'Unbreakable' sports records: The feats and streaks that remain alive after Wayne Gretzky's NHL goal count eclipsed
The unbreakable records
Long before Alex Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the NHL goal-scoring record with 895, Gretzky moved into the top spot ahead of Gordie Howe by putting the puck in the net for the Los Angeles Kings on March 23, 1994.
During the broadcast that day, an announcer breathlessly declared: "A historic moment in sports, compared with Henry Aaron passing Babe Ruth in home runs, with Pete Rose passing Ty Cobb in hits.
"[All] great moments when people thought records would never be broken.
"Mike Powell passing Bob Beamon's long jump record of 29 feet, two-and-a-half inches (8.90 metres). And Wayne Gretzky, indeed, has records that may never be broken.
"Perhaps this is one."
Gretzky's feat has now been bettered - casting a question mark over sport's other "unbreakable" records.
From legendary feats to dominant streaks, Wide World of Sports looks at the seemingly unbreakable records that continue to stand tall in world sports.
Wayne Gretzky's NHL record snapped
Alex Ovechkin etched his name into the history books on Monday, surpassing Wayne Gretzky's long-standing NHL goal-scoring record.
The record, which previously stood for 31 years, was set by "The Great One" Gretzky when he retired in 1999.
Ovechkin's signature one-timer secured him his 895th goal of his career.
The 39-year-old is also the league's leading record-holder for most power-play goals, shots on goal and goalies scored against.
One legend to another
Wayne Gretzky (right) got his 802nd in that game in March 1994 and ended up with 894 when he retired in 1999.
But, as it turns out, Ovechkin did get there, scoring from his "office" in the left faceoff circle on a power play for the Washington Capitals — the only team the 39-year-old Russian winger has played for since making his NHL debut in 2005 — during the second period of a game against the New York Islanders.
"They say records are made to be broken," Gretzky said during an on-ice ceremony after Ovechkin moved ahead of him Monday.
"But I'm not sure who's going to get more goals than that," he added.
Perhaps Ovechkin's final total will prove unsurpassed, even if Gretzky's was not.
Olympic swimming: Michael Phelps (23 gold medals)
Michael Phelps' dominance in the pool decorated the American swimmer with the most Olympic gold medals from any sport.
As of Paris 2024, no other athlete has more than nine. Phelps has 23.
Phelps, who retired after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, also owns more total medals than any other athlete with 28.
Men's tennis: John Isner and Nicolas Mahut (70-68 tiebreak)
Consider this record one that simply cannot be broken as the rules changed to prevent it.
At Wimbledon in 2010, John Isner triumphed over Nicolas Mahut in the longest match in tennis history, lasting 11 hours, 5 minutes until finishing at 70-68 in the fifth set.
In 2022, all four grand slam tournaments adopted tiebreakers at 6-6 in the fifth set of men's matches and third set of women's to prevent never-ending marathons.
Baseball: Barry Bonds (762 career home runs)
Barry Bonds hit more career home runs than anyone else in MLB, bettering Aaron's total of 755 before retiring in 2007.
Bonds admitted to taking performance-enhancing drugs during his career, although he said he did not do so knowingly.
Bonds' season record of 73 homers in 2001 also still stands.
AFL: Tony Lockett (1360 career goals)
Tony Lockett, known affectionately as "Plugger", is the all-time AFL/VFL leading goal-scorer, booting 1360 majors across his 18-year career.
Playing for St Kilda and Sydney, Lockett had 1357 goals when he retired at the end of the 1999 season.
But after a brief comeback during the 2002 season, in which he featured in three games, Lockett added another three goals for his final total of 1360.
Lockett's achievements in front of goal saw him claim the 1987 Brownlow Medal and four Coleman Medals.
Other top goal-scorers in AFL/VFL history
In 2022, Lance "Buddy" Franklin celebrated kicking his 1000th career goal during the Swans' round-two fixture at the SCG.
Joining an exclusive club with only five other players in the history of the VFL/AFL reaching the milestone, it seems unlikely that another player will ever surpass 1000 career goals in the modern game.
Tony Lockett: 1360 goals, St Kilda and Sydney
Gordon Coventry: 1299 goals, Collingwood
Jason Dunstall: 1254 goals, Hawthorn
Lance Franklin: 1066 goals, Hawthorn and Sydney
Doug Wade: 1057 goals, Geelong and North Melbourne
Gary Ablett Sr: 1031 goals, Hawthorn and Geelong
Men's golf: Jack Nicklaus (18 majors)
There was plenty of talk that Tiger Woods was going to overtake Jack Nicklaus (right) for the most major championships in men's golf, but that was before a series of injuries interrupted Woods' career.
Woods recently had surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon and will miss the upcoming Masters Tournament.
The 49-year-old won his most recent major in 2019, ending an 11-year drought and raising his count to 15; Nicklaus retired with 18 after taking victory at the 1986 Masters.
No other active player has more than six majors to their name.
Women's 100 metres: Florence Griffith-Joyner (10.49 seconds)
Florence Griffith-Joyner has held the fastest time in the women's 100-metre sprint since a breezy day at the 1988 US Olympic Trials.
Only one other female athlete has ever gone faster than 10.6 — Elaine Thompson-Herah's 10.54 effort in 2021.
Griffith-Joyner also holds the 200-metre record, which she set at the Seoul Olympics that same year.
Persistent debate over the legitimacy of Griffith-Joyner's two records continues decades later.
