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Seven Memorable Olympic Moments

Brian Walker

The 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing, China, are set to open in just over two weeks, and as with each installment that comes just every four years, there are bound to be moments that will be remembered long past the closing ceremonies.

Before a new athlete or country carve out their names in the history books, here's a look back at some of the moments that have stood the test of time and become the most remembered moments of past Summer Olympics Games.

Jesse Owens -- 1936

In 1936, the world's eyes were on Hitler and Nazi Germany, who had the stage set with the Berlin Olympics to show the world his nation's reach and power. But Jesse Owens, a 22-year-old African-American track and field phenom, took the spotlight that summer, winning four gold medals and defiantly representing the U.S. in the face of Hitler and his Nazi regime.

	Jesse Owens

Perhaps his most memorable gold was his second, which he won after battling German long jumper Luz Long. When Owens had struggled in the qualifying round, Long advised him to alter his jumping point. Owens did, and qualified, eventually beating Long in the finals. After Owens won, Long was the first to congratulate him, in front of Hitler and a stadium full of black and red swastikas.

Tommy Smith and John Carlos -- 1968

Few images from Olympics past are as recognizable as the one from Mexico City of Smith and Carlos on the medal stand, each wearing one black glove with their fists raised and heads bowed. In an Olympics that was supposed to be free of politics, the two American runners instead held one of the most memorable and controversial political protests in the history of sport.

Accepting their gold and bronze medals for the 200-meter dash, they used the gloves to symbolize black power and unity and the black socks, worn with no shoes, to show black poverty. They were booed mercilessly by the crowd, and banned from competing for the remainder of the Olympics. In the end, the controversy would follow them for decades, and Smith and Carlos would forever be known less for their medals than for what they did when the received them.

Munich Massacre -- 1972

The 1972 Games in Munich, Germany, saw many incredible performances, including the most dominant swimmer of all time in Mark Spitz, who took home seven gold medals. But these Games will forever be remembered for the tragedy that took the lives of 11 members of the Israeli team who were taken hostage in the Olympic Village.

The "Games of Peace and Joy" became the complete opposite when eight members of the Black September group took the 11 Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage. The situation culminated in a rescue attempt gone wrong that saw the deaths of all 11 hostages, five of the terrorists, and one police officer. In one of his most well-known broadcasts, Jim McKay relayed the news to America with the infamously grim phrase "they're all gone."

To this day, the 1972 Games are synonymous with the TV image of one of the terrorists, donned in a black ski mask, peering out over the balcony where the Israelis were being held.

Mary Lou Retton -- 1984

The 1984 Games were held in Los Angeles and, as a result, boycotted by the Soviets, leaving the previously dominant Russian gymnastics team at home. That opened the door for 16-year-old Retton to make her place in history. Before Retton, the lasting story of Olympics gymnastics had been Romanian Nadia Comaneci's stunning seven perfect-10 scores in the 1976 Montreal Games.

But Retton, just weeks removed from knee surgery, put together her own string of perfect scores, culminating in a 10 on the final routine to take the gold over Romania's Ecaterina Szabo (a score of 9.95 would have resulted in a tie). In doing so, Retton became the first American, male or female, to win an Olympic gymnastics all-around title.

Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson -- 1988

The buzz surrounding the rivalry between American sprinter Carl Lewis and Canadian Ben Johnson was at a fever pitch. In 15 previous head-to-head meetings, Johnson had the narrow lead by winning eight, but Lewis was the defending 1984 Olympics champion. In 1988's 100-meter sprint in Seoul, Johnson blew away the field with a performance that his coach called "out of the next century."

The sports world was shocked when, three days later, it was found that Johnson had been using steroids and he was stripped of his medal. Lewis was given the gold, becoming the first back-to-back champion in the 100-meter dash. Despite the anticipation for the great rivalry between the two sprinters, it was Johnson and his fall from grace that had the most lasting effect, essentially beginning the scandals and subsequent rule changes regarding Olympians and steroid use.

Derek Redmond -- 1992

British sprinter Derek Redmond returned to the Barcelona Games in 1992 after having to withdraw in 1988 due to injury. He entered as one of Britain's favorites to win a medal, and easily won the first round and quarter-finals. But in the semifinals, his hamstring snapped and Redmond went sprawling to the track. It was what he did afterward, though, that cemented him in Olympics lore.

	Derek Redmond and Dad

Redmond got up and began hobbling toward the finish line. Unable to continue very far, he again fell. A moment later, his dad appeared at his side, at first to talk him out of trying to continue. But when Redmond still tried to get up and keep running, his dad put his arm around him and helped his son around the track. The race was long over, and officially he got a disqualification, but the crowd gave Redmond and his father a standing ovation as he completed the remaining distance of the race.

Muhammad Ali -- 1996

The 1996 Games in Atlanta produced many memorable moments, from the feel-good story of Kerri Strug winning the gold medal on the vault on an injured ankle to the horrific late-night bombing in the Centennial Park. But one of the more emotional, and oftentimes overlooked, moments of those Games came at the very beginning, when the Greatest of All Time surprised the world and lit the torch.

Leading up to the opening ceremonies, there was speculation and rumor as to who the final torch-bearer would be to light the cauldron. Many thought it might be boxer Evander Holyfield, who carried the torch as he entered the arena. Then, he passed it to former gold-medalist swimmer Janet Evans, who began running up the ramp. Finally, with an estimated 3.5 billion people watching, Evans gave the torch to the surprise guest of the Games, Muhammad Ali. Visibly shaking from Parkinson's disease, Ali lit the cauldron as the arena chanted his name over and over, and the first Olympics in the U.S. in over a decade was under way.