Your Memories of Past Olympic Games? (1 Viewer)

[The General]

Back in the good ol' days I strutted Bondi Beach in a pair of red 1976 Montreal Olympic Games Speedos. Of course back then Speedos were cool and I had a body that looked good in them.

I don't really recall the '76 Games but I do recall the U.S. boycott of the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the subsequent Soviet boycott of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

I guess the first games that really grabbed my attention were the 1992 Barcelona Games.

What are your thoughts and memories of previous Games?

 

[OzDigger]

The perfect 10 performances of Nadia Comaneci at the 1976 Montreal Olympics first attracted my attention to the Summer Olympics which previously had bored me to tears. But of course the Sydney Olympics was high on the list since then.

 

[nshighlander]

Hi
I was living in Scotland at the time joining the British Army.Ben Johnson broke the world record and won the gold medal.Then he test positive for drugs.Lost the medal and Canada was the big joke at the time.Great stuff.
Cheers
Dave

 

[jazzeum]

1968, because of the politics surrounding the Olympics and what the two American runners did. It was a close call with the 1972 Olympics, for obvious reasons.

 

[Toy Soldier Brigade]

1996 Atlanta games opening ceremony when Mohammad Ali lit the torch with Beethoven blaring in the background. Not an event, but my most vivid Olympic memory.

 

[Spitfrnd]

I voted 1964 since that was the first one that has any significance to me but since then there have been several others for the following reasons:
1964: USA team silver in eventing (Michael Page, Kevin Freeman, Michael Plumb, Lana duPont)
1968: USA team bronze in eventing (Michael Page, James Wofford, Michael Plumb, Keven Freeman)
1976: USA individual gold (Tad Coffin) and team gold in eventing (Tad Coffin, Michael Plumb, Bruce Davidson, Mary Tauskey)
1984: USA individual silver (Karen Stives) and team gold in eventing (Karen Stives, Torrance Watkins, Michael Plumb, Bruce Davidson)
1992: Disappointing 10th team finish in eventing but first real time broadcast of full competition
1996: USA team silver in eventing (Kerry Milikin, David O'Connor, Mara DePuy, Karen O'Connor)
2000: USA individual gold (David O'Connor) and team bronze in eventing (Robert Costella, Julie Black, Karen O'Connor, Nina Fout)
2004: USA individual silver (Kim Severson) and team bronze in eventing (Amy Tyron, Darrin Chiacchia, John Williams, Julie Richards)
I have had the good fortune to train each year for the last several years with former olympic medalists Michael Page and Bobby Costella.

 

[desk11desk12]

Greatest memory for me was Bill Toomey, Olympic decathlon gold medalist performance in the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. I was so young and naive, I actually thought the USA was best in everything. It was a great time in the mist of the chaos of the times.

Carlos

 

[Spitfrnd]

One of the most important things for ANYONE to remember about the Olympics is that they are not about who is the best but rather about doing your best. Now if only the moronic commentators and press would get that right.

 

[Deitz]

The first Olympic Games I watched was in 1972. I have not really watched the Olympics since 1984, although I watched the Basketball games when Jordan played on the team.

 

[The General]

1968, because of the politics surrounding the Olympics and what the two American runners did. It was a close call with the 1972 Olympics, for obvious reasons.

That protest was actually helped along by an Aussie.

An Australian athlete (who I think took the silver medal in that event) lent the two black athletes his gloves for the salute.

In the famous photo you will see one is wearing a right handed glove and the other a left handed one.

Go Australia!

 

[Warrior]

My most vivid memories;

3.) The US basketball team getting screwed out of the gold medal vs the Russians; this led many years later to the establishment of the dream team, if the rest of the world can send their pro athletes, so can we.

2.) The late great Jim McKay's fateful announcement "They're all gone"......

1.) When the Greek female track athlete came out of nowhere and won the gold medal in the olympics held in Greece four years ago; the way the whole stadium roared when she took the lead down the home stretch still gives me chills and I say that as a proud Greek American..............

 

[Combat]

LA in 1984. I attended USC starting in 1983. My first year the campus was under constant construction for the games. After they were over we had a lot of nice additions. I've never cared much for the games themselves - particularly when they are a showcase for certain governments.

 

[Kiwi]

Most memorable moment for me would have to be Nadia Comeneche at Montrel in 1976 winning golds for perfect 10s in gymanstics for Romania. No-one else like her before and, I believe, no-one like her ever again. Too many drug enhanced athletes now coming out of the big 3 making it impossible to win more than 2 or 3 golds AND hang on to them after a drug test.

But after the 1972 Munich tragedy, that 1976 games re-ignited our passion for the Olympics.

Kiwi

 

[Spitfrnd]

That protest was actually helped along by an Aussie.

An Australian athlete (who I think took the silver medal in that event) lent the two black athletes his gloves for the salute.

In the famous photo you will see one is wearing a right handed glove and the other a left handed one.

Go Australia!

I love Australia but I wouldn't consider that a proud moment.

 

[gk5717]

I was thinking this morning, how many of these Olympic sporting events do we pay attention to outside the Olympics or even care?
I believe the other day I read or saw someone won a gold metal for the ten meter air rifle, WHAT!
I,m not knocking the Olympics as I sit and watch them as much as anyone, they are fantastic on HD TV, but I think we all get caught up in the hype.
I liked it better during the cold war when beating Russia or East Germany was cause for celebration whether it was the 10 meter air rifle or basketball.
Gary

 

[theBaron]

I was thinking this morning, how many of these Olympic sporting events do we pay attention to outside the Olympics or even care?
I believe the other day I read or saw someone won a gold metal for the ten meter air rifle, WHAT!
I,m not knocking the Olympics as I sit and watch them as much as anyone, they are fantastic on HD TV, but I think we all get caught up in the hype.
I liked it better during the cold war when beating Russia or East Germany was cause for celebration whether it was the 10 meter air rifle or basketball.
Gary

I was a little hesitant, when I saw this thread, to post anything other than support for the Olympics, but Gary has borken the ice

I don't really get into the games, I don't watch them. I think they should be returned to the original, classic games that highlight the capabilities of the human body, such as track and field events, and basic throwing and hand-eye coordination tests. And I cannot get past the fact that professional athletes can play on their countries' Olympic teams. It just seems wrong that men with contracts to the NBA, for example, should be allowed to play on the national team. I think the Olympians should be amateurs, in the true sense of the word, or rather, in the sense that they should not be affiliated with any professional league for their sport. No NBA, MLB (not even from the minor leagues, since they are part of the professional leagues), no NHL.

I haven't quite figured out about the issue counter to my argument about amateurs, that someone still receives money from companies or other bodies, and so, is paid to train and compete. But somehow, it doesn't seem right.

And yes, the sports get more and more obscure. For the next Olympiad, they want to add extreme sports, while baseball is being dropped.

All in all, it smacks of pane et circensum, not to take away from the athletes, though. Just too much of a pageant.

Prost!
Brad

 

[1879fanatic]

Brad,
Completely agree! It's a showcase of us-trained expatriots gone back for a better chance. Plenty of Marketing involved. I did like the Cold War years for the dynamics and the rivalry. Mike

 

[Njja]

Ahhhhh are the Olympics on again?

 

[Tony Neville]

Guys

Tonight Beijing time (2pm UK time) a friend of mine will be in the Light Heavy Weight boxing. He is a local lad from Sunderland who i helped sponsor when i ran a health club up in the North East of England. He has worked hard and spent thousands of his own money to train. If he beats the hungarian tonighthe is gurenteed a bronze!

Tony Jeffries is his name!!

Come on Tony come on GB!!

Tony Neville

 

[Rob]

Watched him box the other day Tony,he's got talent and hope he wins.

Have i eaten too many Opal Fruits or is great Britain 3rd in the table???!!

Rob