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Olympians who wrote themselves into the Guinness World Records

  • Nurmi stated his claim at the Games in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920, Paris, France in 1924 and Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1928. Lewis got his first gold in front of his home crowd in Los Angeles, USA in 1984, Seoul, Korea in 1988, Barcelona, Spain in 1992 and finished his collection where is started, on home soil at the Atlanta, USA games in 1996.
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    Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis - Most Olympic Gold medals in athletics

    Nurmi stated his claim at the Games in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920, Paris, France in 1924 and Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1928. Lewis got his first gold in front of his home crowd in Los Angeles, USA in 1984, Seoul, Korea in 1988, Barcelona, Spain in 1992 and finished his collection where is started, on home soil at the Atlanta, USA games in 1996.
  • Decades may separate them but when it comes to the most Olympic Gold medals won in athletics, nothing separates Finland's Paavo Nurmi and the USA's Carl Lewis (picturee). Both secured themselves a smooth nine Olympic Golds.
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    Paavo Nurmi and Carl Lewis - Most Olympic Gold medals in athletics

    Decades may separate them but when it comes to the most Olympic Gold medals won in athletics, nothing separates Finland's Paavo Nurmi and the USA's Carl Lewis (picturee). Both secured themselves a smooth nine Olympic Golds.
  • On 9 August 2008, 41-year-old Dara Torres showed that age is no barrier to achieving Olympic success. She earned a silver medal for the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay where she swam the anchor leg for the USA team. At the time she was already the oldest female swimmer to win an Olympic medal, having taken gold in the medley relay at Sydney 2000, but with her Beijing performance she became the oldest Olympic swimming medallist outright, beating the century-old record set by William Robinson (UK), aged 38, at the Games in 1908.
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    Dara Torres - Oldest Olympic swimming medallist

    On 9 August 2008, 41-year-old Dara Torres showed that age is no barrier to achieving Olympic success. She earned a silver medal for the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay where she swam the anchor leg for the USA team. At the time she was already the oldest female swimmer to win an Olympic medal, having taken gold in the medley relay at Sydney 2000, but with her Beijing performance she became the oldest Olympic swimming medallist outright, beating the century-old record set by William Robinson (UK), aged 38, at the Games in 1908.
  • After securing his 28th Olympic medal, Michael Phelps (USA) has extended his record as the most decorated male Olympian of all time. Phelps announced his retirement following his record breaking medal haul in Rio, where he won gold in the men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final, Men's 200m Individual Medley Final, Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final, Men's 200m Butterfly Final and Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final. Phelps has overtaken most countries that participate in the games when it comes to gold medals. Only 37 participating countries have taken home more medals than Phelps himself.
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    Michael Phelps - Most Olympic medals won (male)

    After securing his 28th Olympic medal, Michael Phelps (USA) has extended his record as the most decorated male Olympian of all time. Phelps announced his retirement following his record breaking medal haul in Rio, where he won gold in the men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final, Men's 200m Individual Medley Final, Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final, Men's 200m Butterfly Final and Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final. Phelps has overtaken most countries that participate in the games when it comes to gold medals. Only 37 participating countries have taken home more medals than Phelps himself.
  • Given the nickname of 'Little Miss Perfect' due to her serious face and the ice-cold precision she adopted during her routines, the first award of a score of perfect 10 at an Olympics Games gymnastic event was to Nadia Comaneci (Romania) for her uneven bars routine in the team competition in Montreal, Canada, on 18 July 1976. Comaneci, who at the time was only 14 years old baffled audiences from around the world. Back in 1976, scoring a perfect 10 in gymnastics was thought of as impossible to achieve. So much so that Swiss company Omega who had responsibility for the timing and scoring of Olympic events since 1932, queried whether they would need room for three digits or four at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
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    Nadia Comaneci - First perfect 10 awarded in Olympic gymnastics

    Given the nickname of 'Little Miss Perfect' due to her serious face and the ice-cold precision she adopted during her routines, the first award of a score of perfect 10 at an Olympics Games gymnastic event was to Nadia Comaneci (Romania) for her uneven bars routine in the team competition in Montreal, Canada, on 18 July 1976. Comaneci, who at the time was only 14 years old baffled audiences from around the world. Back in 1976, scoring a perfect 10 in gymnastics was thought of as impossible to achieve. So much so that Swiss company Omega who had responsibility for the timing and scoring of Olympic events since 1932, queried whether they would need room for three digits or four at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
  • It's been nothing but net for the USA when it comes to the success of its men's basketball team. Of the 18 Olympic men's basketball tournaments staged between 1936 and 2012, the USA has won a staggering 14. The American team won the inaugural men's competition at Berlin in 1936 and went unbeaten in seven consecutive finals between 1936 and 1968 (the Olympic Games were not staged in 1940 and 1944). They returned to winning ways at Montreal 1976 and won further titles in 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008. The "Dream Team's" latest success was at the Olympic Games in 2012, when they defeated Spain 107-100.
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    USA Men's basketball team - Most basketball Olympic Golds (men)

    It's been nothing but net for the USA when it comes to the success of its men's basketball team. Of the 18 Olympic men's basketball tournaments staged between 1936 and 2012, the USA has won a staggering 14. The American team won the inaugural men's competition at Berlin in 1936 and went unbeaten in seven consecutive finals between 1936 and 1968 (the Olympic Games were not staged in 1940 and 1944). They returned to winning ways at Montreal 1976 and won further titles in 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008. The "Dream Team's" latest success was at the Olympic Games in 2012, when they defeated Spain 107-100.
  • Not that this man needs an introduction, Usain Bolt is famed for being the world's fastest man and currently holds seven Olympic gold medals and the Olympic records for the 100 metre and 200 metre events. If this wasn't enough, Usain bolted himself into the Guinness World Records for being the first athlete ever to set three sprinting world records at a single Olympic Games. Recently in Rio, Bolt added another gold medal to his tally when he took out the gold in the men’s 100m final, sprinting past the line in 9.81 seconds.
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    Usain Bolt - First athlete to set three sprinting world records at a single Olympic Games

    Not that this man needs an introduction, Usain Bolt is famed for being the world's fastest man and currently holds seven Olympic gold medals and the Olympic records for the 100 metre and 200 metre events. If this wasn't enough, Usain bolted himself into the Guinness World Records for being the first athlete ever to set three sprinting world records at a single Olympic Games. Recently in Rio, Bolt added another gold medal to his tally when he took out the gold in the men’s 100m final, sprinting past the line in 9.81 seconds.
Nurmi stated his claim at the Games in Antwerp, Belgium in 1920, Paris, France in 1924 and Amsterdam, the Netherlands in 1928. Lewis got his first gold in front of his home crowd in Los Angeles, USA in 1984, Seoul, Korea in 1988, Barcelona, Spain in 1992 and finished his collection where is started, on home soil at the Atlanta, USA games in 1996.
Decades may separate them but when it comes to the most Olympic Gold medals won in athletics, nothing separates Finland's Paavo Nurmi and the USA's Carl Lewis (picturee). Both secured themselves a smooth nine Olympic Golds.
On 9 August 2008, 41-year-old Dara Torres showed that age is no barrier to achieving Olympic success. She earned a silver medal for the 4 x 100 metre freestyle relay where she swam the anchor leg for the USA team. At the time she was already the oldest female swimmer to win an Olympic medal, having taken gold in the medley relay at Sydney 2000, but with her Beijing performance she became the oldest Olympic swimming medallist outright, beating the century-old record set by William Robinson (UK), aged 38, at the Games in 1908.
After securing his 28th Olympic medal, Michael Phelps (USA) has extended his record as the most decorated male Olympian of all time. Phelps announced his retirement following his record breaking medal haul in Rio, where he won gold in the men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final, Men's 200m Individual Medley Final, Men's 4 x 200m Freestyle Relay Final, Men's 200m Butterfly Final and Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay Final. Phelps has overtaken most countries that participate in the games when it comes to gold medals. Only 37 participating countries have taken home more medals than Phelps himself.
Given the nickname of 'Little Miss Perfect' due to her serious face and the ice-cold precision she adopted during her routines, the first award of a score of perfect 10 at an Olympics Games gymnastic event was to Nadia Comaneci (Romania) for her uneven bars routine in the team competition in Montreal, Canada, on 18 July 1976. Comaneci, who at the time was only 14 years old baffled audiences from around the world. Back in 1976, scoring a perfect 10 in gymnastics was thought of as impossible to achieve. So much so that Swiss company Omega who had responsibility for the timing and scoring of Olympic events since 1932, queried whether they would need room for three digits or four at the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games.
It's been nothing but net for the USA when it comes to the success of its men's basketball team. Of the 18 Olympic men's basketball tournaments staged between 1936 and 2012, the USA has won a staggering 14. The American team won the inaugural men's competition at Berlin in 1936 and went unbeaten in seven consecutive finals between 1936 and 1968 (the Olympic Games were not staged in 1940 and 1944). They returned to winning ways at Montreal 1976 and won further titles in 1984, 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2008. The "Dream Team's" latest success was at the Olympic Games in 2012, when they defeated Spain 107-100.
Not that this man needs an introduction, Usain Bolt is famed for being the world's fastest man and currently holds seven Olympic gold medals and the Olympic records for the 100 metre and 200 metre events. If this wasn't enough, Usain bolted himself into the Guinness World Records for being the first athlete ever to set three sprinting world records at a single Olympic Games. Recently in Rio, Bolt added another gold medal to his tally when he took out the gold in the men’s 100m final, sprinting past the line in 9.81 seconds.
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Check out the athletes who have gone further than an Olympic Games record and have run, swam or slam dunked themselves into the Guinness World Records.