What is your favorite memory.The most amazing race I ever saw was the 200 Breaststroke in the 1968 Olympics. The only gold medal won by a Mexican at the Games Was by Felipe Munoz. Every time he breathed the crowd screamed MEXICO, I have never experienced such passion for a swimming event,(I only saw it on T.V. I can't imagine what it was like in person.)
My favorite Olympic moment hands down was seeing the Magnificent 7 win the team gold medal in 1996. I'm from the Atlanta area so those Olympics were very special to me. The buildup, planning and anticipation were so exciting to be a part of! I was blessed to have an old family friend who was very wealthy. He gave us BOX tickets to the FINALS of the Women's Gymnastics Team competition!!! It was incredible!! When Keri Shrug nailed her vault to win the team competition,despite her badly injured ankle, the whole Georgia Dome shook with all the applause and cheering! I had tears in my eyes. The fortitiude and determination it took for her to do that.....truly the Olympic spirit in human form! My two daughters were with me and despite their young ages, 5 and 8, they remember it well. It was an awesome moment. I have priceless pictures of my family with the team on the medal podium in the background. My 5 year old cried when we had to leave the Dome when the competiton was over....she didn't want it to end and neither did I.
If I haven't said it before, Misty Hyman's 200 fly win at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney is my favorite and is probably one of the greatest upsets.
But I've only really been watching the Olympics since the mid 70's/early 80's...so I'm sure I missed seeing many other great moments. I was 6 when Spitz swam in Munich, and although I don't remember watching it, I do remember having a stars & stripes swimsuit.
:banana:
The opening and closing ceremonies of the more recent ones. They're getting quite elaborate and entertaining.
Well, since you brought it up, I HATE this part. I want to cut right to the action and see the racing. :bump:
Misty Hyman and Janet Evans were fabulous moments.
Originally posted by aquageek
I have never understood how that guy qualified for the Olympics.
Yeah, I believe they instituted the 'A' and 'B' Olympic time standards so only good athletes make it now. They didn't then.
If memory serves he was the ONLY Olympian (or the ONLY swimmer) from his country which, under rules at the time, did qualify him. They put him in a heat of his own to spare him the embarrassment of being still in the pool while the other heat participants would have been in their street clothes.
It took guts but................. he will always be able to say that he was an Olympian.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the more recent ones. They're getting quite elaborate and entertaining.
Well, since you brought it up, I HATE this part. I want to cut right to the action and see the racing. :bump:
Yeah I must agree, the opening ceremony is a bit naff barring the parade bit...but the closing ceremony is just like the opening ceremony all over again. It's like replaying the opening...but with medals.
Best moment for me is historic: Hitler's exit.
"OK back to the drawing board on the whole master race thing..."
Sportingwise for me any Brit Gold was awesome because we get so few. Of course Eddie the Eagle was great from a "Awwwwwwww, good for him!" for trying point of view. Plus we had the song "Fly Eddie Fly"
www.youtube.com/watch
Best moment for me is historic: Hitler's exit.
"OK back to the drawing board on the whole master race thing..."
The 1936 Olympics are documented in a wonderful film, "Olympia," by Leni Riefenstahl. I checked it out from my local library; you can probably get it from Netflix or Blockbuster. Note that there are two parts; together they're over 3 hours long but well worth it.
Synopsis for Part I from IMDB.com:
www.imdb.com/.../
"After being commissioned by the 1936 Olympic Committee to create a feature film of the Berlin Olympics, Riefenstahl shot a documentary that celebrates the human body by combining the poetry of bodies in motion with close-ups of athletes in the heat of competition. Includes the marathon, men's diving, and American track star Jesse Owen's sprint races at the 1936 Olympic games. The production tends to glorify the young male body and, some say, expresses the Nazi attitude toward athletic prowess. Includes the lighting of the torch at the stadium and Adolf Hitler looking on in amazement as Jesse Owens wins an unprecedented four Gold Medals.--Written by Fiona Kelleghan"
Anna Lea
Sporting moment? Mark Spitz's sweep. I was only a couple of years younger and swimming on a HS team. No dreams on my part (smart enought to know that I'd NEVER be that good!!) ... but a lot of respect and awe.
In general ... ABC-TV's coverage of the Olympics, Winter or Summer. Jim McKay in his prime could not be beat.
Cheers!!
Ken
