The ancient sport picked up where it left off in 1896, providing one of the more dramatic finishes in the first modern games. Since then some amazingly multi-talented athletes have enjoyed success, including several of the older Olympic track and field champions.
1. 1896/1972 - Final-round successes
American discus novice Robert Garrett won the 1896 gold medal on his final throw, which measured 95 feet, 7-½ inches. The discus traveled quite a bit farther the next time the Olympic gold was decided in the last round. In 1972, Czechoslovakia’s Ludvik Danek, who’d led all qualifiers, stood fifth after five rounds of the final. But Danek’s final throw of 211-3 (64.40 meters) sailed almost three feet longer than silver medalist Jay Silvester’s best effort.2. 1964 - Oerter reaches 200 feet
Al Oerter already owned two gold medals by 1964. Unfortunately for the American, he also owned a chronic bad back – which forced him to wear a neck brace – as well as torn rib cartilage when the Tokyo Games began. Oerter, in pain despite receiving Novocain injections, was in third place after four rounds. He then uncorked the first 200-foot discus throw in Olympic history, winning the third of his four consecutive golds with a toss of 200 feet, 1 inch (61 meters).3. 1968 - Manoliu overcomes age, injury
Romania’s Lia Manoliu participated in six consecutive Olympic Games, from 1952 through 1972. She earned bronze medals in 1960 and 1964 and was 36 years old when she competed in Mexico City in 1968. Suffering from a sore elbow, Manoliu felt she needed a strong first throw to have a chance for another medal. So she cut loose a then-Olympic record toss measuring 191 feet, 2 inches (58.28 meters) and won by a foot-and-a-half. She remains the oldest woman to win a track and field gold medal.
