Olympic Trivia

[Fred588]

What is the record for appearances in the most Olympic Games over a career and who holds it.

I don't suppose this is much of a hint except for identifying one of the years this person competed by I was present in the audience when this person competed at the Montreal Games in 1976. This athlete did not win a medal that year but did win one silver medal in his/her career.

This athlete is not an American.

[Fred588]

The answer is 10 times and the record is held by Ian Miller, a Canadian Equestrian Show Jumping icon. He would probably have competed in 11 Olympics except Canada did not participate in the Olympics in 1980. In 1976 show jumping was on the same ticket as the Closing Ceremonies at which I was in attendance as a spectator.

As an aside, between the end of the show jumping and the ceremonies I got to witness an amazing display of organization in the changeover from one event to the next. Within about two seconds of the last horse and rider leaving the stadium floor after the medal ceremony, several hundred people poured onto the field at a dead run from multiple doorways. Each one had a particular piece of a jump, a flower pot, or a piece of greenery they picked up and removed, and each one made several trips. In 30 minutes the entire stadium floor was completely transformed.