No matter how impressive an accomplishment may be, someone will eventually surpass it. After all, records were made to be broken.
Some records stand for a few years. Others stand for decades. Many records will fall at the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. But there are a handful of Olympic records that are so incredibly eye-popping that the likelihood of them ever being broken seems as close to zero as mathematically possible.
Here’s a list of Olympic records that will most likely never be broken.
Usain Bolt’s 100-meter dash of 9.63 seconds
Usain Bolt’s three career Olympic gold medals in the 100-meter dash are the most of all time, but it’s his Olympic-record finish of 9.63 seconds at the 2012 London Games that will likely never be outdone. Bolt bested his previous record time of 9.69 seconds that he set at the 2008 Beijing Games. The Jamaican sprinter also owns the world record in the 100 meters, running it in 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. This means that Bolt owns the top two times in Olympic history and the world record in the 100-meter dash, a feat that will likely never be surpassed. He also owns the Olympic and world records for the 200-meter dash.
Nadia Comaneci’s perfect routine
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci is a five-time Olympic gold medalist. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the then-14-year-old made history, becoming the first gymnast to earn a perfect score of 10 at the Olympic Games. The achievement was so rare at the time that the scoreboards in Montreal displayed 1.00 because they weren’t programmed to accept the perfect 10.0 score. The International Gymnastics Federation changed its 10-based scoring system in 2006, eliminating the possibility of a perfect 10. While U.S. gymnast Mary Lou Retton recorded perfect 10s on the floor exercise and vault at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Comaneci will always be the first 10 and the standard for perfection.
Kim Yun-mi being the youngest athlete to win gold
At the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics, South Korea speed skater Kim Yun-mi won the gold medal in the women’s 3,000-meter relay. She was just 13 years and 86 days old. Yun-mi remains the youngest Olympic gold medalist in history. That record will likely remain unbroken. The IOC, or the governing International Olympic Committee, doesn’t specify a minimum age limit for Olympic competitions. Instead, each individual International Sports Federation sets its own age requirements. Since Yun-mi’s historic golden victory, the International Skating Union has raised its minimum qualifying age to 15 to protect the development of young athletes.
Ian Miller’s 10 career Olympic appearances
Canadian Equestrian Ian Miller competed in 10 Olympic Games over the course of 40 years (1972-2012). That is more than any other competitor in Olympic history. Austrian sailor Hubert Raudaschl, Latvian shooter Afanasijs Kuzmins and former Soviet Union shooter Nino Salukvadze are the next closest, each appearing in eight Olympics. None of them are still competing. Unfortunately, Miller never won a gold medal. Miller earned his only Olympic medal at the 2008 Beijing Games, winning silver in the team jumping event.
China’s absolute dominance in table tennis
Table tennis made its Olympic debut at the 1988 Seoul Games. China has won an astounding 32 of the 37 available gold medals during that span. China’s closest competitor in the event is South Korea, which has won three golds. Japan and Sweden have each accounted for the other two. China’s dominance on the table, which also includes winning 20 silver and eight bronze medals, will likely never be seen again.
Aladar Gerevich’s six straight gold medals
Hungarian fencer Aladar Gerevich had a 24-year reign of dominance that remains unchallenged. Gerevich helped lead his countrymen to gold in each Olympics held between 1932 and 1960. Two sets of Olympic Games were canceled during that span because of World War II. Gerevich’s skill, persistence, consistency and longevity led to him being considered the greatest competitive fencer of all time. Retired British rower Sir Steve Redgrave won five straight Olympic gold medals from 1984 to 2000.
Team USA’s 239 medals at the 1904 Olympics
The United States made history at the 2016 Rio Olympics, becoming the first country to accumulate 1,000 gold medals since the first modern Olympics opened in 1896. The U.S. leads all nations with 1,183 gold medals (2,985 total) entering the 2024 Paris Games. The next closest is the combined Soviet Union and Russian Federation at 473 golds (1,204 total). But the mark that is virtually impossible to break is the number of medals won by a country at a single Olympics. The Americans captured 239 medals (78 gold, 82 silver and 79 bronze) at the 1904 St. Louis Olympics. The U.S. won nearly 85% of all available medals that summer.
Michael Phelps’ 23 gold medals and 28 total medals
Michael Phelps won the 23rd gold medal of his Olympic career at the 2016 Rio Games. The American standout swimmer won a single-Olympic-record eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Games. Phelps won more than 80% of the events he entered over his Olympic career. His 28 total medals are even more daunting. For perspective, the previous record holder for the most career medals was former Soviet Union gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won 18 medals (9 gold) from 1956 to 1964. Phelps’ dominance remains unmatched and will likely remain untouched by any other Olympian.
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