Which modern Olympic athletics record has been held the longest?

The modern Summer Olympic Games have been held every four years since the first Games in 1896 (except 1916 due to the First World War, and 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War) and Olympic records are recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in each event. The athletics events, which take place at each Games, are divided into four groups: track events (including sprints, middle- and long-distance running, hurdling and relays), field events (including javelin, discus, hammer, pole vault, long and triple jumps), road events (such as walks and the marathon) and combined events (the heptathlon and the decathlon).

The longest standing modern Olympic athletics record is Bob Beamon's achievement in the men's long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics. The jump, at 8.90 m (29 ft 2 in), also broke the existing world record by 55 cm (22 in) which was held by Beamon. His world record jump stood for 23 years until Beamon's compatriot, Mike Powell, jumped 8.95 m (29 ft 4 1⁄4 in) in the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo.

The 2016 Olympic men's long jump was won by Jeff Henderson with a jump of 8.38 m (27 ft 5 3⁄4 in). The next Olympics in Tokyo 2020 the record will have stood for 52 years.