BBC Radio Podcasts from Sporting Witness

Sporting Witness

The first transgender pro golfer

In 2004, Mianne Bagger became the first transgender professional golfer

The man who swam the Amazon

In 2007, Martin Strel became the first person to swim the entire length of the Amazon

Bonus: The Black 14

The lives of 14 black American footballers are changed forever in a fight against racism

The plasterer who fought a boxing legend

Ten thousand people watched the unlikely fight in 1997

First black cricketer to represent England

In 1980, Roland Butcher became the first black cricketer to play for the England team

Rajeev Bagga: Deaflympic badminton champion

In 2005, badminton champion Rajeev Bagga took his total of Deaflympic gold medals to 14

F1's only six-wheeled winner

In 1976, the first person won a Formula One race in a six-wheeled car

Women's Marathon Agony

In 1984, Gabriela Andersen-Scheiss completed the Olympic marathon in terrible pain

International football's biggest ever beating

How American Samoa were beaten 31-0 by Australia in the 2002 World Cup qualifiers

Zamalek Stadium Disaster

One of Africa's worst sporting disasters happened in Cairo in 1974

Victory for South Africa: The Africa Cup of Nations

How a football victory in 1996 helped South Africa heal the wounds of apartheid

Lamine Gueye: Senegalese skiier

The story of the first black African to compete at the Winter Olympics

Lin Dan: Badminton's all time superstar

How badminton player Lin Dan won the Super Grand Slam - all 9 major titles in the sport

The Elfstedentocht

How only 69 of the 10,000 skaters finished in one of the world's toughest ice races

Sven-Goran Eriksson: England's first foreign manager

In 2000, Swede Sven-Goran Eriksson became manager of England’s men’s football team.

Vanderlei de Lima and the sabotaged Olympic marathon

Brazilian Vanderlei de Lima on how his lead in the 2004 Olympic marathon was destroyed

The man who skied down Everest

How Japanese alpinist Yuichiro Miura became the first person to ski on Everest in 1970

Caster Semenya

In 2009, world champion runner Caster Semenya faced questions about her gender

Roger Federer's first Men's Wimbledon win

How Roger Federer won the Wimbledon Men’s title for the first time in 2003

The birth of the Fifa computer game

Jan Tian says his devotion to coding the first EA Sports Fifa game nearly broke him

When West Brom went to China

In 1978, West Bromwich Albion became British ambassadors in China.

The lost tapes of a Manchester United hero

The lost memoir of former Manchester United keeper, Les Sealey

The creation of chessboxing

How Dutch artist Iepe Rubingh combined two of his passions – chess and boxing

Lindsey Jacobellis: Almost

How snowboarder Lindsey Jacobellis lost gold in 2006's Winter Olympics

Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations hat-trick

In 2010, Egypt completed an unprecedented treble in the Africa Cup of Nations.

England win the Rugby World Cup

Sir Clive Woodward and George Gregan recount England's victory over Australia in 2003

Meeting Mr Pilates

Joseph Pilates taught his fitness method in a studio in New York to Mary Bowen

1964: When surfing came to Australia

How Manly Beach in Australia hosted the first official World Surfing Championships.

The Netherlands beat England at the Home of Cricket

How the Netherlands embarrased England at Lord's in the 2009 T20 Cricket World Cup

Cara Honeychurch's tenpin strike

Tenpin bowler Cara Honeychurch on her streak of becoming World and Commonwealth champion.

The first hijabi figure skater

Zahra Lari made history by becoming the first figure skater to compete in a hijab

Chuck Wepner: The real-life Rocky who floored Ali

How American boxer Chuck Wepner knocked Muhammad Ali to the canvas in 1975

Rugby's greatest upset

How Japan shook the world by beating South Africa at the 2015 Rugby Union World Cup

The first cricket helmet

In 1977, batsman Dennis Amiss was the first cricketer to wear a protective helmet.

Pat Rafter wins The US Open

How the Australian tennis player surprised the world by winning The US Open in 1997

Cricket's Blackwash test series

The West Indies beat England 5-0 in a 1984 test series that became known as Blackwash

The first female NBA referee

In 1997 Violet Palmer stepped out on court to become the first female NBA referee

Nigeria's path to the Women's World Cup

How the Nigerian women’s football team were the first African side in the 1991 World Cup.

First women's Tour de France

Marianne Martin talks about winning the first official women’s Tour De France in 1984

The first Women's World Cup sticker album

How Panini made their first football World Cup sticker album for the women's tournament.

Jana Novotna: From choker to champion

How the Czech player fought back from a tearful defeat to finally win Wimbledon in 1998

Chris Lewis shocks Wimbledon

How New Zealand's Chris Lewis, ranked 91 in the world, reached the Wimbledon men's final.

The first Homeless World Cup

How the football tournament first came about and challenged perceptions of homelessness.

Shun Fujimoto - Japan's injured Olympic hero

The Japanese gymnast who won a team gold in 1976 despite competing with a broken knee.

Mitchell Johnson's Ashes

How Australia's Mitchell Johnson recovered from ridicule and destroyed England's batsmen

Man Vs Horse

Can a man beat a horse in a race? Since 1980 a Welsh town has been trying to find out

Albert Johanneson: The first black FA Cup finalist

How South African Albert Johanneson became the first black footballer in the FA Cup final.

The Arsenal 'Invincibles'

When Arsenal went a full Premier League season unbeaten

Kabaddi’s Asian Games golden debut

The 2010 Asian Games saw women’s kabaddi included for the first time

Battle of Bramall Lane

The only game in English football history to be abandoned due to a shortage of players.

The start of the J.League

How the first match of Japan's first professional football league kicked off in Tokyo

Indian weightlifting’s ‘Iron Lady’

How weightlifter Karnam Malleswari became the first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal

Bomb scare at The Grand National

The story of the 150th Grand National which was disrupted by an IRA bomb scare.

Ernst van Dyk: Ten-time Boston Marathon winner

How wheelchair racer Ernst van Dyk won the Boston Marathon a record-breaking tenth time.

The Marseille bribery and match fixing scandal

In 1993, European champions Marseille were charged with bribery and match fixing.

First women's Six Nations Rugby Championship

French rugby star Nathalie Amiel reflects on winning the first Six Nations in 2002

Ammo Baba: Iraq's footballing hero

The footballer and coach loved by the people of Iraq

Irene Van Dyk: Netball’s goal shooting star

She is the most capped netballer of all time

The boxing referee who started a riot

A New Zealand referee quit after starting a riot during the Summer Olympics of 1988

The first Basketball World Cup

In 1950, Argentina hosted, and won, the inaugural Basketball World Cup

Muay Thai: World champion Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu

American Sylvie Von Duuglas-Ittu became one of the most successful Muay Thai fighters

The Vatican's mini-World Cup

In 2007, trainee priests competed to win the first football Clericus Cup

First women's cyclo-cross world championship

Female cyclo-cross riders take part at the world championship in 2000 for the first time

Calciopoli: The Juventus scandal

In 2006, a match-fixing scandal rocked Italian football

Tiger Woods wins his first major

At the age of 21, Tiger Woods won the US Masters in 1997 by dominating the golf course

First woman to win Olympic gold in windsurfing

Barbara Kendall overcame injury to win gold in windsurfing at the Barcelona 1992 Olympics

Kenya's first Winter Olympian

How cross-country skiing united a Kenyan farmer and a Norwegian Winter Olympic hero.

The Maccabiah Games

The first Maccabiah Games, a multi-sport event for Jewish athletes, were held in 1932

The Mongol Rally: Racing in one of the greatest road trips on Earth

Racing from England to Mongolia in a car with a tiny engine

Nicol David: How to be a number 1 squash player for 9 years

Nicol David on becoming world number 1 in squash and staying there for 9 years in a row.

Ruud Krol: The World Cup meets Total Football

How the Netherlands' style and flair stole the show at the 1974 World Cup

Zaire's infamous World Cup free-kick moment

How Zaire's reaction to Brazil's free-kick in the 1974 World Cup became folklore.

Kuwait at the 1982 World Cup

The Gulf state's first and only World Cup appearance, with a camel as team mascot

When Diana Ross missed a penalty at the World Cup

Diana Ross' iconic penalty miss at the 1994 World Cup

The Golden Girls of Zimbabwe

How the women's hockey team won an unexpected first Olympic gold in 1980

Tonton Zola Moukoko: The best Championship Manager player ever

The cult hero whose real life didn't match his computer stardom

The day we beat the All Blacks

Gareth Jenkins relives Llanelli Rugby Club’s iconic 1972 victory over the All Blacks.

How baseball helped bridge the US-Cuba divide

How the Baltimore Orioles became the first Major League team to play in communist Cuba

China's first golf champion

Shanshan Feng was the first Chinese golfer ever to win a major championship back in 2012.

The bizarre twist in South Africa’s ultramarathon

Runner Nick Bester notices something suspicious at South Africa’s Comrades ultramarathon.

How I helped bring down Lance Armstrong

One journalist's 12 year pursuit of drug cheat Lance Armstrong

Derartu Tulu: Africa's first black female Olympic champion

Derartu Tulu became the first black African woman to win gold in Barcelona in 1992

Rose Reilly

Banned from playing football in her native Scotland, Rose Reilly represented Italy.

Kosovo’s first Olympic medal

Majlinda Kelmendi won the first medal for Kosovo since the country gained independence.

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson was disqualified 48 hours after winning the Olympic 100 metre final in 1988

Coaching the world's best tennis players

Tennis coach Rick Macci on training future world number ones Serena and Venus Williams

The most controversial three seconds in basketball history

The USSR faced the USA in the 1972 Olympic men's basketball final

Sydney Olympics’ vault fault

At the Olympics in 2000, a fault with gymnastics equipment changed the course of a final

Nick Skelton's bid for gold

British showjumper Nick Skelton's 33 year quest for an Olympic medal.

The first Women's Euros

Between 1982 and 1984, UEFA held the first European Competition for Women's Football

Yohann Gene - The Tour de France's first black cyclist

Yohann Gene from Guadeloupe made history by being the first black man to race in the Tour

Britain's Golden Relay

Britain's 4x100m relay team cause one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history in Athens

Nadine Angerer: Germany’s penalty-saving heroine

How Nadine Angerer became Germany's penalty saving heroine

Jens Voigt: Riding the Tour De France on a child's bike

The unusual solution that kept a cyclist in one of the world's greatest races

The longest tennis match of all time

John Isner and Nicolas Mahut battle it out at Wimbledon in the longest match of all time.

Baseball's bionic man

The revolutionary surgery that saved baseball pitcher Tommy John's elbow and career.

Diving into the world's largest iceberg

Canadian diver Jill Heinerth was the first woman to enter the caves of a giant iceberg

Protesting against the US National Anthem

NBA star Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf refused to stand for the American flag in protest in 1996

The Miracle of Istanbul

Liverpool's incredible comeback to win the Champions League final in 2005

Ryneldi Becenti - Native American basketball hero

How the first Native American to play in the NBA inspired her community in the 1990s

The footballer trapped in Syria

How Nigerian Olaniyi Gideon was caught up in the Civil War in Syria while at a local club

Man City win their first Premier League

Defender Micah Richards on the most exciting finish ever to the English football season.

Jahangir Khan: The king of squash

The legendary Pakistani player who went undefeated for five years in the 1980s

Cricket in North Korea

In 2008, a group of western cricketers took their sport to the Axis of Evil.

The Mozart of Table Tennis

Swedish ping pong player Jan-Ove Waldner is a legend in his own country - and in China.

Tanya Streeter

In 2002, free diver Tanya Streeter attempted to reach a record depth of 160m.

The women cross-country skiers who fought to race

How women won the right to compete in the hugely popular Vasaloppet event in Sweden

Saving Fabrice Muamba

The cardiologist who saved the Bolton footballer after he had a heart attack on the pitch

Kelly Gallagher

How the visually-impaired skier from Northern Ireland won Team GB's first Paralympic gold

The first Winter Paralympic Games

Two athletes from Finland and Britain remember the inaugural Winter Paralympics in 1976.

The Queen of Paralympic Snowboarding

Bibian Mentel-Spee campaigned for her event to be in the games, then won the first Gold.

Dan Jansen - from tragedy to triumph

The American speed-skater who overcame grief to win Olympic gold.

Morten Andersen: The NFL Hall of Fame kicker

How a Danish kid became a record-breaking kicker in American football

Vonetta Flowers: The first black Winter Olympic champion

How the American bobsledder made history at the 2002 games in Utah

India's Luge pioneer

Shiva Keshavan took part in one of the most dangerous Winter Olympic sports aged just 16.

Novak Djokovic: The road to success

Nikola Pilic, one of the Serbian player's mentors, remembers training him as a teenager.

Skiing in Afghanistan

How an international skiing scene developed in the mountains of Bamiyan province in 2011

Yale women rowers protest

In 1976, the Yale rowing team stripped naked to demand equal treatment for women's sport.

Nigeria's Paralympic heroine

The shot-putter with dwarfism whose gold medal celebration went viral on social media.

Bangladesh's football heroes

How the national football team helped the country's fight for independence in 1971.

The Tibetan football team

How a group of exiles set up the first Tibetan national team in 2001.

The football wages revolution

How England's top players fought for their salary cap to be lifted in 1961.

Zenyatta

The superstar American race-horse who was the first mare to win the Breeders' Cup

The woman who rowed the Atlantic

Tori Murden McClure built her own boat and became the first woman to row the Atlantic.

Lebanon's match-fixing scandal

The investigation that rocked Lebanese football and ruined the country's World Cup hopes.

Zola Budd

The South African-born runner remembers her famous collision with US rival Mary Decker.

The Dumptruck: King of sumo

How a Hawaiian-born wrestler stormed the traditional world of Japanese sumo in the 1980s

Jackie Joyner-Kersee - Heptathlon Queen

In 1988, the American athlete put in one of the greatest performances in Olympic history.

Born to Run: Mexico's Tarahumara Indians

The epic race between America's top ultramarathon runner and an ancient Mexican tribe

Japan's Keirin cycling phenomenon

How the uniquely Japanese track cycling event made its Olympic debut in 2000.

Cameroon's Triple Jump Queen

How motherhood inspired Francoise Mbango to two Olympic gold medals.

The Queen of Women's Beach Volleyball

How America’s Misty May-Treanor won an Olympic gold medal three times.

The struggle for women's football in Afghanistan

Former captain Shamila Kohestani on why football in Afghanistan was more than a game

India's first Paralympic champion

In 1972, war veteran Murlikant Petkar won India's first Paralympic gold medal.

Hou Bin wows the world

The Chinese athlete who lit the Paralympic flame after a stunning feat of strength.

Kenya's Paralympic Record-Breaker

How blind runner, Henry Wanyoike, set world records and won Paralympic golds.

The Golden Couple of the first Tokyo Olympics

British runners Ann Packer and Robbie Brightwell were stars of the 1964 Olympics

Zamzam Farah - Somalia's inspiring runner

The Somali 400-metre runner who was forced to seek asylum after the London 2012 Olympics

The first Tokyo Olympics

How a new modern Japan emerged on the world stage at the 1964 Olympic Games

Stacy Dragila - Queen of the Women's Pole Vault

The American vaulter who won the first ever Olympic women's competition at Sydney 2000

Bjorn Borg

The Swedish tennis superstar who won Wimbledon five times in a row

France’s Euro 2000 triumph

Robert Pires on how the French became European champions in dramatic style

The Panenka penalty

How the Czechoslovak midfielder created a daring new style of penalty at Euro 76

Football's Coming Home

How England sparked a mood of national euphoria at Euro 96 before it ended in tears

The Van Basten wonder goal

How an amazing volley gave Holland their first victory at a big international tournament

Denmark's shock Euros win

How the Danes won the Euro 92 championship despite not even qualifying for the tournament

Indonesia's badminton heroine

How Susi Susanti won the first Olympic gold medal for her badminton-obsessed country

Anthony Robles

The one-legged wrestler who won a national college title in the United States in 2011

The Scottish club that toppled Real Madrid

Led by Alex Ferguson, Aberdeen beat the Spanish giants to win a European trophy in 1983

The athlete who changed the rules on sex tests

How a Spanish woman hurdler won the right to compete despite having male chromosomes

Kuwait at the football World Cup

The Gulf state's first and only World Cup appearance, with a camel as team mascot

Ghana's runaway sprinters

How two Ghanaian athletes escaped during the Commonwealth Games in New Zealand in 1990

Fighting for women's boxing

The story of Gail Grandchamp, who campaigned for the right of women to box in the USA.

When Col Gaddafi's son played football in Italy's Serie A

In 2003, A.C. Perugia signed Al-Saadi Gaddafi, the son of the Libyan dictator

Zimbabwe's Paralympic pioneer

How Elliot Mujaji won the first ever Paralympic gold medal for his country in 2000.

The Gay Games

The first international sports event for LGBT athletes was held in San Francisco in 1982.

The first woman to play in the NHL

Manon Rhéaume became the first and only woman to play in the National Hockey League

Nova Peris - Australia's first aboriginal Olympic champion

How the hockey-player from Darwin broke barriers by winning an Olympic gold medal in 1996

The NFL's Rooney Rule

The activist and champion who pushed for American football's landmark diversity policy

Mianne Bagger - Golf's transgender pioneer

In 2004, Mianne Bagger became the first transitioned woman to play professional golf

The woman who won the Paris-Dakar rally

In January 2001, Germany's Jutta Kleinschmidt won one of the biggest races in motorsport

Brad Snyder - From the battlefield to Paralympic gold

The American serviceman who won swimming glory a year after being blinded by a bomb

Cameron Hughes - sports entertainer

The Canadian who's made a career out of dancing at big sports events around the world

Joey Dunlop - Northern Ireland's motorsport hero

The motorbike world champion whose high-speed triumphs united a divided country

Stop the Springboks

How campaigners used direct action to stop South Africa's apartheid teams touring the UK

Learie Constantine - West Indies cricket pioneer

How the West Indian all-rounder took England by storm in the 1920s and 30s.

Maradona and the "Hand of God" goal

Ex-England striker Gary Lineker on Maradona's legendary World Cup quarter-final in 1986

Judit Polgar - the chess champion who defied stereotypes

How the chess prodigy overcame sexism in her sport and defeated the all-time greats.

The 'Blind Maradona'

The story of Silvio Velo, the captain of Argentina's world-beating blind football team

India's Queen of the Oceans

How Bula Choudhury was the first woman to swim straits of the world's seven seas.

Natalia Partyka - Youngest paralympian

The Polish table tennis champion who began her Paralympic career aged just 11.

Viv Anderson - first black England footballer

In November 1978, the defender became the first black Englishman to play for his country.

Surfing the world's biggest waves

Garrett McNamara broke the world record for biggest wave ever surfed in 2011 at Nazaré

Africa's football revolution

Ex-Premiership star Kolo Toure on how a team in Ivory Coast modernised football in Africa

South Africa's black rowing hero

How Sizwe Ndlovu became the first black African to win an Olympic rowing gold in 2012.

Cathy Freeman

The aboriginal runner who became the hero of the Sydney Olympics in 2000

Cycling's 'Everesting' challenge

Why cyclists in lockdown are riding the equivalent of climbing the world's highest peak

Lucy Ejike - Nigeria's powerlifting hero

The story of Nigeria's most successful female paralympian.

Tasha Danvers - motherhood and elite performance

The British hurdler who overcame private emotional struggles to win an Olympic bronze

Chak de India!

How India's female hockey stars inspired a generation of sportswomen and a Bollywood film

Tears of a weightlifter

In 2008, Matthias Steiner overcame personal tragedy to win an emotional Olympic gold

The first woman to climb Everest

Japanese mountaineer Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest

Coe vs Ovett

British runner Sebastian Coe remembers his rivalry with Steve Ovett at the 1980 Olympics

Afghanistan's cricket heroes

How Afghan cricketers lifted the nation's spirits by reaching their first big tournament

Beckham in Hollywood

The glitz and glamour of David Beckham's signing for Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007

Andre Agassi

The private emotional struggles of the 1992 Wimbledon tennis champion

Greece's stunning football triumph

How rank outsiders Greece won the 2004 European Football Championship.

Cheerleading's first World Championships

The first Cheerleading Worlds were held in 2004 at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Clyde Best: A black footballing pioneer

The Bermuda-born West Ham striker recalls the rampant racism in 1970s English football

Rulon Gardner - Wrestling Hero

How the son of American farmers defeated a Russian champion considered unbeatable.

Ibtihaj Muhammad - Fencing in a hijab

The inspiring story of the first Muslim-American to wear a hijab at the Olympics.

Tofiri Kibuuka - Africa's paralympic pioneer

The blind athlete who competed in both the winter and summer Paralympic games.

Fausto Coppi - Il Campionissimo

The great Italian cyclist whose private life scandalized Italy in the 1950s.

The 'Crazy Gang' win the FA Cup

How Wimbledon won a shock victory over the mighty Liverpool in the 1988 FA Cup Final

Defying the Taliban

How Pakistan's Maria Toorpakai Wazir battled death threats to become a squash player.

Mary Peters

How the Northern Irish pentathlete became a hero for winning gold at the 1972 Olympics.

Parkour

How French teenagers invented a sport by running, jumping and vaulting around their town.

Why I designed the prosthetic running leg

The inventor of the Cheetah Foot on the accident that led him to revolutionise para-sport

The perfect bull-ride

In 1991, Wade Leslie became the first and only cowboy to achieve the maximum rodeo score.

Ironman's Ironwoman

Julie Moss put Ironman on the map by crawling to the finish of the World Championship.

The remarkable life of Eva Szekely

The remarkable life of Hungarian Olympic swimmer and Holocaust survivor, Eva Szekely

Colin McRae: Rally legend

How the Scottish driver became the youngest ever rally World Champion in 1995

Kenya's first Winter Olympian

In 1998, a farmer called Philip Boit competed in the gruelling cross-country ski event.

Nancy Greene: The 'Tiger' of women's skiing

How the Canadian became a national hero after winning Olympic gold in 1968

Knocking down Mike Tyson

In 1990, outsider James "Buster" Douglas defeated one of boxing's greatest champions.

Rocky Bleier: The legendary comeback

How a wounded Vietnam war veteran became an NFL Super Bowl champion.

Stanley Matthews' Soweto team

How an English soccer legend ran a team of black players in apartheid-era South Africa

P.T. Usha - India's 'queen of track and field'

How the fastest woman in India came agonisingly close to Olympic glory in 1984

Togo bus attack

In 2010, Angolan rebels opened fire on the team buses of the Togolese football team.

Wrexham's FA Cup giant-killing

In January 1992, the small Welsh club beat reigning English champions Arsenal.

The BBC's first female football reporter

In 1969, Mary Raine became the first woman to report on football for the BBC.

The shot heard around the world

How a wonder goal took the US to the football World Cup for the first time in decades

Arunima Sinha - Indian Mountain Climber

The incredible story of the first woman amputee to climb Mount Everest

The Cold War's strangest sport

How international Morse code competitions became popular behind the Iron Curtain.

Nigeria's 'Superfalcons' wow the Women's World Cup

How the Nigerian team put women's football on the map in Africa in 1999

The Blind Cricket World Cup

In 1998, India hosted the first international tournament for blind cricketers.

Magic Johnson and HIV

In November 1991 the basketball legend stunned America by announcing he was HIV positive.

The death of Robert Enke

The German goalkeeper who killed himself in November 2009, shocking the football world.

New York Marathon women's protest

How six women runners staged a sit-down to demand equality for female athletes in 1972.

Chester Williams - South Africa's black rugby hero

The story of the only black player in the Springboks' World Cup winning team in 1995.

The policeman who won the Rugby World Cup

How a London-born policeman ended up featuring in an all-conquering New Zealand team.

Muhammad Ali: The 'Last Hurrah'

In 1980 the boxing legend came out of retirement for a last shot at a world title aged 38

India's long jump queen

How Anju Bobby George won India's first ever World Athletics Championship medal in 2003.

Western Samoa stun Wales

In 1991, the team from the South Pacific shocked Wales in the Rugby World Cup.

Eamonn Coghlan and the four-minute mile at forty

How the Irish runner came out of retirement to achieve a milestone for older runners.

The pole-vaulter who insulted the Soviet Union

In 1980, Poland's Władysław Kozakiewicz won Olympic gold, then insulted the Moscow crowd

Ryneldi Becenti - Native American basketball star

The inspiring story of how a player from a Navajo reservation made it to the women's NBA.

David Steele: 'The bank clerk who went to war'

In 1975, the veteran cricketer became an unlikely English hero in the Ashes series

Football glory unites Iraq

In 2007, Iraq won the Asian Cup sparking wild celebrations across the war-torn country.

The closest Tour de France ever

How American Greg Lemond won cycling's biggest race by just 8 seconds in 1989.

The football war

The World Cup qualifiers that preceded a brief but bloody conflict in Central America

Little Mo, tennis great

Maureen Connolly was the first woman to win a tennis Grand Slam in 1953

USA wins the first Women's World Cup

Carin Jennings-Gabarra recalls her part in America's 1991 World Cup win

Germany's 'Golden Goal' heroine

In 2003, Nia Künzer's extra-time header won Germany its first women's football World Cup

Tony Hawk, skateboard king

How mastering a virtually impossible trick made the US skateboarder a household name.

Japan's women footballers lift the nation

In 2011, winning the soccer World Cup lifted Japan's morale after the Fukushima disaster.

Kenya's World Cup cricket fairytale

In 2003, Kenya stunned cricket by reaching the World Cup semi-final.

Liverpool - The kings of Europe

How Liverpool won their first European Cup in 1977, starting a decade of domination.

Spurs dream of European glory

How Tottenham Hotspur took on Anderlecht in a battle for the 1984 UEFA Cup

Secretariat - America's superstar racehorse

How one of the greatest racehorses of all time won the US Triple Crown in 1973.

The Torino air disaster

In May 1949, a plane crash killed one of the greatest teams in Italian football history.

Desiré Wilson - Formula One winner

In 1980 the South African racing driver became the only woman to win a Formula One event.

Paula Radcliffe

The British runner who set a famous world record at the 2003 London Marathon.

Ashley Fiolek - Deaf motocross champion

How a deaf American rider dominated the fast and dangerous sport of women's motocross

Brian Lara's batting world record

In April 1994, the great West Indies batsman hit 375 runs against England in Antigua

The King of Comrades

How Bruce Fordyce won South Africa's famous Comrades Marathon nine times in the 1980s.

Marcus Trescothick and mental illness

The England cricketer who gave up his international career because of depression.

The man who ran around Australia

In 1983, Ron Grant became the first person to run 13,383 kilometres of Australian coast.

Bangladesh's football heroes

How the national football team helped the country's fight for independence in 1971.

The birth of skiing

How the British invented downhill skiing at the start of the 20th Century.

Why I invented the sports bra

When Lisa Lindahl couldn't find a comfortable bra to run in, she decided to design one

Paul Pritchard And The Totem Pole

The British adventurer who was seriously injured on a climb, but returned 18 years later.

South Africa Win The Rugby World Cup

How sporting victory in 1995 helped unite South Africa after apartheid.

The Gay Games

The first international sports event for LGBT athletes was held in San Francisco in 1982.

Diane Crump - Pioneering Female Jockey

The inspiring story of the first woman to ride in America's top horse race.

Mark Edmondson And The Biggest Upset In Tennis

How a former part-time hospital cleaner won the Australian Open in 1976.

Lopez Lomong - From Lost Boy To The Olympics

The former Sudanese refugee who carried the flag for the USA at the 2008 Olympics.

When British Football Went To China

West Brom became the first professional British football team to visit communist China

Usain Bolt - The Birth of a Legend

In 2008, the Jamaican sprinter wowed the world by winning the Olympic 100 and 200 metres

Ironman's Iron Woman

Julie Moss wouldn't give up, even when she collapsed just metres from the finish line.

The Fastest Man In The World Race

How top sprinters Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson staged a head-to-head race in 1997.

George Foreman - World Champion At 45

In 1994, the boxing legend won a second world title after a shock return from retirement.

Mika Hakkinen's F1 Horror Crash

How the Finnish driver nearly died in an accident at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix.

Paintball

How the team shooting sport began in the woods of New Hampshire in 1981.

The Czech Gymnast Who Defied The Soviet Union

Vera Caslavska protested against the crushing of the Prague Spring at the 1968 Olympics.

The Black Power Salute

The story of the iconic protest by black American athletes at the 1968 Olympics.

The Transplant Games

How a new sporting event for organ recipients was launched in 1978.

Harold Abrahams

The story of the British sprinter of the 1920s immortalised in Chariots Of Fire

Vijay Amritraj and the Davis Cup

The tennis star on how India put political principle before sporting success

Tom Gregory - The 11-Year-Old who Swam the Channel

How a London schoolboy became the youngest person ever to swim the English Channel.

Pat Rafter

How the Australian tennis player surprised the world by winning the US Open in 1997

Larisa Latynina

The Soviet gymnast who became one of the greatest Olympians of all time.

Wayne Gretzky And "The Trade"

How the ice hockey legend's sale to a US team in 1988 caused outrage in Canada.

Gaza's First Olympic Athlete

The 800m runner who made history at the 2004 Athens Olympics

Imran Khan

The cricketing career of the Pakistani politician.

Kay Cottee - Australian Sailing Hero

The story of the first woman to sail non-stop and solo around the world.

Graeme Obree - The Flying Scotsman

How cycling's prestigious hour record was beaten by a Scotsman on a home-made bike.

Jens Voigt - Riding the Tour De France On a Child's Bike

How the German cyclist had to borrow a child's bike to finish a mountain stage in 2010

The 1986 World Cup Final

The drama of the 3-2 Argentina victory over West Germany.

Goran Ivanisevic's Wimbledon Wildcard Win

The Croatian's emotional Wimbledon victory in 2001 when ranked 125 in the world.

Lev Yashin - The Soviet Union's Goalkeeping Hero

The story of the man regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.

'Muggsy' Bogues - Shortest Player in the NBA

In June 1987, the Washington Bullets shocked basketball by signing a 5ft 3 inches player

Senegal's Stunning World Cup Win Over France in 2002

An insider's account of the dramatic opening game of the 2002 World Cup

The World Cup's 'Greatest Save'

How English goalkeeper Gordon Banks made a wonder save from the legendary Pele in 1970

The Battle of Santiago

How Chile and Italy squared off in the World Cup's most notorious match in 1962.

Iran v the USA

The politically-charged showdown at the 1998 football World Cup between Iran and the US

East Germany's World Cup Moment

How the East Germans beat West Germany in a famous Cold War victory in 1974.

Gino Bartali - The Cyclist Who Saved Jews From The Holocaust

How the Italian cycling champion helped save hundreds of lives during World War II.

The Stabbing of Monica Seles

The world number one tennis player Monica Seles was stabbed on court in Germany in 1993

Jim Clark - Formula One Legend

The Scottish racing driver regarded by many fans as one of the greatest of all time.

Chantal Petitclerc and A Breakthrough For Parasport

The wheelchair racer on how the Commonwealth Games combined able-bodied and parasport.

Jack Nicklaus' Final Triumph

How the "Golden Bear" won his last golfing major at the 1986 Masters - aged 46.

Filbert Bayi - Gold For Tanzania!

How the 1500-metre runner won a famous race at the 1974 Commonwealth Games.

Mansour Bahrami - The Great Entertainer of Tennis

The Iranian whose showmanship made him one of the most popular players in tennis.

'The Witches of the Orient' - Japan's Volleyball Heroines

The women's team who won a legendary victory for Japan at the Tokyo Olympics in 1964

Willie O'Ree: The First Black NHL Player

In 1958 Canadian Willie O'Ree broke the colour barrier in the National Hockey League

Sri Lanka's Cricket Triumph

How Sri Lanka's surprise victory in the 1996 Cricket World Cup sparked wild celebrations.

The 'Skategate' Scandal in Ice-Skating

How a judging controversy dominated the headlines at the 2002 Winter Olympics

Franz Klammer

How the legendary Austrian skier took gold in a great race at the 1976 Winter Olympics.

Olympic Luge Death

At the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, a young luge athlete from Georgia was killed in training.

Table Tennis Unites Korea

How North and South Korea fielded a united Ping Pong team and won the world championship.

Alone On Everest

How British mountaineer Stephen Venables spent a lonely night on top of the world.

Arsene Wenger On Discovering George Weah

How the Arsenal manager discovered the footballer who became President of Liberia.

Eric Cantona's Kung-Fu Kick

How the French forward shocked football by attacking an opposition fan in 1995.

Declan Murphy: The Jockey who Came Back from the Dead

The Irish rider who made an emotional comeback after serious brain damage in a fall

Donald Campbell and Bluebird

The record-breaking British driver who was killed in a jet-boat accident in 1967.

The Sydney to Hobart Yachting Disaster

Hurricane force storms led to 6 deaths and 50 sailors airlifted in a daring sea rescue.

Colonel Gaddafi's Ice Hockey Team

How the Libyan dictator sponsored a failing German ice hockey team in the 1980s.

The Bosman Ruling Revolutionises Football

How a Belgian footballer won a court ruling that transformed the transfer market.

Lopez Lomong - From "Lost Boy" To The Olympics

The former Sudanese refugee who carried the flag for the USA at the 2008 Olympics.

Jana Novotna - Wimbledon Heroine

How the late Czech tennis player went from weeping loser to popular Wimbledon winner.

Pam Reed: Winning Ultramarathons in Death Valley

The woman who beat all the men in the notorious Badwater Marathon in California

The First Ultimate Fighting Championship

How the fast-growing sport of mixed martial arts was launched in America in 1993.

Kelly Kulick - Ten Pin Bowler

The first woman to compete at the same level as men in the professional game.

The Climbing Pioneer Who Conquered El Capitan

Lynn Hill was first to free-climb 'The Nose', 3,000ft of vertical granite wall

Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost: Formula One's Greatest Rivalry

How the feud between two motor-racing giants spilled onto the track in 1989.

The "Battle Of The Sexes" Tennis Match

In 1973, Billie-Jean King made tennis history by winning a challenge game against a man.

Iranian Football's "Mr Hat-Trick"

How the Irish-born footballer, Eamon Zayed, became a folk hero in Iran.

O.J. Simpson Makes American Football History

How his 1973 season with the Buffalo Bills made O.J. Simpson a superstar.

Chioma Ajunwa: Making Olympic History

How Nigerian athlete Chioma Ajunwa stunned the world at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996

The Creation of Ironman

How one of the world's hardest endurance events was invented in Hawaii in 1978.

Nawal El Moutawakel - Pioneer of Muslim Women's Athletics

How a Moroccan woman hurdler took victory at the 1984 Olympics and inspired a generation.

'Fast Freddie' Spencer - Motorcycling's Child Prodigy

The American motorbike rider who won his first world championship aged 21

The Olympic Hero Who Rescued His Fellow Sailors

How Canadian Lawrence Lemieux was hailed for his sportsmanship at the 1988 Olympics.

Alison Hargreaves

Memories of the great British woman mountaineer killed in the Himalayas in August 1995.

Sergey Bubka - Pole Vault Legend

How the legendary Ukrainian athlete won his toughest World Championship in 1997.

John Daly - The "Wild Thing" of Golf

How the maverick golfer became a superstar overnight by winning the US PGA as a rookie.

Pat Tillman - The American Football Hero Killed in Afghanistan

How a sports star turned military hero died in a controversial friendly fire incident.

Eddy Merckx - Tour De France Legend

Memories of the Belgian cyclist so feared he was known as "The Cannibal".

Boris Becker - Teenage Wimbledon King

How the unseeded German teenager became Wimbledon champion in 1985.

Sheryl Swoopes - Queen of Basketball

The Olympic gold medallist who became one of the first stars of the women's NBA.

Fred Perry - Tennis Legend

The British tennis player who became a global celebrity in the 1930s

The First Women's Cricket World Cup

Women players from England and the West Indies recall the inaugural tournament in 1973.

Maradona's Failed Doping Test

How the Argentine superstar was expelled from the USA 1994 soccer World Cup.

Tibet's Football Team

How a retired Danish footballer formed the Tibetan national team in 2001.

Celtic's "Lions of Lisbon" win the European Cup

How the Glasgow team became the first in Britain to win the top prize in club football

Francis Chichester Sails the World

The British yachtsman who set records going round the globe single-handedly in 1967

Chrissie Wellington - The Iron Lady

How the late-developing British triathlete came from nowhere to become the world's best.

The 5:19 Football Riot in China

How Chinese fans rioted in 1985 after losing a World Cup qualifier to Hong Kong

Kerry Packer's Cricket Revolution

How the Australian tycoon brought big money, and controversy, into the sport in 1977.

The Japanese Women's Football Team

How a World Cup win brought a boost to Japan after the huge earthquake in 2011.

Simon Beresford – Marathon Runner with Down's Syndrome

The first person with Down's Syndrome to complete the London Marathon.

Janet Guthrie - First Woman at the Indy 500

How the pioneering racing driver broke the gender barrier at America's top motor race

Red Rum

The racehorse who became a legend in Britain for winning the Grand National three times.

The Rise and Fall of Parma Football Club

How a small Italian city enjoyed fleeting football glory before it was hit by scandal

Kirsty Coventry - Zimbabwe's Golden Girl

The Zimbabwean swimmer who became Africa's most decorated Olympian.

Lucho Herrera - Colombian Tour de France Hero

How a former gardener from the Colombian mountains won cycling's most famous climb.

Pakistan Cricket Bus Attack

In 2009, gunmen attacked a visiting cricket team in Lahore. We hear from two survivors.

Lionel Rose - Aboriginal Boxing Hero

The aboriginal fighter who became world bantamweight boxing champion in 1968.

Nancy Kerrigan Attack

How an attack on the golden girl of ice-skating horrified America in 1994

FC St Pauli - Germany's "Pirate" Football Club

The story of the Hamburg football team adopted by punks and fans from around the world.

Doug Williams - First Black Quarterback at the Super Bowl

How the Washington Redskins quarterback made history at the 1988 Super Bowl.

South Korea's King of Computer Gaming

How Lim Yo-hwan, also known as Boxer, became one of the biggest names in eSports.

Jutta Kleinschmidt - Woman Winner of the Paris-Dakar Rally

The first and only woman to win one of the biggest events in motorsport.

Abhinav Bindra - India's First Olympic Gold Medalist

In 2008, an Indian rifle shooter became a national hero when he won the Olympics.

Lamine Gueye - Senegalese Skier

The story of the first black African to compete at the Winter Olympics.

The Toughest Dog-Sled Race in the World

The story of Libby Riddles, the first woman to win the notorious Iditarod race in Alaska.

Esther Vergeer

The inspiring Dutch wheelchair tennis player who went undefeated for more than a decade.

Love at the Cold War Olympics

The Czech discus thrower punished for falling in love with an American at the 1956 games.

Texas Western - Black Basketball Pioneers

How an all-black college team broke down the colour barrier in American basketball.

Ammo Baba - Iraqi Football Hero

The footballer and coach loved by the people of Iraq

Women's Rugby Pioneers

How the English women's rugby team fought for official recognition in the 1990s.

Mike Tyson

The troubled life of the youngest heavyweight boxing champion of all time

Graeme Souness and the Turkish Flag Incident

How the Scottish manager caused uproar at an Istanbul derby match in 1996.

The "Phantom Game" in General Pinochet's Chile

How a football international was played at a stadium being used as a torture centre.

Jason McCartney - Bali Bomb Survivor

The Aussie rules footballer who inspired a nation by surviving a terrorist attack

Blood in the Water

How tension between Hungary and the USSR turned into a battle at the 1956 Olympics

Kenya's Paralympic Record-Breaker

How blind runner, Henry Wanyoike, set world records that stand to this day

The 'Black 14' Protest Rocks American Football

How black players at Wyoming University sparked a national debate over racism in 1969

The Black Power Salute

How two African-American athletes protested against racism at the 1968 Olympic Games.

Meeting Mr Pilates

In the 1950s, Joseph Pilates taught his fitness method in a New York studio.

Lady Swimmers of the 1920s

How three British women swimmers took the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics by storm.

India's First Paralympic Hero

In 1972, war veteran Murlikant Petkar won India's first Paralympic gold medal

Rwanda at the Paralympics

In 2012, Rwanda's sitting volleyball team became their country's first Paralympians.

Willy T Ribbs

In 1991, an African-American driver raced the Indianapolis 500 for the first time

Eric Liddell

The story of the Scottish runner immortalised in the film Chariots of Fire.

Women's Marathon Agony

In 1984, Gabriela Andersen-Scheiss completed the Olympic marathon in terrible pain

Emil Zatopek

The legendary Czechoslovak runner who won three golds at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.

Nadia Comaneci

The Romanian gymnast who scored the first "Perfect 10" at the Olympics in 1976.

Nigeria's Supereagles win Olympic Gold

In 1996, Nigeria became the first African team to take football gold at the Olympic Games

Niki Lauda Crashes

The 1976 motor racing crash which went down in Formula One history.

East Timor's Marathon Hero

The journey of female marathoner Agueda Amaral from refugee to the Sydney Olympics.

Arthur Ashe

In 1975, Arthur Ashe became the first African-American man to win Wimbledon

Shun Fujimoto - Japan's Injured Olympic Hero

The Japanese gymnast who won gold in 1976 despite competing with a broken knee

Pyrros Dimas - Greek Weightlifting Legend

How the 'Lion of Himara' became a Greek hero by battling injury at the Athens Olympics

Denmark's Shock Win at the European Championship

How the Danish football team won the Euro 1992 tournament despite failing to qualify

Bangladesh's Channel Swimmer Hero

How Brojen Das broke the world record for swimming from France to England in 1961.

The 1976 US Olympic Boxing Team

The American boxers acclaimed for one of the best team performances in Olympic history.

The Torino air disaster

In May 1949, a plane crash killed one of the greatest teams in Italian football history.

The Golden Girls of Zimbabwe

How the women's hockey team won the first Olympic gold for their country in 1980.

Dawn Fraser - Triple Olympic Champion

How the rebellious Australian swimmer shattered records in the 1950s and 60s

Terry Fox and the Marathon of Hope

The cancer patient who inspired Canada with an attempt to run across the country in 1980

Shaul Ladany - the Great Survivor

The Israeli race-walker who survived the Holocaust and the Munich Olympics shootings

Chess City

In 1998, the world's most expensive chess centre opened in a remote region of Russia.

Gail Devers

The American sprinter who recovered from serious illness to win the Olympic 100 metres.

Stirling Moss Wins the Mille Miglia Motor Race

How the British driver Stirling Moss won one of the most epic races of all time in 1955

How Baseball Helped Bridge the US-Cuba Divide

How the Baltimore Orioles became the first Major League team to play in communist Cuba

Czechoslovakia Ice Hockey Riots

In 1969, a match between the Soviet Union and Czechoslovakia sparked unrest in Prague.

Women's Boxing

The story of Gail Grandchamp, who campaigned for the right of women to box in the USA.

England at Croke Park

The historic rugby match between Ireland and England in Dublin in 2007.

Josia Thugwane - South African Marathon Hero

The story of the first black South African to win an Olympic gold in athletics in 1996

Black Day for Democracy

How two Zimbabwean cricketers risked their careers to protest again President Mugabe.

Women in the Locker Room

In 1978, US female sports journalists won a major victory in their fight for equality

Dorando Pietri - Hero of the 1908 London Olympics

The dramatic marathon that turned an Italian sweet-maker from Capri into a celebrity

The Toughest Dog-Sled Race in the World

The first woman to win the Iditarod race through 1000 miles of wilderness in Alaska

Olga Korbut - The Sparrow from Minsk

The Soviet gymnast who charmed the world at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The Greatest Long Jump Battle in History

In 1991, two Americans both beat the iconic long jump record at the World Championships.

Evel Knievel in Las Vegas

How the legendary motorcycle stuntman made his name with a jump outside a casino in 1967.

Farewell to East German football

How the East German team won their last ever match - just before the country disappeared.

'Collision in Korea'

How an international wrestling tournament wowed secretive North Korea in 1995

Jonah Lomu

The late All Blacks rugby legend in his own words

Rifaat Turk: Arab Superstar in Israeli Football

How a Jaffa fisherman's son broke down barriers by making Israel's national team

Doping in East Germany

Two former athletes describe the human cost of the Communist nation's drugs programme.

Jahangir Khan - King of Squash

The legendary Pakistani player who went undefeated for five years in the 1980s

Jackie Robinson - Baseball Pioneer

The legendary player who broke the colour bar in baseball and won the World Series.

Tanya Streeter Record Free Diver

In 2002, free diver Tanya Streeter attempted to reach a record depth of 160m

Footballers for Peace in Ivory Coast

How Didier Drogba and the Ivorian football team campaigned for an end to civil war.

The Boksburg Bomber

How Gerrie Coetzee thrilled South Africa by becoming world boxing champion in 1983.

Iran's Triple Jumper Turned Pop Legend

How Faramarz Assef switched from international athletics to music stardom.

New Orleans Saints Win the Superbowl

How American Football success cheered up New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina

Jesse Owens at the Berlin Olympics

The American athlete won four gold medals at the 1936 games hosted by Nazi Germany

Mo Johnston - Scotland's Signing of the Century

The Catholic football superstar who crossed the sectarian divide to sign for Rangers.

Billy Mills - Native American Hero

The runner from an Indian reservation in the USA who won a shock Olympic victory in 1964.

Tom Simpson

The legendary British cyclist who died on Mont Ventoux during the 1967 Tour de France

Sylvia Gore and the start of Women's Football

The Midfielder who Scored the First Ever International Goal for the England Women's Team.

Scandal at the Tour de France

In 1998, a doping scandal rocked the most prestigious race in cycling

The Greatest Long Jump Competition Ever

In 1991, Americans Mike Powell and Carl Lewis took on the Long Jump world record.

US Wrestlers in Iran

In 1998, Iran invited an American wrestling team to Tehran as a goodwill gesture.

Renee Richards: Transgender tennis star

The transgender player who fought for the right to compete in tournaments as a woman

Le Mans Disaster

How a crash at a motor race in France in 1955 killed 83 spectators and a famous driver.

Bert Trautmann: From Hitler Youth to the FA Cup

The former Nazi paratrooper who became a hero to Manchester City fans in the 1950s

Wheelchair Racer Tanni Grey-Thompson

How the British wheelchair racer won her greatest victory at the 2004 Paralympic Games

Haile Gebrselassie

The legendary Ethiopian distance runner recalls winning the Olympics by one second.

Tito and Yugoslav Football

How the death of the Yugoslav dictator made fans and players cry at a top game in 1980.

The Petty Family: Kings of Nascar

How tragedy struck one of the most famous dynasties in American motor sport

Alberto Juantorena: Cuba's 'White Lightning'

The Cuban runner who won a unique double at the 1976 Olympics and became a national hero

Judit Polgar - Chess Prodigy

How the chess prodigy overcame sexism in her sport and defeated the all-time greats.

Yale Women Rowers Protest

In 1976, the Yale rowing team stripped naked to demand equal treatment for women's sport

Black Golfer at the Masters

In 1975, Lee Elder became the first African-American to play the prestigious tournament

Rwanda v Uganda: The Match that Made History

The historic Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between footballing rivals Uganda and Rwanda

India's World Cup Cricket Triumph

The unexpected victory at Lord's in 1983 which put Indian one-day cricket on the map

Barry Sheene Crashes

The playboy British motorcyclist who suffered the fastest crash in motorcycling history

Socceroos in Vietnam

How Australia's footballers won their first international tournament in Saigon in 1967.

Boat Race Mutiny

In 1987, a group of Oxford University rowers led a famous rebellion against their coach.

Beryl Burton - The Yorkshire Dynamo

The story of one of the best woman cyclists of all time and a record that still stands.

Surfing Mavericks

The Californian who pioneered one of the most famous surfing breaks in the world in 1975

The Black Stars of Ghana

How the Ghanaian football team won a famous Africa Cup of Nations victory in 1965

The Ice Bowl

How the coldest game in American Football made the reputation of the Green Bay Packers

Skating's Battle of the Brians

The 1988 Winter Olympic showdown between American Brian Boitano and Canadian Brian Orser

South Africa win the Africa Cup of Nations

How a football victory in 1996 helped South Africa heal the wounds of Apartheid

The Harlem Globetrotters in the Soviet Union

How the American showmen won over basketball fans in Moscow during the Cold War

FA Cup Giantkillers

How tiny Hereford United won a famous FA Cup victory over Newcastle in 1972

The Indomitable Lions

How Cameroon shocked Maradona's Argentina at the 1990 World Cup

Wimbledon Pioneers

The women's doubles partnership who broke new ground for Jewish and Black players

Signing Michael Jordan

How the Chicago Bulls managed to pick the basketball legend in the 1984 NBA draft.

Pakistan's First Women Cricketers

The two Karachi women who blazed a trail for women's cricket.

The Dumptruck - King of Sumo

How a Hawaiian-born wrestler stormed the traditional world of Japanese Sumo in the 1980s

Tegla Loroupe wins NY Marathon

How Tegla Loroupe became the first African woman to win a major marathon

Pele joins the New York Cosmos

Clive Toye's account of Pele's shock move to a US soccer team in 1975

Racing the Stasi

in 1964, East German cyclist, Dieter Wiedemann, defected for love and the Tour de France

The Three Degrees

How three black players revolutionised English football in the 1970s.

The Curse of the Bambino

How a misfield in the 1986 World Series convinced Boston Red Sox fans they were cursed.

British Lions in Apartheid South Africa

In 1974 the British Lions made a famous and controversial rugby tour of South Africa.

India's Hockey Gold

In 1948 at the 'austerity' Olympics, newly independent India won gold on the hockey pitch

Ryder Cup - The War by the Shore

The bitter clash between the best golfers from the USA and Europe in 1991

Ben Johnson

The Canadian sprinter disqualified for doping at the 1988 Olympics

The Auld Enemy: Scotland v England

How Scotland's footballers triumphed over the English at Wembley in 1967

The D'Oliveira Affair

How the batsman sparked a row leading to the sporting isolation of apartheid South Africa

The First Special Olympics

How the first games for athletes with intellectual disabilities was organised in 1968

The Grateful Dead Makes Lithuanian Basketball Bronze Possible

Funded partly by the US rock band the new independent nation beat the former Soviet Union

The Creation of Ironman

How the most extreme form of triathlon was invented in Hawaii in 1978

Fastnet Yacht Disaster

In 1979, a freak storm hit a prestigious ocean race in the Irish Sea, killing 18 people.

Milkha Singh - The Flying Sikh

The remarkable life-story of the first Indian runner to win a Commonwealth Games gold.

The Boycott Games

The last time the Commonwealth Games were in Scotland many African nations boycotted them

Eddy Merckx: The Fall of 'The Cannibal'

In 1975, the great Tour de France rider lost the race after being punched by a spectator

The Magical Magyars

How Hungary's footballers hammered mighty England 6-3 at Wembley in 1953.

Argentina at World Cup 78

How Argentina won its first World Cup when hosting the tournament under military rule.

South Korea wow the World Cup

How South Korea beat some of the top teams in Europe in 2002 thanks to home support.

Andres Escobar

The Colombian defender murdered after scoring an own goal at the World Cup in 1994

The Maracanazo: Brazil v Uruguay 1950

How Brazil was traumatised by losing the World Cup the last time it was played there

Michael Chang wins the French Open

The Chinese-American player who won his only major after the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Barry McGuigan unites Ireland

How the boxer's world championship bid brought together all sides in Northern Ireland.

Peru Stadium Riot

In May 1964, more than 300 people died at a football game between Peru and Argentina.

Red Card for Zidane

The referee who sent off the legendary French player in the 2006 World Cup final.

North Korea - World Cup Giantkillers!

How the footballers of communist North Korea shocked Italy at the 1966 World Cup.

The Indomitable Lions: Cameroon at the World Cup

How Cameroon shocked Argentina at the 1990 World Cup and put African football on the map.

Brandi Chastain: It's Not About the Bra

The American footballer who won the World Cup, then tore off her shirt to reveal her bra.

Kathrine Switzer, women's marathon pioneer

The American athlete who broke the gender barrier at the Boston Marathon

Algeria's Revolutionary Football Team

Algerian players secretly left their French clubs to form their own national team in 1958

The Miracle of Bern

The unlikely 1954 World Cup victory which restored West German pride after WW2

Born to Run - Mexico's Tarahumara Indians

The epic race between America's top ultramarathon runner and an ancient Mexican tribe.

Joe Gaetjens - The Footballer Who Disappeared

He scored a goal for the US and upon his return to Haiti was taken by the secret police

Handcyclist Alex Zanardi

The racing driver who suffered a horrific crash, but then became a successful Paralympian

Silken Laumann - Unsinkable!

The Canadian rower who defied a horrific injury to win an Olympic medal in 1992

Muhammad Ali vs Sonny Liston World Heavyweight Championships 1964

How the young Muhammad Ali became boxing world champion after two controversial fights.

Torvill and Dean

In 1984, the British skaters charmed the world with their performance of Ravel's Bolero

Franz Klammer

How the legendary Austrian skier won one of the most exciting Olympic downhill races ever

British Bobsleigh Win

In 1964, Britain won an Olympic event that became famous for an act of sportsmanship.

The Miracle On Ice

At the 1980 Winter Olympics, the USA faced the USSR in a Cold War hockey showdown.

Kenya's First Winter Olympian

How cross-country skiing united a Kenyan farmer and a Norwegian Winter Olympic hero

Dan Jansen

The American speed-skater who overcame personal tragedy to win Olympic gold

Katarina Witt

The glamorous East German skater remembers dancing Carmen at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

The Best Of Sporting Witness

A compilation of some of the most memorable stories from the series.

Ethiopia's Haile Gebrselassie's 10,000m Final

Close finish - Gebrselassie beat his rival Paul Tergat of Kenya by less than a second

Bob Beamon and the 'Leap of the Century'

The American long-jumper on shattering the world record at the 1968 Mexico Olympics

Martina Navratilova

The tennis legend on defecting from Czechoslovakia and then winning Wimbledon in 1978.

Derek Redmond - Never Give Up

How the injured runner inspired millions by hobbling to the finish of his Olympic race.

Flo-Jo - the American Sprinter with Hollywood Style

Her husband and coach Al Joyner recalls Flo-Jo's four medal wins at Seoul in 1988

Maradona's 'Hand of God'

Former England striker Gary Lineker on Maradona's historic goals in the 1986 World Cup.

Four-Minute Mile

How Sir Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile in 1954.

Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee: Coronation Derby

Sporting Witness takes you back to the coronation derby in 1953.

The Olympics when Greg Louganis hit his head on a diveboard

The American diver talks about the 1988 Seoul Olympics and mis-timing his dive

Lasse Viren

In the 1972 Olympics he broke the 10,000 metre world record despite falling in the race.

Lance Armstrong

A close friend describes Lance Armstrong's comeback from cancer to win the Tour De France.

Natalie du Toit

How the swimmer became the first athlete to compete at the Paralympic and Olympic games.

Tied Test Match

Former Australian captain, Richie Benaud, recalls the first tie in test-match cricket.

Michael Johnson

How the US sprinter, Michael Johnson, shattered the 200m record at the 1996 Olympics.

Bob Champion wins the National

How Bob Champion overcame cancer to win the Grand National horse race in 1981.

Boat Race Mutiny

The Oxford coach on an unprecedented mutiny by a group of American rowers in 1987.

Cliff Young - Potato Farmer and Ultrarunner

How ageing potato farmer Cliff Young, became an Australian running legend.

The Three Degrees

Three black players who found fame in the British football league in the 1970s.

The Death of Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna was one of the best Formula One drivers ever, He died in a crash in 1994

The Jamaican bobsled team

In 1988 the Caribbean island fielded a bobsled team at the Winter Olympics.

Women's Marathon Pioneer

How Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to run the Boston Marathon in 1967

Sir Stirling Moss

In 1955, Sir Stirling Moss faced his biggest motor racing challenge - the Mille Miglia.

Nancy Kerrigan Attacked

How an attack on the ice skater Nancy Kerrigan, shocked the USA in 1994.

Hassiba Boulmerka Defies Death Threats

How the Algerian runner's success made her a political opponent for extremists

American Football's "Greatest Game"

How the "Greatest Game" in American Football turned the sport into a modern phenomenon.

London's Austerity Olympics

How the 1948 Olympics helped London emerge from its post-war gloom.

Zambian football crash

How Zambia overcame tragedy to reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in 1994.

Gold for Burundi!

How Venuste Niyongabo won Burundi's only Olympic gold in 1996.

FA Cup Giantkillers

How tiny Hereford United won one of the greatest FA cup ties of all time in 1972.

The "Cotswold Olimpicks" of 1612

How British Olympic history started 400 years ago with the games held in the Cotswolds.

Kip Keino

How the Kenyan running legend Kip Keino, won Olympic gold in 1968.

Ron Clarke's Heart Stops at the Mexico Olympics

Altitude sickness caused 10,000m race favourite to collapse at the finishing line in 1968

Lady Swimmers of the 1920s

How three British women swimmers took the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics by storm

Summit Series Ice Hockey - Canada vs USSR 1972

How Canada beat the Soviet Union to win one of the biggest ice hockey games of all time.

Princess Anne at the 1976 Olympics

The Princess talks about being part of the British eventing team at the Montreal Olympics

Precious McKenzie - South African Weight-lifter

How he escaped apartheid South Africa and achieved international success

Ping Pong Diplomacy

How table tennis helped bridge the divide between the US and Maoist China in 1971.

Duncan Goodhew and the Moscow Olympic boycott

How the 1980 Moscow Olympics created a moral dilemma for British swimmer, Duncan Goodhew.

Rumble in the Jungle

In October 1974 one of the greatest boxing matches of all time took place in Zaire.

Rugby World Cup Unites South Africa

How the 1995 Rugby World Cup helped unite the new South Africa.

Boston Red Sox win World Series at last

How the Boston Red Sox finally won the baseball World Series in 2004.

Frankie Fredericks

The story of Africa's greatest Olympic sprinter.

The First Paralympic Games

The first Paralympics were held in Rome in 1960.

America's Cup Goes To Australia

How the Australian yachting team won the America's Cup in 1983.

Shootings at the Munich Olympics

Israeli athletes remember the shootings at the Munich Olympics of 1972.

Jim Thorpe: Native American legend

The incredible story of the star of the 1912 Olympics

The Fosbury flop

How American athlete Dick Fosbury revolutionised the high jump

Sir Clyde Walcott on the West Indies' First Win at Lord's

A win for the West Indies in 1950 at Lord's made the team a force in international cricket

Blood in the Water - the 1956 Olympics

How an Olympic water polo match between Hungary and the Soviet Union turned into a battle

Alex Ferguson - the early years in management

How Sir Alex Ferguson made his reputation as a manager at Aberdeen in the 1980s

Eric Liddell - from Chariots of Fire to World War II

The extraordinary life of Eric Liddell, the runner featued in the film Chariots of Fire

Nadia Comaneci and the first 'Perfect 10'

The Romanian recalls how in 1976 - at 14 - she achieved a perfect score for gymnastics