# The greatest athletic feat of the past 100 years **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 24, 2003, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109 "2003-02-24T05:34:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Lizard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@Lizard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lizard)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/41 "2003-02-24T21:18:15Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lurkernomore \* > **Didn’t they just TIE the NFL FG record? Think Dempsey still has a piece.** Yup. Denver’s Jason Elam kicked a 63-yarder a few years ago. Dempsey’s kick was more remarkable though, because he kicked his in the old “straight ahead” style, which is less accurate and generally has less range than the “soccer style” kick used by Elam (and every other kicker in the NFL and major-college levels). But the NFL field-goal record is very iffy to include in a thread like this. Elam himself kicked more than one 70-yarder in practice. But in a game, almost never do circumstances combine to give a kicker a try from more than 50 yards or so. The odds against anyone making it ae so slight there’s really no point. Both Dempsey and Elam got their attempts on 4th and long, on the last play of the game. ---
**Author:** ![hapaXL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/94ad74/32.png) [@hapaXL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hapaXL)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/42 "2003-02-24T22:19:59Z")
I’d go with Michael Johnson running the 200 meters (at 1996 Olympic final) in 19.32 seconds. That’s faster than the world record for the 100 meters (9.78 seconds) multiplied by 2. Faster by .24 of a second, which is a eternity in sprint times. Just take a moment to think about it. It’s ridiculous. That record is going to last a long, long time. ---
**Author:** ![Happyjoelucky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Happyjoelucky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happyjoelucky)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/43 "2003-02-24T22:45:15Z")
No list of greatest athletic feats would be complete without mentioning [Jesse Owens](http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00016393.html). ---
**Author:** ![jk1245](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/49beb7/32.png) [@jk1245](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jk1245)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/44 "2003-02-24T23:10:49Z")
Jeez, I can’t believe someone beat me to Michael Johnson’s 200m performance. The record at the time was 19.66, which he set only a few months before. Prior to that, it was 19.72 and had been for over 15 years (and the 19.72 was in Mexico City, at altitude). Heiden’s and Spitz’s Olympics is up there too. ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2003, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/45 "2003-02-24T23:28:45Z")
I still vote for DiMaggio and his 56 game hitting streak. ---
**Author:** ![SandyHook](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dec6dc/32.png) [@SandyHook](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SandyHook)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/46 "2003-02-25T00:06:31Z")
At age 53 I had sex for 30 straight days. That’s one a day for 30 days. Just wanted to clear that up. ---
**Author:** ![Yorikke](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yorikke/32/4335_2.png) [@Yorikke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yorikke)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/47 "2003-02-25T00:13:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SandyHook \* > \*\*At age 53 I had sex for 30 straight days. > > That’s one a day for 30 days. Just wanted to clear that up. \*\* If it wasn’t in front of a crowd, it doesn’t count! hrh ---
**Author:** ![Sofa\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58956e/32.png) [@Sofa\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sofa_King)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/48 "2003-02-25T00:16:18Z")
I have to nominate [Jackie Chan getting his hat knocked off by a helicopter blade as he jumps his snowboard off a cliff.](http://jackiechanzone.virtualave.net/multimedia/videoclips/firststrike_stunts01.ram) (Evil RealPlayer file, unfortunately.) See several other incredible examples [here](http://jackiechanzone.virtualave.net/stunt/stuntwonders.html). ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/49 "2003-02-25T00:35:04Z")
The fact that men have golfed on the moon seems rather momentous to me. Frankly, I’d rather that they had fielded some ground balls, but, hey … you can’t have everything. ---
**Author:** ![CuriousCanuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d2c977/32.png) [@CuriousCanuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CuriousCanuck)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/50 "2003-02-25T00:46:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by hapaXL \* > \*\*I’d go with Michael Johnson running the 200 meters (at 1996 Olympic final) in 19.32 seconds. > > That’s faster than the world record for the 100 meters (9.78 seconds) multiplied by 2. > > Faster by .24 of a second, which is a eternity in sprint times. Just take a moment to think about it. It’s ridiculous. That record is going to last a long, long time. \*\* Not to put a damper on your worship, but it is much easier to run that second 100m when starting it running at full speed. You cannot compare running a 200m to running 2 100 meters. Also, there is a turn in the 200, the 100 is a straight line. Can’t compare them like that. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/51 "2003-02-25T01:03:40Z")
It has to be Jesse Owens 5 world records in 45 minutes or Babe Didrikson winning the 1932 AAU championships on her own against athletic teams. See [here](http://espn.go.com/sportscentury/features/00014147.html) for more detail. While Secretariat’s Belmont Stakes is some achievement the original Big Red [Phar Lap](http://www.equinenet.org/heroes/phar.html) in 1930 won the Melbourne Stakes on Saturday, the 2 mile Melbourne Cup on Tuesday, the 1 mile Linlithgow Stakes on Thursday and the CB Fisher Plate the following Saturday. In winning over 2 1/4 miles Phar Lap was timed to run records for 10 furlongs 12 furlongs 2 miles and 2 1/4 miles. ---
**Author:** ![quasar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@quasar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/quasar)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/52 "2003-02-25T01:51:57Z")
Didn´t Shaq once go 10-10 from the FT line? There’s no way anyone could ever top that. 🙂 And I will third MJ’s nomination. His 19.32 completely annihilated his own record of 19.66, while obliterating Pietro Menea´s 19.72. That, and the fact that he pulled it out with those monstrous gold shoes, make his achievement one for the ages. To add my own, Barry Bonds hitting a homer every 6.52 at-bats in 2001. ---
**Author:** ![Pablito](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ed655f/32.png) [@Pablito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pablito)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/53 "2003-02-25T01:55:49Z")
If you’re talking about a feat of the moment, then I’d go with Beamon. If you think about a concerted effort over the long haul, then Lance is an obvious choice. There’s considerable opinion that the Tour de France requires more out of an athlete than any other sporting event, in view of the range of the races (sprints, long-distance, mountains), the energy spent in each one, and the number of days the event goes. And Armstrong’s recovery from cancer and subsequent domination of the sport, when few thought he would even be riding a bicycle recreationally again, adds to the power of the story. But if you hadn’t restricted us to this century, then I’d probably be tempted to nominate the guy (sorry, don’t know his name) who ran the first Marathon (in Ancient Greece), in order to deliver the message of a victorious battle, supposedly saying only “nike”, then dying on the spot. ---
**Author:** ![SlowMindThinking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@SlowMindThinking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlowMindThinking)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/54 "2003-02-25T02:03:57Z")
> [@](#): > > But if you hadn’t restricted us to this century, then I’d probably be tempted to nominate the guy (sorry, don’t know his name) who ran the first Marathon (in Ancient Greece), in order to deliver the message of a victorious battle, supposedly saying only “nike”, then dying on the spot. Alas, most likely a legend. The Athenians had a system of mirrors set up to relay information quickly back. At least, that is what my Greek history professor told me. Also, I can’t imagine anyone inured to wearing the heavy armour of the time on lengthy marches and in pitched battles, would find a mere 26 mile run life threatening. And I think you are forgetting the magnitude of Flo Jo’s achievement. Her record is still several tenths of second better than any one else’s. ---
**Author:** ![markdiscordia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c6cbf5/32.png) [@markdiscordia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/markdiscordia)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/55 "2003-02-25T02:35:09Z")
> [@](#): > > Van der Meer’s 2 0-hittters has at least been approached. It has? Only three other pitchers have thrown two no-hitters in the same **season**. Not only is the likelihood of Van der Meer’s feat being repeated very slim, the chance of this record being **broken** is nil. We will see a 57-game hitting streak, a 102-point basketball game, and a golf round of 58 before we see three straight no hitters (although the record for wins in a season by a pitcher is safely in the mid-60s.) ---
**Author:** ![headchecked](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/258eb7/32.png) [@headchecked](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/headchecked)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/56 "2003-02-25T04:08:53Z")
Just to throw an obscure sport in here, a few years ago, Tao Berman went over a 98.4 foot waterfall in a kayak and stayed in his boat, didn’t suffer any injuries, this broke his previous record by 14 feet (the current record’s 101 feet but the guy swam out at the bottom.) ---
**Author:** ![Cardinal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal/32/4000_2.png) [@Cardinal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardinal)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/57 "2003-02-25T05:22:03Z")
Another one in the team category: The Celtics won 8 NBA championships in a row, and 11 in 13 years. 1956-57, 1958-59, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1965-66, 1967-68, 1968-69 ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/58 "2003-02-25T05:27:02Z")
Well Johnny Vander Meer was almost matched by another Reds’ pitcher, Ewell Blackwell in 1947, who gave up 2 hits after getting the first out in the ninth inning against the Dodgers having previously no-hit the Braves. Years ago I read _Bums_ a history of the Brooklyn Dodgers and I’m sure I recall someone no-hitting the first game of a double header and going deep into game 2 without a hit but perhaps I’m mistaken because I can’t find any reference. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 11:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/59 "2003-02-25T11:24:59Z")
**Don Bradman** , Australian cricketer. He scored more than a hundred hundreds - that’s been accomplished by a number of other batsmen, but none quicker: he used, on average, to make a hundred every third time he batted. He set the world Test (full international) record (334) and the world individual record (452), though both have been broken since. If he had scored only _four_ runs in his last Test innings he would have retired with an average of 100. The best of the rest have managed an average of around 60, and there are only a handful of those. It pains me, as a Pom, to have to admit it, but the guy was a complete nonesuch. In sheer run-scoring terms, it’s patently absurd to even mention any other batsman in the same breath. ---
**Author:** ![Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ac91a4/32.png) [@Knighted\_Vorpal\_Sword](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knighted_Vorpal_Sword)\ **Post date:** [February 25, 2003, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109/60 "2003-02-25T13:45:28Z")
Another vote for Johnny Van der Meer. Absolutely incredible. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-greatest-athletic-feat-of-the-past-100-years/157109.md?page=4)