Olympic Records

Keeping track of Olympic games records can be a fun hobby. Each time the games are played, new Olympic records of winners are created. Olympic track and field records seem to be broken on a regular basis, as players are getting faster and faster. Here are some things you should know about the Olympic records of winners from past games if you are going to start following Olympic games records.

Types of Olympic Games Records

A "record" usually refers to a record-breaking score or time in an event. In other words, Olympic games records are scores or times that have never been achieved before. There are three types of records an athlete can break during the Olympics.

A personal best is a type of record wherein the athlete breaks his or her personal best score or time. This is common during the Olympic games, as these athletes are working harder than they ever have to win.

An Olympic games record is a record for just the Olympic games. A better score or time may have been scored at a different time in a different type of tournament, but an Olympic games record is the best time or score in the history of the Olympics for that particular event.

Some athletes will score world records during the Olympics. Many Olympic track and field records end up being world records. A world record is the best-recorded time for an event in its entire history, not just its Olympic history.

Sports That Have Olympic Games Records

Not all sports lend themselves to Olympic games records. For instance, figure skating has a limited score. A perfect time on the ice cannot be bettered in a later tournament, so this sport does not have Olympic records of winners and their times. The sports that do have Olympic games records include the following:

• Archery
• Athletics (Track and Field)
• Cycling
• Shooting
• Short track speed skating
• Speed skating
• Swimming
• Weightlifting
Most of the sports that have Olympic games records are racing type sports. However, several of the Olympic track and field records are for non-racing events, such as discus throw, long jump, and high jump.

Famous Olympic Track and Field Records

Olympic track and field records are some of the most famous Olympic records of winners. What seems humanly impossible is often performed on the track or in the field, and many spectators enjoy following the Olympic records of winners from their countries. Here are some popular Olympic track and fields records to consider.

The United States holds the Olympic games records for the most medals in the track and field category since records were introduced to the games.

One of the oldest standing Olympic games records belongs to American long-jumper Robert Beamon, who jumped 8.90 meters at the Mexico Olympics in 1968. The record has not been broken in an Olympics, but was broken in the World Championships in Tokyo.

The oldest standing women's track and field Olympic games records belong to three groups. Nadezhada Olizarenko of Slovenia ran a 1:53.43 800-meter race in 1980. That same year, East Germany won the 4x100 meter relay with a time of 41.60. The shot put record was also established that year by Ilona Slupianek of East Germany, with a distance of 22.41 meters.

Each of these amazing Olympic games records still stands to be broken, a task modern athletes strive toward.

Olympic Games Records Controversies

Sometimes Olympic games records are broken with quite a bit of controversy. Perhaps athletes are under suspicion of using an illegal substance, or maybe the conditions of the playing field seem unfair.

For example, in the 2008 summer games there were several miniature controversies surrounding the Olympic games records. In the marathon race, the pollution level in the air of Beijing was so high that it was almost impossible for athletes to strive toward breaking the current standing Olympic games records.

There was also some talk about the pool at the National Aquatics Center, and some stated that the reason Michael Phelps won so many world and Olympic games records was because the water conditions were faster than in previous years. In that year, 28 new Olympic games records were set, which has been unprecedented. Better water quality, a new water re-circulating process, and less error tolerance all led to the surprising number of Olympic games records set that year, and many feel it gave the athletes an unfair advantage over those who participated in earlier games.

Even in spite of controversies like these, Olympic athletes will continue to press toward glory by beating past Olympic games records. As the technology used to build fields, courts, and swimming facilities continue to improve, you can expect even greater Olympic games records to hit the record books in the near future. As Olympic records of winners in the past years are shattered, they can hold onto the glory they once held as an Olympic record-breaking champion.