Confuscius From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3633 posts, RR: 2 Posted (10 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 1987 times:
I was at the 1984 Oympics in Los Angeles and saw a memorable 1,500m run with Great Britain's Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram winning the gold and silver medals respectively.
Seb Coe making a gesture at the British press moments after the race.
Airstud From United States of America, joined Nov 2000, 1853 posts, RR: 1 Reply 1, posted (10 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 1973 times:
Those were the days, when male athletes got to wear actual shorts.
Today, for some reason, our "running" attire is expected to be calf-length and baggier than an anorexic elephant.
What freedom and mobility that offers.
But that's not why you called. The 1984 Olympics were my favorite too!! I have such fond memories of me and my sis watching both the winter games from Sarajevo and the summer games from L.A. Both of those Olympiads were the first ones I was really old enough to know what they were about, and I was especially proud of the ones taking place on my home soil
I have always loved language and when I was that age I scored foreign language dictionaries/phrasebooks whenever I could. I was very proud of my English-Portuguese book (maybe it's the first one I got; maybe it's the first I'd gotten with my "own" money, whatevz). Based on this book being in my posession I had determined that Portuguese things were totally awesome, and I was therefore beaming when the Portuguese runner Carlos Lopes won the marathon.
(Gad, I hope I'm remembering that right.)
Then of course there was Mary Lou Retton... meh.
And wasn't there some scandal with the chick marathon runner tying someone else's shoes together...
Wow am I slap-happy - good thing I've got 10 days off from work after tonight.
Quoting Airstud (Reply 1): and I was therefore beaming when the Portuguese runner Carlos Lopes won the marathon.
He ran a great race. He wasn't the favorite to win with notable runners such as Toshihiko Seko (JPN), Alberto Salazar (USA) and Rob de Castella (AUS) in the race. IIRC, he surge ahead early and pretty much ran by himself to the finish line.
Aeri28 From United States of America, joined Dec 2000, 591 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (10 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 1962 times:
Another 1984'er here.. (I guess those must have been some good olympics !)
Mine from that year: The barefoot south african Zola Budd running for Great Britain and the ensuing slip up with US runner Mary Decker which caused Mary to fall, squashing her olympic dreams, I think she was favored to win at the time. Rhapsody in blue at the opening ceremonies too.
What a great Summer. I was living at my fathers house in Redondo Beach that summer from summer vacation at Uni in San Francisco, was also my first visit to Paris in July (Air France from JFK to CDG on a 747 200 in Le Club going / Econ coming back) where I stayed 2 weeks at the tender age of
Airontario From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 502 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (10 months 1 week 1 hour ago) and read 1856 times:
Most of my memorable Olympic moments have come from the Winter Games (being Canadian and all) but for the sake of this years Summer Games I'll stick to what stands out in my mind in Summer Games.
1996: Donovan Baily winning the 100m in WR time, and following it up with a win in the 4x100m with Canada.
and
2000: Simon Whitfield winning the first ever mens Triathalon gold medal
CPH-R From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5742 posts, RR: 4 Reply 7, posted (10 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1819 times:
Wasn't there to witness it in person, but the Women's 20 km Race Walk at the Sydney 2000 Olympics (yes, I'm a sucker for the long distance stuff, especially racewalking), where Australian Jane Saville was leading the race - right up to the last judge's position before the finishing line, where she recieved her third red card and was disqualified (it was a cruel finish as well, given that the racewalkers had to go downhill from the racewalking course in order the enter the Olympic Stadium, which is damn difficult to do without 'lifting').
She completely broke down, and when asked if she needed anything, she requested a gun to shoot herself with.
fruitbat From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2006, 547 posts, RR: 6 Reply 8, posted (10 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1815 times:
Right.........
1984 - Steve Redgrave
1988 - Steve Redgrave
1992 - Steve Redgrave
1996 - Steve Redgrave ("If anyone sees me anywhere near a boat again, they have my permission to shoot me")
2000 - Steve Redgrave
"Gold for the Coxed Fours in Los Angeles in 1984, followed by Gold with his previous partner Andy Holmes in the Coxless Pairs at Seoul in 1988, Gold with partner Matthew Pinsent for the Coxless Pairs at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992, the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and of course, the famous win in the Coxless Fours at the Sydney Olympics"
IMO Sir Steve Redgrave is the greatest Olympian ever....run very close (pardon the pun) by my next nominee......
1936 - Jessie Owens (OK - I didn't see it but as a sport vs politics moment it was definitely game, set and match to sport)
....and for sheer total joy of sport, I give you........
2008 - Usain Bolt - the sprint double......magic!
Back for more later.............
Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel.
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38485 posts, RR: 80 Reply 9, posted (10 months 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 1804 times:
Also worth mentioning. Back when I used to be one of those gawd damn liberals out there in San Francisco, I was with the protesters protesting something in China....
I really didn't care one way or the other. I was just there to meat chicks.
CPH-R From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5742 posts, RR: 4 Reply 13, posted (10 months 6 days 20 hours ago) and read 1740 times:
Quoting PSA53 (Reply 10): The black gloves fists salute in 1968 Mexico
The aftermath certainly was infamous. Peter Norman, the white guy, was basically frozen out by the Australian authorities afterwards, his crime being suggesting they wear a glove each, as well as wearing a human rights pin. He was ignored for the 1972 Olympics despite meeting the qualifying time, and wasn't even brought along to the 2000 Olympics, until the US Olympic team invited him as their guest.
us330 From United States of America, joined Aug 2000, 3741 posts, RR: 15 Reply 15, posted (10 months 6 days 19 hours ago) and read 1723 times:
Quoting CPH-R (Reply 13): The aftermath certainly was infamous. Peter Norman, the white guy, was basically frozen out by the Australian authorities afterwards, his crime being suggesting they wear a glove each, as well as wearing a human rights pin.
Is there a decent article out there about what happened to this guy? Seems like it has potential of beingan incredibly interesting story. A new angle to a famous photograh.
Pyrex From Portugal, joined Aug 2005, 3536 posts, RR: 28 Reply 18, posted (10 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1655 times:
Quoting Confuscius (Reply 2): He wasn't the favorite to win with notable runners such as Toshihiko Seko (JPN), Alberto Salazar (USA) and Rob de Castella (AUS) in the race.
Not to mention he was 37 and had been ran over by a car while practicing just a month before the race.
My most memorable moment is slightly different... I remember the representative from Equatorial Guinea (I think) to the 2000 (I think) Summer Olympics. The only problem was, his competition was swimming and he didn't actually know how to swim... seems like he almost drowned during his short swim. The funny thing is, he almost fell down from the stand before the start, which caused the two other people on his heat (who presumably did at least know how to swim) to do a false start and be disqualified, so he actually won his heat.
Read this very carefully, I shall write this only once!
Superfly From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38485 posts, RR: 80 Reply 20, posted (10 months 6 days 8 hours ago) and read 1638 times:
How about what Olympic gold medalist do after winning?
9 time gold medalist Carl Lewis recorded two albums and a few music videos.
This is probably the most disturbing video I've ever seen.
The video starts off really bad and then at about 2:00 onward, it just gets creepy with innuendos of granny-gashing leaving the viewer wondering what in the HELL did they just watch.
Well here goes. Just thought I'd warn you.
That wasn't a typo, was it?
No, knowing you, it definitely wasn't.
I lived with an olympic athlete when I was in college for a year. Gabe Jennings. Awesome drummer, hippie extraordinaire, and a beautiful man. He ran on a relay or something.
My finest memory of him, though (other than streaking the incoming Freshmen...MAN he could run fast!) was when he ate a whole Habanero pepper on a dare. He spent the rest of the afternoon on a sofa in the back yard with his whole face bright red and swollen, moaning and miserable with his girlfriend at his side holding his hand.
Cum to think of it, I did meat a girl there that I hooked up with a week later.
As a matter of fact, one of the highlights related to the 2008 Olympics was seeing this elderly Chinese lady go off on these mis-informed Communist supporters from Berkeley. This old lady once lived in Communist China and was rightfully offended by these little brats support for Communism.
This was on the Olympic torch run that was redirected so I guess you can say this was an Olympic related event.
Confuscius From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3633 posts, RR: 2 Reply 28, posted (10 months 5 days 21 hours ago) and read 1525 times:
Quoting Pyrex (Reply 18): Not to mention he was 37 and had been ran over by a car while practicing just a month before the race.
Carlos Lopes was great runner, he finished second to Lasse Virén in the 10,000m in Montreal. I believe he was relatively new to the marathon in LA. He also set the world's best marathon time in 1985. BTW, he has one of the thickest torso for a little guy I've ever seen.
MadameConcorde From San Marino, joined Feb 2007, 10241 posts, RR: 40 Reply 30, posted (10 months 8 hours ago) and read 1307 times:
Mexico City Summer Olympics 1968. Colette Besson went from literally unknown to Olympic Champion.
She was definitely an inspiration for me.
Prior to the 1968 Olympics, Besson, a virtual unknown working as a physical education teacher, qualified for the 400 m event. In the final, Britain's Lillian Board - the favourite for the gold - was way ahead of the rest of the field with just 100 m to go. With an amazing last sprint, Besson then moved up from fifth place to beat Board on the finish line by a tenth of a second. Her winning time of 52.03 seconds was 1.8 seconds better than her personal best.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colette_Besson
RIP Colette Besson - one of my young years heros
In a different register, South African Olympic swimmer Charlene Wittstrock became Princess of Monaco by her marriage to Prince Albert of Monaco on 1 July 2011.
Charlene was a member of the South African women's 4×100 m medley team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. From Olympic competitor to the status of Princess by marrying a very wealthy Royal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vnr9m5KDf7s
There was a better way to fly it was called Concorde
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3633 posts, 
From Canada, joined Aug 2001, 502 posts, 
From Thailand, joined May 2000, 38485 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined May 2004, 2135 posts, 
From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5742 posts, 
From Portugal, joined Aug 2005, 3536 posts, 
From Norway, joined Feb 2010, 2776 posts, 
From New Zealand, joined Jun 2005, 5274 posts, 
From Australia, joined Oct 2007, 155 posts, 
From San Marino, joined Feb 2007, 10241 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
