The Evolution of Olympic Performances, 1912 to 2020

Over the last century, athletic performances have dramatically improved because of better training, improved nutrition, a bigger pool of people to draw from, technology, increased financial support, and the human desire to build on each others’ successes. It’s actually shocking how much better athletics have gotten, as you can see from these “then & now” videos from the Summer Olympics. Here’s the men’s pole vault from 1912 and then 2020:

The women’s javelin in 1932 (Babe Didrikson!) vs. 2020:

And perhaps the most stark difference: the women’s 10-meter platform diving in 1912 and 2020; it’s like watching two completely different sports:

Ok, maybe gymnastics too:

You can see the entire playlist of then & now videos on the Olympics YouTube channel. (via open culture)

• 2020 Summer Olympics
• Olympic Games
• sports
• video