The modern Summer Olympic Games have been held every four years since the first Games in 1896 (except 1916 due to the First World War, and 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War) and Olympic records are recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in each event. The athletics events, which take place at each Games, are divided into four groups: track events (including sprints, middle- and long-distance running, hurdling and relays), field events (including javelin, discus, hammer, pole vault, long and triple jumps), road events (such as walks and the marathon) and combined events (the heptathlon and the decathlon).[1] Women compete in 23 athletics events during the Games,[2] and men compete in 24; while 21 of the events are the same for both men and women, men exclusively compete in the 50 km walk, the women's combined event is the heptathlon while the men compete in the decathlon, and the short distance hurdles for women is contested over 100 m, ten metres shorter than the men's event.[1]
Some Olympic records have been broken but later rescinded by the IOC. In 1988, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson broke the Olympic and World record in the 100 metres sprint, but was subsequently disqualified after it was discovered that he had used anabolic steroids to enhance his performance. His record was expunged and the gold medal was instead awarded to American Carl Lewis.[3] Hungarian athlete Róbert Fazekas broke the Olympic record in the men's discus in 2004 but was later stripped of both his gold medal and the record after it was deemed that he had "committed an anti-doping rule violation".[4][5]
The longest standing modern Olympic athletics record is Bob Beamon's achievement in the men's long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics.[6] The jump, at 8.90 m (29 ft 2 in), also broke the existing world record by 55 cm (22 in), and stood as the world record for 23 years until Beamon's compatriot, Mike Powell, jumped farther in the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo.[7] During the 2012 Games, six men's and five women's records were broken.
Note, only those events currently competed for and recognised by the IOC as Summer Olympic events are listed.
List of men's Olympic records in athletics
Event Record Athlete(s) Nation Games Date Ref(s)
100 metres 9.63 Usain Bolt Jamaica (JAM) 2012 London August 5, 2012 [9]
200 metres 19.30 Usain Bolt Jamaica (JAM) 2008 Beijing August 20, 2008 [10]
400 metres 43.03 Wayde van Niekerk South Africa (RSA) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 14, 2016 [11]
800 metres 1:40.91 David Rudisha Kenya (KEN) 2012 London August 9, 2012 [12]
1,500 metres 3:32.07 Noah Ngeny Kenya (KEN) 2000 Sydney September 29, 2000 [13]
5,000 metres 12:57.82 Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia (ETH) 2008 Beijing August 23, 2008 [14]
10,000 metres 27:01.17 Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia (ETH) 2008 Beijing August 17, 2008 [15]
Marathon 2:06:32 Samuel Wanjiru Kenya (KEN) 2008 Beijing August 24, 2008 [16]
110 metres hurdles 12.91 Liu Xiang China (CHN) 2004 Athens August 27, 2004 [17]
400 metres hurdles 46.78 Kevin Young United States (USA) 1992 Barcelona August 6, 1992 [18][19]
3,000 m steeplechase 8:03.28 Conseslus Kipruto Kenya (KEN) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 17, 2016 [20]
4×100 m relay 36.84 Nesta Carter
Michael Frater
Yohan Blake
Usain Bolt Jamaica (JAM) 2012 London August 11, 2012 [21]
4×400 m relay 2:55.39 LaShawn Merritt
Angelo Taylor
David Neville
Jeremy Wariner United States (USA) 2008 Beijing August 23, 2008 [22]
20 km walk 1:18:46 Chen Ding China (CHN) 2012 London August 4, 2012 [23]
50 km walk 3:36:53 Jared Tallent Australia (AUS) 2012 London August 11, 2012 [24]
High jump 2.39 m Charles Austin United States (USA) 1996 Atlanta July 28, 1996 [25]
Long jump 8.90 m Bob Beamon United States (USA) 1968 Mexico City October 18, 1968 [6]
Pole vault 6.03 m Thiago Braz da Silva Brazil (BRA) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 15, 2016 [26]
Triple jump 18.09 m Kenny Harrison United States (USA) 1996 Atlanta July 27, 1996 [27]
Shot put 22.52 m Ryan Crouser United States (USA) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 18, 2016 [28]
Discus throw 69.89 m Virgilijus Alekna Lithuania (LTU) 2004 Athens August 23, 2004 [29]
Hammer throw 84.80 m Sergey Litvinov Soviet Union (URS) 1988 Seoul September 26, 1988 [30]
Javelin throw 90.57 m Andreas Thorkildsen Norway (NOR) 2008 Beijing August 23, 2008 [31]
Decathlon 8893 pts Roman Šebrle Czech Republic (CZE) 2004 Athens August 24, 2004 [32]
Ashton Eaton United States (USA) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 18, 2016 [33]
Women's records
List of women's Olympic records in athletics
Event Record Athlete(s) Nation Games Date Ref(s)
100 metres 10.62 Florence Griffith-Joyner United States (USA) 1988 Seoul September 24, 1988 [34]
200 metres 21.34 Florence Griffith-Joyner United States (USA) 1988 Seoul September 29, 1988 [35][36]
400 metres 48.25 Marie-José Pérec France (FRA) 1996 Atlanta July 29, 1996 [37]
800 metres 1:53.43 Nadezhda Olizarenko Soviet Union (URS) 1980 Moscow July 27, 1980 [37]
1,500 metres 3:53.96 Paula Ivan Romania (ROU) 1988 Seoul September 26, 1988 [37]
5,000 metres 14:26.17 Vivian Cheruiyot Kenya (KEN) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 19, 2016 [38]
10,000 metres 29:17.45 Almaz Ayana Ethiopia (ETH) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 12, 2016 [39]
Marathon 2:23:07 Tiki Gelana Ethiopia (ETH) 2012 London August 5, 2012 [37]
100 metres hurdles 12.35 Sally Pearson Australia (AUS) 2012 London August 7, 2012 [40]
400 metres hurdles 52.64 Melaine Walker Jamaica (JAM) 2008 Beijing August 20, 2008 [41]
3,000 m steeplechase 8:58.81 Gulnara Galkina-Samitova Russia (RUS) 2008 Beijing August 17, 2008 [42]
4×100 m relay 40.82 Tianna Madison
Allyson Felix
Bianca Knight
Carmelita Jeter United States (USA) 2012 London August 10, 2012 [43]
4×400 m relay 3:15.17 Tatyana Ledovskaya
Olga Nazarova
Mariya Pinigina
Olga Bryzgina Soviet Union (URS) 1988 Seoul October 1, 1988 [44]
20 km walk 1:25:02 Elena Lashmanova Russia (RUS) 2012 London August 11, 2012 [45]
High jump 2.06 m Yelena Slesarenko Russia (RUS) 2004 Athens August 28, 2004 [25]
Long jump 7.40 m Jackie Joyner-Kersee United States (USA) 1988 Seoul September 29, 1988 [46]
Pole vault 5.05 m Yelena Isinbayeva Russia (RUS) 2008 Beijing August 18, 2008 [42][47]
Triple jump 15.39 m Françoise Mbango Etone Cameroon (CMR) 2008 Beijing August 17, 2008 [48]
Shot put 22.41 m Ilona Slupianek East Germany (GDR) 1980 Moscow July 24, 1980 [28]
Discus throw 72.30 m Martina Hellmann East Germany (GDR) 1988 Seoul September 29, 1988 [29]
Hammer throw 82.29 m Anita Włodarczyk Poland (POL) 2016 Rio de Janeiro August 15, 2016 [49]
Javelin throw 71.53 m Osleidys Menéndez Cuba (CUB) 2004 Athens August 27, 2004 [37]
Heptathlon 7291 pts Jackie Joyner-Kersee United States (USA) 1988 Seoul September 24, 1988 [37]
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Olympic_records_in_athletics
