Top Five Olympic Moments That Remain Unforgettable to This Day

As the Olympic Games continue to be held, competitors will continue to have the chance to make history. Typically, the winners take the highest spot on the podium and proudly display their gold medals, basking in all the glory they’ve worked hard to achieve. While sometimes a historic triumph is a catalyst for a truly spectacular moment, other times it might come from an unexpected source. Over the years, we’ve seen a handful of jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring performances, but these five are undoubtedly the cream of the crop.

Great Britain’s Best Relay Ever

The Great Britain team of Jason Gardener, Darren Campbell, Mark Lewis-Francis, and Marlon Devonish raced to one of the greatest upsets in the history of the track and field competitions by winning the 4x100-meter relay in a time that set a new Olympic record.

A sloppy baton handoff on the second leg put the Americans, who had entered the final as favorites, farther behind the eight ball. Amidst Coby Miller’s best efforts to catch and pass Lewis-Francis on the last stretch, the British team was proclaimed the victor by a margin of just 0.01 seconds, despite Lewis-Francis’s body going in literally headfirst for the final win. Exciting times, indeed!

They Were Called the Dream Team for This Reason

In 1992, the United States sent a squad of professional NBA players to compete for Olympic Gold in Barcelona, making them the first American sports team in history to do so. Star players like Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, and Magic Johnson rounded out the roster, which Michael Jordan led.

Team USA, boasting a lineup full of NBA all-stars, was an overwhelming favorite going into the Olympics and ultimately won gold after defeating Croatia by an average of 44 points per game. It might be years before we’ll witness anything remotely close to this legendary moment, so it’s no wonder people look back at this event with fondness.

Usain Bolted His Way to the Top

One can hardly exaggerate the significance of Usain Bolt’s performance in Beijing in August of 2008 for his sport. After stealing the spotlight in the Beijing Olympics with lightning-fast sprinting, Bolt became the most renowned Olympian in history. Gold medals in both the 100- and 200-meter races helped Bolt make history as the first to keep both records simultaneously.

It was the first of many gold medals Bolt would win, as he would go on to win again in 2012 and again in 2016, ultimately becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time with eight victories. Today, the famous sprinter serves as an inspiration to many aspiring athletes in the field.

Cathy Freeman’s Dreams Finally Became a Reality

Cathy Freeman of Australia made her mark in the early 1990s, and by the end of the decade, she had established herself as the primary threat to Marie-Jose Perec of France in the 400-meter event. At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, she placed second to Perec but still managed to break the Australian record with a time of 48.63 seconds.

Eventually, Freeman was scheduled to play a rematch against Sydney, but Perec unexpectedly quit the Games, citing harassment from spectators as her reason. The image of Freeman’s victory lap holding both the Australian and Aboriginal flags was replayed for years after he won gold in a time of 49.11 seconds, widely considered one of the greatest Olympic moments in Australia’s history.

Phelps Takes the Cake for Being Number One

With his spirited performances in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, American Michael Phelps, nicknamed “The Baltimore Bullet,” cemented his status as the most outstanding Olympic athlete in history. Phelps broke the record set by fellow American swimmer Mark Spitz (seven gold metals) in 1972 by capturing eight gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Phelps is currently in first place on the all-time Olympic medals list, having added nine more gold and two more silver medals at the London (2012) and Rio (2016) Games for a grand total of 28. Who would’ve thought we’d see a real-life merman in our lifetime?

Overall, let’s hope that the list above captured the full range of Olympic highlights, from breathtaking sporting drama to massive geopolitical rivalries. Win or lose, it’s the journey of getting there that counts!