Huckleberry
11-15-2007, 03:45 PM
This list will be heavily America-centric. Guess what, I'm American. American Olympic performances are the ones I grew with, so they're the ones I remember. And let's be honest, America rules. Didn't you people see Team America? I will also take liberty with the word "moment" for this list. Some moments will have lasted a second, some will have lasted minutes. I drew the line there, so the Dream Team didn't make the list because their domination lasted the whole Olympics. While the Angolan team's request for autographs was a cool moment, it didn't make the list. My list, my rules, right? This list will include both great performances, controversial decisions, and infamous screwups. The only limitation to this list is that only events in the performance arena or directly related are considered. The Munich Massacre, for example, is not eligible. Criteria were all over the map but included drama, athleticism, and Olympic spirit.
In reverse order:
25. Lindsey Jacobellis falls with near finish line, loses gold
Oops. Lied at first by saying she grabbed her board for stability. Admitted later it was unnecessary.
24. Zola Budd and Mary Decker collide in the 3000 meter final
Whose fault was it? I've always been told that the trailing runner is responsible for avoiding collisions but the American media wanted to hang Budd.
23. Jamie Salé and David Pelletier retroactively awarded gold medal
Dirty French bastards. ;)
22. Park Si-Hun given gold medal despite being pummeled by Roy Jones, Jr.
Biggest ripoff in Olympic history, even worse than #6 on this list, IMO.
21. Emil Zapotek wins marathon after winning 5000 and 10000 meter finals
One of the entries I learned of while quickly researching this list. Most thought he wouldn't be able to finish after having won the other two distance events. He was reportedly unable to walk for a week after the Olympics.
20. Gabriela Andersen-Schiess finishes marathon in a state of exhaustion
You've probably seen the clip. Andersen-Schiess finished 37th but her will to finish despite her right leg and left arm being limp can't be forgotten. Her final lap of the 400 meter track took 5 minutes and 44 seconds. One of two entries on this list that epitomize, to me, the Olympic spirit. Of course she might not have been exactly in a coherent state of mind at the time.
19. Jim Thorpe wins both the decathlon and pentathlon
Apparently this gentleman was a fair athlete. Not sure, though.
18. Greg Louganis wins springboard gold after hitting head
One of the strangest things I've seen in the Olympics to this day. Man considered greatest diver ever bangs his head on the board. And it wasn't barely.
17. Ben Johnson is disqualified after winning the 100 meter final
We all know the story. 9.79 world record is erased only to later be bettered by other cheaters.
16. Bob Beamon's 29'2-1/2" long jump
Altitude and a maximum allowable wind speed contributed, certainly, but this jump was just outrageous. Beamon became the first man to surpass both 28 and 29 feet on the same jump.
15. Nadia Comaneci is awarded a perfect 10 for her uneven bars routine
She was small. Good at somersaulting and stuff.
14. Ian Thorpe wins three golds with three world records
In his home country Thorpe put on a magnificent display.
13. Florence Griffith-Joyner wins 100 meter final by three-tenths
I dunno. Maybe she was juicing. But she was never busted and besides, our women competed against the men from East Germany for along time.
12. Michael Johnson 19.32 200 meter final record run
Magnificent athletic display. Frankie Fredericks, it is somewhat forgotten, ran a 19.68 to win the silver. If not for Johnson's 1996 performances Fredericks would have broken Pietro Minnea's longstanding world record. Fredericks was Sham to Johnson's Secretariat.
11. Sarah Hughes' long program at Salt Lake City
I am by no means an ice skating expert. But as I watched the long programs of the 2002 competition unfold, the color announcer (?) kept mentioning that the order of finish would have to be perfect for Hughes to win the gold. I thought that if she didn't win it would be absurd. She clearly dominated the competition that night and if she hadn't won the gold it would have illegitimized their scoring system.
10. Carl Lewis replicates Jesse Owens' feat with his fourth gold medal
A dominant performance despite the Eastern bloc boycott.
9. Mary Lou Retton scores a perfect 10 on the vault
Retton's perfect vault catapulted the American women to their first team gold medal in a really long time. Once again, though, the Eastern boycott hung over the accomplishment.
8. Wilma Rudolph wins the 100 meter final
Stricken with polio as a child, Rudolph completed her recovery in amazing fashion.
7. Dan Jansen finally gets his gold
Story is well-known, Jansen was informed his sister had died of leukemia hours before he competed in the Calgary games. 6 years later he won his only medal at Lillehammer.
6. Soviet Union defeats United States 51-50
Obviously this one gets in on controversy. The Soviets converted their third attempt at the game-winning play.
5. Kerri Strug sticks her final vault on one foot
With two torn ligaments in her other ankle, Strug nailed her final vault attempt on one leg. The vault gave the Americans their first team gold in a non-boycotted Olympics in a really, really long time. After the Russians finished their final rotation it became clear that Strug's vault wouldn't have been needed in the end but that was in doubt at the time.
4. Derek Redmond refuses to DNF in the 400 meter semi-final
This, in my opinion, was the greatest display of competitive spirit and pride I've ever seen. After years of injury troubles Redmond tore his hamstring during the semi-final in his last Olympics. He had posted the fastest time in the 1st round and had won his quarterfinal and was on his way to the final. After crumpling to a knee in his lane, Redmond made the decision that he would finish the race no matter what. What followed was the epitome of what it means to be a competitor.
3. Last ten minutes of the Miracle on Ice
Mike Eruzione's goal to put the USA ahead came at the ten minute mark of the third period. That was the first part of the most drama-packed and tension-filled ten minutes in Olympic team sports history. Well, USA team sports history, at least. And as I said, that's all that matters.
2. Mark Spitz wins his 7th gold medal with his 7th world record in a single Olympiad
Utter domination. Even though I remain philosophically opposed to most swimming events (a race is about getting from A to B as fast as possible, why not have a 100 meter skipping event on the track?) Spitz's performance was simply amazing.
1. Jesse Owens crosses the tape first in the 100 meter final
You all know all about this one.
In reverse order:
25. Lindsey Jacobellis falls with near finish line, loses gold
Oops. Lied at first by saying she grabbed her board for stability. Admitted later it was unnecessary.
24. Zola Budd and Mary Decker collide in the 3000 meter final
Whose fault was it? I've always been told that the trailing runner is responsible for avoiding collisions but the American media wanted to hang Budd.
23. Jamie Salé and David Pelletier retroactively awarded gold medal
Dirty French bastards. ;)
22. Park Si-Hun given gold medal despite being pummeled by Roy Jones, Jr.
Biggest ripoff in Olympic history, even worse than #6 on this list, IMO.
21. Emil Zapotek wins marathon after winning 5000 and 10000 meter finals
One of the entries I learned of while quickly researching this list. Most thought he wouldn't be able to finish after having won the other two distance events. He was reportedly unable to walk for a week after the Olympics.
20. Gabriela Andersen-Schiess finishes marathon in a state of exhaustion
You've probably seen the clip. Andersen-Schiess finished 37th but her will to finish despite her right leg and left arm being limp can't be forgotten. Her final lap of the 400 meter track took 5 minutes and 44 seconds. One of two entries on this list that epitomize, to me, the Olympic spirit. Of course she might not have been exactly in a coherent state of mind at the time.
19. Jim Thorpe wins both the decathlon and pentathlon
Apparently this gentleman was a fair athlete. Not sure, though.
18. Greg Louganis wins springboard gold after hitting head
One of the strangest things I've seen in the Olympics to this day. Man considered greatest diver ever bangs his head on the board. And it wasn't barely.
17. Ben Johnson is disqualified after winning the 100 meter final
We all know the story. 9.79 world record is erased only to later be bettered by other cheaters.
16. Bob Beamon's 29'2-1/2" long jump
Altitude and a maximum allowable wind speed contributed, certainly, but this jump was just outrageous. Beamon became the first man to surpass both 28 and 29 feet on the same jump.
15. Nadia Comaneci is awarded a perfect 10 for her uneven bars routine
She was small. Good at somersaulting and stuff.
14. Ian Thorpe wins three golds with three world records
In his home country Thorpe put on a magnificent display.
13. Florence Griffith-Joyner wins 100 meter final by three-tenths
I dunno. Maybe she was juicing. But she was never busted and besides, our women competed against the men from East Germany for along time.
12. Michael Johnson 19.32 200 meter final record run
Magnificent athletic display. Frankie Fredericks, it is somewhat forgotten, ran a 19.68 to win the silver. If not for Johnson's 1996 performances Fredericks would have broken Pietro Minnea's longstanding world record. Fredericks was Sham to Johnson's Secretariat.
11. Sarah Hughes' long program at Salt Lake City
I am by no means an ice skating expert. But as I watched the long programs of the 2002 competition unfold, the color announcer (?) kept mentioning that the order of finish would have to be perfect for Hughes to win the gold. I thought that if she didn't win it would be absurd. She clearly dominated the competition that night and if she hadn't won the gold it would have illegitimized their scoring system.
10. Carl Lewis replicates Jesse Owens' feat with his fourth gold medal
A dominant performance despite the Eastern bloc boycott.
9. Mary Lou Retton scores a perfect 10 on the vault
Retton's perfect vault catapulted the American women to their first team gold medal in a really long time. Once again, though, the Eastern boycott hung over the accomplishment.
8. Wilma Rudolph wins the 100 meter final
Stricken with polio as a child, Rudolph completed her recovery in amazing fashion.
7. Dan Jansen finally gets his gold
Story is well-known, Jansen was informed his sister had died of leukemia hours before he competed in the Calgary games. 6 years later he won his only medal at Lillehammer.
6. Soviet Union defeats United States 51-50
Obviously this one gets in on controversy. The Soviets converted their third attempt at the game-winning play.
5. Kerri Strug sticks her final vault on one foot
With two torn ligaments in her other ankle, Strug nailed her final vault attempt on one leg. The vault gave the Americans their first team gold in a non-boycotted Olympics in a really, really long time. After the Russians finished their final rotation it became clear that Strug's vault wouldn't have been needed in the end but that was in doubt at the time.
4. Derek Redmond refuses to DNF in the 400 meter semi-final
This, in my opinion, was the greatest display of competitive spirit and pride I've ever seen. After years of injury troubles Redmond tore his hamstring during the semi-final in his last Olympics. He had posted the fastest time in the 1st round and had won his quarterfinal and was on his way to the final. After crumpling to a knee in his lane, Redmond made the decision that he would finish the race no matter what. What followed was the epitome of what it means to be a competitor.
3. Last ten minutes of the Miracle on Ice
Mike Eruzione's goal to put the USA ahead came at the ten minute mark of the third period. That was the first part of the most drama-packed and tension-filled ten minutes in Olympic team sports history. Well, USA team sports history, at least. And as I said, that's all that matters.
2. Mark Spitz wins his 7th gold medal with his 7th world record in a single Olympiad
Utter domination. Even though I remain philosophically opposed to most swimming events (a race is about getting from A to B as fast as possible, why not have a 100 meter skipping event on the track?) Spitz's performance was simply amazing.
1. Jesse Owens crosses the tape first in the 100 meter final
You all know all about this one.