Please do not interpret this as a comprehensive list. These are just moments that have stood out to me and had some impact beyond the sporting event. They are not ranked; instead, they are listed in chronological order.
Jesse Owens at the 1936 Berlin (Nazi) Olympics
The 1936 Berlin Olympics were designed to be a showcase for Nazi ideology and demonstrate Aryan athletic superiority. Hitler's racist statement was clouded by Jesse Owens winning FOUR Olympic gold medals in track and field.
Not all was golden memories, however. Jesse Owens did not come home to a glorious welcome. He was mistreated and ignored. He had great difficulty earning a living. No advertisements. No endorsements. Most of what he achieved was through the African American community.
We tend to forget that the Nazis were inspired by how historically Americans had treated blacks and native Americans, and helped develop some of their policies in persecuting the Jewish community.
Protest at the 68 Olympics
At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, two American athletes, Tommie Smith, who won gold, and John Carlos, who won bronze, raised their fists during the playing of the national anthem during their award ceremony. It was to call attention to human rights and the racial injustices faced by Black Americans. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated earlier that year.
The two athletes experienced much criticism and ostracization after that. Nevertheless, it was an important moment in demonstrating the influence that athletes could have on important social issues, and the salute they gave has lived on as an important symbol in black communities and others that have been repressed.
The Perfect 10
It was a breathtaking moment. Young Nadia Comaneci, a Romanian gymnast, was all of 14 years old, scored the first perfect ten on the uneven bars at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.
It was spectacular, heartstopping. It was also a bit dangerous.
It took a while, but it did bring up age concerns. Is 14 too young? The current age to participate is now 16. I believe it raised some safety concerns, but I'm still researching that.
Miracle on Ice
At the 1980 Lake Placid Winter Olympics, what is considered one of the greatest miracles in sports occurred. A team of amateur athletes from the US defeated a team of professionals from the Soviet Union. 4 to 3. The Soviet Union had long dominated the sport at the Olympics, and no one anywhere was expecting this outcome.
It also marked the beginning of the end of the Olympics as a contest for amateurs. Always an iffy proposition, with authoritarian countries doing things like placing their athletes in the military, and making it the only job they do.
Eventually, pro athletes, including NBA and NHL stars, competed in the Olympics. The effect in some events, like basketball, was to weigh heavily in favor of countries like the USA.
Yes, it's kind of a recognition of reality. It's also kind of sad, in that it was one of the last places to let amateurs shine.
Simone Biles and Mature Judgment
Gymnast Simone Biles is one of the most accomplished athletes of our time. Her 11 medals are the most won by an American gymnast. Even those who watched little Olympics would seek out her performances.
But it is not just what she did that made her such an important sports figure. It's having the maturity to know her limits and make wise judgments. Gymnastic performances require and incerdible balance between the mind and the body. And she was wise enough to know when those were out of synch, and going forward would put her at considerable physical risk.
She brought that balance into sharper focus and encouraged people to respect their mental health as well as their physical health.
I admire her greatly.
The Incredible Spirit of Freedom and Joy
What an amazing breath of fresh air!
A performance not only memorable for its physical and athletic accomplishments, but for the sheer joy and explosion of optimism it encircled us with.
I'm not sure I've ever been as captivated by a performance and story as I have by Alysa Liu. Everything in this post about the greatest moments of the Olympics is represented in her.
Her family story is captivating. His father was a Chinese dissident who challenged the authoritarian government in Tiananmen Square. He came here to find freedom in America. She is a first-generation American, and her family shows the VITAL contributions made by our immigrants.
She is not shy about her political beliefs, standing up against ICE and other progressive causes, including her support for the LGBTQ community.
She treats her fellow competitors with support, hugs, and love.
She's a freaking nerd, into anime. She and Amber Glenn remind me so much of my son, Benjamin. If Earth moved in that direction, I think they would be great pals.
Where some of our other athletes were getting too far into their own heads, stressing out and making mistakes they normally wouldn't, Alysa had a carefree attitude, where the most important thing was just to skate and have fun.
She broke the stranglehold that coaching has on many of our athletes. They are overcoached and overtrained, limited in what they can eat, do, or even think. They've surrendered their identity to the machine, which is more concerned with promoting itself than with their athletes.
She left the sport at 16 because it was no longer fun with everyone overcoaching and controlling her. When she came back in 2024, it was on her own terms, and the idea that whatever happened, she was going to have FUN!
And so have we all! In these dark days, as America gets swallowed whole by a brutal and growing fascism, she has let back in the joy of being who you are.
Whether she retires or goes on to the greatest achievements in sports, I will never forget this moment in time.
She has lit up the world for all of us.
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