance in 12 minutes 57.82 s, the second in 27 minutes 1.17 s. A three-time Olympic champion, he won the world championships 22 times (6 times in classic running and 16 times in cross-country running).
05
Michael Phelps. USA
At the Beijing Games, he covered the 400 m medley distance in 4 minutes 3.84 seconds. Known as the "Baltimore Bullet" and "Flying Fish", he set 39 world records during his career. At the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, he won five gold medals and is now a 23-time Olympic champion (he surpassed Larisa Latynina in the total number of Olympic awards back in 2012, now he has 27 medals) and a 26-time world champion .
06
Andreas Thorkildsen. Norway
At the Beijing Games in 2008 he threw the javelin 90.57 m. He is the first javelin thrower in history to win gold medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships. The world junior record (83.87 m), set by him back in 2001, has still not been broken.
07
Jason Kenny. Great Britain
During the home Games in London, while still qualifying, the cyclist set a record in the sprint race (200 m from a standing start), covering the distance in 9.713 s and developing average speed 74.127 km/h. After this he easily won gold medal.
08
Lim Dong Hyun. South Korea
At the London Olympics in archery (12 series of 6 arrows from a distance of 70 m), he scored 699 points out of 720 possible, establishing new record. Interestingly, the athlete suffers from severe myopia, but does not wear contact lenses or glasses. The Korean is guided only by the bright colors of the target.
09
Katerina Emmons, Czech Republic
At the 2008 Olympic Games in shooting from air rifle from 10 m she scored 503.5 points. At the same time, in qualifying she repeated the world record, scoring 400 points out of 400 possible. Only 11 athletes in the world can boast of this.
10
Tatiana Lysenko. Russia
At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, she set an Olympic record in the hammer throw, throwing the projectile at 77.56 m in her first attempt. In the fifth attempt, she improved the result to 78.18 m and became an Olympic champion. A year later, she updated the world record - 78.80 m.
The Olympic Games are the main start in the life of any athlete. Participants approach it at the peak of their form and capabilities. And if you add a good dose of adrenaline and the Olympic spirit to one hundred percent physical readiness, you can get a recipe for a successful performance that will be entered into the book of records.
All 70 arrows in the top ten
The first world record at the Olympics was set before the ceremony official opening Games In the preliminary archery competition, where participants simply allocated places in the playoff bracket of an individual tournament, the representative of South Korea, Kim Woo-jin, accomplished the seemingly impossible - all of his 70 arrows flew into the top ten. This is an absolute result that can only be repeated, but cannot be beaten. Kim Woo-jin improved by one point the previous world achievement of his compatriot Lim Dong-hyun, who also set his record at Olympic competitions- four years ago in London 2012. So the records of archers in the pre-start olympic days are already becoming a tradition.
As for Kim Woo-jin, in Rio de Janeiro he won a gold medal in team tournament as part of his national team, but in individual competitions, where he was naturally seeded number one, the South Korean sensationally lost to the little-known Indonesian Riau Ega Agatu in the 1/16 finals. It’s one thing to hit targets in an abstract competition with all participants in the qualifications, and quite another to wage a head-to-head fight with a specific opponent.
The pool seemed to get shorter
After the abolition of high-tech overalls in 2009, in which swimmers literally began to beat the stopwatch, few believed in the further progress of swimming. Before each new start, bets were made on who would be able to break the world record and at what distance. And each time the record holders surprised with their results. In Rio, they began the race for records in the qualifying swims of the first day of the competition. True, even here there were skeptics who believe that the organizers of the Games are again to blame for everything. They allegedly built a swimming pool with lanes 2cm shorter than the 50m Olympic standard.
Nevertheless, all seven records have been ratified. Two belonged to the British Adam Peaty in the 100m breaststroke (57.55 in the preliminary heat and 57.13 in the final). The rest of the heroines are women: the Australian relay team (4x100 freestyle, 3:30.65), Sweden's Sarah Sjoström (100 and butterfly, 55.48), American Katie Ledecky (400 and 800 m freestyle, 3:56.46 and 8:04.79, respectively) , Hungarian Katinka Hosshu (400m individual medley, 4.26.36). Most of all I want to be happy for the “Iron Lady” from Hungary. She chased this record for seven years. And for Olympic gold - 12, from the 2004 Games in Athens.
Grandma won't teach you anything bad
In athletics, Polish athlete Anita Wlodarczyk is improving her results with enviable consistency. In Rio, she threw the hammer at 82.29 m, beating her own achievement of 2015 (81.08 m). Although we are not talking about seconds at all, this was the “fastest” record. The rest had to wait much longer.
Ethiopian Almaz Ayana won the gold medal in the 10,000 meters, finishing in 29 minutes 17.45 seconds. The previous record holder, Chinese Wang Junxia, was photographed in front of a scoreboard with the letters WR back in 1993 (29:31.78).
But the most unexpected champion and record holder was the South African athlete Wayde van Niekerk. He ran on the eighth lane, which was considered inconvenient. But this circumstance did not prevent him from winning the 400 m race with a result of 43.03 seconds. The record for this distance has stood since 1999 and belonged to the American Michael Johnson (43.18). It’s funny, but van Niekerk is trained by his own grandmother, who is already 74 years old. And it seems that the old lady knows a lot about running.
Pentacampions in swimsuits
Natalya Ishchenko and Svetlana Romashina won two gold medals each in Rio - in a duet and in a group, thus becoming five-time champions Olympic champions. For synchronized swimmers, this is a repeat of the record of Anastasia Davydova, who retired after London. Considering that only two sets of awards are awarded at the Olympics, it is very difficult to assemble such a collection. For example, at the world championships, girls compete for seven sets. So Natasha is a 19-time champion, Sveta is an 18-time champion. Will Ishchenko and Romashina be able to surpass their Rio Olympic achievement? At least so far the girls have not announced their retirement. But anyway the story synchronized swimming they have already rewritten.
And Asya Davydova, and Natasha Ishchenko, and Sveta Romashina are completely different. Each of them had their own path to achieving success, each of them developed it in their own way,” said Tatyana Danchenko, coach of the Ishchenko-Romashina duet. - This era of fivefold for each of them requires a separate volume of biography; it certainly cannot be covered in one volume.
Karelin in a skirt
In swimming you can win several medals in one Olympics. But to become a multiple champion, for example, in wrestling, you need to remain a hegemon for many years. Even two “golds” for an individual wrestler is very cool. Triple Olympic champions in wrestling you can count on your fingers. In addition to our Alexander Karelin and Buvaysar Saitiev, there are six more people, including the Cuban Mihan Lopez, who has joined the cohort of greats already here in Rio.
So the achievement of Japanese Kaori Ityo, who became a four-time winner of Olympic gold in Brazil, can be called transcendental. Just think: Ityo won the Olympics for the first time back in 2004 in Athens! In her weight, up to 63 kg, she had no equal in Beijing 2008 and London 2012. Starting from the 2014 World Championships in Tashkent, Kaori changed her weight (up to 58 kg), but this did not affect her success in any way. By the time she arrived in Rio, the Japanese woman had not lost at the World Championships and Olympics for 14 years.
Our Valeria Koblova was close to breaking this fantastic streak, but, leading in the score, the Russian woman missed out on the victory in the last seconds. And thus contributed to Ityo’s great record.
Golden Rugby
It doesn't often happen that the first olympic medal in the history of the country it turns out to be golden. This happened in Rio de Janeiro.
Fiji athletes have been taking part in the Games since 1976. During this time, the state, located on an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, represented 72 people in nine sports at the Olympics. Boxing, cycling, judo, Athletics, sailing, archery, weightlifting - as it turned out, this list was missing rugby sevens, in which the Fijians are the dockers. Suffice it to say that they were the ones who won the most prestigious World Series of Rugby Sevens in the last two seasons.
In Rio de Janeiro, rugby sevens was included in Olympic program for the first time, and the islanders made the most of the chance. From six matches in the men's tournament, Fiji recorded six wins to claim historic honours.
Among the Olympic medalists who won the first gold for their country, Singaporean swimmer Joseph Schooling deserves special mention. If only because the 21-year-old guy defeated the great and terrible Michael Phelps, and at the American’s favorite distance - the 100 butterfly.
The British sped off
“The velodrome in Rio is very fast for a new track. Therefore, there will be a lot of records here,” our silver medalist in the team sprint Anastasia Voinova looked at the water. During the Olympics, seven world achievements were broken here: more often, records were updated only in weightlifting and swimming (eight each).
The authorship of five out of seven records belongs to British racers, which is not surprising. The British team competed here at the 2012 London Home Games, winning six top medals. It is interesting that three world achievements were consistently renewed by the British in the team pursuit. In fact, they did this in every race they entered.
Among those who diluted the sovereignty of the United Kingdom are Chinese women Qinjie Gong and Tianshi Zhong. In one of the preliminary races in the team sprint, they set an Olympic record, and in the semifinals - a world record. The duet of our girls Nastya Voinova and Daria Shmeleva indirectly contributed to these achievements. After all, the Chinese competed in absentia or in person with them.
The leadership of the English Athletics Federation put forward the idea of resetting world records due to the large number and scale doping scandals in 2015. The initiative found understanding with President Sebastian Coe.
He proposed canceling "suspicious" superior results that could be achieved using illegal drugs. Such records still seem unattainable today.
Story
The first professional athletes appeared in the middle of the 19th century in England. At the same time, the registration of the best results in various types athletics competitions. The first world records in athletics were recorded in the 1-mile run. With the organization of international governing bodies, the IAAF, in 1914, rules were developed for the registration of highest achievements and a list of disciplines in which they were recorded.
Gradually, methods for measuring results and the conditions for holding competitions were regulated so that the value of records was not questioned. In 1968 in Mexico City, at the Olympic Games, a highly automated time measurement system was used for the first time in running disciplines. The result was recorded with an accuracy of hundredths of a second. World records in athletics in throwing and jumping began to be recorded using the most modern measuring instruments and electronic systems.
Basic rules for ratifying world records
To put athletes on a level playing field, strict rules set by the IAAF must be followed for a record to be valid. So, finishing equipment, markings - everything must comply with approved standards. World records - the best results in athletics - are not recorded in competitions where athletes of different genders participate, or if athletes with different nationalities run in a relay team. When conducting sprint races up to 200 m and horizontal jumps, the tailwind should not exceed 2 m/s. For all-around competitions, wind gusts of up to 4 m/s are allowed.
The most important condition for the successful registration of world records in athletics with international sports bodies is the implementation of strict anti-doping control measures. Any violations of the rules for taking samples and conducting their research make the highest achievements illegitimate. It is around these questions that doubts about the regularity of particularly extraordinary world achievements revolve.
Varieties of world achievements
The most prestigious records in the athletics world are those set by men and women in Olympic sports athletics, in competitions held at outdoors. After the Olympics, the second most important athletics competition is the summer world championship. World Athletics Championship records are an honorable achievement for any runner, thrower or all-around athlete. Winter championships, held in indoor sports arenas, have their own specifics and their own table of highest achievements.
Any significant athletic competition has its own history, and therefore its own table of achievements. Records of the Olympic Games, continental championships, and the largest stages of the track and field Grand Prix are a significant incentive for any athlete. The largest sports facilities also keep a record of their best results, which can be constantly updated.
Records at different ages
In the history of sports there are many stars who showed record results at different stages of their careers. sports career. In the table where the world records in athletics among juniors are listed, there are the names of those who later achieved the highest results as adults. The fastest sprinter on the planet, Usain Bolt, holds the world record in the 200 m race for juniors - 19.93 s and seniors - 19.19 s.
After finishing his career in big sport a real athlete does not stop active training. Holding competitions between veterans contributes to the popularity of sports, and world records in athletics among veterans are an excellent incentive not to reduce competitive activity in adulthood. Track and field athletes compete in their age groups and strive to break the records set by their peers.
Leap into the next millennium
Specialists are often asked how often they will be updated and to what level they can be brought highest results in various athletics disciplines. History contains records that seemed unshakable, but were surpassed by athletes of future generations. One of the most striking examples is the achievement of long jumper Bob Beamon.
In the final of the Olympics in Mexico City, he managed to jump 8.90 m. The previous world record was exceeded by a fantastic 55 cm. On the day of the final, it was drizzling, the wind was within normal limits. They said that he, like all athletes, was helped by the high altitude. For a long time the judges could not correctly measure Beamon’s “flight”, and when record numbers appeared, no one could believe their correctness for a long time. This record was considered eternal, but 23 years have passed, and the American jumper exceeded it at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo by 5 cm. Beamon's achievement remains an Olympic record.
Oldest record
If a decision is made to reset the table of world records, achievements that may well be half a century old will also fall. The oldest world records in athletics were set at a time when the use of stimulants was not subject to such severe bans as today. Therefore, many people express the inappropriateness of their presence in the list of the highest achievements, although they are shown not as “caliphs for an hour,” but as athletes who have gone through a long and difficult path to the top.
On July 26, 1983, Czechoslovakian runner Jarmila Kratokhvilova ran 2 laps around the stadium - 800 m - in 1 minute 53.28 seconds. She was already an experienced athlete and had been a sprinter before middle-distance running. Her result seems unrealistic for today's runners.
The oldest world record related to the disciplines included in the athletics program is the indoor shot put record, also shown by the Czechoslovakian athlete Helena Fibingerova. On February 19, 1977, she sent a shell at 20 m 50 cm. Best result for the open arena is also an old-timer, he is only 9 years younger and 13 cm longer. It belongs to the Soviet athlete Natalya Lisovskaya.
High performance sport
A world record is not only a reference point for everyone who plays sports high level. In the modern world, where sport is a developed branch of mass entertainment, material incentives are also important. Bonuses and payments that are intended for world record-breaking athletes are expressed in significant numbers. It is no coincidence that the pole vault, a form in which the final height is set by the athlete and coach, has the largest number of successful attempts to set a new world record. The legendary Sergei Bubka is the author of 35 world records, and Elena Isimbaeva raised the bar to a record 28 times.