Sporting Witness

In 2003, the British runner Paula Radcliffe set a famous world record of 2:15:25 at the London Marathon. It was the highlight of a career that also included a gold medal at the World Championships, but a series of failures at the Olympic Games. Simon Watts reports.PHOTO: Paula Radcliffe in 2005 (Getty Images)

In 2008, a deaf American rider called Ashley Fiolek won the first of four women’s motocross championships. Fiolek became the poster girl for one of the most dangerous forms of motor sport despite being short, wearing pink and not being able to hear her motorbike’s engine or her rivals. She talks to Claire Bowes.PHOTO: Ashley Fiolek (Getty Images)

In April 1994, West Indies batsman Brian Lara set a new world record of 375 for the highest ever score in test cricket. The milestone that made Lara a superstar came against England in Antigua, and took him three days of play. Simon Watts brings together the memories of Lara and England bowler Angus Fraser.PHOTO: Brian Lara in action (Getty Images)

Between 1981 and 1990, Bruce Fordyce won South Africa’s Comrades Marathon – one of the most famous races in Africa – a record nine times. He talks to Simon Watts about one of the ultimate tests of endurance and how he used the event to protest against the Apartheid regime.PHOTO: The start of the Comrades Marathon (AFP/Getty Images)

In March 2008, the England batsman Marcus Trescothick announced that he was retiring from international cricket because of a long struggle with depression and anxiety. Trescothick’s decision shone new light on the pressure facing elite sportsmen and women. Simon Watts reports.PHOTO: Marcus Trescothick in action (Getty Images)

In 1983, the ultra-runner Ron Grant became the first person to run around Australia. On a 13,383 kilometre jog that took seven months, Grant overcame injuries, crew mutinies and serious financial debt, before being greeted by huge crowds at the start/finish line in Brisbane. He talks to Ashley Byrne. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production.PHOTO: Ron Grant and fellow runners in 1983 (Victor Colin Sumner/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)

In 1971, the Bangladeshi football team made history at the height of the country's war of independence when they played a series of matches in India. The games were the first to be played under the flag of a nation that was still not officially recognised and helped raise money for Bangladesh's independence struggle. Farhana Haider talks to star striker Kazi Salahuddin, who was smuggled into India so he could take part in the matches.(Photo:The Shadhin Bangla Football Dol "Free Bengal Football Team", 1971. Credit: Kazi Salahuddin)

At the beginning of the 20th Century, the British invented downhill skiing and introduced it to the Alps, creating both a new sport and the multi-billion-dollar tourist industry we know today. Using the BBC archives, Simon Watts introduces the memories of Sir Arnold Lunn, the inventor of modern skiing, and of British and Swiss racers from the early days of the sport.(Photo: A skiing party in the 1920s, with Sir Arnold Lunn centre-right. Credit: Getty Images)

When Lisa Lindahl couldn't find a comfortable bra to run in, she decided to design one. In 1977 she and a friend fashioned the first modern sports bra out of two pairs of men's supportive underwear or 'jockstraps'. Lisa told Rebecca Kesby how they perfected their design with the newly available stretchy fabrics of the late 1970s, and went on to build a multi-million dollar company.(Photo: An early advertisement for "Jogbra" 1979. Courtesy of Lisa Lindahl's private collection.)

In February 1998, Paul Pritchard, then one of the world's leading rock climbers, suffered a life-changing brain injury while attempting to ascend a fearsome route in Tasmania called the Totem Pole. After years of rehab, he returned to complete the climb in 2016 using a single arm to pull himself up. Paul Pritchard talks to Simon Watts.PHOTO: Paul Pritchard on the Totem Pole (personal collection)

In 1995, post-apartheid South Africa hosted, and won, the Rugby World Cup. It was a hugely unifying moment for the country. Hear from Francois Pienaar, captain of the victorious Springboks team about what it meant to him, and to the nation.Image: Nelson Mandela presents Francois Pienaar with the Rugby World Cup trophy at Ellis Park in Johannesburg, 24 June 1995 (Credit: Philip Littleton/AFP/Getty Images)

In 1982, the first ever Gay Games were held in San Francisco. Attracting a large crowd and featuring more than 1000 athletes from more than 100 countries, the event was organised by a group of LGBT activists, including former Olympians, to raise awareness about homophobia in sport. The Gay Games are now held every four years at venues around the world. Ashley Byrne speaks to organiser Sara Waddell Lewinstein and athlete Rick Tomin.PHOTO: An athlete at the first Gay Games (Getty Images)

In 1970, Diane Crump became the first woman jockey to compete in the Kentucky Derby – the most prestigious horse race in the United States. It was the climax of a pioneering professional career in which Crump was initially booed and heckled by race-goers and even by some male jockeys. She talks to Simon Jarvis. The programme is a Whistledown Production for the BBC World Service.PHOTO: Diane Crump, centre (Getty Images)

In January 1976, the virtually unknown Mark Edmondson pulled off one of the greatest shocks in tennis history by winning the Australian Open on home soil. Ranked number 212 in the world, Edmondson had been working as a part-time hospital cleaner just weeks earlier. In the final, he defeated the all-time Aussie great, John Newcombe, and he remains the last Australian to win the Open title. Mark Edmondson speaks to Ashley Byrne.PHOTO: Mark Edmondson (Getty Images)

In 2008, former refugee Lopez Lomong carried the flag for the USA at the Beijing Olympics, before competing in the 1500 metres. As a child, Lomong fled from a prison for child soldiers in South Sudan, eventually reaching a refugee camp in Kenya where he was one of the thousands of so-called “Lost Boys”. Lomong was later adopted by an American family, who encouraged his dream to reach the Olympic Games. In 2017, he talked to Simon Watts.PHOTO: Lopez Lomong in 2008 (Getty Images)

A story of banquets, diplomacy and football. In 1978, first division side, West Bromwich Albion became the first professional British football club to visit communist China. The visit came as China began to open up to the West after the power struggle which followed the death of Chairman Mao. Alex Last spoke to West Brom legend, Brendon Batson, about his memories of the historic tour. Photo: The teams head out onto the field in Beijing for West Brom's first game of the tour. (BBC)

In 2008 Jamaica's Usain Bolt burst onto the athletics scene at the Beijing Olympics, winning both the 100 metres and 200 metres in world record times. Ian Williams talks to Bolt's coach, Glen Mills, and fellow Jamaican sprinter, Michael Frater, about the year Bolt became a global superstar.(Photo: Usain Bolt at the 2008 Olympics, Getty Images)

Refusing to give up - Julie Moss made history in 1982 when she crawled to the finish line, having collapsed just metres from the end of the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. It was her first competitive triathlon and she came second, but as she explains to Rebecca Kesby for Witness - that heroic fight for the line changed her life, and her attitude to the sport. The moment also inspired a surge in popularity for Ironman - until then a little known event.(Photo Copyright, Carol Hogan Photojournalism)

In 1997, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, Canada’s Donovan Bailey, and the reigning 200m champion, Michael Johnson of the USA, staged a unique two-man race to settle a dispute about who was really the world’s fastest man. Held over 150 metres at the Skydome arena in Toronto, the atmosphere was more like a boxing match and created massive media interest. Simon Watts talks to the eventual winner, Donovan Bailey, about a victory he considers every bit as sweet as Olympic gold.PHOTO: Donovan Bailey, left, and Michael Johnson at promotional event (Getty Images)

Boxing heavyweight legend George Foreman died aged 76 on 21 March 2025.In November 1994, George Foreman shocked the sport of boxing by winning a second world title at the age of 45. Written off by the critics, Foreman held off a rain of punches from Michael Moorer, a man 19 years his junior, before landing a knockout punch in the tenth round. George Foreman talked to Ashley Byrne about his varied career. A Made in Manchester production. Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the Fifa computer game was created.(Photo: George Foreman, left, in action against Michael Moorer. Credit: Getty Images)

In November 1995, Finnish driver Mika Hakkinen suffered one of the most dramatic crashes in Formula One history when his rear tyre exploded during the Australian Grand Prix catapulting his car into the air and leaving him severely injured. Hakkinen was saved by the roadside medical team who performed an emergency tracheotomy. He went on to win two F1 world championships. Mika Hakkinen talks to Kurt Brookes. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production. PHOTO: Mika Hakkinen (BBC)

In 1981, the first game of the shooting sport, Paintball, was played by American outdoorsman, Charles Gaines, and eleven of his friends in the woods in the American state of New Hampshire. Paintball is now enjoyed by millions of people around the world and has also spawned a multi-million-dollar industry making protective body gear, goggles and paint-guns. Charles Gaines talks to Anya Dorodeyko about how Paintball started.PHOTO: A Paintball player in action (Getty Images)

At the Mexico City Olympics in 1968, the great Czechoslovak gymnast Vera Caslavska staged a protest that made almost as many headlines at the time as the now much better-known "Black Power Salute". To make a stand against Moscow's crushing of the Prague Spring, Caslavska turned her head away on the podium as the Soviet anthem was played. The gymnast paid a heavy price - spending the rest of her life in menial jobs and suffering from depression. Tom Reynolds talks to Caslavska's friend, British competitor Mary Prestidge.PHOTO: Vera Caslavska with her Olympic medals (Getty Images)

In October 1968, two American sprinters, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, staged one of the most iconic protests in sport at the Mexico City Olympics. The two athletes raised their gloved fists in the air at the medal ceremony for the 200 metres as a way of protesting against racism. Simon Watts reports. The programme was first broadcast in 2016.PHOTO: Tommie Smith, centre, and John Carlos, right, on the Olympic podium (AFP)

In 1978, the first international sporting event was held for athletes who'd undergone organ transplants. The brainchild of a British surgeon called Dr Maurice Slapak, the Transplant Games aimed to convince the public that patients could go on to live active lives. Caroline Heywood talks to Dr Slapak and to John Murray, who took part in the Games after a successful kidney transplant. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production.PHOTO: John Murray taking part in the Transplant Games (personal collection)

In 1924, the British sprinter, Harold Abrahams, won the 100 metres at the Paris Olympics - a famous victory depicted in the film, Chariots of Fire. Simon Watts tells his story using interviews in the BBC archives.(Photo: Harold Abrahams winning the 1924 Olympics. Credit: Getty Images)

In 1974, India had its best chance of winning the Davis Cup, the most prestigious team event in international tennis. But Prime Minister Indira Gandhi withdrew the team on principle because the final was due to be played against apartheid South Africa. Farhana Haider talks to the legendary Indian player, Vijay Amritraj, who was in the team with his brother, Anand.(Photo: Vijay Amritraj. Credit: ITN/Shutterstock)

In September 1988, 11-year-old South London schoolboy Tom Gregory set a world record that still stands for being the youngest swimmer to cross the English Channel. He has just published a memoir entitled "A Boy In The Water". Tom Gregory talks to Simon Watts.(Photo: Tom Gregory. Credit: Penguin Books)

In September 1997, the Australian tennis player Pat Rafter was the surprise winner of the US Open. Dismissed as a “fluke” victory by John McEnroe, Rafter returned to Flushing Meadows the following year to retain the title and also became world number one. One of the most modest men in sport, Pat Rafter talks to Ashley Byrne. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production. PHOTO: Pat Rafter in action (Getty Images)

In 1956, the Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina wowed the world when she won four gold medals at the Melbourne Olympics. She went on to dominate the sport for the next decade, becoming a Soviet hero in the process, and she is the second most successful Olympian of all time – beaten only by Michael Phelps. Larisa tells Ashley Byrne about the rigorous training methods in the Soviet Union and how she had to keep a pregnancy secret from her coach. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production.PHOTO: Larisa Latynina (Getty Images)

In August 1988, Canada was plunged into a mixture of shock and grief when the legendary ice-hockey player Wayne Gretzky was sold to a team in America. The controversial deal between the Edmonton Oilers and the Los Angeles Kings became known simply as “The Trade”. In 2011, Madeleine Morris spoke to Bruce McNall, the owner of the LA Kings at the time.PHOTO: Wayne Gretzky (Getty Images)

Sanaa Abu Bkheet is an 800m runner who became the first athlete from the Gaza Strip to represent Palestine at the 2004 Athens Olympics. She was also the first woman to lead the Palestinian delegation at the Games. Sanaa still lives in the Gaza Strip, where she spoke to Mike Lanchin about her long and difficult journey to the biggest sporting stage in the world. Photo: Sanaa Abu Bkheet at home in Gaza City (BBC 2018)

With Imran Khan set to become the next prime minister of Pakistan, we look back at Imran’s cricketing career and particularly his greatest triumph – Pakistan’s victory over England in the 1992 World Cup final. Simon Watts introduces the sporting memories of Imran Khan, as recorded in the BBC archives. (Photo: Imran Khan in action in 1989. Credit: Getty Images)

In 1988, the Australian Kay Cottee became the first woman to sail around the world solo and non-stop. Cottee survived being washed overboard in the Southern Ocean before returning to a hero’s welcome at Sydney Harbour. Simon Watts introduces her memories of nearly 200 days at sea. The producer is Maria Jevstafjeva.PHOTO: Kay Cottee (Rex Features/Shutterstock)

In July 1993, Scotsman Graeme Obree broke cycling’s prestigious world hour record – riding on a home-made bike nicknamed “Old Faithful”. The revolutionary design, which included parts of a washing machine, helped Obree cover more than 51 kilometres in 60 minutes. He talks to Ian Williams.PHOTO: Graeme Obree in a later race (AFP/Getty Images)

In July 2010, the German cyclist Jens Voigt crashed while descending a mountain in the Pyrenees during the Tour De France. With his bike destroyed and his team support cars a long way up the road, Voigt borrowed a child’s bike and rode the next 15 kilometres on it. He talks to Ashley Byrne. (Photo: Jens Voigt in action at the 2010 Tour De France. Credit: Getty Images)

The victory of Diego Maradona's Argentina over West Germany in Mexico's Azteca stadium in June 1986 was one of the most memorable World Cup finals in recent times. Argentina was leading 2-0 but the West Germans fought back, before a sublime Maradona move sealed the match for the South Americans. Mike Lanchin has been speaking to the former Argentina defender, José Luis Brown, who scored his only international goal in the game; and to Argentine football expert, Marcela Mora y Araujo, who watched in delight as her country secured the top trophy for a second time.Photo: Diego Maradona holding the World Cup trophy. (Photo by Jean-Yves Ruszniewski/TempSport/Corbis/VCG via Getty Images)

In July 2001, the Croatian Goran Ivanisevic became the first wildcard player to take the Men’s Singles crown at Wimbledon. Ivanisevic had lost three previous finals and fallen to number 125 in the world rankings, but managed to win an epic five-set match against Pat Rafter of Australia. The final was played on a Monday because of a rain delay and had one of the best atmospheres in Wimbledon history. Simon Watts introduces the memories of Ivanisevic and Rafter.PHOTO: Goran Ivanisevic with the 2001 Wimbledon trophy (BBC)

The 2018 World Cup in Russia is honouring the former Soviet goalkeeper, Lev Yashin, by featuring him on the tournament poster. Yashin - nicknamed the "Black Panther" - revolutionised goalkeeping, winning the prestigious Golden Boot trophy. He also helped lead the Soviet Union to several famous victories in the 1950s and 60s, but later died young and in very poor health. Simon Watts introduces the memories of Yashin's widow, Valentina Yashina. The material in the programme was gathered by BBC Sport. PHOTO: Lev Yashin in action at the 1966 World Cup (Getty Images)

In June 1987, there was a major shock at the NBA draft when the Washington Bullets picked the shortest man ever to play top-tier American basketball, Tyrone “Muggsy” Bogues. Measuring just 5 foot 3 inches (160cm), Muggsy went on to have a successful career, earning the respect of his taller colleagues with his aggressive play and ability to snatch the ball. Muggsy Bogues talks to Janet Ball.(Photo: Muggsy Bogues in action. Credit: Getty Images)

Former Senegalese player Ferdinand Coly remembers the dramatic opening game of the 2002 football World Cup. It was the first time Senegal had reached the World Cup which was held in South Korea and Japan. France were the reigning World and European champions. The game marked the start of Senegal's run to the quarter finals. Photo: Ferdinand Coly battles French player Emmanuel Petit for the ball, as Thierry Henry looks on. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Bongarts/Getty Images)

In the latest in our World Cup history series, we go back to 1970 when the English goalkeeper, Gordon Banks, made what’s regarded as the greatest save in the history of the tournament. In a match against Brazil, Banks somehow dived down quickly enough to stop a powerful header from the legendary Pele. He talks to Mina Rzouki. (Photo: Gordon Banks saves from Pele. Credit: Getty Images)

In the latest in a World Cup series, we go back to 1962 and probably the most violent match in the history of the tournament. Described by BBC commentator David Coleman as a "stupid and disgusting exhibition", the confrontation between Chile and Italy was marred by spitting, kicking and punch-ups between the players. It is now known as the Battle of Santiago. Richard Murie talks to the former Chilean defender, Humberto "The Cheetah" Cruz. (Photo: The aftermath of a heavy challenge in the Battle of Santiago. Credit: Getty Images)

Sporting Witness goes back to 1998 and a politically-charged showdown between the USA and Iran, in the second part of a World Cup series. Despite fears of a diplomatic incident, the match went smoothly, ending with an Iranian victory and warm handshakes between the rival players. Freddy Chick talks to Iranian-born Fifa official, Mehrdad Masoudi, the man in charge of ensuring a football match did not create a diplomatic crisis, and to the US captain, Thomas Dooley. (Photo: The Iranian and USA players pose together before the match. Credit: Getty Images)

At the 1974 World Cup, the East and West German football teams clashed on German soil in Hamburg. The East Germans had crossed the Berlin Wall for the tournament and - in a moment never to be forgotten - defeated the great West German team of Franz Beckenbauer 1-0. Tim Mansel talks to former East German defender, Gerd Kische, and Klaus-Peter Beese, one of the East German fans allowed by the Stasi secret police to travel to the game.PHOTO: East German forward Juergen Sparwasser (L) scores the winning goal in 1974 (Getty Images)

This year's Giro D’Italia cycling race is paying tribute to the great Italian rider, Gino Bartali, during its opening stages in Israel. Bartali was one of the most successful cyclists of the 1930s and 1940s, but it’s now also known that he helped save the lives of hundreds of Jews when the Nazis occupied Italy during World War Two. Alice Gioia talks to Gino Bartali’s granddaughter, Gioia Bartali, and the film-maker Oren Jacoby, who’s researched the rider’s wartime heroism.PHOTO: Gino Bartali after winning the 1948 Tour De France (Getty Images)

Tennis champion Monica Seles was stabbed during a match in Germany on April 30th 1993. She was world number one but the attack set her career back for some time. Jens-Peter Hetch of the German Tennis Federation was there and he has been sharing his memories of the day with Ashley Byrne.Photo: Monica Seles after being stabbed on court at the Hamburg Open Tennis Championships, Germany. Credit: Sipa Press/REX/Shutterstock .

In April 1968, the great Scottish racing driver, Jim Clark, was killed in a crash on the Hockenheim circuit in Germany. Regarded as one of the finest drivers of all time, Clark won two Formula One world championships and the Indianapolis 500 while helping to run the family farm in the Scottish Borders. Simon Watts talks to his friend, the motoring historian, Graham Gauld.PHOTO: Jim Clark (Getty Images)

In 2002, the Commonwealth Games became the first – and only - major international athletics championship to combine able-bodied and parasport competitions in a single, integrated event. The great Canadian wheelchair racer, Chantal Petitclerc, won the first gold medal under the new system. She talks to Simon Watts about what she regards as a breakthrough for the equality of parasport. PHOTO: Chantal Petitclerc in 2002 (Getty Images)

In April 1986, the legendary golfer Jack Nicklaus made history by becoming the oldest player ever to win the Masters. Aged 46, the "Golden Bear" took the lead with just one hole to go. Ashley Byrne talks to Tsuneyuki Nakajima, a Japanese golfer who was in contention throughout one of the most exciting tournaments ever played at Augusta.PHOTO: Jack Nicklaus in his prime in the 1970s (BBC)