"there has only ever been one perfect man, the Lord Jesus, and we killed him. I only missed a putt."
The book of Olympic lists
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David Wallechinsky and Jaime Loucky, London, Aurum Press, 2012. ISBN 978 1 84513 773 1
David Wallechinsky is the gold medallist in Olympic facts and trivia. This book does not disappoint. It is 300 pages of the oddest happenings in the history of the Olympics. It covers the biggest upsets, the greatest Olympians, the victories by the biggest margins, the closest finishes etc. It includes noteworthy names from Nathan Leeper the high jumper to a Mohawk Indian “Man afraid of soap”.
Have you ever wondered:
How many Olympians were on board the Titanic;
Which athletes did most difficulty performing for a drugs test;
How many Olympics died in prison?
Wonder no more!
There are lists of oldest and youngest, of those who won most medals, the tallest and smallest Olympians. There is a section on Olympic boycotts, another about Olympians who served in wars. Olympic romances are not neglected.
Among my favourite are the 1920 Men’s 4 X 400 relay. Only six teams entered the competition, and there were six places in the final. But the officials in charge insisted that a semi-final round be run, with the top three in each semi qualifying for the final Needless to say, all six teams qualified! Or the 1900 rowing event where it was decided that the wrong crews had contested the final so they held a second final and gave prizes to the winners of both finals!
An excellent read but don’t go the pub with someone who has just read the book or they will spend the evening sharing Olympic trivia with you.