Fact of the Day

Benjamin Spock won an Olympic gold medal in rowing at Paris 1924 as part of the Yale eight which represented the United States after being invited to be part of the team by James Rockfeller.

Benjamin Spock won an Olympic gold medal in rowing at Paris 1924 as part of the Yale eight which represented the United States after being invited to be part of the team by James Rockfeller. In 1946 and, by then, a qualified pediatrician, he found even greater fame with the publication of the book Baby and Child Care, which has been translated into 39 languages and is believed to be the second biggest selling book in history after the Bible.

Cornishman V was a horse who won Olympic gold medals in the three day event at Mexico City in 1968 and Munich 1972, when Britain came first in the team event on both occasions.

Cornishman V was a horse who won Olympic gold medals in eventing at Mexico City in 1968 and Munich 1972, when Britain came first in the team event on both occasions. Cornishman was ridden in Mexico City by Richard Meade and in Munich by Mary Gordon-Watson. He was retired from eventing in 1973 but then begun a second career as a film star. In 1974 Cornishman appeared in the film based on a Dick Francis thriller Dead Cert, and in 1978 he was in International Velvet, starring Tatum O'Neal, Christopher Plummer, Anthony Hopkins and Nanette Newman

American Jennison Heaton won the first Olympic skeleton gold medal at St Moritz in 1928, beating his brother John, who took the silver

American Jennison Heaton won the first Olympic skeleton gold medal at St Moritz in 1928, beating his brother John, who took the silver. Jennison then won a silver in the five man bobsleigh in the same Games. John, meanwhile, won a bronze medal in the two man bob at Lake Placid in 1932 before claiming another silver in the skeleton, when the Olympics returned to St Moritz in 1948, at the age of 39. The Heaton Gold Cup remains one of the classic skeleton events of the St. Moritz "Cresta" season.

Charlotte Radcliffe, the great aunt of world marathon record holder Paula, was a swimmer who won an Olympic silver medal as a 17-year-old in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay at the 1920 Games in Antwerp

Charlotte Radcliffe, great aunt of world marathon record holder Paula, was a swimmer who won an Olympic silver medal competing for Britain as a 17-year-old in the 4x100 metres freestyle relay at the 1920 Games in Antwerp. Radcliffe the runner never won an Olympic medal despite competing in four consecutive Games - her best performance was fourth in the 10,000m at Sydney in 2000.

Johnny Weissmuller, the freestyle swimmer who won five Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928, will probably always be the one actor most associated with the Tarzan role

Johnny Weissmuller, the freestyle swimmer who won five Olympic gold medals in 1924 and 1928, will probably always be the actor most associated with the Tarzan role. But he was not the only former Olympian to wear Tarzan's loincloth. He was succeeded in the role by Buster Crabbe, the 1932 Los Angeles 400 metres freestyle gold medallist, before he left to become Flash Gordon. Herman Brix, the 1928 Olympic shot put silver medallist, followed him in the role, lasting two films before Glenn Morris, the 1936 Berlin decathlon champion, took over.

The only time in Olympic history an event has been held in two different countries was in 1920, when Antwerp hosted the Games, for the 12-foot dinghy event in sailing

The only time in Olympic history an event has been held in two different countries was in 1920, when Antwerp hosted the Games, for the 12-foot dinghy event in sailing. Early races were held in Ostend in Belgium but the second race had to be nullified because of technical problems. Organisers did not have time to restage the event and Belgian officials requested the Dutch Olympic Committee held them as both crews were from Holland. So the medal races took place at Buiten IJ in Amsterdam, where a team consisting of Cornelis Hin and his sons, Johan Hin and Fran Hin took the gold.

Japan's Osamu Watanabe won the freestyle wrestling gold medal at Tokyo 1964 in the featherweight division by going through the competition without conceding a point.

Japan's Osamu Watanabe won the freestyle wrestling gold medal at Tokyo 1964 in the featherweight division by going through the competition without conceding a point. His aggregate score was 186-0 and he spent only ten minutes on the mat during the entire competition. He retired after the Games, although still only 24, making him the only wrestler in the history of the Olympics to go throughout their career without conceding any points.

In the James Bond film Die Another Day, it is claimed the Miranda Frost character, played by Rosamund Pike, had won a gold medal in fencing at the 2000 Sydney Olympics by default

In the James Bond film Die Another Day, it is claimed the Miranda Frost character, played by Rosamund Pike, had won a gold medal in fencing at the 2000 Sydney Olympics by default. It supposedly came after Gustav Graves, the main villain of the film and the identity adopted by North Korean Colonel Tan-Sun Moon, had organised the real gold medalist's death by drug overdose. Frost was coached by Verity, played in the film by Madonna.

Soviet sailor Valentyn Mankin won an Olympic gold medal in the Finn class at Mexico City 1968.

Soviet sailor Valentyn Mankin won an Olympic gold medal in the Finn class at Mexico City 1968. Four years later, at Munich 1972, he claimed gold in the Tempest class with Vitaly Dyrdyra. At Montreal, in 1976, alongside new partner, Vladislav Akimenko, he took a silver. Four years later, in Moscow, he won gold in the Star class with Aleksandrs Muzichenko, making him the only sailor in history to win Olympic gold medals in three different classes.

Monaco made its Olympic debut at Antwerp in 1920 but the only medal they have ever won was Julien Médecin a bronze for architecture at Paris in 1924

Monaco made its Olympic debut at Antwerp in 1920 but the only medal they have ever won was Julien Médecin, a bronze for architecture at Paris in 1924, which are not included in the official tally. He received his medal for his design of the Stadium for Monte Carlo. No gold medal was awarded but the silver was given to Hungary's Alfréd Hajós and Dezső Lauber, also for a stadium design.

In 1986 the International Olympic Committee changed its Charter to allow "all the world's great male and female athletes to participate" and dropped the rule that they must be amateur.

In 1986 the International Olympic Committee changed its Charter to allow "all the world's great male and female athletes to participate" and dropped the rule that they must be amateur. The change paved the way for professional competitors, like Germany's Steffi Graf and Sweden's Stefan Edberg, to take part at Seoul 1988 when tennis returned to the Olympic programme after a 64-year absence.

For the 1924 Olympics in Paris, the distance of the marathon was fixed at 42.195 kilometres, the same distance that had been run at London 1908 when organisers chose a course that started at Windsor Castle and was extended to include lap of the track at t

For the 1924 Olympics in Paris, the distance of the marathon was fixed at 42.195 kilometres, the same run at London 1908 when organisers chose a course that started at Windsor Castle and extended to include lap of the track at the White City Stadium, finishing in front of the Royal Box. Finland's Albin Stenroos went on to take the gold medal in the event at Paris, 12 years after winning a silver in the team cross country and bronze in the 10,000 metres at Stockholm 1912.

Viggo Jensen was Denmark's first Olympic champion, winning gold in the two hand lift weightlifting division at the inaugural Games at Athens in 1896

Viggo Jensen was Denmark's first Olympic champion, winning a gold medal in the two hand lift weightlifting division at the inaugural Games at Athens in 1896. He then won silver in the one hand lift, having been injured when winning the earlier event. A few days later, he claimed a bronze in the free rifle shooting event. If that was not enough, talented all-rounder Jensen also finished fourth in both the shot put and the rope climbing event.

Otto Herschmann won a silver medal as a member of Austria's fencing team in the sabre event at Stockholm 1912

Otto Herschmann won a silver medal as a member of Austria's fencing team in the sabre event at Stockholm 1912. At the time Herschmann was also President of the Austrian Olympic Committee, He remains the only sitting National Olympic Committee President to win a medal at the Olympics. It was Herschman's second Olympic medal, having also won a silver in the 100 metres freestyle at Athens in 1896.