ON THIS AUGUST

1919: Gertrude Ederle became the youngest world record holder in any sport when, at the age of 12 years and 298 days, she set a new best in the 880 yards freestyle in Indianapolis. Seven years later she was the first woman to swim the English Channel. 1928: England and Gloucestershire cricketer Wally Hammond took 10 catches against Surrey at Cheltenham – setting a record for an outfielder in a first-class match.

1938: Henry Armstrong beat Lou Ambers on points to win the world lightweight title in New York, becoming the first boxer to hold three world titles simultaneously.

2008: Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz’s record of gold medals in an Olympic Games with his eighth gold in Beijing in the 4x100m medley relay. 2014: Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford won the men’s 5,000m and long jump respectively at the European Championships in Zurich, while Great Britain won gold in the men’s and women’s 4x100m relay.