In 1992, newly independent Lithuania managed to get its basketball team into the Barcelona Olympics after American rock band Grateful Dead agreed to help with fundraising. A brilliant generation of Lithuanian players then won a bronze medal in a grudge match against the former Soviet Union. Witness speaks to Arvydas Sabonis and Gintaras Krapikas, two members of the Lithuanian side.With contributions from journalist Ramunas BogdanasPicture: The Lithuanian team in their Grateful Dead shirts, Credit: Getty Images Sports Classic

In 1992, newly independent Lithuania managed to get its basketball team into the Barcelona Olympics after American rock band Grateful Dead agreed to help with fundraising. A brilliant generation of Lithuanian players then won a bronze medal in a grudge match against the former Soviet Union. Witness speaks to Arvydas Sabonis and Gintaras Krapikas, two members of the Lithuanian side. With contributions from journalist Ramunas Bogdanas Picture: The Lithuanian team in their Grateful Dead shirts, Credit: Getty Images Sports Classic

The Grateful Dead Makes Lithuanian Basketball Bronze Possible

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded.Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

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History

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive and testimony. Sporting Witness is for those fascinated by sporting history. We take you to the events that have shaped the sports world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes, you become a fan in the stands as we take you back in time to examine memorable victories and agonising defeats from all over the world. You’ll hear from people who have achieved sporting immortality, or those who were there as incredible sporting moments unfolded. Recent episodes explore the forgotten football Women’s World Cup, the plasterer who fought a boxing legend, international football’s biggest ever beating and the man who swam the Amazon river. We look at the lives of some of the most famous F1 drivers, tennis players and athletes as well as people who’ve had ground-breaking impact in their chosen sporting field, including: the most decorated Paralympian, the woman who was the number 1 squash player in the world for nine years, and the first figure skater to wear a hijab. You can learn all about fascinating and surprising stories, such as the tennis player who escaped the Nazis, how a man finally beat a horse in a race, and how the FIFA computer game was created.

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The Grateful Dead Makes Lithuanian Basketball Bronze Possible

The Grateful Dead Makes Lithuanian Basketball Bronze Possible

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