Dubbed by many as the ‘Leap of the Century’ Bob Beamon‘s long jump remained the world record for 22 years, 316 days until it was broken in 1991 by Mike Powell. This is the second longest holding of this record, as Jesse Owens held the record for 25 years, 1935-1960.
“When anyone tells me I can’t do anything, I’m just not listening any more.” – Florence Griffith-Joyner
“Never set limits, go after your dreams, don’t be afraid to push the boundaries, and laugh a lot, it’s good for you.” – Paula Radcliffe
At the 1991 World Championships in Athletics (Tokyo), Mike Powell broke Bob Beamon‘s almost 23-year-old long jump world record by 5 cm (2 inches), leaping 8.95 m (29 ft 4¼ in). The world record still stands, making Powell the fourth person since 1900 to hold the record for over 20 years. His feat earned him the James E. Sullivan Award and BBC Sports Personality of the Year Overseas Personality Award in 1991. He also holds the longest non-legal jump of 8.99 m (29 ft 5¾ in) (wind-aided +4.4) set at high altitude in Sestriere, Italy in 1992.
Powell’s record breaking jump:
Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world record in the indoor 400 m. He also currently holds the world’s best time at the 300 m. His 200 m time of 19.32 at the 1996 Summer Olympics stood as the record for over 12 years. Johnson is generally considered one of the greatest long sprinters in the history of track and field.
Clip of the 400m race:
He is the only male athlete in history to win both the 200 meter dash and 400 meter dash events at the same Olympics, a feat he accomplished at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Johnson is also the only man to successfully defend his Olympic title in the 400 m. Aside from his Olympic success Johnson accumulated eight gold medals at World Championships, and is thus tied with Carl Lewis for the most gold medals won by any runner in history.
Johnson’s stiff upright running stance and very short steps defied the conventional wisdom that a high knee lift was essential for maximum speed. As of 2012, Johnson holds 13 of the top 100 times for the 200 meters and 27 of the top 100 times for the 400 meters. Of those, he holds 14 of the top 25 times for the 400 meters. He broke 44 seconds for the 400 metres twenty-two times, more than twice as many as any other athlete.
“Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement.” – Matt Biondi
The previous record was 9.85 held by Leroy Burrell of the United States. Donovan Bailey‘s time of 9.84 in Atlanta was the 100 m world record from 1996 until 1999, when it was broken by Greene. The time also stood as the Commonwealth record from 1996 until 2005, when it was broken by Asafa Powell, and is the current Canadian record (shared with Bruny Surin since 1999). His Olympic record was broken by Usain Bolt at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“The biggest danger is trying to put too much pressure on yourself.” – Paula Radcliffe
Willie Banks set a world record for the triple jump with a leap of 17.97 m (58 feet 11.5 inches) at the national championships in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
Banks record stood for 10 years until it was finally broken by Jonathan Edwards of Great Britain. Willie Banks is best known for introducing the rythmic clapping of the audience to the track and field. It is a legacy that has continued on since June of 1981.
“The most important lesson that I have learned is to trust God in every circumstance.” – Allyson Felix
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