 |
10 Incredible Olympic Moments
Forbes Traveler Staff July 7, 2008
Article Controls
Greg Louganis, 1988 Olympics, Seoul
Already considered one of the greatest divers to ever touch the board, Greg Louganis only added to that lore with this 1988 accident where he slammed his head on the diving board… but continued to compete.
Lighting of the Olympic Torch, 1992 Olympics, Barcelona
The Spanish set a new standard for the Olympic Torch lighting ceremony with their 1992 production—an archer lighting the Torch with a flaming arrow.
Kerri Strug, 1996 Olympics, Atlanta
After injuring her ankle on her first attempt at the vault, Kerri Strug stuck the most memorable one-footed landing in Olympic history to win the gold for the U.S.
Eric “The Eel” Moussambani, 2000 Olympics, Sydney
When both of his fellow competitors get disqualified for false starts, Moussambani swam alone and recorded one of the slowest times ever.
Derek Redmond, 1992 Olympics, Barcelona
Olympic record states that the British racer “Did Not Finish,” but anyone who watches this clip of Redmond limping to the finish line with the aid of his father knows otherwise.
Mary Decker, 1984 Olympics, Los Angeles
Decker was heavily favored to win the gold in the 3000m, but after she collided with Zola Budd on the backstretch, Decker watched the finish line from the infield grass as she lay in agony with a hip injury that ended her bid for gold.
Dream Team, 1992 Olympics, Barcelona
Considered by many to be among the most dominant teams ever assembled for international sport, the Dream Team featured ten future Hall of Famers including Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Awed by the illustrious players, rival teams were often seen asking for pictures or autographs from the U.S. players before games.
Bob Beamon, 1968 Olympics, Mexico
Beamon’s jump, which shattered the previous record by 55cm, had to be measured by hand as the machines in place were not designed to measure a jump of such length.
Ben Johnson, 1988 Olympics, Seoul
Steroids had made their way onto the Olympic scene in the '70s, but it wasn’t until the suspension of prominent Canadian sprinter, Ben Johnson that people realized how pervasive the drugs were. Johnson was stripped of his medals and his records were struck from the book.
Michael Johnson, 1996 Olympics, Atlanta
Johnson set a world record time in the 200m, becoming the first male athlete to win both the 200m and the 400m at the same Olympics. Unofficially dubbed “The World’s Fastest Man,” the medalist raced his way into American homes donning a memorable, golden spike on each foot.
