Sporting Witness

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Episodes

Date Title & Description Contributors
2025-02-22

  Exploring the caves of the world's biggest iceberg

In 2000, a Canadian diver became the first person to explore the underwater caves of a giant iceberg.Jill Heinerth was already renowned for her exploits mapping vast underground cave networks in Florida. But when a vast iceberg known as B-15 broke away... 		  BBC World Service author
2025-02-15

  The woman who sailed solo around the world

In 1978, Naomi James became the first woman to sail single-handedly around the world via Cape Horn.At the time, Naomi had had only six weeks of sailing experience and had never been on her own on a boat. She also suffered seasickness, and struggled wit... 		  BBC World Service author
2025-02-08

  The Super Bowl helmet catch

In the final minutes of Super Bowl 42, the trailing New York Giants pulled off a move later described as “an insult to physics and Albert Einstein”. Quarterback Eli Manning sent the ball hurtling forward towards wide receiver David Tyree. As he leapt t... 		  BBC World Service author
2025-02-01

  George Best scores a double hat-trick

On 7 February 1970, footballing legend George Best returned from a month-long ban to score six goals in one game.The striker wanted to prove the critics wrong who said Manchester United had been playing better without him.Ray Fairfax, from Northampton ... 		  BBC World Service author
2025-01-25

  How Fanny Blankers-Koen became the 'flying housewife’

At the 1948 Olympics, one Dutch athlete showed that being a housewife and mother was no obstacle to Olympic glory.Fanny Blankers-Koen won gold in four events: the 100m and 200m sprints, the 80m hurdles and the 100m relay.But not all the attention was p... 		  BBC World Service author
2025-01-18

  The Ice Mile

In 2009, Ram Barkai, a swimmer from Cape Town, in South Africa, broke the world record for the longest swim in freezing cold water. He completed the endurance feat wearing only a cap, goggles and standard swimming costume.Delighted with his achievement... 		  BBC World Service author
2025-01-11

  Ron Grant: First man to run around Australia

In 1983, the ultra-runner Ron Grant took on an epic challenge - to became the first person to run around Australia. The 13,383 kilometre jog took him seven months.Grant overcame injuries, crew mutinies and serious financial debt, before being greeted b... 		  BBC World Service author
2025-01-04

  The ice hockey team sponsored by Colonel Gaddafi

In 1987, Colonel Gaddafi, sponsored a struggling German ice hockey team called ECD Iserlohn. The Libyan dictator paid a million dollars for the team to wear an image of his infamous “Green Book” on their kits, but the sponsorship deal outraged fans and... 		  BBC World Service author
2024-12-28

  Maria Costello: the record-breaking female motorcyclist

In 2005, British motorcycle rider, Maria Costello, became the first ever woman to reach the podium at the infamous Isle of Man TT course.In doing so, she also became the fastest woman ever around the course.The Isle of Man TT is one of the most challen... 		  BBC World Service author
2024-12-21

  Germany’s first black national footballer

In March 1975, West Germany – the newly crowned world champions – came to London’s Wembley Stadium for a friendly against England.Among the German squad was a 28-year-old striker who’d already attracted a lot of attention from the British media: not be... 		  BBC World Service author