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Former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch had strong views on doping: 'Yes, doping equals death. And then death of the spirit and intellect by the acceptance of cheating by disguising one's potential, in recognising one's inadequacy or unwillingness to be satisfied with oneself or transcend one's limits. And finally moral death, by placing oneself de facto outside the rule of conduct demanded by any human society.'
In Moscow in 1980, Finnish javelin throwers accused their Russian rivals of cheating by 'improper use of the stadium'. They said, when it was a Russian's turn to throw, groundsmen would open the giant stadium doors to let a powerful draught in and 'wind assist' the javelin. On foreigners' throws, the doors would quickly be drawn shut.
To shorten the often drawn-out boxing programme, organisers in Seoul in 1988 had the idea of setting up two boxing rings in the same hall. A 50 per cent time saving was envisaged and spectators could choose between two bouts at a time. But confusion reigned when the first bell sounded and the contestants could not determine which bell to respond to. Some rounds went on for up to six minutes, fighters delivered knockout punches after the bell had sounded and some boxers headed for the corner to sit and rest in the middle of a round, having to be steered back into the ring. The innovation was shortlived.
American Dick Fosbury, using his now legendary 'flop', won the high jump by reaching a height of 2.24 metres at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. Instead of leaping facing the bar and swinging first one leg and then the other over the bar in a scissoring motion - the preferred method of the time - Fosbury turned just as he leapt, flinging his body backward over the bar with his back arched, following with his legs and landing on his shoulders. Although Fosbury set an Olympic record in 1968, he failed to make the 1972 Olympic team and he never set a world record during his career, but his innovative style of jumping - called the 'Fosbury Flop' - had a profound effect, becoming the dominant method in the sport.
Micheline Ostermeyer, a French concert pianist, hit a high note by winning gold medals in the discus and shot put at the 1948 Olympics in London. She celebrated by performing an impromptu Beethoven recital back at the team camp.