01 FINISH-LINE HEROICS
Olympic marathon, London, 1908
22-YEAR-OLD ITALIAN CHEF
Dorando Pietri was the first man over the finishing line at London’s first-ever marathon. He collapsed several times during the race and was eventually disqualified for receiving assistance, but he won the crowd’s sympathy for enduring to the end. Queen Alexandra was so outraged by his disqualification that she later presented him with a special cup.
02 SPRINTING’S FIRST LADY
Olympics, Amsterdam, 1928
THE 1928 OLYMPICS WERE THE first in which women were allowed to compete in track and field events – or five of them, at least: the 100m; 4x100m relay; 800m; discus; and high jump. American Betty Robinson, who was 16 years old, became a sensation when she won the very first 100m gold, just months after her first-ever race. She was celebrated with ticker-tape parades back home – but then, every woman in that race was making history.
03 OWENS SENDS A MESSAGE
Olympics, Berlin, 1936
THE ’36 OLYMPICS WERE supposed to be a showcase for the Nazi regime. The Olympiastadion, a massive new stadium, was built, and the games were the first ever to be broadcast on live TV.
Yet Hitler’s planned demonstration of the supremacy of the Aryan race was dashed by African American Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in a one-man demolition of the ‘master race’ myth.
04 PHOTO FINISH
Olympic 100m, London, 1948
LIKE ALL NEW TECHNOLOGY, the ‘Magic Eye’ photo finish camera was met with some suspicion. Though photo technology was used as early as 1908, the 1948 Olympics were the first to use it to decide placings in the 100m – something that is now indispensable. It took a further 20 years to become standard. Now, finish-line cameras can take 3,000 images a second, so it’s not uncommon for two athletes to record the exact same time without it being a dead heat. In this photo finish of the 100m final, US runner Harrison Dillard (bottom) wins gold from his compatriot Barney Ewell (second from top).
05 SUBSTANCE OVER STYLE
Olympic 5000m, Helsinki, 1952
REGARDED BY MANY AS the greatest runner of all time, Emil Zátopek was famous not just for his wins – his treble at the 1952 Olympics of 5000m, 10,000m and marathon golds is still unmatched – but also his political integrity. A national hero in Czechoslovakia, he stood up to the Soviet regime, at great personal cost. Yet, he was also famous for his less-than-elegant running style, described by one journalist as being ‘like a man wrestling an octopus on a conveyor belt’. Here, he’s gurning his way to 5000m victory against his great friend and rival Alain Mimoun.
06 THE MAGIC MILE
Iffley Roa
