The Oly and the Olive Branch – II [ The Golden Moments ]!!

 

It is hard task to pick a few of those unlimited golden moments from the greatest sports events on the earth. Among a few billion only three ends up to the podium and among those three only one who can share his pride, the national anthem with another billions. However, some out of these numerous golden moments, there are a few which were outstanding.

1. Jesse Owens - America Vs Adolf Hitler

James Owens the American track and field athlete participated in the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany, where he won four gold medals: one each in the 100 meters, the 200 meters, the long jump, and as part of the 4x100 meter relay team. He was the most successful athlete at the 1936 Summer Olympics, a victory more poignant and often noted because Adolf Hitler had intended the 1936 games to showcase his Aryan ideals and prowess.

2. Mark Spitz - Seven out of Seven and out of Seven

Seven events, Seven gold medals and seven world records.

1972 marred by what known as Munich Massacre, where -- but after resumption of the gold one man came out of the pool dishing out 7 gold. Incidentally,  Spitz, is a Jewish.

By modern standards the races look prehistoric. The men did not wear swim caps or goggles or high-tech suits. Spitz took it a step farther, refusing to shave his trademark mustache and keeping his dark hair long. It was by acclamation the greatest individual Olympic performance ever seen up to that time. In 2008 Beijing Oly, Michael Phelps succeed to broke that seven jingle but without the iconic poster that came with - hands on hips, smile wide, mustache thick, wearing nothing but a stars-and-stripes Speedo and seven gold medals around his neck.

3. Michael Phelps  Eight out of Eight and over all 22.

In 2008 an American man travelled to China on a special mission and rest was the history. Michael Phelps, the American swimmer was the talk of Beijing heading into the 2008 Games as many in the media speculated that he could come away with 8 gold medals. The University of Michigan product was up to the task. After winning a 7th gold medal by the narrowest of margins (.01 seconds) in the 100 meter butterfly, he won his 8th gold medal in the 4×100 meter medley relay, breaking Mark Spitz’s record of seven gold medals in one Olympic Games, which had stood since Munich in 1972.

4. Flo-Jo – Style, Speed and Legacy

Florence Griffith-Joyner captivated audiences at the 1988 Seoul Games with her distinctive sense of style, catchy nickname and unfathomable speed. Before races, the cameras focused on her long fingernails, three of which were painted red, white and blue, and a fourth one gold for the medals she intended to win. Flo Jo won gold in the 100 meter, 200 meter and 4×100 meter relay and silver in the 4×400. The most astonishing aspect of her races was the lengthy margins of victory, especially in the 200 meter, in which she set a world record that still stands today.

5. King Carl - World’s Greatest Athlete

Leading up to the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, Carl Lewis boasted that he would duplicate Jesse Owens’ feat of capturing gold medals in the 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and 4×100 meter relay. After winning the first three events fairly easily, the American punctuated his performance by leading the U.S. relay team to a gold medal and world record. Based on his epic showing in Los Angeles, he was referred to as the “world’s greatest athlete” for years to come.

6. Usain Bolt – The Thunder Bolt

Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter widely regarded as the fastest person ever. He is the first man to hold both the 100 metres and 200 metres world records. Along with his teammates, he also set the world record in the 4×100 metres relay. He is the reigning Olympic champion in these three events, the first man ever to win 6 Olympic gold medals in sprinting, and a five-time World champion. He was the first to achieve a "double double" by winning 100 m and 200 m titles at consecutive Olympics (2008 and 2012).

7. Nadia Elena Comăneci – A perfect Ten

The 14 years Romanian gymnast was the winner of three Olympic gold medals at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the first female gymnast to be awarded a perfect score of 10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She is also the winner of two gold medals at the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. She is one of the best-known gymnasts in the world.

8. Michael Johnson - The Man With The Golden Boots

Michael Johnson delighted the home crowd while earning the title of “world’s fastest man” at the 1996 games in Atlanta. It looked as if his gold shoes weren’t even touching the ground as he zoomed past the competition with his unorthodox, upright style. Johnson shattered his own world record in the 200 meter by .34 seconds and putting up a time of 19.32 seconds that still stands to this day, and became the first male sprinter to win both the 200 meter and 400 meter races in the same games.

9. Mo Farah - Little man and his big leap

Mohammed "Mo" Farah is a Somali-born British international track and field athlete. He is the current 10,000 m Olympic champion and 5000 m Olympic, World and European champion. Farah is also noted for his unique victory celebration dance known as the "Mobot". He adopted the move following a television appearance in May 2012 opposite sports presenter Clare Balding on the panel game show A League of Their Own.

10. Cathy Freeman – Fast and Forward

Cathy Freeman, the former Australian sprinter was the first Olympic champion for the for an event at which she lit the Olympic Flame. Freeman was the first ever Aboriginal Commonwealth Games gold medalist at age 16 in 1990. She announced her retirement from athletics in 2003. She won a gold medal 400 meters at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

!!!Here all the glitters is real gold .!!!