Women's Marathon Agony
In 1984, Gabriela Andersen-Scheiss shocked the world by completing the first Olympic women's marathon in a state of virtual collapse.
In 1984, the women's marathon was held in the Olympic Games for the first time.
But to the horror of the crowd in Los Angeles, one of the runners, Gabriela Andersen-Scheiss of Switzerland, entered the stadium in a state of virtual collapse from heat exhaustion.
The 40-year-old ski instructor was not used to the hot Californian climate. She had to hobble her way around the final lap of the race.
The crowd of ninety thousand people in the LA Memorial Colosseum cheered her on as she made it to the finish line.
Andersen-Scheiss tells Ashley Byrne about her ordeal. The programme is a Made-In-Manchester Production that was first broadcasted in 2016.
(Photo: Andersen-Scheiss finishing the race in 1984. Credit: Getty Images)
Last on
More episodes
Previous
Broadcasts
- Mon 11 Jul 2016 04:50GMT麻豆社 World Service Americas and the Caribbean
- Tue 12 Jul 2016 08:50GMT麻豆社 World Service except News Internet
- Tue 12 Jul 2016 23:50GMT麻豆社 World Service except News Internet
- Wed 13 Jul 2016 01:50GMT麻豆社 World Service Australasia
Featured in...
![]()
Olympic history—Sporting Witness
Listen to and download our programmes
Olympic history
The inside and personal story of the key moments from sporting history
Sporting Witness Films
Watch sporting heroes tell their stories of astonishing achievement
Podcast
-
![]()
Sporting Witness
Personal stories of amazing moments from sporting history told by people who were there
