The Times - 50 greatest Olympic moments

[Chewy]

5. Mexico 1968... when Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their gloved fists and bowed their heads during the medal ceremony in protest against racism in US, the images stuck. The protest met with outrage and both men were suspended from the national team and banned from the Olympic village. But it was a milestone in America's civil rights movement and both athletes were honoured in 1998 on the 30th anniversary of their protest.

That's Australia's own, Peter Norman with the silver medal

He ran the 200m in 20.06

Forty years later, this is still our national record!

 

[The Passenger]

It is there at #5. It is buried a little by the way that entry is written.

Carlos, Smith and Norman.

Peter Norman is one of the most under-mentioned athletes in Australian sport, given the enduring nature of his "achievements". A silver in track sprint event is no mean feat (is it the last track sprint medal by an Aussie male?). His Aussie record still stands. And then, he plays an important role in one of the most memorable race protests of all time.

Salute, the doco of the 1968 protests made by Norman's nephew, has just been released.

thanks mate, how funny i missed it. was the only one of the top 10 that i didn't notice yet it was the one i was looking out for....

definetaly one of the most famous sporting photos ever

 

[sydney eagle]

I might have thought that the murderous 1924 Cross Country event in Paris might have been included. Run in heatwave conditions over a very rough 10,000 metre course, only 15 of 38 entrants finished. Won by Paavo Nurmi . His feat of winning the 1500 metres and 5000 metres on the same day at that games also deserves a mention !

 

[The Passenger]

I might have thought that the murderous 1924 Cross Country event in Paris might have been included. Run in heatwave conditions over a very rough 10,000 metre course, only 15 of 38 entrants finished. Won by Paavo Nurmi . His feat of winning the 1500 metres and 5000 metres on the same day at that games also deserves a mention !

came in number 6. superstar athlete.

 

[sydney eagle]

Al Oerter must be a bit stiff to miss out. First man to win 4 track and field gold medals in 4 successive Olympiads in the same event.

Check out this excerpt from Wiki:

Oerter began his Olympic career at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne. He was not considered the favorite but he felt a rush during the competition and he unleashed a throw of 184'11" (56.36 meters) -- at the time, a career best. The throw was good enough to win the competition by more than 5'.

It appeared Oerter's career would be over at the age of 20, however. In 1957, an automobile accident nearly killed him. He did recover in time to compete at the 1960 Olympics at Rome. Oerter was the slight favorite over teammate and world record holder, Rink Baba. Babka was in the lead for the first four of the six rounds. He gave Oerter advice before his fifth throw and Oerter threw his discus 194'2" (59.18 m), setting an Olympic record. Babka was not able to beat Oerter's throw and finished with the silver.

During the early 1960s, Oerter continued to have success. He set his first world record in 1962. In the process, he was the first to break 200 feet in the discus. He was considered a heavy favorite to win a third gold medal at Tokyo in 1964.

Injury seemed to have felled Oerter before the Games. He was bothered by a neck injury then he tore cartilage in his ribs shortly before the competition. Competing in great pain, Oerter set a new Olympic standard and won a third Olympic gold medal despite not being able to take his last throw due to the pain from his ribs. As before, he bettered his own record with a throw of 61.00 meters.

Oerter returned to the Olympics in 1968 at Mexico but he had yielded the position of favorite to teammate Jay Silvester. Many felt that Oerter, at 32, was finished since Oerter had never thrown as far as Silvester did on his average throws. At the Olympics, however, Oerter released another Olympic record throw of 64.78 meters on first throw. His record held and he became the first track and field athlete to win four consecutive gold medals.

Oerter retired from athletics after the 1968 Olympics. He did make an attempt to qualify for the American team in 1980 but he finished fourth. He nonetheless set his overall personal record of 69.46 meters (227'10¾") that year at the age of 43. When filming for a TV segment, he unofficially threw about 245 feet (74.67 meters), which would have set a still-standing world record. In later years, Oerter carried the Olympic flag for the 1984 Olympics, then carried Olympic flame into the stadium for the 1996 Olympic Games.

Oerter's performances were epic, no doubt. But, if you are going to include him then you would also have to include Paul Elvstrom of Denmark (four consecutive gold medals in yachting (Finn Class, one man dinghy) or Ray Ewry of the U S A (four consecutive gold in standing high jump,4 in standing long jump, and 2 in standing triple jump between 1900 and 1908, including the 1906 Athens games)

 

[sydney eagle]

came in number 6. superstar athlete.

The two medals on the one day was mentioned, but not the cross country. That race was SO bad that the event was taken out of the Olympic Games therafter, and has never been reinstated !

 

[Cassius_Clay]

Reading what you all have to say about that night when Cathy won gold is giving me goosebumps. It was an amazing night and I remember watching it in the lounge room with my Mum and brother as if it was yesterday. To the person who called it overrated, are you serious?

Again, how is it any more special than Ian Thorpe creating world records AND winning gold medals?

 

[The Passenger]

Again, how is it any more special than Ian Thorpe creating world records AND winning gold medals?

to be fair its because Freeman was not put under as much pressure as Thorpe, whilst Thorpe was pretty much as close to as sure thing as you could get. He dominated the 400m, but couldn't win the 200m freestyle.

Freeman, although favourite was still only a 50/50 chance of the gold medal in 400m.

Thorpe was the clear dominant figure in the 400m and won pretty comfortably, whilst he was expected to win in the 200m and lost to the flying dutchman.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Oh bullshit it was.

Tell me why it was so great? Is it cos she's aboriginal? Is that it?

Big deal.

Because she was the first person who lit the flame and then went on and won a gold medal. Ie was able to overcome the huge expectation of the nation and being a representative of her people and the fact that John Coates told her 4 months before the Olympics and that he gave it to her because she was going to be a symbol of reconciliation. A larger burden to carry than other Australian athlete.

Because it was a great race. She dragged out a personal best out of 4 other competitors including a national record from the South African.

http://www2.iaaf.org/OLY00/results/index.asp

Official Results - 400 METRES - Women - Final 

Monday, September 25, 2000 - 20:10  
 
Pos  Lane    Athlete Country Mark       React 
1  6    Freeman Cathy AUS 49.11   (SB)  
2  4    Graham Lorraine JAM 49.58   (PB)  
3  3    Merry Katharine GBR 49.72   (PB)  
4  2    Fraser Donna GBR 49.79   (PB)  
5  5    Guevara Ana MEX 49.96      
6  7    Seyerling Heide RSA 50.05   (NR)  
7  8    Ogunkoya Falilat NGR 50.12      
8  1    Kotlyarova Olga RUS 51.04

Ok so it was slower than the Atlanta 400m where the first 5 placegetters produced personal bests and the first 4 placegetters that remained their lifetime pb but it was;
1. The fastest time since the Atlanta 400m
http://www.alltime-athletics.com/w_400ok.htm

2. 12 to 15 degrees cooler and winder in Sydney than Atlanta. A late July Atlanta night was around 32 degrees compared to Sydney's 20 degrees. The USA track coach thought Shirvington would have made the 100m final because of the cooler conditions. If he did he would have been the first white guy in a final since 1980.

3. Perec pulled out had nothing to do with diminishing Freeman's performance. She bet all those that turned up and dragged best times out of 4 others just like what happened in Atlanta. Perec did not run a 400m in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and her best time in 2000 was 50.32 in Nice in July once again a lot warmer than what it was in Sydney.

And if you are an Australian Athletics fan, you know we have been starved of Olympic success. Since 1968 Olympics when we won 2g, 3s and 1b and finished 4th in the medals total and 4th on the IAAF points table, Australia has only produced 2 other gold medalists. Glynis Nunn who won the heptathlon in 1984 when the Eastern Bloc boycotted. In the 1983 world champs 5 of the top 6 placegetters came from the Eastern Bloc nations, Nunn was 7th.

In 1988 Debbie Flintoff-King won the 400m hurdle, but there was no great expectations on her and it was so close that it took almost 15 minutes to work out who won. Flintoff-King's was a great effort and was run with the pain of losing her sister 3 days before the team left for Seoul.

Freeman's effort was done with the weight of a nation behind her, huge burdens placed on her by the AOC and SOCOG, it was clear cut decisive and no doubts about how she won and the last 100m of the race she dominated her opponents.

Do you want any more reasons?

 

[The Passenger]

ok thought of a slightly better way of explaining it because of course Thorpe was placed under pressure with newspaper headlines predicting 5 or 6 gold medals.

BUT

Thorpe was way clear of his rivals in the 400m and was the dominant figure of 200m. For Thorpe to lose the 400m required a massive brain explosion of some description which didn't happen and he couldn't get home in the 200m.

Freeman, as i said was the favourite for her event, but this was by no means just a turn up and dominate session. It was still a wide open event and she got home in front of her home crowd.

And despite the pressure Thorpe was under, i still think that Freeman had more public expectation placed on her despite the fact she was less of a favourite than Thorpe to win gold.

 

[Cassius_Clay]

Thats a crock of shit. Thorpe broke world records. Yeah, he was favourite (Freeman was a clear cut favourite too), he still won multiple gold medals. Freeman won one in her entire career and broke no world records. So she lifted the flame, big deal?

People overcome huge expectations all the time. Didnt Thorpe win like 5 gold medals? Yeah, he felt no pressure at all because he didnt lift the flame. I'm sorry but her run was nothing special at all. She was expected to win and she did. I dont get the big fuss. If she broke a world record when no-one gave her a chance to win a medal, then I could understand.

The only valid point is that it was in athletics, a part of the olympics we never excelled at. Thing is, she was favourite and if she didnt win she'd have been labelled a choker and rightly so.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Thorpe had a hell of a lot more pressure on him in the 400m in Athens than any event in Sydney.

Being DQed in the Olympic trials and then the nation demanding Craig Stevens to give up his spot to his mate Thorpe, meant he carried a great burden. The fact that he was past his peak (history shows 2002 was his peak) added to the pressure as well as a great swim from Hackett.

As a 17 year old who had been on the world stage for 2 years he would have felt pressure in the 400m and 200m and relays, but I suspect he felt he was carrying a gorilla in both the 400m and 200m in Athens.

 

[Cassius_Clay]

ok thought of a slightly better way of explaining it because of course Thorpe was placed under pressure with newspaper headlines predicting 5 or 6 gold medals.

BUT

Thorpe was way clear of his rivals in the 400m and was the dominant figure of 200m. For Thorpe to lose the 400m required a massive brain explosion of some description which didn't happen and he couldn't get home in the 200m.

Freeman, as i said was the favourite for her event, but this was by no means just a turn up and dominate session. It was still a wide open event and she got home in front of her home crowd.

And despite the pressure Thorpe was under, i still think that Freeman had more public expectation placed on her despite the fact she was less of a favourite than Thorpe to win gold.

Thorpe was expected to win 5+ GOLD MEDALS. If that's not pressure to perform I dunno what is.

He was favourite as was Freeman. Makes no difference how strong a favourite each was. They were both the best in their field and both should have won.

 

[apollo_creed]

Thats a crock of shit. Thorpe broke world records. Yeah, he was favourite (Freeman was a clear cut favourite too), he still won multiple gold medals. Freeman won one in her entire career and broke no world records. So she lifted the flame, big deal?

People overcome huge expectations all the time. Didnt Thorpe win like 5 gold medals? Yeah, he felt no pressure at all because he didnt lift the flame. I'm sorry but her run was nothing special at all. She was expected to win and she did. I dont get the big fuss. If she broke a world record when no-one gave her a chance to win a medal, then I could understand.

The only valid point is that it was in athletics, a part of the olympics we never excelled at. Thing is, she was favourite and if she didnt win she'd have been labelled a choker and rightly so.

Difference being; and the obvious one.... swimmers break records ALL THE TIME.

it's ridiculous. bodysuits, quicker pools and whatever.

not really that uncommon for swimming world records to be broken.
how many current swimming WR's are long standing?
compared to athletics - mens and womens.

so one diminish the significance of a swimming world record quite easily.
and they should be evaluated properly.

swimming is all about beating competition as far as I'm concerned.

and on the rare occasion that a long standing world record is broken then one can appropriately respect the achievement.

 

[Cassius_Clay]

Difference being; and the obvious one.... swimmers break records ALL THE TIME.

it's ridiculous. bodysuits, quicker pools and whatever.

not really that uncommon for swimming world records to be broken.
how many current swimming WR's are long standing?
compared to athletics - mens and womens.

so one diminish the significance of a swimming world record quite easily.
and they should be evaluated properly.

swimming is all about beating competition as far as I'm concerned.

and on the rare occasion that a long standing world record is broken then one can appropriately respect the achievement.

Valid point if Freeman actually broke the world record. She didnt. Freeman won 1 gold, Thorpe won 3 and 2 silver. How are Freeman's achievements better than Thorpes?

 

[apollo_creed]

Valid point if Freeman actually broke the world record. She didnt. Freeman won 1 gold, Thorpe won 3 and 2 silver. How are Freeman's achievements better than Thorpes?

I wasn't offering an opinion in relation to the argument.

merely pointing out that talk of world records in swimming is close to meaningless.

they're just broken and broken these days. conditions suit and are seemingly more favourable by the year.

the winner and positioning is relevant. times aren't.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Thorpe was expected to win 5+ GOLD MEDALS. If that's not pressure to perform I dunno what is.

He was favourite as was Freeman. Makes no difference how strong a favourite each was. They were both the best in their field and both should have won.

That's rubbish. The 4 x 100 medley team was not expected to win a gold. Thorpe was not the best or second best 100m freestyler in the team so how was he expected to win that event???

The 4 x 100m freestyle team were expected to give the yanks a great challenge. The USA had never been beaten in an Olympics or World Champs only DQed. The 4 individual yank swimmers had better 100m PBs than the 4 Australian swimmers PB. Neil Walker swam a crappy first leg for the yanks over 1 second slower than his best time and it opened up race for Australia to win. I was there that night, up in the nose bleed section and it was sensational. Thorpe won his 400m that night, but I rate the 4 x 100m freestyle win the equivalent of Freeman's win.

The 4 x 200m freestyle we were expected to win and we did easily by over 5 seconds.

Yep Thorpe was expected to win the 400m and 200m. But in the 200m Van den Hoogenband broke Thorpe's world record in the semi's. Come the next night of the finals those expectations had been lowered as Hoogie's effort was a wake up call and people realised that Thorpe had already swum in 2 heats and 2 finals more than Hoogie.

So yes there was huge expectations that he would win 3 golds and with a bit of luck 4. And that's part of the reason why the pressure was slightly different. He had a relay to be confident he would win at least one gold in and 2 individual events with the expectation changed before one final.

Freeman had one shot in the locker!

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

Thats a crock of shit. Thorpe broke world records. Yeah, he was favourite (Freeman was a clear cut favourite too), he still won multiple gold medals. Freeman won one in her entire career and broke no world records. So she lifted the flame, big deal?

People overcome huge expectations all the time. Didnt Thorpe win like 5 gold medals? Yeah, he felt no pressure at all because he didnt lift the flame. I'm sorry but her run was nothing special at all. She was expected to win and she did. I dont get the big fuss. If she broke a world record when no-one gave her a chance to win a medal, then I could understand.

The only valid point is that it was in athletics, a part of the olympics we never excelled at. Thing is, she was favourite and if she didnt win she'd have been labelled a choker and rightly so.

Are you serious about her breaking a world record? Have a look at the top 10 times and who ran them. All Eastern Bloc drug cheats. Why do you reckon so many female world records, not including the newer events, are still those set in the 1980's and early 1990's???

Go to this page and look at how many women's events the top 10 and top 20 times are dominated during the heavy drug taking era of 1980's and early 1990's.

http://www.alltime-athletics.com/women.htm

Swimming is performed in controlled conditions. No wind and the water temperature is between 26 and 27 degrees in ever pool. You would expect records to fall on a hell of a lot more regular basis than athletics.

How many nations win a gold in the 32 Olympic events? About 10. How many win a gold medal in the 46, now 47 athletic events? About 25. People of African decent don't swim.

In athletics there is only one way to run 200m. In swimming you have five ways you can swim 200m. It's a hell of a lot easier to double and triple up in swimming compared to athletics plus you have an extra relay for both men and women.

 

[pepsi]

Valid point if Freeman actually broke the world record. She didnt. Freeman won 1 gold, Thorpe won 3 and 2 silver. How are Freeman's achievements better than Thorpes?

I get a strong feeling that you don't like Freeman that much or consider her achievements great. I think she is an absolute superstar and that win in Sydney will be remembered by myself for the rest of my life.

Thorpe is also a legend and his achievements are scary. I agree that he achieved more than Freeman, but with the expectation that was on Cathy after lighting the flame weas enormous. and she delivered in a brilliant way.

 

[Dan_tm]

Cathy Freeman is the 2nd fastest in history in my books..Only Perec in that famous 1996 Atlanta finish can really claim to be better..They own the top 2 fastest times going back 22 years..World Record holder Marita Koch was listed on East German records as part of their drug program when it was uncovered way back in 1991 and as Jarmila Kratochvílová...there is more than enough proof about her...just look at "her" at her prime
http://www.reflex.cz/images/tistenyrx/2007/41/50-1.jpg

Interesting sidenote on the Marita Kochs 400m World Record....It was set in Canberra,Australia in 1985 during the old World Cup Series....

 

[The Passenger]

Marita Kochs 400m World Record

a very approriate name

as for my arugments supporting cathy freeman russelebert summed them all up; lack of world records broken in athletics compared to swimming and having only one event to prove herself...

i also think your being a bit selective there - there is a massive different to clear cut favourite and just a favourite. not to mention swimming upsets are few and far between compared to athletics, particularly sprinting events where only small errors make a huge difference.

 

[pepsi]

World Record holder Marita Koch was listed on East German records as part of their drug program when it was uncovered way back in 1991 and as Jarmila Kratochvílová...there is more than enough proof about her...just look at "her" at her prime
http://www.reflex.cz/images/tistenyrx/2007/41/50-1.jpg

Interesting sidenote on the Marita Kochs 400m World Record....It was set in Canberra,Australia in 1985 during the old World Cup Series....

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No it's a (wo)MAN. Gees she is pumped. Look at her trapezius and Deltoid muscles, massive.

 

[RussellEbertHandball]

40. Rome 1960. Ethiopian Abebe Bikila became the first runner representing an African nation to win a gold in the marathon at the Games, something he did barefoot. It was only the third time he had run the distance and he set a world record in the process. He repeated the performance in Tokyo four years later.


Sports Illustrated ranks it no. 10 in their list.

As a last-minute (literally) add-on to the Ethiopian Olympic marathon team, Bikila was left without a fitting pair of shoes when it came time to run. The team's sponsor, Adidas, had few shoes left when Bikila arrived for fitting. His solution? Do without them. Competing in his "usual training attire" (shoe-less), Bikila finished the race in a record time of 2:15:16.2, becoming the first African to win an Olympic gold medal.

Abebe Bikila laid down the foundation stone for the great Ethiopian and African long and middle distance runners to build on.

And guess who they put at number 20? Yep Freeman.

After winning silver in the 400 meters and becoming the first Aboriginal athlete to compete for Australia at the 1996 Games, runner Cathy Freeman wasn't satisfied. As one of the favorites entering the 2000 Games, she took the pressure in stride as she won the event that she had trained for decades.

So the USA's leading sports magazine ranks a top 20 list which is made up of 15 yanks and 5 foreigners is prepared to put her in the top 20. That says something about the pressure they reckon she was under as judged by an authorative sports magazine that knows sports. They had plenty of other yanks or foreigners to slot into the top 20.

The full list starting with Carl Lewis's 1984 games as No. 1 can be found here. Just click thru moments.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mu.../top.20.olympic.summer.moments/content.1.html

 

[Cassius_Clay]

I get a strong feeling that you don't like Freeman that much or consider her achievements great. I think she is an absolute superstar and that win in Sydney will be remembered by myself for the rest of my life.

Thorpe is also a legend and his achievements are scary. I agree that he achieved more than Freeman, but with the expectation that was on Cathy after lighting the flame weas enormous. and she delivered in a brilliant way.

No, I dont like her at all.

So everyone expected her to win. And? Best athlete in her race, should have won and did. If she came 2nd would it have been considered a choke? Yep, certainly. Every athlete that performs is under severe pressure to perform, espcially those who are favoutires. After all they are racing for THEMSELVES to win an Olympic gold medal.

 

[YOTC]

Yawn...

Was a boring race in the mix of a spectacular night of track and field.

Everybody feels pressure at the olympics, but most people overcome it, except the English. Just look at all those English people failing. (Edwards, Radcliffe, etc)