15 Top Summer Olympics Moments
#15 Carl Lewis Takes 4 Golds
Taking home 4 gold medals in the 1984 L.A. Olympics, he stood out more because of his arrogance.
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15:
Carl Lewis Takes 4 Golds
Taking home 4 gold medals in the 1984 L.A. Olympics, he stood out more because of his arrogance.
14:
The Original Dream Team
The 1992 Olympics finally allowed pro-players and the U.S. assembled The Dream Team, beating opponents by an average of 43 points per game.
13:
The Incredible Jim Thorpe
Jim Thorpe, athlete-of-all-trades, earned gold in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics winning in both the pentathlon and decathlon finishing first in 8 of 15 events.
12:
Wilma Rudolph Puts Women's Track and Field on the Map
Making an impression on women's track and field at the 1960 Rome games, Rudolph walked away with three gold medals. Astonishing considering she had overcome polio as a child.
11:
Micheal Johnson's World Records
During the 1996 in Atlanta, Michael Johnson smashed his previous world record in the 200 Meter Dash with a time of 19.32 seconds.
10:
Usain Bolt's New World Records
Twelve years after Michael Johnson's record breaking race, Jamaica's Usain Bolt broke it by two-tenths of a second during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
9:
Rulon Gardner - David vs. Goliath
In Sydney's 2000 Olympics, unknown USA wrestler Rulon Gardner took down Russian Alexander Karelin, a three-time Olympic Greco-Roman wrestling champ who hadn't lost a single match in 13 years!
8:
Bob Beamon's Long Long Jump
At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Bob Beamon set a world record in the long jump of 29' 2.5" - such a big number the normal measuring device wasn't large enough!
7:
Mark Spitz Garners 7 Golds
Mark Spitz became the talk of 1972 Olympic town winning seven gold medals and setting world records in all events. He was the first athlete to win so many medals in a single Olympics.
6:
Mary Lou Retton's Perfect 10
In the 1984 Summer Olympics, Mary Lou Retton needed the coveted "Perfect 10" on vault to win all-around. In both chances on the apparatus, she scored 10's, securing gold.
5:
The Shoeless Abebe Bikila
The Ethiopian runner was a late addition to the team, leaving him shoeless in the 1960 games. This was in fact how he trained and became the first black African gold medalist winning the marathon easily.
4:
Kerry Strug's Vault with a Bum Ankle
With the hopes of team gold resting on her shoulders, Strug pulled off one of the best vaults of her life, on a bum ankle no less.
3:
Michael Phelps Earns 8 Golds
Rocking the world in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Micheal Phelps took home a record 8 gold medals!
2:
Jessie Owens Breaks Barriers
Jessie Owens became known as "The Fastest Man Alive" after taking home four golds in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.
1:
Derek Redmond's Heartbreaking Finish
This heartbreaking moment served as an inspiration to all watching. Tearing his Achilles tendon minutes before racing in 1988 Derek Redmond was back in 1992 but tore his hamstring out of the gate. His father ran to the track past security, helping his son cross the finish line.
