Olympic Challenge 1992 | Brooke Bond | PG Tips
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[Olympic Challenge 1992 01]
01 PAAVO NURKI (Fin)
Outstanding runner who won more Olympic Gold medals than any other -nine in all. He tucked away the 10000 metres (31-45.8) and cross-country (indi-vidual and team) titles in Antwerp 1920 - before winning the 1500 metres (3-53.6) and 5000 metres (14-311) in the same afternoon in Paris - 1924. He also retained both cross-country titles and - for good measure - was a member of the winning 3000 metres team. In Amster-dam - 1928 - he won the 10000 metres (30-18.8) and gained a Silver medal in the 5000 metres (14-40) - logo with the one he took in 1920 (15-00) - and 3000 metres steeplechase (9-31.2).
[Olympic Challenge 1992 02]
02 JESSE OWENS (usa)
Hero of the 1936 Berlin Games - where he claimed four Gold medals - seemingly in defiance of the Nazi propaganda and to the delight of the German masses. A graceful sprinter - the Ebony Antelope' set sin world records in the space of 45 minutes in 1935 - so his appearance at the Olympics was eagerly anticipated. He didn't let anyone down - winning the 100 metres (10.31) 200 metres (20.7 - Olympic record) - long jump (8.06 metres - Olympic record that lasted until 1960) and 4x100 metres relay.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 03]
03 FANNY BLANKERS-KOEN (Hot)
The first woman to return to top class Olympic competition after having a family. this remarkable 30-year-old Hol-lander became the first female athlete to gain tour Gold medals at a single Olym-pics when she contested the 1948 Games in London. She won the 100 metres (11.9) - 80 metres hurdles (11.2 Olympic record) - 200 metres (24.4) and was involved in the 4x100 metres relay Out of nine women's events - she won four and could have made it five if she had entered the long jump - as the winning distance was well below her world record of the time.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 04]
04 BOB MAthIAS (usa)
Teenage sensation of the 1948 London Olympics when - at 17 - he won the decathlon - the tough regime of 10 athle-tic events in two days - having only taken to the sport less than six months earlier! He was the youngest winner of a men's athletics event in Olympic history. Decathlon events are (in order): 100 metres - long jump - shot putt - high jump - 400 metres - 110 metres hurdles - discos - pole vault - javelin and 1500 metres. He secured a second Gold medal in Helsinki - 1952.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 05]
05 EMIL ZAtopEK(Czech)
Superstar of the 1952 Games in Helsinki - Finland. In a week - he won the unprecedented triple of 10000 metres - 5000 metres and - finally - romped home in the marathon on his first attempt at the 26.2 mile distance! All times (29-17 - 14-06.6 and 2:23-03) were Olympic records. His wife - Dana - horn on the same day as her husband in 1922 - won the javelin within an hour of his closest victory - a 0.8 second win in the 5000 metres - to make the Games a family
[Olympic Challenge 1992 06]
06 FRANZ KLAMMER (Austria)
The Austrians love their skiers. They adore Franz Klammer - who dominated the men's downhill event in the 1970s. In 1975 - he won eight out of nine World cop downhill races - so was under great pressure the following year when the Winter Olympics were held in Innsbruck. Defending champion - Bem-hard Russi - of Switzerland - traditional rival of the home crowd - sped down the 3145 metre Olympic hill in 1-46.06. Klammer - 15th to go - took numerous tisks to finish in 1-45.73 - saying: "I thought I was"
[Olympic Challenge 1992 07]
07 ERIC HEIDEN (usa)
First competitor - in any Olympic sport - Summer or Winter - to win five individu-al Gold medals at a single Games. After taking all speed skating golds at Lake placid - 1980. retired to pursue a cycling career. Set Olympic records (38.03) in his 'weakens' event - the 500 metres sprint - the 1000 metres (1-15.18) - the 1500 metres (1-59.38) and 5000 metres (7-02.29) before smashing the world record by six seconds in the 10000 metres (14-28.13).
[Olympic Challenge 1992 08]
08 JOHN CURRY (GB)
Birmingham-born John Curry combined the artistry of ballet with spectacular jumps to win the men's figure skating Gold medal at Innsbruck. 1976. Curry's dedication to figure skating. seeing it as much of an art as a sport - saw him move to Colorado - USA - to find proper training facilities. Despite some apparent bias - because his style was considered too feminine - most not-ably for Eastern-bloc judges - Curry was the clear winner of the all-important Gold medal he wanted. His fame secured - he turned professional.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 09]
09 JAYNE TORVILL and CHRIStopHER DEAN (GB)
Elevated the discipline of ice-dancing to new levels of greatness by winning three world championships and mes-merising the audience with their inter-pretation of Ravel's Bolero in the 1964 Olympic Winter Games at Sarajevo. They received 12 maximum marks of sin - including across-the-board perfect scores for artistic impression Dean. a former policeman - and Torvill a former insurance clerk - had been hacked by Nottingham City Council - meaning they could train virtually full-time to marvellous effect. -
[Olympic Challenge 1992 10]
10 MATTI NYKANEN (Fin)
The story of the 1864 Calgary Winter Olympics was Great Britain's Eddie 'The Eagle' Edwards - in the ski jump events - The star was Haiti Nykanen. Edwards with his thick-leaned spectacles which steamed up on take-off- "I have to hope they clear before I land" - he said -summed up the Olympic ideal of com-petition - rather than winning. being the aim of the Games. Nykanen reigned supreme - winning the 90 metres Gold medal - having won the title in 1964. For good measure - he won the 70 metre hill event as well.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 11]
11 MUHAMMED all (usa)
Self-styled - although few will disagree - as 'The Greatest' - Ali's name at birth was Cassius Clay and it was as an 18-year-old at the Rome Olympics of 1960 that he made his first steps towards worldwide acclaim by winning Gold in the light-heavyweighs boxing division. He won the title on points against three -time European champion and 231 fight veteran Zbigniew Pietezykoseski and was so delighted he wore it for months afterwards - so much so that the gold wore off to reveal the lead base!
[Olympic Challenge 1992 12]
12 MARY RAND (GB)
Scored a significant breakthrough - she was Great Britain's first-ever women's athletics Gold medallist when she broke the world long jump record with a leap of 6.76 metres at the Tokyo Games - 1964. An Mary Bignal. she flopped in the 1960 Games - having recorded the furthest distance in qualifying and then seeing her run-up go to pieces in the highly-pressured final. Four years later - she hit a new record distance with her fifth jump. In the same week - she won Silver in the pentathlon and Bronze in the 4x100 metres relay
[Olympic Challenge 1992 13]
13 BOB BEAMON (usa)
Leapt into history with a brilliant long jump world record of 8.90 metres (280 2 1/2 in) in the rarefied air of Mexico City - 1968 - that had been called the great-est athletics achievement of all time. The long-legged - 6ft 3in 22-year-old New Yorker narrowly qualified for the final - hot once there - he took the event by the scruff of the neck by leaping to the new world record with his first jump. Until Beamon's effort - no-one had jumped over 2811. Antoundingly - thin long-standing world record was broken at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyoby Hike Powell (usa) with a leap of 8.95 metres (29ft 4 2/5 in).
[Olympic Challenge 1992 14]
14 DAVID HEMERY (GB)
The 1968 Mexico Games produced some monumental performances and one of the best was the superb 400 metres hurdles victory of David Hemery. Lined-up against the best field ever assembled for the event - with cham-pions and record-holders galore - the Briton demolished the opposition - winning by the unheard of margin of seven metres in a new world record (48.1). Hemery also won Silver in the 4x400 metres relay - and went on to win Bronze - in the 400 metres hurdles - in Munich - 1972.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 15]
15 LASSE VIREN (Fin)
The 'Flying Fin' wan an Olympics specialist - winning the 5000 metres/ 10.000 metres double in both Munich - 1972 - and Montreal - 1976. In the 10000 metres final at his first Games - Viren tell and looked to be out of contention - but he sprinted back and to a new world record (27-35.4) before calmly taking the 5000 metres Gold (13-26.4). Four years later - Viren won the 10000 metres (27-40.35) by some 30 metres. but had a much more difficult task in the shorter event - with six runners in contention. But he held onto win (13-24.76).
[Olympic Challenge 1992 16]
16 VIKTO SANIYEV (USSR)
No-one has dominated the tricky triple jump like Vikto Saneyev. He won the Gold medal in three successive Olym-pics and - for good measure - took the Silver in a fourth. In Mexico City - 1965 - he leapt 17.39 metres or a new world record - becoming the first man to achieve over 57ft. He took the Gold at the nest Games - Munich 1972 - but was under severe pressure in Montreal - 1976 - when Jnao Carts de Oliveira bettered his world record prior to the meeting. However - Saneyev responded - won again - and was Just short of a fourth Gold in Moscow.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 17]
17 SEBASTIAN COE (GB)
Magnificent middle distance runner and prolific record-breaker who won the 1500 metres in Moscow - 1950 and Los Angeles - 1984 - plus the Silver in each of those Games' 800 metres. Ironically - the 500 metres was regarded as his best event and his world record of 141.73 still stands - over a decade later. Coe's arch rival. Steve Ovett - out manoeuvered him in the 500 metres in Moscow - but he recovered to win the 1500 metres (3-38.4) impressively. Four years later - Jnaquim Cruz broke the Olympic record to deny Coe the 800 - but e became the first man ever to retain the 1500 metres crown - setting an Olympic record (3-22.53) in the process -
[Olympic Challenge 1992 18]
18 DalEY thOMPSON (GB)
Flamboyant personality who equalled Bob Mathias' record of winning two decathlon Golds - In Moscow - 1950. he was at the height of his powers and was not seriously threatened - receiving a standing ovation as he finished the final event - the 1500 metres. In Los Angeles - 1954 - he did battle with world record holder Jurgen Hingsen - the cut-and-thrust of their duel proving lobe an absorbing battle of speed and strength. For Seoul. 1955. he was returning from injury and was not at his best. but still finished fourth.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 19]
19 CARL LEWIS (usa)
Patriotism reached new levels when Carl Lewis won four Gold medals in the Los Angeles Games of 1954. Lewis won the 100 metres (9.99) and 200 metres (19.80 Olympic record) as well as helping the 4x100 relay home. He also won the long jump (8.54 metres) - keeping up an unbeaten sequence that lasted over a decade. In Seoul - 1955 - Lewis finished second behind Ben John-son - but - following the Canadians dis-qualification - was presented with Gold in a new Olympic record (9.92). He bet-tered this time at the 1991 World Cham-pionships - Tokyo - when he set a new world record time for the 100 metres (9.86). going to crash all the way.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 20]
20 ED MOSES (usa)
Unquestionably the greatest 400 metres hurdler ever - having chalked up a sequence of 122 successive victories (107 finals). He won Olympic Gold in Montreal - 1976 - and Los Angeles - 1984 - and would almost certainly have made it a hat-trick - but for the American boycott of Moscow - 1980. The 1976 Games saw only his second-ever outing over hurdles - hut he won by eight metres - the most ever in the event - in a new world record (47.64). Eight years later - he led from start to finish to win Gold (47.75). In Seoul - 1988 - he claimed the Bronze.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 21]
21 FLORENCE GRIFFIth-JOYNER (usa)
Colourful personality who outshone everyone at the 1988 Seoul Olympics - winning the sprint double - helping the 4x100 metres relay squad to victory and gaining Silver in the 4x400 metres relay. Her long - multi-coloured nails - gleam-ing smile and flowing hair put her rivals in the shade as she ran to comfortable victories (10.54 wind-assisted in 100 metres final - 10.62 Olympic record in quarter final - 21.34 Olympic record in 200 metres).
[Olympic Challenge 1992 22]
22 OLGA KORBUT (USSR)
Elf-like darling of the crowd and millions of television viewers at the 1972 Munich Games. At 4ff 11in just 85 pounds and still only 17 - Korbut gained oversight popularity - winning three Gold medals for the combined team - beam and another for a dazzling - cheeky - floor exercise routine. She also won Silver in the asymmetrical hairs. Although there are gymnasts win more honours - Korbut remains largely responsible for the boom in the sport following these Games. In 1976 - in Montreal - she gained a Silver medal for the beam.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 23]
23 NADIA COMANECI (Ram)
The first 'perfect' gymnast in history. A mark of 10 - representing perfection - had never been awarded until tiny - calm - 14-year-old Comaneci (pronounced Comanetch) did so seven times in the 1976 Montreal Games. She gained lop marks for her asymmetrical bar and beam exercises - taking Golds in each and the individual combined exercises. She won Silver in the team combined exercises and Bronze for the floor exercises - In Moscow - four years later - she won Gold in the beam and floor exercises and Silver in the combined exercises.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 24]
24 VASILY alEXEYEV (USSR)
Mighty mountain of a man who con lay claim to being the strongest in the world. Having set over 80 world records in the Super-heavyweight section - Alexeyev tasted Olympic glory in Munich - 1972 - and Montreal four years later. Alexeyev was virtually unchallenged - breaking the Olympic record for press (235kg) - snatch (175kg) and jerk (230kg) as well as the total weight (640kg) is Munich. At the next Olympics. aged 34 - he won the snatch (185kg Olympic record) - jerk (255kg world record) and total weight (440kg).
[Olympic Challenge 1992 25]
25 alEXANDR DITYATIN (USSR)
First male gymnast to record a perfect 10 - Dityatin was the home crowd's hero in the 1980 Moscow Games - winning three Gold - four Silver and one Bronze medal - the hest-ever single Games medal tally in history. His first perfect score was for the long horse vault as he won the combined exercises category He went on to take Gold for the rings and combined team exercises - plus Silver for parallel bars - long horse vault - hears and pommeled horse vault - and Bronze for the floor exercises.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 26]
26 MARK SPITZ (usa)
Fantastic achievement of swimming in -and winning - seven events at the 1972 Munich Games - setting world records in each one. II is the most Gold medals ever achieved at a single Games by any competitor - in any sport - Summer or Winter. He won the 100 and 200 metres freestyle (51.22 and 1-52.78) - 100 and 200 metres butterfly (54.27 and 2-00.78) and was part of the winning 4x100 and 4x200 metres freestyle relay as well as the 4x100 metres medley relay.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 27]
27 SHANE GOULD (Australia)
Whatever Mark Spitz did in the 1972 Munich swimming events - Gould tried to do is the women's - entering five individual events - gaining three Gold medals. She retired at 16 after a brief - but exciting career that saw her set world records for every freestyle event. In Munich - she won the 200 metres freestyle (2-03.56 world record) - 400 metres freestyle (4-19.84 world record) and 200 metres individual medley (2-23.07 world record). She took Silver in the 800 metres freestyle and Bronze is the 100 metres freestyle.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 28]
28 DAVID WILKIE (GB)
Great Britain's woeful record in Olym-pic swimming was ended when David Wilkie won the 200 metres breaststroke Gold in Montreal - 1976. It wax the first swimming Gold was by a Brtion for 68 years. Wilkie had taken the Silver in Munich - 1972 - but benefited from ideal preparation at the University of Florida leading up to Montreal. Wilkie was the only non American winner of the men's swimming event (they took the other 12) when be broke the world record (2-15.11). He also gained a the Silver medal in the 100 metres breaststroke.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 29]
29 GREG LOUGANIS (usa)
The best male diver ever - Louganis in the only man to retain the high board and springboard titles at successive Olympics. A stylist supreme - be did so in Los Angeles - 1884 - and Seoul - 1988. Of Samoan and Swedish ancestry - Louganis took the Silver in the platform at Montreal 1976. Favourite for double Gold in 1980 - he wax shut out by the American boycott - but made up for it in 1984. In Seoul - he won the springboard despite hitting his head on the board on descent - which virtually wiped out any score for that dive.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 30]
30 MATT BIONDI (usa)
All-American hem and fastest Olympic swimmer ever - Biondi won five Gold medals - a Silver and a Bronze at the 1988 Seoul Olympics - which were - perhaps. the most competitive ever in the pool. In the first-ever 50 metres freestyle sprint included in the Olympic calendar - the muscular Biondi breezed home (22.14) and repeated the act in the 100 metres (48.63). Both were Olympic records. His other three Golds came from his pectin Ihe relays - these being the 4x100 metres 4x200 metres and 4x100 metres medley'
[Olympic Challenge 1992 31]
31 trACY RUIZ and CANDY COSTEE (usa)
No event has caused no much furore in Olympic history as the synchronised swimming. First included in Los Angeles - 1964 - as a demonstration sport. the event was continued in 1988 and seems set to stay - despite the many critics who say it cannon be classed as sport. A form of on and under water ballet - the first solo winner wax Risz - who teamed up with Costee to take the duet title ax well for the host nation. Thin feat was repeated by Canada's Carolyn Waldo in Seoul - who won the solo and duetted with Michelle Cameron.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 32]
32 TENNIS
Lawn tennis was included in the Olympic Games from 1896 to 1924 and as a demonstration sport in 1968. Following the staging of a tournament at the 1984 Los Angeles Games - tennis was formally re-introduced in 1988 - when Stein Graf (Ger) completed the Grand Slam (winning the French - Australian and American Opens - plus Wimbledon titles) and won the Olympic singles championship. The men's winner in Seoul was Miloslav Mecte (Czech).
[Olympic Challenge 1992 33]
33 OLYMPIC FLAME
The first Olympic flame was seen at Amsterdam - 1928 - and - since then - has burned throughout the duration of the Games. The idea of a torch being carried from Olympia - the original home of the Games - by a relay of runners to each new venue was first introduced for Berlin - 1936. Tine flame symbolises the endeavour for perfection and struggle for victory and - at the end of the Ganses - begins its journey to the nest venue. The torch first travelled by air when the Gaines were held in Melbourne in 1956.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 34]
34 BARCELONA STADIUM
This magnificent Olympic Stadium - 'Estadi Olimpic' with a capacity for 70.000 - was completed in 1989 and Overlooks the city. It is designed primarily to accommodate the athletic events and the opening and closing ceremonies There are several other spectacular stadia and a purpose-built Olympic village housing 15000 participants. The cost of staging the Games will be 455000 million pesetas and the organisers pronnise they will be self-financing - thanks to the sale of worldwide television rights and sponsorship.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 35]
35 LINFORD CHRISTIE (GB)
Europe's fastest sprinter. Finished third - but eventually took Silver in Seoul - 1988. following the disqualification of Ben Johnson. Having won the European Cup 100 metres three times - and ranked as number one in Europe and the Commonwealth - there are only a few sprinters to touch him. However. his best-ever time of 9.97 puts him behind some of the Americans - moat notably Carl Lewis - the Gold medalist for the past two Olympics - and Leroy Burrell - who set a new world record of 9.90 in 1991.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 36]
36 COLIN JACKSON (GB)
Smooth stylist -and quick with it -over the 110 metres hurdles - the Welshinan is the current European and Common-wealth Champion and is one of the favourites for the Gold medal in Barcelona - having taken the Silver medal in 1988 behind Roger Kingdom - the world record holder. Kingdom's best in 12.92 seconds - while Jackson's is 13.06. Kingdom - along with veteran Greg Foster - plus up-and-coming Briton - Tony Jarrett - will be Jackson's main rivals in an event where hurdling technique counts just as much as sprinting speed.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 37]
37 PETER ELLIOTT (GB)
In 1984 - Elliott became the first British runner to bean Sebastian Cue over 1500 metres since 1976. Since then he has never looked back - carrying on the mantle of Coe Overt and Cram - who all set world records in the 1980s. A gritty competitor - Elliott always seemed to just miss out on championship glory until he won the Commonwealth file in 1990. Now he will be a favourite for 1500 metres chief rivals Gold in Barcelona. His will he talented Algerian - Nourredine Morceli - plus Abdi Bile - Simon Doyle and Jem-Peter Herold.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 38]
38 STEVE BACKLEY (GB)
The world's number one javelin thrower in 1989 and 1990 - Backley lust his world record to Seppo Raty at Finland in the Spring of 1981. When Backley broke the world record in Stockholm - 1990 - it was the first time a Briton had done so. With various types of javelin now being used - the 100 metres mark in dearly within sight of Backley. Raty and the other big favourite for Olympic 1992 Gold - Jan Zelezny. Other contenders could be Viktor Zaitsev and Tom Petranoff.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 39]
39 YVONNE MURRAY (GB)
Ranked number one in the world in 1990 for 3000 metres - the Scot had an excellent season in 1991 - which set her up for a tilt at the Gold medal in Barcelona. The reigning European Champion and Bronze medallist from the Seoul Olympics - Murray has a devastating kick over the last lap - which means she can never be discounted if she is with the leaders at that point. Hoping to beat her will be Patti Sue Plomer - Yelena Romanova - and perhaps even Zola Piertue (Budd) with a surprise always likely to be caused by World Indoor Champion. Marie-Pierre Dims.
[Olympic Challenge 1992 40]
40 LIZ McCOLGAN (GB)
Determined Scot - McColgan has the will-to-win that will see her line up as favourite for the 10000 metres Gold medal in Barcelona - having taken the Silver medal in Seoul and won Gold at the Tokyo World Championships 1991 to become World Champion. The Com-monwealth Champion in 1986 and 1990 - McColgan missed the second half of 1990 to have a baby daughter. Now back - and running as well as ever - she will face competition from the Briton - Jill Hunter - Yelena Romanova - Zola Piertse (Budd) and Elana Meyer who all may go for the 3000 metres/10000 metres double - plus Olympic Champion Olga Bondarenko.


"My trembling subsided in his sure embrace"
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