podium sweep
A podium sweep is where a team or nation comes in first, second and third, such as at the Olympics, and wins all available medals, which are recognized by a podium ceremony. The word sweep is commonly used in North American sports such as baseball, ...
is when one team wins all available medals in a single event in a sporting event. At the highest level, that would be when one nation wins all the medals in the Summer Olympics Athletics. Many Olympic sports or events do not allow three entries into a single event in the Olympics, making a sweep impossible. But in
Athletics
Athletics may refer to:
Sports
* Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking
** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport
* Athletics (physical culture), competiti ...
(excluding relays) the maximum for a single country is three.
In the beginning, before the Olympics became a global event, sweeps were more common amongst fewer competing countries and larger numbers of entries from a single country. After the 1908 Olympics, a sweep became an increasingly treasured status symbol of national dominance in an event. 1964 was the first Olympiad to have no sweeps. Since then there were no sweeps in 1972, 1996 and 2000.
Sweeps have happened in every long term event in the individual program, except the
5000 metres
The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a stan ...
. It has happened eight times in the
200 metres
The 200 metres, or 200-meter dash, is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 metre racetrack, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques is needed to successfully run the race. A slightl ...
and
110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles, or 110-metre hurdles, is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is included in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metres hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hur ...
, seven in the
Shot Put
The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part of the modern Olympics since their revival in 1896, and women's ...
. A steeplechase event has had a sweep five times, by four countries.
Ray Ewry
Raymond "Ray" Clarence Ewry (October 14, 1873 – September 29, 1937) was an American track and field athlete who won eight gold medals at the Olympic Games and two gold medals at the Intercalated Games (1906 in Athens). This puts him among the ...
led 5 sweeps, including three from 1904, with
Irving Baxter
Irving Knott Baxter (March 25, 1876 in Utica, New York – June 13, 1957 in Utica, New York) was an American athlete, who won the gold medal in both the men's high jump and the pole vault at the 1900 Summer Olympics, in Paris, Fr ...
Robert Garrett
Robert S. Garrett (May 24, 1875 – April 25, 1961) was an American athlete, as well as investment banker and philanthropist in Baltimore, Maryland and financier of several important archeological excavations. Garrett was the first modern Ol ...
in one, plus adding a different sweep in 1900. That other sweep joined
Josiah McCracken
Josiah Calvin McCracken (March 30, 1874 – February 15, 1962) was an American football player and track and field athlete.
Early life: football and track achievements
McCracken, nicknamed Joe, was born in Lincoln County, Tennessee. His earlie ...
who was part of a different sweep.
Ellery Clark
Ellery Harding Clark (March 13, 1874 – July 27, 1949) was an American track and field athlete and a writer. He was the first modern Olympic champion in high jump and long jump.Clark, Former Olympic Champion, Dies at 75, ''Daily Southern Indepe ...
,
Robert Garrett
Robert S. Garrett (May 24, 1875 – April 25, 1961) was an American athlete, as well as investment banker and philanthropist in Baltimore, Maryland and financier of several important archeological excavations. Garrett was the first modern Ol ...
and
James Connolly
James Connolly ( ga, Séamas Ó Conghaile; 5 June 1868 – 12 May 1916) was an Irish republican, socialist and trade union leader. Born to Irish parents in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, Scotland, Connolly left school for working life at the a ...
swept two events together in 1896.
Archie Hahn
Charles Archibald Hahn (September 14, 1880 – January 21, 1955) was an American track athlete and is widely regarded as one of the best sprinters of the early 20th century. He is the first athlete to win both the 100m and 200m race at the same ...
Carl Lewis
Frederick Carlton Lewis (born July 1, 1961) is an American former track and field athlete who won nine Olympic gold medals, one Olympic silver medal, and 10 World Championships medals, including eight gold. His career spanned from 1979 to 1996, ...
has led three Olympic sweeps, Mike Powell has finished behind him in two.
Yuriy Sedykh
ukr, Юрій Георгійович Сєдих
, native_name_lang =
, years active = 1976–1995Glenn Davis and
Lee Calhoun
Lee Quincy Calhoun (February 23, 1933 – June 21, 1989) was an American athlete, a double winner of 110 m hurdles at the Olympic Games.
Biography
Born in Laurel, Mississippi, Lee Calhoun, representing North Carolina Central University, won t ...
have also led two sweeps, Sedykh later a participant in a third in 1988 that involved a reordering of the same three from 1980.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Order of Distinction, OD, Order of Jamaica , OJ (née Fraser; born December 27, 1986) is a Jamaican track and field Sprint (running), sprinter competing in the 60 metres, 60 metres, 100 metres, 100 m and 200 m ...
led the Jamaican 100m sweep in 2008 and participated in the 2020 Tokyo 100m sweep, with a silver.
Men
Women
With the majority of women's competitions happening in more modern, competitive times, sweeps have only occurred nine times. The Pentathlon and the 100 metres are the only events to have more than one occurrence.