[Mandark]

Surprised we haven't had a thread like this yet. Mine had to be the epic Coe/ Ovett duels in Moscow 1980. Our family were Coe supporters and we were shocked when Ovett won the 800m. We expected Ovett to win the 1500m as well but Coe pulled it around. Great stuff!!
I won't list any more in case they're the same as other people's.

[Kapellmeister]

Daley Thompson winning gold at Los Angeles in 1984.

Sally Gunnell winning gold at Barcelona in 1992.

Kelly Holmes's unlikely double gold in 2004.

Paula Radcliffe's breakdowns in 2004.

[Gilbertoo]

Originally Posted by Kapellmeister

Daley Thompson winning gold at Los Angeles in 1984.

Sally Gunnell winning gold at Barcelona in 1992.

Kelly Holmes's unlikely double gold in 2004.

Paula Radcliffe's breakdowns in 2004.

I saw Kelly win the 800m. I also sat in the old Olympic stadium waiting for Paula to finish....the funny thing about that one was the feed on the stadium big screen was quite slow and friends/family were getting the news about Paula quicker than we were!

[Gilbertoo]

For me;

- Kelly winning 800m in Athens (I was actually there!)

- Men's fours rowing, Athens again

- Derek Redmond, 1992 semi-final heartache

- Linford, 1992

- Eddie the Eagle, 1988

- Torvill & Dean's Bolero routine, I forget the year

[Kapellmeister]

Oh yes, Bolero. I remember that vividly. In fact that would be my No. 1 memory, even if it had slipped my mind...

[Jimmy Connors]

Florence Griffith-Joyner winning her golds in Seoul.

Evelyn Ashford winning gold in LA. Ditto Carl Lewis.

Sally Gunnell in Barcelona.

[Tiger Rose]

My earliest and some of my best memories was of the Ovett/Coe races. It's funny how people were very definitely either/or - I was always an Ovett girl.

Loved Daley winning his 2nd gold & whistling through the National Anthem.

Searle brothers winning was fantastic - brilliant finish I remember.

Kelly winning double gold

Derek Redmond's breakdown still makes me cry if i watch it now.

Despite the brilliant feat of winning 3 golds in Beijing I think Hoy winning the Kilo in Athens was even better. Everyone was posting blisteringly quick times & Hoy went last, kept his head to win also setting a sea level world record.

Cathy Freeman winning her race in Sydney and Ian THorpe anchoring the Aussie relay team to a victory over America - even broke the habit of a lifetime there by shouting for an Aussie team.

And the GB Hockey team winning in 88. Where were the Germans & frankly who cares?

There's loads more but they were the ones that immediately spring to mind.

[Mandark]

Originally Posted by Tiger Rose

Cathy Freeman winning her race in Sydney and Ian THorpe anchoring the Aussie relay team to a victory over America - even broke the habit of a lifetime there by shouting for an Aussie team.

I think that 4x100m relay was the best swimming race I've ever seen. The 100m wasn't really Thorpe's event and he fell behind on the last leg yet he came back at the American 100m specialist to win.Cathy Freeman's win was as much a civil rights event as a race. Incredible moment!!

[Jimmy Connors]

Gail Devers in '92 & '96. Her ability to turn up and seemingly win the 100m gold as an afterthought. She did it twice, yet never managed to win her main event the 100m hurdles. She must have frustrated the 100m queens no end.

[Muttley76]

Hard to choose, but a few that stand out:

Steve Redgrave winning his 5th gold medal in 2000

Derek Redmond and his Dad in 1992

England vs Germany men's hockey final in 1988

Searle brothers beating the Abbagnale in 1992

[Croctacus]

One of my earliest memories was following Mary Peters to her gold in 1972 and seeing Lasse Viren's 5 and 10k double.

Other notables Linford's Gold at Barcelona, Redgraves 5th which I stayed up for and the Coe/Ovett thing i 1980. After Ovett won I had a bet with my new boss that Coe would win the 1500. Even though I'd only been there about 2 weeks I made him pay up!

[Mandark]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Connors

Gail Devers in '92 & '96. Her ability to turn up and seemingly win the 100m gold as an afterthought. She did it twice, yet never managed to win her main event the 100m hurdles. She must have frustrated the 100m queens no end.

That's true. They called her a drugs cheat!!

[Kapellmeister]

Would add the Zola Budd/Mary Decker collision during the 3000m final at the 1984 Olympics.

[Mandark]

Originally Posted by Kapellmeister

Would add the Zola Budd/Mary Decker collision during the 3000m final at the 1984 Olympics.

True. No-one saw that coming.

Of course most recently Usain Bolt's effortless run in Beijing with Crammy proclaiming that we've seen some great sprinters but we've never seen anything like this before...or something like that. And others calling it Beamonesque because it was just like when Bob Beamon set a new standard in the high jump. I still think that was a better run than his new world record the following year.

[grassmarket]

Originally Posted by Mandark

We expected Ovett to win the 1500m as well but Coe pulled it around. Great stuff!!
I won't list any more in case they're the same as other people's.

1500m was the day of my brother's wedding. Was desperate to get away from the ceremony for a while to see it, but couldn't. This was long before televisions were everywhere.

Also managed to miss Linford Christie winning the 100m in Barcelona for a foolish reason, and the Tergat/Gebresellesie duel in the 10,000m at Sydney because my 5 hour VHS tape (the longest available at that time) ran out.

On a happier note, was ecstatic at Kelly Holmes winning the 1500m in Athens, and then utterly gobsmacked when the 4x100 guys won gold 10 minutes later. I also remember dancing around the flat in my pyjamas early on a Saturday morning when Jason Queally won the 1km cycling in Sydney. That was the first time in my lifetime when a Brit had actually won a gold medal on the first day of the games - usually we had to wait until at least the rowing finals, about 8 or 9 days in.

[Ignazio]

Denise Lewis Heptathlon - 2000. In fact lots to cheer in 2000 after Pinsent and Redgrave won our solitary gold in 1996.

2004 Kelly Holmes double gold and the men's 4z100m realy beating the mighty Americans. Oh the joy

2008 Becky Adlington taking double gold.

[Gneiss]

Not sure it could be described as best, but certainly the most memorable…

1988 Watching the final of the 100m in a crowded Tunisian bar when half way though a ten second race they cut to prayers at a Mosque

Later of course we heard who won and then about his subsequent disqualification.

[CarlLewis]

Originally Posted by Gneiss

1988 Watching the final of the 100m in a crowded Tunisian bar when half way though a ten second race they cut to prayers at a Mosque

Unbelievable!

[Croctacus]

Originally Posted by CarlLewis

Unbelievable!

You would say that!

[swingaleg]

The first Olympics of which I was aware was 1964 in Tokyo tho' I don't remember seeing any live pictures (presumably it was on overnight even if they had the capability to show it live)

Lynn Davies winning the long jump................

By 1968 we had live pictures and I was a bolshie teenager so the whole Black Power thing made a big impression

And Bob Beamon of course............my god, he's jumped out of the stadium.................

[JustWonderful]

I am a youngen, so only really have memories starting from Sydney:

*Denise Lewis Heptathlon was just great to watch.
*Kelly Holmes double gold
*Christine O winning the 400m in Beijing
*Rebecca Adlington double gold

[Mandark]

Originally Posted by Gneiss

Not sure it could be described as best, but certainly the most memorable…

1988 Watching the final of the 100m in a crowded Tunisian bar when half way though a ten second race they cut to prayers at a Mosque

Later of course we heard who won and then about his subsequent disqualification.

I remember Des Lynam coming on TV looking all serious and saying how he had some news that might be the most shocking in Olympic history - Ben Johnson had tested positive for steroids. I was really shocked!! Carl Lewis had been pointing the finger at him all season. Of course Lewis, who doubts anyone who's much faster than he was, has been at it again with the Jamaicans. But this time he's wrong with regards to the big names.

[Frood]

Originally Posted by Jimmy Connors

Florence Griffith-Joyner winning her golds in Seoul.

Probably the biggest case of a drug taker getting away with it. Even ahead of East German female swimmers and various throwers.

Originally Posted by Gneiss

Not sure it could be described as best, but certainly the most memorable…

1988 Watching the final of the 100m in a crowded Tunisian bar when half way though a ten second race they cut to prayers at a Mosque

Later of course we heard who won and then about his subsequent disqualification.

That'll happen.

I was watching a sporting event in Tunisia years ago and the same thing.

Had a great mental picture of it happening in this country.

Half way through an over you cut to David 'Bumble' Lloyd and Richie Benaud headbutting the carpet......

My 10 favourite moments in date order:

1972:

Mark Spitz 7 Gold Medals : Great memories of an increasingly incredible perfomance. Knowing now of the incredible pressure he was under makes it even more special.

Mary Peters - Pentathalon Gold: An unexpected victory and wonderful sportmanship from all involved. Mary was already doing so much to unite the community at a very troubled time in NI - and used this to do so much more. I would love to see her (or Dorothy Tyler (Odam) who won silver in 1936 & 1948) light the flame - with it being brought into the stadium by Steve Redgrave.

1976

Teofilio Stevenson's KO of John Tate: The great Cuban landed as good a punch as I've ever seen, Tate was knocked six ways from Sunday.

1980

Mens 800m final Ovett beating Coe: Coe was the media darling, all clean cut and pure, but he, and even more so his dad, came over as pretty unpleasant to me. I thought Ovett was altogether a nicer person but he was a maverick who didn't mind rubbing media up the wrong way. I laughed out loud when Ovett won this race.

1988

Men's Hockey Gold medal: A team that went unheralded into the 1984 Games to make up the numbers and came out with a Bronze medal were spectacular winners 4 years later. I can still name many of the team. It was capped by Barry Davies' line after the 3rd goal "Where were the Germans? and quite frankly, WHO CARES?"

1992:

Derek Redmond Men's 400m semi final: Linford Christie and Derek Redmond were very far from friends at the time apparently. Redmond left the track and came into the tunnel - Christie was there. They looked at each other, broke down in tears and hugged.

2000

Denise Lewis - Gold Medal Heptaphalon: Denise came over as a really warm, friendly person (and still does). It looked like she was finally going to wwin Gold after the 6th event. I had the radio on and suddenly a reporter announced that she had a leg injury and couldn't run the 800m.

It was then declared that, although the leg was injured she would run with it strapped up. It must have been very painful and I remember urging her round the track for a gallant victory

2000 & 2004

Men's 4's - Rowing: I count these together as the culmination to two great careers. Having taken Leave (as usual) for the Games I was watching as much as possible live. By the end of week one in Sydney my body clock was out of sync and I was rather tired. On the Friday afternoon I met a friend for a beer. His parting shot was"I'll ring you after the race." By 21.00 I was very sleepy and decided to have a snooze, setting the alarm for 23.00 giving plenty of wake up time for the race at 00.00. I was woken by the phone going.

I went from to immediately, rushed into the lounge and turned the TV on. Luckily on that set the sound came straight on and I ascertained that GB had won. I picked up the phone (just before it would go to ansaphone) and said "never in doubt." "What?" came the shocked reply. Then I saw the end of the race

Four years later I was much, much more awake but the finish was even closer

Two class acts topping off great careers.

2004:


Men's 4x100m final: A wonderful surprise. Didn't think Mark Lewis-Francis had a chance until 10 metres from the line - then I jumped out of my seat. The sour reaction of the USA team was priceless. if you check this out on Youtube with any American commentary you will not realise there is any team but USA in the race until near the end

2008


Men's 100m final: Bolt - WOW. Watched it on the big screen in Trafalgar Square. The large crowd was pretty silent. It's hard to make a noise when your jaw has dropped so far. In some ways the 200m was even more incredible nut, because of the 100 it was not so shocking.




The nearest miss from the above would be the incredible Men's 10000m final in Sydney.

And one I didn't see (not a big basketball fan at the time - and BBC wouldn't have shown it live then I suspect) was the men's basketball final in Munich. Americans are still soooo pissed off about this but the right decisions were made - albeit by the wrong person.

Two "non sporting" great moments:

The late evening fountain displays in Barcelona - with the Mercury/Caballe song playing.

The lighting of the flame in Seoul - 1988: The Marathon winner in 1936 was Sohn Kee-chung - a Korean. But the 'official' record at the time showed the nationality of the winnner as Japanese - Korea was occupied by Japan - and with a Japanese name. Despite being 76 at the time Sohn carried the flame into the stadium in Seoul with the spirit of someone much younger and with everyone knowing he was Korean.

[Vodka_Drinka]

I remember Barcelona 1992, I was in a car with my Auntie and Uncle (who's sadly since died) my brother and my cousin and we were going to Llandudno. The 100 Metres final was on the radio and we actually listened to Linford Christie winning Gold in the car on the A55 in North Wales

Funny how you remember things like that, isn't?

[Mandark]

Originally Posted by Frood

...

Some great memories there Frood! Good job you weren't round our house during that Coe-Ovett 800m race off. Blood would have been spilt!!

I'm going to chuck in Allan Wells' victory (1980). Although he was a contender, I was still not sure he'd win. He dead heated with the Cuban guy Leonard. Of course, the Americans, who weren't there, derided his victory but their absence in a footnote.