Moment↕ | Athlete/Team↕ | Sport↕ | Games↕ | Year↕ | Known For↕ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Usain Bolt 9.69 100m | Usain Bolt | Athletics | Beijing | 2008 | Celebrated before finish line, set world record anyway, chest-thumping at 80m |
Phelps 8 Golds | Michael Phelps | Swimming | Beijing | 2008 | Broke Spitz's 1972 record of 7, Cavic touch-out in 100m fly by 0.01 seconds |
Miracle on Ice | USA Hockey | Ice Hockey | Lake Placid | 1980 | College kids beat Soviet machine 4-3, Al Michaels 'Do you believe in miracles? YES!' |
Ali Lights the Torch | Muhammad Ali | Ceremony | Atlanta | 1996 | Trembling with Parkinson's, emotional reveal as final torchbearer, global tears |
Kerri Strug Vault | Kerri Strug | Gymnastics | Atlanta | 1996 | Landed vault on injured ankle to clinch team gold, carried off by Bela Karolyi |
Jesse Owens 4 Golds | Jesse Owens | Athletics | Berlin | 1936 | Black American humiliated Hitler's Aryan propaganda, 4 golds in front of Nazis |
Black Power Salute | Tommie Smith and John Carlos | Athletics | Mexico City | 1968 | 200m medal podium protest, raised fists, Peter Norman solidarity, career ended |
Bob Beamon Long Jump | Bob Beamon | Athletics | Mexico City | 1968 | 8.90m leap shattered WR by 55cm, stood for 23 years, measuring tape too short |
Nadia Comaneci Perfect 10 | Nadia Comaneci | Gymnastics | Montreal | 1976 | First perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics, scoreboard couldn't display 10.0, age 14 |
Derek Redmond's Dad | Derek Redmond | Athletics | Barcelona | 1992 | Tore hamstring in 400m semi, his father jumped fence to help him finish |
Cathy Freeman 400m | Cathy Freeman | Athletics | Sydney | 2000 | Aboriginal torchbearer won gold, lit cauldron in water, reconciliation moment |
Dream Team | USA Basketball | Basketball | Barcelona | 1992 | Jordan, Magic, Bird assembled, no timeouts needed, greatest team ever assembled |
Carl Lewis 4 Golds | Carl Lewis | Athletics | Los Angeles | 1984 | Equalled Jesse Owens 1936 feat, 100m, 200m, long jump, 4x100 relay |
Ben Johnson Strip | Ben Johnson | Athletics | Seoul | 1988 | Won 100m in WR 9.79, stripped 3 days later for stanozolol, dirtiest race ever |
Michael Johnson Gold Shoes | Michael Johnson | Athletics | Atlanta | 1996 | 19.32 in 200m in gold Nikes, broke his own WR by 0.34 seconds |
Lindsey Vonn Downhill | Lindsey Vonn | Skiing | Vancouver | 2010 | First American woman to win downhill gold, raced through shin injury |
Simone Biles Withdraws | Simone Biles | Gymnastics | Tokyo | 2021 | Pulled out citing mental health and twisties, global conversation on athlete wellbeing |
Greg Louganis Hits Head | Greg Louganis | Diving | Seoul | 1988 | Hit head on board in prelims, came back to win gold with stitches and HIV secret |
Torvill and Dean Bolero | Torvill and Dean | Figure Skating | Sarajevo | 1984 | All 6.0 artistic scores, perfect Bolero routine, most watched British sports moment |
Steven Bradbury Gold | Steven Bradbury | Short Track Speed Skating | Salt Lake City | 2002 | Australian won after all four rivals fell on final corner, luckiest gold ever |
Katie Ledecky 800m | Katie Ledecky | Swimming | Rio | 2016 | Won by 11 seconds, lapped some swimmers, untouchable distance dominance |
Mohamed Farah Double Double | Mo Farah | Athletics | London/Rio | 2012 | 5000m and 10000m golds back to back Olympics, Mobot celebration, Somali refugee story |
Abebe Bikila Barefoot | Abebe Bikila | Marathon | Rome | 1960 | Ethiopian ran barefoot through Rome to win gold, former Italian colony poetry |
Fosbury Flop | Dick Fosbury | High Jump | Mexico City | 1968 | Revolutionary backwards technique won gold, every high jumper uses it now |
Mary Lou Retton Perfect 10 | Mary Lou Retton | Gymnastics | Los Angeles | 1984 | Perfect 10 on vault to clinch all-around gold, first American woman to win it |
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