Al Oerter (USA) Born 19.9.36
Al Oerter is one of only three men to have won the same Olympic event at four consecutive Games - this was between 1956 and 1968.

He went to Tokyo in 1964 fully strapped up because of a neck and rib injury.

Doubled up in pain, he threw an Olympic record of 61m and the gold was his.

He attempted a comeback even at the age of 43 but did not need to prove anything after a throwing career that had lasted for over 25 years.

Ilke Wyludda (Ger). Born 28.3.69

Dishing the discus

Wyludda dominated the women's discus for almost a decade from the late 1980s.

But Olympic success had remained a distant dream for the German.

Until 1996 that is.

At Atlanta she destroyed the opposition with five of her throws exceeding anyone else and her winning margin was the biggest for 44 years.

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World record

Men: 74.08m Jurgen Schult (GDR) 6.6.86 Women: 76.80m Gabriele Reinsch (GDR) 9.7.88