While the Olympic Games can put some of the best athletes under pressure, quite a few have managed to rise above all of it and produce their absolute best on the biggest stage.
Ahead of the Paris 2024 Games, here’s a look at Olympic records that are also the world records in their respective disciplines:
ATHLETICS
Men’s 400m - Wayde van Niekerk (South Africa) - 43.03s - 2016 Rio Olympics
South Africa’s Wayde van Niekerk celebrates after winning the men’s 400m final and setting a new world record of 43.03s during the Rio Olympics. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Wayde van Niekerk upstaged his more fancied rivals with a sensational performance to win gold and break the world record in the men’s 400 metres at the Rio Olympics.
The South African left pre-race favourites Kirani James and LaShawn Merritt in his wake, triumphing with a stunning time of 43.03s. In doing so, not only did he shatter Michael Johnson’s Olympic record of 43.49s, set by the American in July 1996 in Atlanta, but he also went past Johnson’s world record of 43.18s from August 1999.
Men’s 800m - David Rudisha (Kenya) - 1:40.91s - 2012 London Olympics
Kenya’s David Rudisha poses after setting a new world record of 1:40.91s in men’s 800m final during the London Olympics. | Photo Credit: AP
Kenya’s David Rudisha used his trademark running from the front to win the elusive Olympic gold in 800m in a world record time of 1 minute 40.91 seconds.
The previous world record also belonged to Rudisha - 1:41.01s. The 23-year-old Kenyan also went past the Olympic record of 1:42.58s, set by Norway’s Vebjorn Rodal in Atlanta in 1996.
Men’s 400m Hurdles - Karsten Warholm (Norway) - 45.94s - 2021 Tokyo Olympics
Norway’s Karsten Warholm reacts after setting a new world record of 45.94s in men’s 400m hurdles at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
He had broken Kevin Young’s 29-year-old Olympic and world record, a month prior to the Tokyo Olympics, and everybody expected Karsten Warholm to repeat it at the Summer Games.
But no one was ready for such a performance. The Norwegian 400m hurdler, who had clocked 46.70s before Tokyo, became the first man to go under 46s for a sparkling gold which came in 45.96s. That was 0.76s better than his old record!
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Apart from a brief phase early on the home straight where he came under a bit of pressure from American Rai Benjamin, son of former West Indian fast bowler Winston Benjamin, it was all Warholm and he produced a near-perfect show.
The final was such a breathtaking affair and while Benjamin also went below the previous WR with his 46.17s for silver, four others bettered national records.
Men’s 4x100m Relay - Jamaica (Nesta Carter, Michael Frater, Yohan Blake, Usain Bolt) - 36.84s - 2012 London Olympics
Jamaica’s Usain Bolt (top left), Yohan Blake (bottom left), Nesta Carter (top right) and Michael Frater (bottom right) set a new world record of 36.84s in men’s 4x100m relay during the London Olympics. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Usain Bolt got the gold medal and another world record, too, anchoring the Jamaicans to victory in 4x100m men’s relay in 36.84s in London to cap off his second straight 3-for-3 Olympics.
Bolt had already won the 100m and 200m gold medals to become the first person to go back-to-back in both Olympic sprints.
The race was pretty much even when Bolt and USA’s Ryan Bailey received the baton for the homestretch, but Bolt pulled away to help Jamaica set the relay record for the third time since 2008.
Bolt, Nesta Carter, Yohan Blake and Michael Frater had bettered their own world record of 37.04s set in September 2011 in Daegu, South Korea, and also taken down the Olympic record of 37.40s, which belonged to USA since Barcelona 1992.
Women’s 200m - Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) - 21.34s - 1988 Seoul Olympics
USA’s Florence Griffith Joyner set a new world record of 21.34s in women’s 200m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Born in 1959, Florence Griffith-Joyner showed exceptional skill and speed on the track right from the beginning. During the 1980s, she became well known for her superb running as well as for her flashy attire and long finger nails which were usually painted in an off-beat manner.
Known as ‘Flo Jo,’ the American was one of the favourites for the women’s sprint events ahead of the Seoul Olympics in 1988. In the final, she lived up to expectations when she ran the 100m in a time of 10.54s and then won the 200m, clocking a new world record time of 21.34s.
The previous Olympic record of 21.81s belonged to USA’s Valerie Brisco-Hooks from Los Angeles 1984 while the previous world record mark of 21.71s was set by East Germany’s Marita Koch in June 1979 in Chemnitz.
Heptathlon - Jackie Joyner-Kersee (USA) - 7291 points - 1988 Seoul Olympics
USA’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee waves to the crowd after winning the gold medal with a world record in the women’s heptathlon at the Olympic Games 1988 held in Seoul on September 24, 1988. | Photo Credit: THE HINDU ARCHIVES
With seven events (100m hurdles, 200m, 800m, high jump, long jump, javelin throw, shot put), the heptathalon is an endurance test.
In 1986, USA’s Jackie Joyner-Kersee, the sister-in-law of Florence Griffith-Joyner, became the first woman to score over 7000 points in a heptathlon event. Two years later, at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, she set a world record of 7291 points, that’s yet to be bettered.
She shattered the previous Olympic record of 6390 points, set by Glynis Nunn of Australia in Los Angeles four years ago. The world record already belonged to Joyner-Kersee. She had scored 7215 points two months prior at the US Olympic trials in Indianapolis.
Women’s 4x100m Relay - USA (Tianna Madison, Allyson Felix, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter) - 40.82s - 2012 London Olympics
From left to right: USA’s Tianna Madison, Bianca Knight, Carmelita Jeter and Allyson Felix set a new world record in women’s 4x100m relay at the Olympic Stadium in London on August 10, 2012. | Photo Credit: AP
Pointing the baton at the clock showing the world record time of 40.82s in London 2012, Carmelita Jeter anchored the United States on to its first Olympic gold medal in the women’s 4x100m relay since 1996.
Tianna Madison, 200m champion Allyson Felix and Bianca Knight gave the US a big lead heading into the anchor leg by Jeter, who already owned a silver medal from the 100m and a bronze from the 200m.
Their final time cut more than half a second off the old record of 41.37s run by East Germany in 1985. The previous Olympic record of 41.60s from Moscow 1980 also belonged to East Germany.
Women’s 4x400m Relay - USSR (Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, Olha Bryzhina) - 3:15.17s - 1988 Seoul Olympics
USSR’s Mariya Pinigina holds the baton during the women’s 4x400m relay final at the Seoul Olympics on October 1, 1988. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
The Soviet relay team of Tatyana Ledovskaya, Olga Nazarova, Mariya Pinigina, and Olga Bryzgina continues to stand atop the record books - 36 years after a record performance in the 1988 Seoul Games. The star quartet broke the Olympic (3:18.29 by East Germany in 1984) and World (3:15.92 by East Germany in 1984) records.
SWIMMING
Men’s 1500m Freestyle - Sun Yang (China) - 14:31.02s - 2012 London Olympics
China’s Sun Yang, gold medallist, on the podium after the Men’s 1500m Freestyle Final at the Olympic Games in London. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
With a sizzling swim in the 1500m freestyle, China’s Sun Yang rose to gold by breaking his own world record. Sun Yang eclipsed his previous mark of 14:34.14s with a time of 14:31.02s, also going past the Olympic record time of 14:38.92 by Australia’s Grant Hackett in 2008 in the process.
Men’s 100m Butterfly - Caeleb Dressel (USA) - 49.45s - 2021 Tokyo Olympics
USA’s Caeleb Dressel, gold medallist, poses after the Men’s 100m Butterfly Final at the Olympic Games on July 31, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Caelab Dressel won the men’s 100m butterfly gold medal with a new world record time.
The supremacy of the American swimmer was never in doubt as he stroked his way to glory. He swam a lead race with splits of 23.00 and 26.45 over the two laps as he shaved off 0.05s off his world record set while winning the 2019 World Championships gold in Gwangju.
The previous Olympic record of 50.39s belonged to Singapore’s Joseph Schooling from the 2016 edition in Rio de Janeiro.
Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay - USA (Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak) - 3:08.24s - 2008 Beijing Olympics
From left to right: USA’s Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale, Cullen Jones and Jason Lezak pose with the gold medal after winning the Men’s 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay at the National Aquatics Center on Day 3 of the Beijing Olympic Games on August 11, 2008. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
The American freestyle relay team comprising Michael Phelps (47.51s), Garrett Weber-Gale (47.02s), Cullen Jones (47.65s) and Jason Lezak (46.06s) stormed to the Olympic gold in Beijing, twice breaking the World and Olympic record in two days. Their stunning time of 3:08.24s in the final broke the Olympic (3:13.17s by South Africa in 2004) and World (3:12.46s by USA in 2006) records in a breeze.
Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay - USA (Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Caeleb Dressel, Zach Apple) - 3:26.78s - 2021 Tokyo Olympics
From left to right: USA’s Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Caeleb Dressel and Zach Apple pose on the podium after winning the Men’s 4 x 100m Medley Relay Final on day nine of the Tokyo Olympic Games at Tokyo Aquatics Centre on August 1, 2021. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Caeleb Dressel ended his Olympics with a storming butterfly leg to help the United States smash their own men’s 4x100m medley relay world record.
The US team of Ryan Murphy, Michael Andrew, Dressel, and Apple touched in 3min 26.78s to shatter the global mark of 3:27.28s set at the 2009 World Championships.
The previous Olympic record of 3:27.95s, set in Rio five years ago, also belonged to USA.
Women’s 800m freestyle - Katie Ledecky (USA) - 8:04.79s - 2016 Rio Olympics
USA’s Katie Ledecky celebrates winning gold and setting a new world record in the Women’s 800m Freestyleon Day 7 of the Rio Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 12, 2016. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Five days after a record-breaking performance in the 400m freestyle, Ledecky doubled up with a splendid display in the 800m to retain her Olympic gold. Ledecky sailed past her own World record (8:06.68 in January 2016) while also dashing the existing Olympic record (8:14.10 by Rebecca Adlington in 2008) by a fair margin.
Women’s 100m Butterfly - Sarah Sjostrom (Sweden) - 55.48s - 2016 Rio Olympics
Sweden’s Sarah Sjostrom celebrates winning gold and setting a new world record in the Women’s 100m Butterfly on Day 2 of the Rio Olympic Games at the Olympic Aquatics Stadium on August 7, 2016. | Photo Credit: Clive Rose
Sarah Sjostrom waltzed past her 100m butterfly record set in 2015 to record Sweden’s first Olympic gold in swimming at the 2016 Rio Games. Sjostrom’s riveting performance with a time of 55.48, went past the Olympic record (55.98) set by USA’s Dana Vollmer in 2008.
Mixed 4x100m Medley Relay - Great Britain (Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty, James Guy, Anna Hopkin) - 3:37.58s - 2021 Tokyo Olympics
From left to right: Great Britain’s Kathleen Dawson, Adam Peaty and James Guy and Anna Hopkin poses after winning gold medal in the Mixed 4 x 100m Medley Relay at Tokyo Olympics on July 31, 2021. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
Great Britain won the Olympic debut of the 4x100m mixed medley relay, where two men and two women per country swim different legs.
Each team gets to decide who swims which part of the race. Britain claimed the gold with a world record of 3 minutes, 37.58s.
The previous world record of 3:38.41s, set in 2020, belonged to China.
ARCHERY
Recurve Men’s Team (216-arrow ranking event) - South Korea (Im Dong-Hyun, Kim Bub-min, Oh Jin-hyek) - 2087 points - 2012 London Olympics
From left to right: South Korea’s Oh Jin-hyek, Kim Bub-min and Im Dong-hyun during the London Olympics in 2012. | Photo Credit: GETTY IMAGES
The South Korean trio of Im Dong-Hyun, Kim Bub-min, and Oh Jin-hyek continue to hold the only co-existing Olympic and World record in Archery. The team set a record of 2087 points in the 216-arrow ranking event at the 2012 London Games, going past their own previous World record of 2069 set in May 2012. They also broke the Olympic record set by another South Korean trio - 2031 by Jang Yong-Ho, Kim Bo-Ram, Oh Kyo-Moon - in Atlanta in 1996.
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