Most unbreakable Olympic records: Bolt, Phelps, more

No matter how impressive an achievement, someone will eventually surpass it. After all, records are there to be broken.

Some records remain for a few years. Others remain standing for decades. Many records will be broken at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. But there are a handful of Olympic records that are so incredibly eye-catching that the chance of them ever being broken seems as close to zero as is mathematically possible.

Here is a list of Olympic records that will most likely never be broken.

Usain Bolt's 100 meter sprint of 9.63 seconds

Usain Bolt's three career Olympic gold medals in the 100m sprint are the most of all time, but it is his Olympic record of 9.63 seconds at the 2012 London Games that will likely never be surpassed. Bolt improved his previous record time of 9.69 seconds, which he set at the Beijing 2008 Games. The Jamaican sprinter also holds the world record for the 100 meters, running it in 9.58 seconds at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin. This means Bolt owns the two best times in Olympic history and the world record for the 100 meter sprint, a feat that will likely never be surpassed. He also owns the Olympic and world records for the 200 meter sprint.

Nadia Comaneci's perfect routine

Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci is a five-time Olympic gold medalist. At the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the then 14-year-old made history and became the first gymnast to achieve a perfect score of 10 at the Olympic Games. This feat was so rare at the time that the scoreboards in Montreal showed 1.00 because they were not programmed to accept the perfect score of 10.0. The International Gymnastics Federation changed its 10-based scoring system in 2006, eliminating the possibility of a perfect 10. While American gymnast Mary Lou Retton recorded perfect 10s on floor exercise and vault at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Comaneci will always be first. 10 and the standard for perfection.

Kim Yun-mi is the youngest athlete to win gold

At the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, South Korean skater Kim Yun-mi won the gold medal in the women's 3,000-meter relay. She was only 13 years and 86 days old. Yun-mi remains the youngest Olympic gold medalist in history. That record will likely remain unbroken. The IOC, or the governing International Olympic Committee, does not specify a minimum age for Olympic competition. Instead, each individual International Sports Federation sets its own age requirements. Since Yun-mi's historic gold win, the International Skating Union has raised the minimum age for qualification to 15 years old to protect the development of young athletes.

Ian Miller's 10 career Olympic appearances

Canadian rider Ian Miller competed in 10 Olympic Games over the course of 40 years (1972-2012). That's more than any other competitor in Olympic history. Austrian sailor Hubert Raudaschl, Latvian shooter Afanasijs Kuzmins and former Soviet shooter Nino Salukvadze come closest, each at eight Olympic Games. None of them are competing yet. Unfortunately, Miller never won a gold medal. Miller earned his only Olympic medal at the 2008 Games in Beijing, winning silver in the team jumping.

China's absolute dominance in table tennis

Table tennis made its Olympic debut at the Olympic Games Seoul Games 1988. China has won no fewer than 32 of the 37 available gold medals in that period. China's closest competitor at this event is South Korea, which has won three gold medals. Japan and Sweden each accounted for the other two. China's dominance of the table, which also included winning 20 silver and eight bronze medals, will likely never be seen again.

Aladar Gerevich's six consecutive gold medals

Hungarian fencer Aladar Gerevich had a 24-year dominant reign that remains unchallenged. Gerevich helped lead his compatriots to gold at every Olympic Games held between 1932 and 1960. Two series of Olympic Games were canceled during that period due to the Second World War. Gerevich's skill, perseverance, consistency and longevity led to him being considered the greatest competitive fencer of all time. Retired British rower Sir Steve Redgrave won five consecutive Olympic gold medals from 1984 to 2000.

Team USA's 239 medals at the 1904 Olympics

The United States has made history with the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, becoming the first country to collect 1,000 gold medals since the first modern Olympic Games opened in 1896. The US leads all countries with 1,183 gold medals (2,985 total) participating in the 2024 Games in Paris. The next closest is the combined Soviet Union and Russian Federation with 473 gold coins (1,204 total). But the point that is almost impossible to break is the number of medals a country has won in one Olympic Games. The Americans captured 239 medals (78 gold, 82 silver and 79 bronze) at the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis. The US won almost 85% of all available medals that summer.

Michael Phelps' 23 gold medals and 28 medals overall

Michael Phelps won the 23rd gold medal of his Olympic career at the 2016 Rio Games. The American standout swimmer won a single Olympic record eight golds at the 2008 Beijing Games. Phelps won more than 80% of the events he competed in during his Olympic career. His total of 28 medals is even more terrifying. For perspective, the previous record holder for most career medals was former Soviet Union gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won 18 medals (9 gold) from 1956 to 1964. Phelps' dominance remains unparalleled and will likely remain untouched by any other Olympian.

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