10 Craziest Things Athletes Have Done to Win

10 Craziest Things Athletes Have Done to Win

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at the top ten craziest things that athletes were forced to do in order to secure an all-important victory.

The Ravens Take a Safety to Secure Super Bowl Glory

Sometimes the most unorthodox of tactics can provide the perfect outcome, and at Super Bowl XLVII, that’s exactly how the Baltimore Ravens sealed their victory. Leading 34–29 late in the fourth quarter, Baltimore had possession deep in its own territory, with the clock becoming a major concern. With just 12 seconds remaining, punter Sam Koch received the snap in his own end-zone but deliberately avoided punting, scrambling around to consume precious time. The resulting two points from the safety reduced Baltimore's lead to 34–31, but the damage was done. In other words, the tactic was risky and likely had Baltimore fans in a total panic, but ultimately, it worked.

Michael Bisping Won the UFC Middleweight Title With One Eye

Fighting against the very best mixed martial artists on the planet is hard enough with two eyes, but for the British legend Michael Bisping, to say he had it tough would be an understatement. Years before his title victory, Bisping suffered a detached retina in his right eye, leaving him permanently blind on that side. However, when opportunity came knocking, The Count answered. A short notice showdown with the heavily-favoured middleweight king Luke Rockhold gave Bisping the chance he needed to pull off a huge upset. He knocked out Rockhold in the first round to win the belt, then, years later, revealed to the world he fought through this whole period of his career with just one working eye.

Phelps Won Olympic Gold With His Goggles Full of Water

With a career as decorated and utterly brilliant as the one that Michael Phelps enjoyed, it’s only natural that there were a few freakish occurrences to overcome. During the men's 200-metre butterfly final at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps’ goggles began to fill with water, causing his vision to become increasingly impaired, leaving him unable to see the wall clearly. Rather than panic, Phelps relied on his extensive training and memorised stroke counts to judge his position. He continued swimming at an extraordinary pace, using his knowledge of the distance to time his final approach to the wall. In the end, he did enough to edge out Hungary’s László Cseh, securing yet another gold medal.

Philip Hindes Crashes on Purpose to Secure an Olympic Restart

The 2012 London Olympics saw British track cyclist Philip Hindes get into a major controversy when his race-winning performance was called into question almost directly after it concluded. Hindes was involved in an early crash during the qualifying round against Germany. In an interview immediately afterwards, he said that he had deliberately crashed to secure a restart, explaining that the team had planned to get off to a fast start. However, Hindes later changed his account, saying that he had lost control and fallen accidentally. To most fans, his u-turn seemed incredibly fishy, especially when Britain went on to win the gold medal.

Kerri Strug Nails Her Second Vault on an Injured Ankle

In the 1996 Olympics, the women’s gymnastics team were in dire need of a strong final performance from Kerri Strug in order to secure the gold medal. In a shocking twist, Strug landed awkwardly and injured her ankle during her first vault. Despite the pain, she returned to the runway for a second attempt. In a show of immense physical determination, she completed the vault and managed to land briefly on both feet before collapsing, clutching her injured ankle. Her score of 9.712 was enough to secure the gold medal. Now unable to walk, the image of her coach carrying her to the podium remains one of the most iconic in Olympic history.

Wietrzyk Won HYROX After Soiling Herself Mid-Race

A more modern entry comes in next, as HYROX world record holder Joanna Wietrzyk became the centre of one of the most extraordinary sporting scandals in recent memory. At a 2026 Beijing event, she unfortunately suffered bowel incontinence while in the middle of competing. Rather than withdrawing, she continued through the demanding indoor fitness race, completing running sections and functional workout stations while visibly soiled. She finished with a first-place medal, but did so after using shared equipment, which started a major debate about hygiene and the overall ruleset. The organisation then introduced new rules and procedures to prevent this from happening again, while Wietrzyk apologised and forfeited her win voluntarily.

Shun Fujimoto Completes Gymnastics Routine on a Broken Knee

At the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, Japanese gymnast Shun Fujimoto suffered what appeared to be a catastrophic injury that should have ended his participation in the games. Instead of bowing out, he concealed the severity of his injury, fighting through the pain to continue competing. The standout moment of this battle came on the still rings, where he completed a demanding routine before executing a dismount that required him to land on his injured leg. His perseverance allowed Japan to maintain their position, playing a part in them eventually winning Olympic gold.

Chang's Underarm Serves Helped Stun Lendl at Roland Garros

Despite being just 17 years of age, Michael Chang managed to produce one of the greatest tennis victories of all-time at the 1989 French Open. Facing two-time champion Ivan Lendl in the fourth round, Chang battled severe cramping that left him struggling to move around the court. Many players would have crumbled in that moment, but Chang decided to resort to highly unconventional methods to succeed. He began hitting underarm serves, exploiting Lendl's positioning and disrupting his rhythm. Later, Chang delivered an exceptionally slow second serve, drawing Lendl forward and forcing him to adjust to a change of pace. He took a physical shortcoming and turned it into a brilliant tactic. On the back of this momentum, he went on to win the entire tournament.

Michael Jordan Delivers 38 Points While Battling a Flu

For an athlete as insanely competitive as Michael Jordan, something as seemingly minor as a flu was never going to be enough to force him out of a game. The Chicago Bulls superstar was reportedly bedridden and suffering from severe nausea before facing the Utah Jazz, leaving his participation in doubt. Yet Jordan took the court, determined to help his team take control of the series. Despite his obvious physical discomfort, he poured in 38 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out five assists. By the end of the game, you could see the toll his performance had been taking on him. This has since been called one of the most memorable showcases of his entire career, a testament to his grit and determination.

Muhammad Ali's Rope-a-Dope Masterpiece

In 1974, George Foreman was the heavyweight champion of the world - knocking out Joe Frazier and Ken Norton to get there. The ageing Muhammad Ali was counted out by many who understood how the sport of boxing worked. Big George had his youth, and Ali was not the athlete he once was. On fight-night, Ali decided to do something drastic in order to throw Foreman off. He adopted a ‘rope-a-dope’ strategy, leaning against the ropes and absorbing Foreman’s offense on his arms and body, leaning out of the way of the bigger punches. He effectively let the big man punch himself out. By round eight, the tactic had worked, and the former champ sprung forth, winning back his old belt with a huge knockout.

But what do you consider to be the most brilliant and surprising piece of sporting perseverance of all-time? Let us know in the comments below.