In 2015 Mira Rai took the international sky running scene by storm, winning gold medals in ultra-endurance running events ranging from 50-150 kilometres.At first, little was known about this young competitor whose grit and determination were unparalleled. But behind her calm demeanour was a personal story which would shock the ultra-running world. She tells Hunter Charlton how she began life in a poor farming village before being recruited by Nepal’s Maoist insurgents and served in the civil war as a teenager. An Ember Audio 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: Mira Rai on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Credit: Prakash Mathema/via Getty Images)
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10:09
When Greg Louganis hit his head on a diving board
At the 1988 Seoul Olympics, in South Korea, Greg Louganis hit his head on the springboard. It was during the preliminary rounds while he was attempting a reverse 2½ pike.It caused a gash to his head, with blood trickling down his head. At the time, only he and his coach Ron O'Brien knew he was HIV positive.In 2012 he spoke to Peter Bowes about that moment. 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: Diver Greg Louganis of the US shown hitting his head on the diving board. Credit: Rich Clarkson / Rich Clarkson & Associates)
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9:38
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9:38
The first Esports tournament
In October 1972, the first ever Esports tournament was held at California's Stanford University. Now a multi-billion dollar industry, thousands of people watch tournaments all around the world, but competitive video gaming was in its infancy in the early 70s.Called the 'Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics', it was organised by a Rolling Stone magazine journalist who was documenting the early days of computer gaming.Bruce Baumgart was a 26-year-old student there at the time, and he won the final event. Guy Kilty speaks to Bruce about how the 'Intergalactic Spacewar Olympics' started and how he clinched victory.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: Bruce Baumgart who won the first Esports tounament. Credit: Bruce Baumgart)
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10:41
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10:41
Between two giants: Thrilla in Manila’s referee
On October 1 1975, the third and final fight between bitter rivals Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, known as the Thrilla in Manila, took place in the sweltering heat of the Philippines’ capital. The bout went down in history as one of the most brutal and dramatic in boxing. Carlos Padilla, the match referee, tells Jay Behrouzi what it was like to watch the two heavyweight fighters push through exhaustion, and how he managed both corners as Ali and Frazier gave everything they had until the 14th round.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: Muhammad Ali (r) punches Joe Frazier (l) in the head during the seventh round of their boxing match. Referee Carlos Padilla (c) supervises the heavyweight match in 1975. Credit: Bettmann/Getty Images)
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10:01
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10:01
Second time around
At the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, the final of the women’s high jump came down to two world record holders. One of them was already an Olympic gold medallist and one of West Germany’s most famous athletes. Ulrike Nasse-Meyfarth had been a celebrity since surprising the athletics world by winning her first gold medal at the age of 16, 12 years earlier.After suffering a decline in her career and achievements following that success, this was her chance to make an incredible comeback.Alex Strangwayes-Booth talks to Ulrike Nasse-Meyfarth to hear the story of how she made history for the second time around and how winning her second gold medal felt so much better than her first. A CTVC 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: West German high jumper Ulrike Meyfarth winning the gold medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Credit: Getty Images)
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.
Ireland