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Moments in Olympics: Time immemorial
Olympics are known for the record-breaking feats of performances by athletes, brands splurging money to get a pie of the action and nations competing against each other to top the medals' table but there have also been enough cringe moments in Olympics to bring a smile to your face - a different smile!
Happened throughout the ages.
When Medals And Hearts Are Won
London Summer Olympics - 1908
Though sportspersons are blessed with incredible stamina, they too face several backlogs. One such incident took place in 1908 London Summer Olympics when an Italian Marathoner named Dorando suffered from dehydration. But guess what, he still received the silver cup by none other than Queen Alexandra for his efforts. Kudos to his efforts and crowd's sympathy!
White Shoes And Gold Medals
Antwerp Summer Olympics - 1920
From her white silk dresses to her obsession with cognac-soaked sugar cubes, Suzanne Lenglen managed to win hearts with her beautiful features and excellent tennis skills. Winning three medals, out of which two were gold, she gracefully defeated the players from Antwerp and Belgium in the 1920 Antwerp Summer Olympics.
Round And Round Around The Mulberry Bush
Chamonix Winter Olympics - 1924
Round and round, she gracefully skated in the snow-laden floor. With a beautiful smile on her face, Sonja Henie participated in the Chamonix games at the tender age of 12. Though she did not win a medal that year, it was three years later when Sonja managed to bag her first gold medal. Holding the record of winning the medal at such a young age, she was the perfect skater of all times until Tara Lipinski came on the ground.
The Man Who Refused To Bow Before Hitler
Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics - 1936
World War and Olympics- not a good combination, right? But wait until you have heard about the man who refused to bow before Hitler. During the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics 1936, when Emile Allais won the bronze medal, he simply stood upright in front of Adolf Hitler while the other players bowed before him to show their respect. This indeed proves that respect is earned, not demanded.
When An Indian Outshined An European
Rome Summer Olympics - 1960
When Muhammad Ali entered the ring, snickers and sympathetic glances were exchanged among the audience. Well, it wasn't because an Indian came up for the fight, but he was competing with an European Beast named Zbigniew Pietrzykowski who had won three times in previous matches. The crowd went silent when Muhammad Ali raised his hands in victory and defeated the European Beast, managing to win a gold medal in the 1960 Rome Summer Olympics.
Aluminum Braces And Gold Medals
Rome Summer Olympics - 1960
During the 1960 Summer Olympics, a girl named Wilma Rudolph entered the race track. With every step that she took, little did she know that she was nearing her winning point. Winning three gold medals for 100 m, 200 m, and 400 m relay, the audience gasped at the fact that this girl used to wear leg braces until the age of nine.
Racism Has No Place In Olympics
Mexico City Summer Olympics - 1968
When the African-American athletes named Tommie Smith and John Carlos wore necklaces to represent lynchings and salute the power of black people, they not only received gold and bronze medals but respect of all the countries.
The Perfect Score
Montreal Summer Olympics - 1976
A 14-year old girl not only won the gold medal but also received a perfect score that was never beaten by any athlete. Nadia Comaneci made a unique place in the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics when her routine on the uneven bars gave her the perfect score of 10.0 that gave her the title of a perfect gymnast. With flexible body and unmatched balance, she managed to earn gasps and claps from the audience.
Winning Was Never A Chance, But The Ultimate Choice
Seoul Summer Olympics -1988
The audience stood in shock when Greg Louganis hit the back of his head against the board since he was not at a good distance from it. Receiving immediate medical attention and diagnosed for concussion, the swimmer was seen standing near the same pool the very next day. Showing his amazing flexes in the pool, Greg ended up winning a gold medal to everyone's surprise.
A Matter Of Pride
Atlanta Summer Olympics - 1996
The Boxing Legend Muhammad Ali was only 18 years old when he defeated the European Beast and managed to bag the gold medal in 1960. But when he came back to his homeland, he started looking for jobs but nobody accepted him since he was not fair in complexion. Saddened and frustrated at peoples' attitude, Ali threw away his medal in the Ohio River. Surprisingly, he received a new medal after he lit the torch at the opening ceremony of 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics.
Unethical Chariots
Athens Olympics - 1896
During the 1896 Athens Olympics, the crowd roared with laughter when a man named Spyridon Belokas sat on a carriage to win the inaugural marathon. It wasn't the way of cheating that caught everyone's attention, but the fact that he managed to cross the finish line in third place even after riding a whopping carriage.
Of Kicks And Taekwondo
Beijing Olympics - 2008
What happens when you're too angry but at the same time you're not allowed to express and on the top of it, you have learnt taekwondo? Well, it's up to you to know and us to guess. But an incident that took place in 2008 Beijing Olympics was an exact depiction of the above situation. A man named Angel Matos who was taking too much injury time was immediately disqualified. Anger bubbled in him and as a result he gave a tight kick to the referee, right in the face. Sounds like Angel Matos was 'no angel but a devil in disguise'.
White Feathers And Glowing Fire
Seoul Summer Olympics - 1988
While the lighting the Olympic cauldron is a beautiful sight to behold, this was sadly not the case in 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. Though this fire marks a new beginning, it ended the life of the doves who were burnt alive. The birds were not released immediately after the fire was lit and as a result they turned into ashes.
Munich Massacre
Munich Summer Olympics - 1972
Talking of the grand Olympic events, how can history books forget the attack of "Black September"? A Palestinian Terrorist Group called "Black September" raided the apartment of Israeli athletes in Olympic Village. Killing two athletes and keeping nine athletes hostage and later on killing them as well, this attack was the ultimate horror film that anyone could have ever witnessed in real life.
Changing The Gender
Berlin Olympics - 1936
Though Hitler never did any good to anyone in his entire life, this particular incident might increase our hatred towards him with double the fervour. Dora Ratjen represented Germany at 1936 Berlin Olympics but secured the fourth place. Little did the audience know that this very person would set a new record for women's high jump. It was quite shocking when the Dora revealed her real name and gender. She was actually a man and her name was Hermann Ratjen. Due to the pressure of the Nazi government, he was forced to live as a woman.
Tests Are Not Always Reliable
Tokyo Olympics - 1964
Gender discrimination is a no new term. But every limit was tested when a woman won two medals in 1964 Tokyo Olympics. A woman named Ewa Kłobukowska took part in 4*100 m relay and 100-meter sprint and won a gold and bronze medal. In the year 1967, she had to go through a gender test, but she failed in it. As a consequence, she was stripped out of her medals that she had won in '64.
This was story was first published on This Day.app.
