Cleave Books Olympic Games - Some Track and Field Records MEN's Track and Field Events Event Athlete Nationality Time/Dist. Year Place 100 metres Donovan Bailey Canada 9.84s 1996 Atlanta 200 metres Michael Johnson USA 19.32s 1996 Atlanta 400 metres Michael Johnson USA 43.49s 1996 Atlanta 800 metres Vebjoern Rodal Norway 1m 42.58s 1996 Atlanta 1500 metres Noah Ngeny Kenya 3m 32.07s 2000 Sydney 5000 metres Said Aouita Morocco 13m 5.59s 1984 Los Angeles 10000 metres Kenenisa Bekele Ethiopia 27m 5.10s 2004 Athens Marathon Carlos Lopes Portugal 2h 9m 21s 1984 Los Angeles Steeplechase Julius Kariuki Kenya 8m 5.51s 1988 Seoul High Jump Charles Austin USA 2.39 m 1996 Atlanta Long Jump Bob Beamon USA 8.90 m 1968 Mexico City Pole Vault Timothy Mack USA 5.95m 2004 Athens Shot Ulf Timmermann German Dem. Rep. 22.47 m 1988 Seoul Discus Virgilijus Alekna Lithuania 69.89 m 2004 Athens Javelin** Jan Zelezny Czechoslovakia 90.17 m 2000 Sydney WOMEN's Track and Field Events Event Athlete Nationality Time/Dist. Year Place 100 metres Florence Griffith Joyner USA 10.62s* 1988 Seoul 200 metres Florence Griffith Joyner USA 21.34s 1988 Seoul 400 metres Marie-Jose Perec France 48.25s 1996 Atlanta 800 metres Nadiya Olizarenko USSR 1m 53.43s 1980 Moscow 1500 metres Paula Ivan Romania 3m 53.96s 1988 Seoul 5000 metres Gabriela Szabo Romania 14m 40.79s 2000 Sydney 10000 metres Derartu Tulu Ethiopa 30m 17.49s 2000 Sydney Marathon Naoko Takahashi Japan 2h 23m 14s 2000 Sydney High Jump Yelena Slesarenko Russia 2.06 m 2004 Athens Long Jump Jackie Joyner Kersee USA 7.40 m 1988 Seoul Shot Ilona Slupianek German Dem. Rep. 22.41 m 1980 Moscow Discus Martina Hellmann German Dem. Rep. 72.30 m 1988 Seoul Javelin** Osleidys Menendez Cuba 71.53 m 2004 Athens * indicates the record was set during one of the preliminary heats. In some cases a better result (time or distance) can be found for an event, but this usually means the better result was made with a wind speed greater than that allowed by the rules. ** The javelin record (over time) appears to go 'backwards' at one point. This was because the javelin could be thrown so far (over 100 metres for men) it was becoming increasingly difficult to fit a safe throwing-range into a stadium, so the javelin was re-designed so as not to be thrown so far! This meant that records had to be 're-started'.