Taking its title from the Olympic motto, this series explores the history of the modern Games through the stories of extraordinary athletes who have pushed performance to the limit and beyond in pursuit of gold.

 

100 Metres

The most anticipated and hyped event in any Olympics, the 100 metres.

Combining expert eyewitness testimony, rare historic archive, period reconstruction and special filming techniques to slow down and analyse performance, this is a unique insight into the most electrifying event in all of sport.

 

Gymnastics

Daring and danger, skill and beauty combine with the story of gymnastics at the modern Games. It explores a never-ending pursuit of perfection by athletes constantly pushing their sport to greater and greater levels of technical difficulty both on the floor and up on the high apparatus. 

 

1500 Metres

The story of the blue riband event of any Games - the 1500 metres, or metric mile. Traveling to the many and varied environments that have helped shape the greatest 1500m runners this film reveals that, although the race is run on a track, it is ultimately won on punishing training runs in natural landscapes.

 

Swimming

This film explores how swimmers have swum faster and faster to win gold, using cutting-edge filming techniques to investigate achievements, through period reconstruction and unique archive footage from the very earliest Olympics onwards

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Producers Francis Welch & Matt Pelly

Series Producer Alastair Laurence

BBC TV 4x 60 mins 2012

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