With the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics on the horizon and the current buzz around doping, bribery, and other sports scandals, it’s refreshing to dive into 10 crazy tales from Olympic history—moments that are as mind‑blowing as they are hilarious.
Why These 10 Crazy Tales Matter
10 The Last Olympic Rugby Games
In 1924, during what turned out to be the final Olympic rugby tournament, the United States trounced France 17‑3 to seize the gold medal. While the French players accepted defeat with grace, the French spectators were anything but. Members of the U.S. reserve squad were assaulted, and the referee required police protection. During the medal ceremony, the crowd heckled and jeered as “The Star‑Spangled Banner” blared.
The drama didn’t end there. A year later, the International Olympic Committee elected a new president who was not a fan of rugby—or any team sport. Despite the uproar, protests, and rugby’s popularity at the time, the sport was dropped from future Games. It eventually made a comeback for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
9 Abebe Bikila’s Record‑Breaking Barefoot Marathon Run
A reserve marathoner thrust into the spotlight at the 1960 Olympics after a teammate’s last‑minute injury, Abebe Bikila was initially dismissed by everyone. He shocked the world by posting a personal best that eclipsed the standing world record—all while running barefoot, after his only pair of shoes wore out during training.
Born to a shepherd family, Bikila began running at 24, training barefoot in Ethiopia’s highlands. He surged ahead early in the race, overtook his final rival just past the Axum obelisk, and smashed the world record, even breaking into a celebratory dance at the finish line while many competitors collapsed in exhaustion.
Four years later, he repeated his triumph in Tokyo, setting another world record, before a tragic accident left him paralyzed five years after his second gold.
8 Shun Fujimoto’s Broken Knee
At the 1976 Montreal Games, the Soviet gymnastics team, long‑time runners‑up, aimed to dethrone the Japanese champions. Their hopes were crushed by an astonishing display of bravery from Shun Fujimoto, who competed with a broken kneecap.
Fujimoto sustained the injury during early routines but concealed the pain, continuing to perform and setting world‑record scores in several events. He only revealed the injury when he bowed out, limping off the arena.
Japan edged out the Soviets by a razor‑thin 0.4 points, clinching a fifth consecutive team gold. When asked if he’d ever repeat such a feat, Fujimoto’s reply was a succinct “no.”
7 Bob Beamon’s Gigantic Long Jump
During the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, long‑jump hopeful Bob Beamon likely expected a solid performance, not the historic leap that would astonish the world. He barely qualified for the Games after a series of fouls and entered the competition without a personal coach.
When Beamon launched himself, he traveled so far that he fell out of the sand pit. Officials resorted to an old‑fashioned tape measure because the electronic devices failed to record the extraordinary distance.
He ultimately logged a 29‑foot‑9‑inch jump—roughly 9 meters—shattering the previous record by nearly 0.6 meters (2 feet). While high altitude and a 7 km/h tailwind aided all competitors, none could match Beamon’s monumental effort.
6 Henry Pearce Waited For Ducklings To Pass Him
Rowing prodigy Henry “Bobby” Pearce hailed from a lineage of champions, making his dominance at the 1928 Olympics unsurprising. He steamrolled his first two races, leaving rivals in his wake.
Mid‑race, spectators alerted him to a mother duck and her brood crossing the canal ahead. Rather than cut through, Pearce paused, allowing the feathered family to glide past, delighting the children watching. He then surged ahead, still clinching victory, and later set a world record that endured for 44 years.
His compassionate pause may have saved the ducklings; his son later joked that a tighter race would have seen Pearce steamroll the birds.
5 Kip Keino’s Gallstones
Kip Keino, orphaned early and forced to trek between school and home four times daily, faced adversity head‑on. In the 1968 Olympics, his first event—the 10,000‑meter race—saw him collapse from gallstone pain, yet he pressed on to finish.
Doctors ordered him out of the 1,500‑meter final, but Keino begged his teammates to keep him in. He slipped away, caught a bus, and when traffic stalled, he sprinted the remaining distance to the track, arriving just in time to start.
Keino then smashed the Olympic record, winning by a staggering 20 meters (66 feet)—the largest margin ever recorded for that distance.
4 The First Olympic Flag Went Missing For 77 Years
The inaugural Olympic flag vanished after the 1920 Antwerp Games, its whereabouts a mystery for 77 years. Hal Haig “Harry” Prieste, then the oldest living Olympic medalist, was told the flag was still missing.
Prieste stunned everyone by producing the flag, claiming he’d stolen it in 1920 on a teammate’s dare. He had scaled the flagpole under cover of night, absconded with the banner, and stashed it in a suitcase, keeping it hidden for decades.
Viewing the flag as a trivial trinket, Prieste finally returned it, noting, “People will think more of me by giving it away than by keeping it.”
3 The 1904 Olympic Marathon
The 1904 St. Louis marathon stands as perhaps the most slapstick event ever staged. Of the 32 starters, one competitor collapsed from inhaling dust, nearly becoming the first Olympic death.
Another runner pilfered a spectator’s peaches, paired them with rotten apples, and fell ill. The eventual winner took strychnine—a legal stimulant at the time—in small doses. Meanwhile, a South African athlete was chased off course by wild dogs yet still placed ninth, as only 18 of the 32 entrants crossed the finish line.
The most astonishing episode involved John (Frederick) Lorz, who, after severe dehydration, hopped into an automobile and rode 14 kilometers (9 miles) as a prank. He crossed the line first, nearly receiving a wreath from President Roosevelt’s daughter, before officials uncovered his ruse. Though banned for life, his practical‑joker reputation earned him forgiveness.
2 Australia’s Lucky Skating Win
The 1,000‑meter speed‑skating final at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Games turned into a demolition derby, yet it produced one of the most fortuitous gold medals ever. Australian Steven Bradbury, a relative unknown with a bronze from 1994, had endured a string of misfortunes—including losing 10 liters of blood and a broken neck.
In the quarterfinals, two opponents tangled, allowing Bradbury to advance. The same chaos repeated in the semifinals. In the final, he lagged behind a five‑man pack until a Chinese skater tripped another, sending everyone crashing except Bradbury, who glided past to claim gold.
1 Marathon Runner Breaks Record Despite Not Knowing Rules
Emil Zatopek, famed for his incessant chatter even during races, had already secured gold in the 5,000‑meter and 10,000‑meter events at the 1952 Olympics. He then set his sights on the marathon, despite being clueless about its regulations. Officials, irritated by his talkativeness, refused to brief him.
Zatopek’s tactic was to shadow the pre‑race favorite, engaging him in conversation. When the favorite smugly warned he was running too slowly, Zatopek accelerated, leaving him behind. Unaware that refreshment stations existed, he ignored the tables, yet still surged ahead.
Defying expectations, Zatopek crossed the finish line first, securing the marathon gold and cementing his legendary status.