Sporting Witness Podcast
Eye-witness accounts from sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped sport through the eyes of the people who were there.
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鈥檒l 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鈥檚 World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football鈥檚 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鈥檝e 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.
Episodes to download
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Germany鈥檚 first black national footballer
Last Saturday
Footballer Erwin Kostedde talks about how racism affected his career
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Fighting Norway's boxing ban
Sat 14 Dec 2024
In 2014, fighter Cecilia Braekhus helped end Norway鈥檚 33 year ban on professional boxing
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Puerto Rico upsets the USA in Olympic basketball
Sat 7 Dec 2024
In 2004, underdogs Puerto Rico beat the USA in one of the biggest upsets in basketball
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Magnus Carlsen: 'Mozart of chess'
Sat 30 Nov 2024
In 2014, Magnus Carlsen achieved the highest official rating of any player in history
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The Unified Team at the 1992 Olympics
Sat 23 Nov 2024
How former Soviet athletes competed for the first and only time as the Unified Team
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Battle of the Surfaces
Sat 16 Nov 2024
Rafael Nadal takes on Roger Federer on a tennis court made of half grass and half clay
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First international for Netherlands women's football
Sat 9 Nov 2024
Dutch footballer Ellen Popeyus was 16 when she played for her country in the first match
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The football fans who built their own stadium
Sat 2 Nov 2024
When Union Berlin had financial problems, their fans volunteered to renovate the stadium
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Brojen Das: Bangladesh's Channel swimming champ
Sat 26 Oct 2024
In 1961, Brojen Das broke the world record for swimming from France to England
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Agnes Keleti: The world's oldest living Olympian
Sat 19 Oct 2024
Hungarian Agnes Keleti is the world's oldest living Olympian at 103
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The drone that started a riot
Sat 12 Oct 2024
How a politically charged match between Serbia and Albania descended into violent chaos
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The first African Cup of Champions
Sat 5 Oct 2024
In 1964, the first ever African Cup of Champions took place in Ghana
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Brian McKechnie: New Zealand's double international sportsman
Sat 28 Sep 2024
Brian McKechnie has been in New Zealand teams for both international rugby and cricket
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The Iron Ladies
Sat 21 Sep 2024
How a Thai men鈥檚 volleyball team made up of gay and trans athletes won a championship
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Formula E: The world鈥檚 first electric car championship
Sat 14 Sep 2024
Nelson Piquet Jr competed in the first Formula E race in 2014, featuring 20 electric cars
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The invention of Padel
Sat 7 Sep 2024
In 1969, Enrique and Viviana Corcuera created Padel while on holiday
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The Gambia's first Paralympic Games
Sat 31 Aug 2024
In 2012, The Gambia made their first appearance at the Paralympic Games
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Winning gold at the first Paralympics
Sat 24 Aug 2024
In 1960, the first Paralympic Games took place
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The most successful Paralympian in history
Sat 17 Aug 2024
Trischa Zorn-Hudson has won 55 Paralympic medals
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Winning Olympic gold in a borrowed boat
Sat 10 Aug 2024
How Denmark's 49er sailing team won gold by borrowing the Croatian team's boat
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Greek sprinters scandal at the Athens Olympics
Sat 27 Jul 2024
In 2004, a doping scandal broke involving two of the host nation's biggest stars
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Cyprus's first Olympic medal
Sat 20 Jul 2024
How a young sailor from Cyprus achieved success in the 2012 Olympics
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Conchita Martinez: The woman who stopped Navratilova
Sat 13 Jul 2024
In 1994, the 22-year-old Spanish tennis star won Wimbledon
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The murder of Andres Escobar
Sat 6 Jul 2024
In 1994, the footballer was shot dead following Colombia's exit from the World Cup
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The tennis champion who escaped the Nazis
Sat 29 Jun 2024
Liesl Herbst and her daughter Dorli played together at Wimbledon after World War Two
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Muhammad Ali started MMA
Sat 22 Jun 2024
Muhammad Ali鈥檚 controversial fight against professional wrestler Antonio Inoki in 1976
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The last great days of the Soviet Union
Sat 15 Jun 2024
In 1988, the Soviet Union made it to the final of Euro '88
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The forgotten Women's World Cup
Sat 8 Jun 2024
In 1971, an unofficial Women's World Cup took place in Mexico
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John Aldridge鈥檚 touchline temper at USA '94
Sat 1 Jun 2024
In 1994, tempers flared in a football World Cup match between Ireland and Mexico