GENERAL – Australia has moved into fourth position in the Infostrada Sports’ Virtual Medal Table (VMT) after the inclusion of athletics and swimming personal bests since May 2015 took projected golds away from Germany and Great Britain and added four medals to Australia’s forecast total. Continue reading
Tag Archives for Great Britain
ANALYSE THIS: Parity like never before in swimming
SWIMMING – With only one day of competition left at the 2015 Swimming World Championships in Kazan, the United States have reclaimed their leading position in the Market Share (metric that weights all ranks) table, but only by a very small margin. Like we reported earlier this week, their position is being challenged by traditional rivals Australia, China and France, but also the strong emerging force that is Great Britain. For comparison, the US had a market share of nearly 50% only eight years ago, now that has been reduced to 20%.
ANALYSE THIS: US domination in swimming challenged
SWIMMING – At the 2015 World Swimming Championships in Kazan, Russia, Australia and Great Britain have shown their intent to knock the United States off their perch as the world’s leading nation in swimming. After three days of competition they have a greater market share, a metric that weights all ranks, than the US.
INFOGRAPHIC: Räikkönen out to establish new F1 record
FORMULA 1 – If Kimi Räikkönen collects at least one point in the British Grand Prix on Sunday, he will overtake Michael Schumacher’s all-time record mark for successive Grand Prix starts finishing in the points. Click on the picture below to see the full-size Infographic.
INFOGRAPHIC: GBR need on average 5 days for 1st gold
OLYMPIC GAMES – Great Britain is still in search of its first gold medal. On average, it takes Team GBR 4.9 days to produce an Olympic champion, when measuring from the start of the Games. Click Read More to see our Infographic!
LONDON CALLING – Countdown to the 2012 Olympics: 0
0 – Number of times 2012 host Great Britain has failed to win a gold medal at a summer Olympic Games.
1 – Fanny Blankers-Koen (NED) received 1 bicycle for winning 4 golds in 1948. Click ‘Read More’ to see the complete countdown from 100 until today.
2 – Of the 21445 total Olympic medallists, 5016 have won 2 or more medals.
3 – Michael Phelps swam a total of 3 km (in finals) to win his 16 Olympic medals.
4 – Record golds in a row in the same athletics discipline – by Al Oerter (discus) & Carl Lewis (long jump).
5 – Number of Olympics in which Tug of War was included. GBR is the only two-time winner (1908 & 1920).
6 – Italian record for most Olympic golds by an individual which could be equalled in London by fencer Valentina Vezzali.
7 – Korea has won the women’s team event in archery in ALL six editions and can make it seven London 2012.
8 – Record number of men’s Olympic hockey gold medals won by India, though the last one came at Moscow 1980.
9 – Michael Jordan won 2 OG basketball golds wearing No. 9 (1984, 1992), not his Bulls #23. (Olympic BK numbers are 4-15).
10 – Canadian Ian Millar (Equestrian) will compete in an all-time record 10th Olympic Games in London.
11 – All 11 professional players on the USA’s 1992 DreamTeam have been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
12 – Record number of Olympic athletics medals won by Paavo Nurmi (FIN) – 9 gold and 3 silver from 1920-28.
13 – 13 of the 27 athletes to have won 10+ Olympic medals have done so in Artistic Gymnastics. Next most is swimming with 8.
14 – Italy have won 14 individual fencing foil titles (M+F) – most Olympic golds in any event of any sport by a non-US country.
15 – Elisabeta Lipa (ROU) had to row 15 km in finals to win a record 8 medals in rowing from 1984 until 2004.
16 – Number of summer Olympic Games that have been held in Europe, including London 2012.
17 – Record number of Olympic medals won by one country in one day – the USA on 11 August 1984 (5 sports).
18 – All-time record of medals won by gymnast Larissa Latynina (URS) – under threat by Michael Phelps (16) in London 2012.
19 – Number of Olympic gold medals won by Great Britain at Beijing 2008 – their 2nd most ever after 1908 (55).
20 – China have won 20 out of a total of 24 gold medals on offer in Olympic Table Tennis events21 – HUN and SWE share all-time lead in Olympic Modern Pentathlon medals with 21 each. Both also lead with 9 golds.
22 – Kenya have won 22 Olympic gold medals in athletics and only 1 in all other sports: boxing in 1988.
23 – Sailing is the only current Olympic sport in which GBR is the leading gold medallist, on 23 golds.
24 – Switzerland are likely to become the 24th NOC to win 50+ Olympic gold medals. However, it’s unlikely to come at London.
25 – Total medals won by Great Britain the last time the Olympics were held in London in 1948.
26 – Golds won by USA in 3m Springboard (diving), the most golds won by any country in any discipline in any sport.
27 – 27 entities have won exactly 1 Olympic medal, including Cuba/USA, which won fencing team foil gold in 1904.
28 – There will be 28 sports on the Olympic programme at Rio 2016 with Golf and Rugby7s added to the current 26.
29 – Pierre de Coubertin (FRA) was the longest serving IOC president – 29 years from 1896 until 1925.
30 – Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) has broken the women’s pole vault world record 30 times (indoor and outdoor).
31 – After the 30th Games London 2012, Brazil will cheer for Rio de Janeiro 2016 as hosts of the 31st Olympic Summer Games.
32 – The Dream Team beat Croatia by 32 pts in the 1992 basketball final, the closest game USA played in Barcelona.
33 – London has 33 boroughs. There are 33 venues London 2012 (OG and Para) and there are 3300 appartments in the Olympic Village
34 – Biggest single-game margin in men’s Olympic handball history, when Yugoslavia df Kuwait 44-10 in 1980.
35 – Carl Lewis’ age when he won the Long Jump at Atlanta 1996. No other man has won it beyond 28. Lewis also won at 31 in 1992.
36 – Germany won 36 gold medals at the Berlin ‘36 Olympic Games, 2nd most in their unified history (behind 43 in 1992).
37 – Turkey have won 37 gold medals in their Olympic history – all in Wrestling (28), Weightlifting (8) and Judo (1).
38 – It took Usain Bolt almost 38 seconds in total in 3 finals to win 3 golds in 2008 (100m, 200m, 100m relay leg).
39 – The USA’s winning time in the Athletics Men’s 4x100m Relay in 1960 was 39.0 seconds. Jamaica’s current WR is 37.04sec.
40 – At age 40, 4-time Olympic champion Janet Evans (USA) is trying to qualify for London 2012. She won 3 golds at Seoul 1988 at 17
41 – 41 NOCs have won gold medals in both Shooting & Boxing. Only Athletics has more NOCs winning gold (63).
42 days to go – To give the royal family a better view on the race, the course of the 1908 marathon became exactly 42.195km, the standard ever since.
43 days to go – There were 43 medal events at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. There will be 302 at London 2012. Click ‘Read More’ to see the complete countdown from 100 until today.
44 – Great Britain have scored a total of 44 Olympic goals in women’s hockey.
45 – Number of fencing gold medals won by Italy in Olympic history, making it their most successful Olympic discipline.
46 – Naim Suleymanoglu (TUR) set 46 WRs and won 3 gold medals in weightlifting earning him the nickname ‘The Pocket Hercules’.
47 – Medals won by GBR at Beijing 2008, their 2nd most ever but 90 short of their haul of 137 at London 1908.
48 – Age of Tebbs Johnson (GBR) when he won bronze at the ‘48 London Olympic Games in the 50km Walk.
49 – Seconds it took (49.11) for Cathy Freeman to win Australia’s most famous Olympic gold – 400m at Sydney 2000.
50 – One country has won 50+ golds at a single Games 7 times, most recently China in 2008 (51).
51 – Number of Olympic gold medals won by Bulgaria in their history, ranking them 23rd among all nations.
52 – Exact time (52.00) it took for Sweden’s Lars Frölander to win the Men’s 100m Butterfly at Sydney 2000.
53 – Number of athletes who have won at least 5 summer Olympic gold medals, led by Michael Phelps’ 14.
54 – Number of votes for London in the 4th and final round of the host city election in 2005, 4 votes more than Paris.
55 – Record number of gold medals won by an NOC at a single Olympic Games that they did NOT host – Soviet Union at Seoul 1988.
56 – Australia have won 56 Olympic gold medals in swimming, making it their best sport. Next is athletics with 19.
57 – Emil Zatopek (TCH) ran 57 km, 195m combined to win 3 gold medals in 1952 in the 5000m, 10000m and Marathon.
58 – Great Britain won 58 gold medals combined at the two previous London Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948.
59 – France have won 59 Olympic medals in Track Cycling, more than any other country.
60 – There are 60 different fencers to have won at least 1 Gold 1 Silver, 1 Bronze at the Olympic Games.
61 – The 61st and final part of the latest Olympic Charter (July 2011, www.olympic.org) is about Dispute Resolution.
62 – Dawn Fraser (AUS) needed 62 seconds (1:02) to win her first of a record 3 golds in W 100m Freestyle.
63 – The URS ended USA’s 63-match-unbeaten streak in Olympic basketball with a controversial win in the 1972 final.
64 – The Olympic Games return to London after 64 years since the city last held the event in 1948.
65 – With a height of 1.65m Laszlo Papp (HUN) was first to win Boxing gold at 3 Olympics in a row (1948, 52, 56).
66 – Netherlands scored 66 points in the 1996 Men’s Volleyball Final thriller vs Italy to win gold: 15-12, 9-15, 16-14, 9-15, 17-15.
67 – Hiroshi Hoketsu (JPN – Dressage) was the oldest competitor in Beijing at the age of 67. He has also qualified for London 2012.
68 – The oldest standing Olympic Record in any of the current sports is Bob Beamon’s 8.90m long jump in Mexico 1968.
69 – Korea are favourites to win their 69th Olympic Gold in one of the first medal events London 2012, Archery Men’s Team.
70 – Nadia Comaneci (ROU) scored 7 perfect 10s at the 1976 Olympics, including the first ever at the uneven bar discipline.
71 – Hungary has won 71 Olympic canoe-sprint medals, the only current instance of any NOC winning 70-79 medals in any sport.
72 – Age of the oldest Olympic medallist: Oscar Swahn (SWE), who won silver in the 100m Running Deer Double Shoot in 1920.
73 – Number of Olympic gold medals amassed by the Soviet Union in all Gymnastics disciplines. The next most is just 29 (USA).
74 – In men’s 74kg freestyle wrestling, Bouvaisa Saitiev (RUS) won 3 Olympic golds (1996, 2004-08). No one else has more than 1.
75 – Record number of gold medals won at a single non-boycotted Olympic Games, by the USA in 1904 in St. Louis.
76 – Number of men who finished the 2008 Olympic Marathon. All 76 had times that would have won at the first four modern Olympic Marathons.
77 – France’s record Olympic medal total in both forms of Cycling Track & Road combined. Their 35 track and road golds are also a record.
78 – In women’s 78kg judo at the #Olympic Games, 4 of the 5 gold medals have been won by Asian countries – China 2, Japan, Korea
79 -79 men have won gold in rugby union which returns at Rio 2016. USA won last edition in 1924.
80 – Number of NOCs to have won at least 2 Olympic gold medals in their history.
81 – The 81kg event in Judo has never been won more than once by the same athlete in all 10 editions.
82 – There will be 82 athletes at London 2012 trying to win medals in 4 Canoe-Slalom events.
83 – Rafael Nadal (ESP) won a total of 83 games en route to his Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008.
84 – The 84 matches in Men’s+Women’s handball in Beijing produced record 4545 goals (54.1 avg/match).
85 – Number of Olympic records broken at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
86 – A record 86 NOCs won at least 1 medal in Beijing as opposed to a record few 11 NOCs in 1904.
87 – USA have won 87 golds in women’s swimming events, the most by any NOC in women’s events in any sport.
88 – Double 8: Michael Phelps (USA) won 8 medals in 2004 before embarking on his record 8 GOLDS in Beijing.
89 – GER won 89 medals at the Berlin Games in 1936, more than double the medals they won in Beijing (41).
90 – Amunike scored a 90th minute winner to give Nigeria the first football gold for Africa in the 1996 final vs Argentina (3-2).
91 – Number of all-time Olympic medals won by Brazil, including 20 gold. Sailing is their best sport with 6 golds & 16 medals.
92 – Japan have won 92 Olympic medals in Artistic Gymnastics, two behind the USA for most among current NOCs (USSR have 182).
93 – Number of countries who participated in the first Olympic Games held in Asia, Tokyo 1964, a record at the time.
94 – The USA have won exactly 94 medals at three different Olympic Games 1972, 1976 & 2000. No other country has ever done it. #countdown
95 – Brazil have scored a record 95 goals in the men’s Olympic Games football tournament, though they have never won the gold.
96 – Success of the Games: 176 athletes competed in 1896 to more than 10,000 in 1996.
97 – 97 years ago, in 1915, the International Olympic Committee headquarters moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, where it is still located.
98 – There will be 98 male and 98 female participants in Artistic Gymnastics at the 2012 Olympic Games.
99 – Carl Lewis was the first man to win the Olympic 100m title in under 10 seconds at sea level, finishing in 9.99 seconds at Los Angeles 1984.
100 – Total medals won by China at Beijing 2008, the most ever by an Asian country at one Olympic Games.
REVIEW: Wiggins becomes first British Tour winner
CYCLING – Bradley Wiggins is the winner of the 99th edition of the Tour de France, a remarkable feat considering that no riders from Great Britain had previously reached the podium in ‘La Grande Boucle’. Peter Sagan won the Points Classification, Thomas Voeckler the Mountain Classification and Tejay Van Garderen the Youth Classification.
First British riders finish in Tour’s top three
Coming into this year’s Tour de France, the best general classification by a British rider was fourth place – by Robert Millar in 1984 and Bradley Wiggins in 2009. Now, with Wiggins and Chris Froome, Great Britain has two riders in the top three. It is the first time since 1984, that the top two riders in the GC hail from the same country. Back then, the Frenchmen Laurent Fignon and Bernard Hinault achieved the feat. For the first time since 1996 (Bjarne Riis-Jan Ullrich), riders from the same team occupy the top two spots in the GC.
More British success
Riders from Great Britain won a record seven stages in the 2012 Tour de France (three by Mark Cavendish, two by Bradley Wiggins, one by Chris Froome and one by David Millar). Cavendish joins André Greipel and Peter Sagan as riders to win three stages in the 2012 Tour de France
Nibali takes third, Van den Broeck fourth, Van Garderen fifth
Vincenzo Nibali is the first Italian rider to ascend the Tour podium since Ivan Basso in 2005. Jurgen Van den Broeck is the best Belgian in fourth place, equaling his best ever result, however leaving Belgium without their first top three finish since 1981 (Lucien Van Impe). Van Garderen wins the Youth Classification and becomes the third American rider to do that in the Tour de France (Greg Lemond in 1984 and Andy Hampsten in 1986).
LONDON CALLING – Countdown to the 2012 Olympics: 5
5 – Number of Olympics in which Tug of War was included. GBR is the only two-time winner (1908 & 1920). Click ‘Read More’ to see the complete countdown from 100 until today.
6 – Italian record for most Olympic golds by an individual which could be equalled in London by fencer Valentina Vezzali.
7 – Korea has won the women’s team event in archery in ALL six editions and can make it seven London 2012.
8 – Record number of men’s Olympic hockey gold medals won by India, though the last one came at Moscow 1980.
9 – Michael Jordan won 2 OG basketball golds wearing No. 9 (1984, 1992), not his Bulls #23. (Olympic BK numbers are 4-15).
10 – Canadian Ian Millar (Equestrian) will compete in an all-time record 10th Olympic Games in London.
11 – All 11 professional players on the USA’s 1992 DreamTeam have been elected to the Basketball Hall of Fame.
12 – Record number of Olympic athletics medals won by Paavo Nurmi (FIN) – 9 gold and 3 silver from 1920-28.
13 – 13 of the 27 athletes to have won 10+ Olympic medals have done so in Artistic Gymnastics. Next most is swimming with 8.
14 – Italy have won 14 individual fencing foil titles (M+F) – most Olympic golds in any event of any sport by a non-US country.
15 – Elisabeta Lipa (ROU) had to row 15 km in finals to win a record 8 medals in rowing from 1984 until 2004.
16 – Number of summer Olympic Games that have been held in Europe, including London 2012.
17 – Record number of Olympic medals won by one country in one day – the USA on 11 August 1984 (5 sports).
18 – All-time record of medals won by gymnast Larissa Latynina (URS) – under threat by Michael Phelps (16) in London 2012.
19 – Number of Olympic gold medals won by Great Britain at Beijing 2008 – their 2nd most ever after 1908 (55).
20 – China have won 20 out of a total of 24 gold medals on offer in Olympic Table Tennis events21 – HUN and SWE share all-time lead in Olympic Modern Pentathlon medals with 21 each. Both also lead with 9 golds.
22 – Kenya have won 22 Olympic gold medals in athletics and only 1 in all other sports: boxing in 1988.
23 – Sailing is the only current Olympic sport in which GBR is the leading gold medallist, on 23 golds.
24 – Switzerland are likely to become the 24th NOC to win 50+ Olympic gold medals. However, it’s unlikely to come at London.
25 – Total medals won by Great Britain the last time the Olympics were held in London in 1948.
26 – Golds won by USA in 3m Springboard (diving), the most golds won by any country in any discipline in any sport.
27 – 27 entities have won exactly 1 Olympic medal, including Cuba/USA, which won fencing team foil gold in 1904.
28 – There will be 28 sports on the Olympic programme at Rio 2016 with Golf and Rugby7s added to the current 26.
29 – Pierre de Coubertin (FRA) was the longest serving IOC president – 29 years from 1896 until 1925.
30 – Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) has broken the women’s pole vault world record 30 times (indoor and outdoor).
31 – After the 30th Games London 2012, Brazil will cheer for Rio de Janeiro 2016 as hosts of the 31st Olympic Summer Games.
32 – The Dream Team beat Croatia by 32 pts in the 1992 basketball final, the closest game USA played in Barcelona.
33 – London has 33 boroughs. There are 33 venues London 2012 (OG and Para) and there are 3300 appartments in the Olympic Village
34 – Biggest single-game margin in men’s Olympic handball history, when Yugoslavia df Kuwait 44-10 in 1980.
35 – Carl Lewis’ age when he won the Long Jump at Atlanta 1996. No other man has won it beyond 28. Lewis also won at 31 in 1992.
36 – Germany won 36 gold medals at the Berlin ‘36 Olympic Games, 2nd most in their unified history (behind 43 in 1992).
37 – Turkey have won 37 gold medals in their Olympic history – all in Wrestling (28), Weightlifting (8) and Judo (1).
38 – It took Usain Bolt almost 38 seconds in total in 3 finals to win 3 golds in 2008 (100m, 200m, 100m relay leg).
39 – The USA’s winning time in the Athletics Men’s 4x100m Relay in 1960 was 39.0 seconds. Jamaica’s current WR is 37.04sec.
40 – At age 40, 4-time Olympic champion Janet Evans (USA) is trying to qualify for London 2012. She won 3 golds at Seoul 1988 at 17
41 – 41 NOCs have won gold medals in both Shooting & Boxing. Only Athletics has more NOCs winning gold (63).
42 days to go – To give the royal family a better view on the race, the course of the 1908 marathon became exactly 42.195km, the standard ever since.
43 days to go – There were 43 medal events at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. There will be 302 at London 2012. Click ‘Read More’ to see the complete countdown from 100 until today.
44 – Great Britain have scored a total of 44 Olympic goals in women’s hockey.
45 – Number of fencing gold medals won by Italy in Olympic history, making it their most successful Olympic discipline.
46 – Naim Suleymanoglu (TUR) set 46 WRs and won 3 gold medals in weightlifting earning him the nickname ‘The Pocket Hercules’.
47 – Medals won by GBR at Beijing 2008, their 2nd most ever but 90 short of their haul of 137 at London 1908.
48 – Age of Tebbs Johnson (GBR) when he won bronze at the ‘48 London Olympic Games in the 50km Walk.
49 – Seconds it took (49.11) for Cathy Freeman to win Australia’s most famous Olympic gold – 400m at Sydney 2000.
50 – One country has won 50+ golds at a single Games 7 times, most recently China in 2008 (51).
51 – Number of Olympic gold medals won by Bulgaria in their history, ranking them 23rd among all nations.
52 – Exact time (52.00) it took for Sweden’s Lars Frölander to win the Men’s 100m Butterfly at Sydney 2000.
53 – Number of athletes who have won at least 5 summer Olympic gold medals, led by Michael Phelps’ 14.
54 – Number of votes for London in the 4th and final round of the host city election in 2005, 4 votes more than Paris.
55 – Record number of gold medals won by an NOC at a single Olympic Games that they did NOT host – Soviet Union at Seoul 1988.
56 – Australia have won 56 Olympic gold medals in swimming, making it their best sport. Next is athletics with 19.
57 – Emil Zatopek (TCH) ran 57 km, 195m combined to win 3 gold medals in 1952 in the 5000m, 10000m and Marathon.
58 – Great Britain won 58 gold medals combined at the two previous London Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948.
59 – France have won 59 Olympic medals in Track Cycling, more than any other country.
60 – There are 60 different fencers to have won at least 1 Gold 1 Silver, 1 Bronze at the Olympic Games.
61 – The 61st and final part of the latest Olympic Charter (July 2011, www.olympic.org) is about Dispute Resolution.
62 – Dawn Fraser (AUS) needed 62 seconds (1:02) to win her first of a record 3 golds in W 100m Freestyle.
63 – The URS ended USA’s 63-match-unbeaten streak in Olympic basketball with a controversial win in the 1972 final.
64 – The Olympic Games return to London after 64 years since the city last held the event in 1948.
65 – With a height of 1.65m Laszlo Papp (HUN) was first to win Boxing gold at 3 Olympics in a row (1948, 52, 56).
66 – Netherlands scored 66 points in the 1996 Men’s Volleyball Final thriller vs Italy to win gold: 15-12, 9-15, 16-14, 9-15, 17-15.
67 – Hiroshi Hoketsu (JPN – Dressage) was the oldest competitor in Beijing at the age of 67. He has also qualified for London 2012.
68 – The oldest standing Olympic Record in any of the current sports is Bob Beamon’s 8.90m long jump in Mexico 1968.
69 – Korea are favourites to win their 69th Olympic Gold in one of the first medal events London 2012, Archery Men’s Team.
70 – Nadia Comaneci (ROU) scored 7 perfect 10s at the 1976 Olympics, including the first ever at the uneven bar discipline.
71 – Hungary has won 71 Olympic canoe-sprint medals, the only current instance of any NOC winning 70-79 medals in any sport.
72 – Age of the oldest Olympic medallist: Oscar Swahn (SWE), who won silver in the 100m Running Deer Double Shoot in 1920.
73 – Number of Olympic gold medals amassed by the Soviet Union in all Gymnastics disciplines. The next most is just 29 (USA).
74 – In men’s 74kg freestyle wrestling, Bouvaisa Saitiev (RUS) won 3 Olympic golds (1996, 2004-08). No one else has more than 1.
75 – Record number of gold medals won at a single non-boycotted Olympic Games, by the USA in 1904 in St. Louis.
76 – Number of men who finished the 2008 Olympic Marathon. All 76 had times that would have won at the first four modern Olympic Marathons.
77 – France’s record Olympic medal total in both forms of Cycling Track & Road combined. Their 35 track and road golds are also a record.
78 – In women’s 78kg judo at the #Olympic Games, 4 of the 5 gold medals have been won by Asian countries – China 2, Japan, Korea
79 -79 men have won gold in rugby union which returns at Rio 2016. USA won last edition in 1924.
80 – Number of NOCs to have won at least 2 Olympic gold medals in their history.
81 – The 81kg event in Judo has never been won more than once by the same athlete in all 10 editions.
82 – There will be 82 athletes at London 2012 trying to win medals in 4 Canoe-Slalom events.
83 – Rafael Nadal (ESP) won a total of 83 games en route to his Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008.
84 – The 84 matches in Men’s+Women’s handball in Beijing produced record 4545 goals (54.1 avg/match).
85 – Number of Olympic records broken at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
86 – A record 86 NOCs won at least 1 medal in Beijing as opposed to a record few 11 NOCs in 1904.
87 – USA have won 87 golds in women’s swimming events, the most by any NOC in women’s events in any sport.
88 – Double 8: Michael Phelps (USA) won 8 medals in 2004 before embarking on his record 8 GOLDS in Beijing.
89 – GER won 89 medals at the Berlin Games in 1936, more than double the medals they won in Beijing (41).
90 – Amunike scored a 90th minute winner to give Nigeria the first football gold for Africa in the 1996 final vs Argentina (3-2).
91 – Number of all-time Olympic medals won by Brazil, including 20 gold. Sailing is their best sport with 6 golds & 16 medals.
92 – Japan have won 92 Olympic medals in Artistic Gymnastics, two behind the USA for most among current NOCs (USSR have 182).
93 – Number of countries who participated in the first Olympic Games held in Asia, Tokyo 1964, a record at the time.
94 – The USA have won exactly 94 medals at three different Olympic Games 1972, 1976 & 2000. No other country has ever done it. #countdown
95 – Brazil have scored a record 95 goals in the men’s Olympic Games football tournament, though they have never won the gold.
96 – Success of the Games: 176 athletes competed in 1896 to more than 10,000 in 1996.
97 – 97 years ago, in 1915, the International Olympic Committee headquarters moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, where it is still located.
98 – There will be 98 male and 98 female participants in Artistic Gymnastics at the 2012 Olympic Games.
99 – Carl Lewis was the first man to win the Olympic 100m title in under 10 seconds at sea level, finishing in 9.99 seconds at Los Angeles 1984.
100 – Total medals won by China at Beijing 2008, the most ever by an Asian country at one Olympic Games.
REVIEW: Webber’s is 6th Australian win in British GP
FORMULA 1 – Mark Webber has triumphed in Formula 1’s Grand Prix of Great Britain, making Australia the most successful foreign country in this race. No other foreign nation has won this race more than five times.
Non-British countries winning Grand Prix of Great Britain most often
6 – Australia (Jack Brabham 3, Mark Webber 2, Alan Jones 2)
5 – France (Alain Prost 5)
5 – Germany (Michael Schumacher 3, Wolfgang von Trips 1, Sebastian Vettel 1)
4 – Argentina (Froilan González 2, Juan Manuel Fangio 1, Carlos Reutemann 1)
4 – Austria (Niki Lauda 3, Jochen Rindt 1)
4 – Brazil (Emerson Fittipaldi 2, Ayrton Senna 1, Rubens Barrichello 1)
LONDON CALLING – Countdown to the 2012 Olympics: 19
19 – Number of Olympic gold medals won by Great Britain at Beijing 2008 – their 2nd most ever after 1908 (55). Click ‘Read More’ to see the complete countdown from 100 until today.
20 – China have won 20 out of a total of 24 gold medals on offer in Olympic Table Tennis events21 – HUN and SWE share all-time lead in Olympic Modern Pentathlon medals with 21 each. Both also lead with 9 golds.
22 – Kenya have won 22 Olympic gold medals in athletics and only 1 in all other sports: boxing in 1988.
23 – Sailing is the only current Olympic sport in which GBR is the leading gold medallist, on 23 golds.
24 – Switzerland are likely to become the 24th NOC to win 50+ Olympic gold medals. However, it’s unlikely to come at London.
25 – Total medals won by Great Britain the last time the Olympics were held in London in 1948.
26 – Golds won by USA in 3m Springboard (diving), the most golds won by any country in any discipline in any sport.
27 – 27 entities have won exactly 1 Olympic medal, including Cuba/USA, which won fencing team foil gold in 1904.
28 – There will be 28 sports on the Olympic programme at Rio 2016 with Golf and Rugby7s added to the current 26.
29 – Pierre de Coubertin (FRA) was the longest serving IOC president – 29 years from 1896 until 1925.
30 – Yelena Isinbayeva (RUS) has broken the women’s pole vault world record 30 times (indoor and outdoor).
31 – After the 30th Games London 2012, Brazil will cheer for Rio de Janeiro 2016 as hosts of the 31st Olympic Summer Games.
32 – The Dream Team beat Croatia by 32 pts in the 1992 basketball final, the closest game USA played in Barcelona.
33 – London has 33 boroughs. There are 33 venues London 2012 (OG and Para) and there are 3300 appartments in the Olympic Village
34 – Biggest single-game margin in men’s Olympic handball history, when Yugoslavia df Kuwait 44-10 in 1980.
35 – Carl Lewis’ age when he won the Long Jump at Atlanta 1996. No other man has won it beyond 28. Lewis also won at 31 in 1992.
36 – Germany won 36 gold medals at the Berlin ‘36 Olympic Games, 2nd most in their unified history (behind 43 in 1992).
37 – Turkey have won 37 gold medals in their Olympic history – all in Wrestling (28), Weightlifting (8) and Judo (1).
38 – It took Usain Bolt almost 38 seconds in total in 3 finals to win 3 golds in 2008 (100m, 200m, 100m relay leg).
39 – The USA’s winning time in the Athletics Men’s 4x100m Relay in 1960 was 39.0 seconds. Jamaica’s current WR is 37.04sec.
40 – At age 40, 4-time Olympic champion Janet Evans (USA) is trying to qualify for London 2012. She won 3 golds at Seoul 1988 at 17
41 – 41 NOCs have won gold medals in both Shooting & Boxing. Only Athletics has more NOCs winning gold (63).
42 days to go – To give the royal family a better view on the race, the course of the 1908 marathon became exactly 42.195km, the standard ever since.
43 days to go – There were 43 medal events at the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. There will be 302 at London 2012. Click ‘Read More’ to see the complete countdown from 100 until today.
44 – Great Britain have scored a total of 44 Olympic goals in women’s hockey.
45 – Number of fencing gold medals won by Italy in Olympic history, making it their most successful Olympic discipline.
46 – Naim Suleymanoglu (TUR) set 46 WRs and won 3 gold medals in weightlifting earning him the nickname ‘The Pocket Hercules’.
47 – Medals won by GBR at Beijing 2008, their 2nd most ever but 90 short of their haul of 137 at London 1908.
48 – Age of Tebbs Johnson (GBR) when he won bronze at the ‘48 London Olympic Games in the 50km Walk.
49 – Seconds it took (49.11) for Cathy Freeman to win Australia’s most famous Olympic gold – 400m at Sydney 2000.
50 – One country has won 50+ golds at a single Games 7 times, most recently China in 2008 (51).
51 – Number of Olympic gold medals won by Bulgaria in their history, ranking them 23rd among all nations.
52 – Exact time (52.00) it took for Sweden’s Lars Frölander to win the Men’s 100m Butterfly at Sydney 2000.
53 – Number of athletes who have won at least 5 summer Olympic gold medals, led by Michael Phelps’ 14.
54 – Number of votes for London in the 4th and final round of the host city election in 2005, 4 votes more than Paris.
55 – Record number of gold medals won by an NOC at a single Olympic Games that they did NOT host – Soviet Union at Seoul 1988.
56 – Australia have won 56 Olympic gold medals in swimming, making it their best sport. Next is athletics with 19.
57 – Emil Zatopek (TCH) ran 57 km, 195m combined to win 3 gold medals in 1952 in the 5000m, 10000m and Marathon.
58 – Great Britain won 58 gold medals combined at the two previous London Olympic Games in 1908 and 1948.
59 – France have won 59 Olympic medals in Track Cycling, more than any other country.
60 – There are 60 different fencers to have won at least 1 Gold 1 Silver, 1 Bronze at the Olympic Games.
61 – The 61st and final part of the latest Olympic Charter (July 2011, www.olympic.org) is about Dispute Resolution.
62 – Dawn Fraser (AUS) needed 62 seconds (1:02) to win her first of a record 3 golds in W 100m Freestyle.
63 – The URS ended USA’s 63-match-unbeaten streak in Olympic basketball with a controversial win in the 1972 final.
64 – The Olympic Games return to London after 64 years since the city last held the event in 1948.
65 – With a height of 1.65m Laszlo Papp (HUN) was first to win Boxing gold at 3 Olympics in a row (1948, 52, 56).
66 – Netherlands scored 66 points in the 1996 Men’s Volleyball Final thriller vs Italy to win gold: 15-12, 9-15, 16-14, 9-15, 17-15.
67 – Hiroshi Hoketsu (JPN – Dressage) was the oldest competitor in Beijing at the age of 67. He has also qualified for London 2012.
68 – The oldest standing Olympic Record in any of the current sports is Bob Beamon’s 8.90m long jump in Mexico 1968.
69 – Korea are favourites to win their 69th Olympic Gold in one of the first medal events London 2012, Archery Men’s Team.
70 – Nadia Comaneci (ROU) scored 7 perfect 10s at the 1976 Olympics, including the first ever at the uneven bar discipline.
71 – Hungary has won 71 Olympic canoe-sprint medals, the only current instance of any NOC winning 70-79 medals in any sport.
72 – Age of the oldest Olympic medallist: Oscar Swahn (SWE), who won silver in the 100m Running Deer Double Shoot in 1920.
73 – Number of Olympic gold medals amassed by the Soviet Union in all Gymnastics disciplines. The next most is just 29 (USA).
74 – In men’s 74kg freestyle wrestling, Bouvaisa Saitiev (RUS) won 3 Olympic golds (1996, 2004-08). No one else has more than 1.
75 – Record number of gold medals won at a single non-boycotted Olympic Games, by the USA in 1904 in St. Louis.
76 – Number of men who finished the 2008 Olympic Marathon. All 76 had times that would have won at the first four modern Olympic Marathons.
77 – France’s record Olympic medal total in both forms of Cycling Track & Road combined. Their 35 track and road golds are also a record.
78 – In women’s 78kg judo at the #Olympic Games, 4 of the 5 gold medals have been won by Asian countries – China 2, Japan, Korea
79 -79 men have won gold in rugby union which returns at Rio 2016. USA won last edition in 1924.
80 – Number of NOCs to have won at least 2 Olympic gold medals in their history.
81 – The 81kg event in Judo has never been won more than once by the same athlete in all 10 editions.
82 – There will be 82 athletes at London 2012 trying to win medals in 4 Canoe-Slalom events.
83 – Rafael Nadal (ESP) won a total of 83 games en route to his Olympic gold medal in Beijing in 2008.
84 – The 84 matches in Men’s+Women’s handball in Beijing produced record 4545 goals (54.1 avg/match).
85 – Number of Olympic records broken at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
86 – A record 86 NOCs won at least 1 medal in Beijing as opposed to a record few 11 NOCs in 1904.
87 – USA have won 87 golds in women’s swimming events, the most by any NOC in women’s events in any sport.
88 – Double 8: Michael Phelps (USA) won 8 medals in 2004 before embarking on his record 8 GOLDS in Beijing.
89 – GER won 89 medals at the Berlin Games in 1936, more than double the medals they won in Beijing (41).
90 – Amunike scored a 90th minute winner to give Nigeria the first football gold for Africa in the 1996 final vs Argentina (3-2).
91 – Number of all-time Olympic medals won by Brazil, including 20 gold. Sailing is their best sport with 6 golds & 16 medals.
92 – Japan have won 92 Olympic medals in Artistic Gymnastics, two behind the USA for most among current NOCs (USSR have 182).
93 – Number of countries who participated in the first Olympic Games held in Asia, Tokyo 1964, a record at the time.
94 – The USA have won exactly 94 medals at three different Olympic Games 1972, 1976 & 2000. No other country has ever done it. #countdown
95 – Brazil have scored a record 95 goals in the men’s Olympic Games football tournament, though they have never won the gold.
96 – Success of the Games: 176 athletes competed in 1896 to more than 10,000 in 1996.
97 – 97 years ago, in 1915, the International Olympic Committee headquarters moved to Lausanne, Switzerland, where it is still located.
98 – There will be 98 male and 98 female participants in Artistic Gymnastics at the 2012 Olympic Games.
99 – Carl Lewis was the first man to win the Olympic 100m title in under 10 seconds at sea level, finishing in 9.99 seconds at Los Angeles 1984.
100 – Total medals won by China at Beijing 2008, the most ever by an Asian country at one Olympic Games.
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