Sporting Witness

Rick Macci was one of Serena and Venus Williams' first tennis coaches. He flew across America to see them play in Compton in Los Angeles when they were still children. He speaks to Uma Doraiswamy about the moment he knew they were going to be world number ones and dominate the sport. (Photo: Rick Macci with Venus Williams and her father Richard. Credit: Getty Images)

It's 50 years since the Soviet Union and the USA battled out the 1972 Olympic men's basketball final. It ended up being one of the most controversial matches in history. The Americans thought they were champions, but the Soviets won it at the death in very unusual circumstances. The USA team have never accepted their silver medals. Ben Henderson spoke to Ivan Edeshko, who made the game-winning ‘go...

At the Sydney Olympics in 2000, one mistake with a piece of gymnastics equipment changed the course of a final. It wasn't properly acknowledged at the time and even now, is one of the biggest Olympic mistakes that barely anyone has heard about. Australian former gymnast Allana Slater describes how she spotted the error. (Getty Images: Allana Slater competing on the vault)

British showjumper Nick Skelton competed in six Olympic games in his quest to win a medal, even coming back from a career ending injury. Having started riding when he was three years old, Nick won many titles, and it was the lure of the Olympics that kept him competing. (Getty Images: Nick Skelton at the 2012 Olympics)

Between 1982 and 1984, UEFA held the first European Competition for Women's Football. 16 teams battled it out across Europe. The final was between Sweden and England. Rachel Naylor speaks to the Swedish captain Anette Börjesson. (Photo: Anette Börjesson (left) shakes hands with England captain Carol Thomas before the second leg of the 1984 final in Luton. Credit: Empics/Peter Robinson)

After 14 years training and riding in a variety of tours, cyclist Yohann Gene from Guadeloupe, finally earned approval from his coach and was selected to race in the 2011 Tour De France. He then made history by becoming the first black man to finish the brutal race. (Getty Images: Yohann Gene in the Tour de France)

Despite being hampered by injury in Athens 2004, Darren Campbell helps the British 4x100 metre relay team cause one of the greatest upsets in Olympic history. (Getty: Darren Campbell at the Athens 2004 Olympics)

In July 2013, a record crowd of 41,000 people watched as Germany beat Norway in the women's European championship final in Sweden. The victory meant that Germany had won an unprecedented six European Championships in a row. Goalkeeper, Nadine Angerer, was Germany’s star player and captain for that tournament. She has been telling her story to Matt Pintus. (Photo: Nadine Angerer in action at the 20...

In July 2010, the German cyclist Jens Voigt crashed while descending a mountain in the Pyrenees during the Tour De France. With his bike destroyed and his team support cars a long way up the road, Voigt borrowed a child’s bike and rode the next 15 kilometres on it. He talks to Ashley Byrne. (Photo: Jens Voigt in action at the 2010 Tour De France. Credit: Getty Images)

The story of how a Wimbledon first round tie between John Isner and Nicolas Mahut in 2010 became the longest tennis match in history, stretching over three days. Matt Pintus has been speaking to the match umpire, Mohamed Lahyani. PHOTO: John Isner, Nicolas Mahut and Mohamed Lahyani (Getty Images).

The story of baseball pitcher Tommy John's elbow injury in 1974 and the revolutionary surgery that was named after him. He became known as the Bionic Man.

In 1996 Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf was one of the most promising and talented basketball players in the NBA. That was before he stopped standing with his teammates when American flag was raised and the national anthem played at the start of each game. Uma Doraiswamy spoke to him and heard how his meteoric rise was cut short because of his principles. Photo: Mahmoud Abdul Rauf at a game in March 1996 (Gett...

In 2000, Jill Heinerth was already a renowned diver, known for her exploits mapping vast underground cave networks in Florida. Filming for a National Geographic documentary brought a new and unprecedented challenge; a vast iceberg known as B-15 had broken away from an ice shelf in Antarctica, providing a unique chance to explore its networks of underground caves. Braving sub zero temperatures and...

In May 2005, Liverpool came from 3-0 down at half-time to beat AC Milan in the Champions League final, in what became known as “The Miracle of Istanbul”. Dietmar Hamann helped turn the game around for Liverpool when he was substituted on for the second half. Ben Henderson spoke to him about his memories from the night, and what happened at half-time to inspire one of the most famous comebacks in C...

It's 25 years since Ryneldi Becenti became the first Native American to play in the women's NBA when she made her debut for the Phoenix Mercury. Basketball is a big sport on Native American reservations and success made Becenti a hero in her community. In 2019, Lucy Burns spoke to Ryneldi Becenti about her career and her challenging family background. Photo: Ryneldi Becenti playing for Arizona Sta...

Olaniyi Gideon is a professional footballer, who had played in the UAE and had trials for clubs in the UK; his efforts to keep his dream alive found him playing for a Syrian club in 2011 when the country descended into civil war. He tells Bukky Fadipe about the fraught escape he was forced to pull off after the club he was playing for abandoned him and the other players who weren't Syrians. The pr...

In May 2012, Manchester City won their first Premier League title with a nail-biting injury time victory in the last game of the season. In a goal that made football history, Argentine striker Sergio Agüero rocketed the ball past the QPR keeper in the 94th minute. Uma Doraiswamy talks to Manchester City defender Micah Richards about his memories of the match. PHOTO: Sergio Agüero lifting the Premi...

In the 1980s, Pakistani squash player Jahangir Khan became a legend in his sport by going undefeated for five years. But, as Shumaila Jaffery discovers, to become unbeatable, Khan had to overcome childhood illness and family tragedy. This programme was first broadcast in 2015. (Photo: Jahingar Khan in action. Credit: Steve Line/SquashPics)

In 2008, a group of cricketers went on what is believed to be the first tour of North Korea. The Shanghai Cricket Club arranged at their own expense to play the first - and only - edition of the Pyongyang Cricket Friendship Cup. Although initially baffled by the sport, some of the North Korean players showed a surprising amount of talent. Jo McDermott talks to Jon Newton, the president of Shanghai...

Swedish table tennis player Jan-Ove Waldner is a living legend in his own country -- and in China. Known as the “Mozart of Table Tennis”, Jan won every major title in a sport traditionally dominated by the Chinese, including a career-defining win at the Olympic games in 1992 - where he became the first and only table-tennis gold medallist from a non-Asian country. At one point, Waldner was said to...

In 2002, free diver Tanya Streeter attempted to set a No Limits world record by diving down to 160m and resurfacing, all on a single breath. She would have to survive the pressures of the deep and hold her breath for 3 and a half minutes. It almost went wrong. Tanya Streeter spoke to Alex Last in 2015. PHOTO: Tanya Streeter on her record-breaking dive (Buzz Photo/Alamy Stock Photo)

In March 1981, women were allowed to compete officially in the Vasaloppet race in Sweden - one of the world's most popular cross-country skiing events. Vasaloppet officials had previously suggested that women would not be strong enough to complete the course and extra toilet facilities might need to be built for them. Female skiers responded with a concerted campaign to get into the historic race,...

It's 10 years since one of the most dramatic moments in the history of Premiership football. Fans around the world held their breath when the Bolton midfielder Fabrice Muamba went into cardiac arrest and collapsed on the pitch. His heart stopped for 78 minutes. Uma Doraiswamy has been speaking to cardiologist Dr Andrew Deaner, who ran from the stands to help save Fabrice Muamba's life. PHOTO: The...

Kelly Gallagher, a visually-impaired skier from Northern Ireland, won Team GB's first Winter Paralympic gold at the 2014 games in Sochi. She talks to Nick Holland about her career in one of the most thrilling alpine sports, and her bond with her guide, Charlotte Evans. PHOTO: Kelly Gallagher competing at Sochi (Getty Images)

The first Winter Paralympics were held in the Swedish town of Örnsköldsvik in 1976. Nearly two-hundred competitors came from 16 countries. Rachel Naylor speaks to two blind skiiing competitors with very different experiences - Finnish multi-gold medallist, Pertti Sankilampi, and Londoner Mike Brace, who learnt his sport shortly before the Games. PHOTO: Paralympic skier Larry Kuntz in the 1970s (Ge...