In AD 67, while traveling in Greece, Nero demanded that the Olympic Games be held in his honor. Nero himself competed -- and won every single event, including a chariot race in which he was thrown from his vehicle and flung to the ground.

Did Nero redouble his determination and stage a thrilling comeback? Well, not quite. The other drivers, fearful of overtaking the maniacal emperor, politely (and prudently) stopped and waited until he had safely remounted and sped on before resuming the race.

[Unsurprisingly, Nero, who also fancied himself a remarkable actor, won every event. After his death, Nero's named was expunged from the Greek record books.]