What are the longest lived Olympic records? Well, Olympic records can only be set in certain sports. At the Summer Games, this includes athletics (track & field), swimming, shooting, weightlifting, archery, and Olympic bests are usually considered now in rowing and canoeing. At the Winter Games, the measured sports are speed skating and short-track speed skating, with the best jumps measured in ski jumping.
Let’s consider only athletics at the Summer Olympics for starters. And we have to make some assumptions, as we commonly do. We’re going to consider marks that have lasted the most Olympics, because the gap from 1936-48 and 1912-20 artificially made records last longer that were set in 1912 or 1932-36. So we’ll consider Olympics Between (OlyBT below) and Years Between (YrsBT below). Also, some marks were set a number of Olympics ago but are still the best on record. We’ll consider all of those to last until 2016 (at a minimum, that is true).
Given that, here are all the athletics Olympic records that have lasted 20+ years or 5 or more Olympics.
[table]
OlyBT,YrBT,Event,Mark,Athlete(s),NOC,Year,City
12,48,LJ,8.90A,Bob Beamon,USA,1968,Mexico City
7,28,Steeplechase,8:05.51,Julius Kariuki,KEN,1988,Seoul
7,28,SP,22.47,Ulf Timmermann,GDR,1988,Seoul
7,28,HT,84.80,Sergey Litvinov,URS,1988,Seoul
6,24,400,43.86A,Lee Evans,USA,1968,Mexico City
6,24,5K,13:05.59,Saïd Aouita,MAR,1984,Los Angeles
6,24,Marathon,2-09:21.0,Carlos Lopes,POR,1984,Los Angeles
6,24,400IH,46.78,Kevin Young,USA,1992,Barcelona
6,24,4×400,2:56.16A,Matthews/Freeman/James/Evans,USA,1968,Mexico City
6,24,LJ,7.765,Bob LeGendre,USA,1924,Paris
5,24,HT,54.74,Matt McGrath,USA,1912,Stockholm
5,20,100,9.95A,Jim Hines,USA,1968,Mexico City
5,20,200,[21.6],Archie Hahn,USA,1904,St. Louis
5,20,400,43.49,Michael Johnson,USA,1996,Atlanta
5,20,50KM Wk,3-38:29,Vyacheslav Ivanenko,URS,1988,Seoul
5,20,HJ,2.39,Charles Austin,USA,1996,Atlanta
5,20,TJ,17.39A,Viktor Saneyev,URS,1968,Mexico City
5,20,TJ,18.09,Kenny Harrison,USA,1996,Atlanta
5,20,Deca,8847,Daley Thompson,GBR,1984,Los Angeles
3,20,4×400,3:08.2,Fuqua/Ablowich/Warner/Carr,USA,1932,Los Angeles
3,20,JT,72.71,Matti Järvinen,FIN,1932,Los Angeles
,,,,,,
9,36,800,1:53.43,Nadezhda Olizarenko,URS,1980,Moscow
9,36,SP,22.41,Ilona Schoknecht-Slupianek,GDR,1980,Moscow
8,32,4×100,41.60,Müller/Eckert-Wöckel/Auerswald-Lange/Oelsner-Göhr,GDR,1980,Moscow
7,28,100,10.62,Florence Griffith Joyner,USA,1988,Seoul
7,28,200,21.34,Florence Griffith Joyner,USA,1988,Seoul
7,28,1500,3:54.0,Paula Ivan,ROU,1988,Seoul
7,28,4×400,3:15.18,Ledovskaya/Nazarova/Pinigina/Bryzgina,URS,1988,Seoul
7,28,LJ,7.40,Jackie Joyner-Kersee,USA,1988,Seoul
7,28,DT,72.30,Martina Hellmann,GDR,1988,Seoul
7,28,Hept,7291,Jackie Joyner-Kersee,USA,1988,Seoul
5,20,400,48.25,Marie-José Pérec,FRA,1996,Atlanta
1,32,800,2:16.8,Lina Radke-Batschauer,GER,1928,Amsterdam
[/table]
Now there are caveats, as there usually are. Beamon’s miracle long jump in Mexico City will last at least 48 years, through 2016, and likely longer, as there is nobody on the horizon about to better 8.90 metres. But the mark was altitude-aided, and the Association of Track & Field Statisticians (ATFS), of which I am a member, usually considers altitude-aided marks in the sprints and horizontal jumps differently. The next best among men, and the top two marks for women, were both set in the 1980s, and shall we say, there are a number of rumors about marks set in that era. If you look at the women’s marks, unfortunately, everything was set from 1980-88 until we get to Marie-José Péréc’s 400 metre mark of 48.25 set in Atlanta in 1996. Please also note Lina Radke-Batschauer’s 800 metre mark from Amsterdam. While it lasted until 1960, it only lasted 1 Olympics, because women did not run the 800 metres from 1932-56.
Of the remaining men’s marks, the one that looks to me to have the best chance to continue to rule is Kevin Young’s 400 hurdles mark of 46.78, set in Barcelona. He remains the only hurdler to better 47 seconds, and nobody is threatening that mark these days. Among the women, nobody is approaching all those Olympic records from the 1980s.
What about the best marks by event. Here they are, for men and women, with a few extras thrown in to cover the various “yeah, buts …”:
Men
[table]
OlyBT,YrBT,Event,Mark,Athlete(s),NOC,Year,City
5,20,100,9.95A,Jim Hines,USA,1968,Mexico City
5,20,200,21.6,Archie Hahn,USA,1904,St. Louis
6,24,400,43.86A,Lee Evans,USA,1968,Mexico City
5,20,400,43.49,Michael Johnson,USA,1996,Atlanta
4,16,800,1:42.58,Vebjørn Rodal,NOR,1996,Atlanta
3,16,800,1:51.9,Ted Meredith,USA,1912,Stockholm
2,16,800,1:49.7,Tommy Hampson,GBR,1932,Los Angeles
4,16,1500,3:34.91,Kip Keino,KEN,1968,Mexico City
4,16,1500,3:32.53,Sebastian Coe,GBR,1984,Los Angeles
4,16,1500,3:32.07,Noah Ngeny,KEN,2000,Sydney
2,16,1500,3:47.8,Jack Lovelock,NZL,1936,Berlin
6,24,5K,13:05.59,Saïd Aouita,MAR,1984,Los Angeles
4,16,10K,27:38.34,Lasse Virén,FIN,1972,Munich
2,16,10K,30:11.4,Janusz Kusociński,POL,1932,Los Angeles
6,24,Marathon,2-09:21.0,Carlos Lopes,POR,1984,Los Angeles
7,28,Steeplechase,8:05.51,Julius Kariuki,KEN,1988,Seoul
3,12,110HH,13.24,Rod Milburn,USA,1972,Munich
3,12,110HH,12.91,Liu Xiang,CHN,2004,Athens
2,12,110HH,15.0,Forrest Smithson,USA,1908,London
1,12,110HH,14.1,Forrest Towns,USA,1936,Berlin
6,24,400IH,46.78,Kevin Young,USA,1992,Barcelona
3,12,20K Wk,1-19:57,Jozef Pribilinec,TCH,1988,Seoul
3,12,20K Wk,1-18:59,Robert Korzeniowski,POL,2000,Sydney
5,20,50K Wk,3-38:29,Vyacheslav Ivanenko,URS,1988,Seoul
4,16,4×100,37.40,Marsh/Burrell/Mitchell/Lewis,USA,1992,Barcelona
6,24,4×400,2:56.16A,Matthews/Freeman/James/Evans,USA,1968,Mexico City
5,20,HJ,2.39,Charles Austin,USA,1996,Atlanta
2,16,PV,4.35,Earle Meadows,USA,1936,Berlin
2,8,PV,4.09,Frank Foss,USA,1920,Antwerp
2,8,PV,5.78,Władysław Kozakiewicz,POL,1980,Moscow
2,8,PV,5.90,Sergey Bubka,URS,1988,Seoul
2,8,PV,5.92,Jean Galfione,FRA,1996,Atlanta
2,8,PV,5.92,Igor Trandenkov,RUS,1996,Atlanta
2,8,PV,5.92,Andrej Tiwontschik,GER,1996,Atlanta
12,48,LJ,8.90A,Bob Beamon,USA,1968,Mexico City
6,24,LJ,7.765,Bob LeGendre,USA,1924,Paris
5,20,TJ,17.39A,Viktor Saneyev,URS,1968,Mexico City
5,20,TJ,18.09,Kenny Harrison,USA,1996,Atlanta
7,28,SP,22.47,Ulf Timmermann,GDR,1988,Seoul
3,12,DT,68.28,Mac Wilkins,USA,1976,Montreal
3,12,DT,69.89,Virgilijus Alekna,LTU,2004,Athens
2,12,DT,45.21,Armas Taipale,FIN,1912,Stockholm
1,12,DT,50.48,Ken Carpenter,USA,1936,Berlin
7,28,HT,84.80,Sergey Litvinov,URS,1988,Seoul
3,20,JT,72.71,Matti Järvinen,FIN,1932,Los Angeles
3,12,JT,85.71,Egil Danielsen,NOR,1956,Melbourne
3,12,JT,94.58,Miklós Németh,HUN,1976,Montreal
5,20,Deca,8847,Daley Thompson,GBR,1984,Los Angeles
[/table]
Women
[table]
OlyBT,YrBT,Event,Mark,Athlete(s),NOC,Year,City
7,28,100,10.62,Florence Griffith Joyner,USA,1988,Seoul
7,28,200,21.34,Florence Griffith Joyner,USA,1988,Seoul
5,20,400,48.25,Marie-José Pérec,FRA,1996,Atlanta
9,36,800,1:53.43,Nadezhda Olizarenko,URS,1980,Moscow
7,28,1500,3:54.0,Paula Ivan,ROU,1988,Seoul
4,16,5K,14:40.79,Gabriela Szabo,ROU,2000,Sydney
2,8,10K,31:05.21,Olga Bondarenko,URS,1988,Seoul
2,8,10K,30:17.49,Derartu Tulu,ETH,2000,Sydney
2,8,10K,29:54.66,Tirunesh Dibaba,ETH,2008,Beijing
4,16,Marathon,2-24:52,Joan Benoit,USA,1984,Los Angeles
4,16,100HH,12.38,Yordanka Donkova,BUL,1988,Seoul
2,8,400IH,53.17,Debbie Flintoff-King,AUS,1988,Seoul
2,8,400IH,52.82,Deon Hemmings,JAM,1996,Atlanta
2,8,400IH,52.64,Melaine Walker,JAM,2008,Beijing
2,8,Steeplechase,8:58.81,Gulnara Galkina-Samytova,RUS,2008,Beijing
2,8,20KM Wk,1-29:05,Wang Liping,CHN,2000,Sydney
8,32,4×100,41.60,Müller/Eckert-Wöckel/Auerswald-Lange/Oelsner-Göhr,GDR,1980,Moscow
7,28,4×400,3:15.18,Ledovskaya/Nazarova/Pinigina/Bryzgina,URS,1988,Seoul
3,12,HJ,2.06,Yelena Slesarenko,RUS,2004,Athens
2,16,HJ,1.67,Jean Shiley,USA,1932,Los Angeles
2,8,PV,5.05,Yelena Isinbayeva,RUS,2008,Beijing
7,28,LJ,7.40,Jackie Joyner-Kersee,USA,1988,Seoul
3,12,TJ,15.33,Inessa Kravets,UKR,1996,Atlanta
9,36,SP,22.41,Ilona Schoknecht-Slupianek,GDR,1980,Moscow
7,28,DT,72.30,Martina Hellmann,GDR,1988,Seoul
1,4,HT,71.16,Kamila Skolimowska,POL,2000,Sydney
1,4,HT,75.02,Olga Kuzenkova,RUS,2004,Athens
1,4,HT,76.34,Aksana Miankova,BLR,2008,Beijing
1,4,HT,78.18,Tatyana Lysenko,RUS,2012,London
3,12,JT,74.68,Petra Felke-Meier,GDR,1988,Seoul
3,12,JT,71.53,Osleidys Menéndez,CUB,2004,Athens
2,8,Pent,5246,Irina Press,URS,1964,Tokyo
2,8,Pent,4801,Mary Peters,GBR,1972,Munich
7,28,Hept,7291,Jackie Joyner-Kersee,USA,1988,Seoul
[/table]
We’ll look at a similar analysis for the swimming Olympic records in a few weeks.