Sporting Witness Podcast
Eye-witness accounts from sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped sport through the eyes of the people who were there.
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.
Episodes to download
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Lopez Lomong - From Lost Boy To The Olympics
Thu 27 Dec 2018
The former Sudanese refugee who carried the flag for the USA at the 2008 Olympics.
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When British Football Went To China
Thu 20 Dec 2018
West Brom became the first professional British football team to visit communist China
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Usain Bolt - The Birth of a Legend
Thu 13 Dec 2018
In 2008, the Jamaican sprinter wowed the world by winning the Olympic 100 and 200 metres
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Ironman's Iron Woman
Thu 6 Dec 2018
Julie Moss wouldn't give up, even when she collapsed just metres from the finish line.
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The Fastest Man In The World Race
Thu 29 Nov 2018
How top sprinters Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson staged a head-to-head race in 1997.
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George Foreman: World Champion at 45
Thu 22 Nov 2018
In 1994, the boxing legend won a second world title after a shock return from retirement
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Mika Hakkinen's F1 Horror Crash
Thu 1 Nov 2018
How the Finnish driver nearly died in an accident at the 1995 Australian Grand Prix.
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The Czech Gymnast Who Defied The Soviet Union
Sat 20 Oct 2018
Vera Caslavska protested against the crushing of the Prague Spring at the 1968 Olympics.
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The Black Power Salute
Sat 13 Oct 2018
The story of the iconic protest by black American athletes at the 1968 Olympics.
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The Transplant Games
Sat 6 Oct 2018
How a new sporting event for organ recipients was launched in 1978.
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Harold Abrahams
Sat 29 Sep 2018
The story of the British sprinter of the 1920s immortalised in Chariots Of Fire
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Vijay Amritraj and the Davis Cup
Sat 22 Sep 2018
The tennis star on how India put political principle before sporting success
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Tom Gregory - The 11-Year-Old who Swam the Channel
Sat 15 Sep 2018
How a London schoolboy became the youngest person ever to swim the English Channel.
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Pat Rafter
Sat 8 Sep 2018
How the Australian tennis player surprised the world by winning the US Open in 1997
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Larisa Latynina
Sat 1 Sep 2018
The Soviet gymnast who became one of the greatest Olympians of all time.
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Wayne Gretzky And "The Trade"
Sat 25 Aug 2018
How the ice hockey legend's sale to a US team in 1988 caused outrage in Canada.
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Gaza's First Olympic Athlete
Sat 18 Aug 2018
The 800m runner who made history at the 2004 Athens Olympics
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Kay Cottee - Australian Sailing Hero
Sat 4 Aug 2018
The story of the first woman to sail non-stop and solo around the world.
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Graeme Obree - The Flying Scotsman
Sat 28 Jul 2018
How cycling's prestigious hour record was beaten by a Scotsman on a home-made bike.
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Jens Voigt - Riding the Tour De France On a Child's Bike
Sat 21 Jul 2018
How the German cyclist had to borrow a child's bike to finish a mountain stage in 2010
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Goran Ivanisevic's Wimbledon Wildcard Win
Sat 7 Jul 2018
The Croatian's emotional Wimbledon victory in 2001 when ranked 125 in the world.
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Lev Yashin - The Soviet Union's Goalkeeping Hero
Sat 30 Jun 2018
The story of the man regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all time.
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'Muggsy' Bogues - Shortest Player in the NBA
Sat 23 Jun 2018
In June 1987, the Washington Bullets shocked basketball by signing a 5ft 3 inches player
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Senegal's Stunning World Cup Win Over France in 2002
Sat 16 Jun 2018
An insider's account of the dramatic opening game of the 2002 World Cup
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The World Cup's 'Greatest Save'
Sat 9 Jun 2018
How English goalkeeper Gordon Banks made a wonder save from the legendary Pele in 1970
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The Battle of Santiago
Sat 2 Jun 2018
How Chile and Italy squared off in the World Cup's most notorious match in 1962.
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Iran v the USA
Sat 19 May 2018
The politically-charged showdown at the 1998 football World Cup between Iran and the US