RebKell's Junkie Boards

[bullsky]

The Olympics are now a month away. What are your favorite Olympic memories of all time?

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"Don't do something until you get it right, do it until you can't do it wrong."
- Geno Auriemma

[Thrillrider08]

Kerri Strug sticks her vault on an injured ankle; winning gold in the team competition for team USA.

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Fever STH since 2005

WE ARE CHAMPIONS!!!!!

http://twitter.com/TravisInIndy

[pilight]

Nadia Comăneci in 1976. Nobody has ever been better.

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I'm a lonely frog
I ain't got a home

[jimmyk]

Forgive me for being hoops-centric here, but my favorite moment was last Olympics when team USA won the women's hoops gold medal. It was the first time ever that I knew of an Olympic athlete (lots of them in this case) before the Games actually happened. So therefore it was the first time I could cheer like crazy for them for reasons to add to the fact that they were competing for the USA. That's the reason the Athens Games are my favorite of all time.

I do have to give Kerri Strug her due, because I loved gymnastics when that happened. In fact, somewhere hidden away I still have a Magnificent Seven folder with the picture from the medal stand. That was an awesome moment that might be #2 of all time behind the hockey team in 1980.

Back to Athens for a bit...that link sends you to an absolutely awesome opening that NBC did right before they started covering the Opening Ceremony. Gives me chills every time I watch it.

[Slovydal]

The break dancing at the opening ceremonies in LA

[Mauiwowie]

Sarah Hughes in 2002.

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Think Global. Act Local.

[bullsky]

I will never forget The Magnificent Seven.

<object width="425" height="344"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/n1DNMbDVrBs&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

_________________
"Don't do something until you get it right, do it until you can't do it wrong."
- Geno Auriemma

[bballjunkee212]

Bob Beamon, long jump 1968;
Tommy Smith and John Carlos, protest 1968;
Mamo Walde, marathon 1972;
Abibi Bikila, marathon 1964;
Wilfried Dietrich throwing Chris Taylor, wrestling 1972;
Janet Evans 1988;

Winter Olympics:

The Protopopovs;
Peggy Fleming;
Irina Rodnina-- (probably the greatest skater of all time);
Eddie the Eagle;
Oksana Baiul;
Kristi Yamaguchi

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~Bill

[jimmyk]

The aforementioned Athens Olympics Opening...now that I know how to put it on the page like that:

<object width="425" height="344"> <embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/RgbYEa_8_Es&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>

[peaceplease]

louise ritter wins gold in the high jump. she is a friend of mine. it was very extra cool!

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"If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change your attitude; Don't Complain." -Maya Angelou


PEACE

[bluewolfvii]

1968 Mexico City.

For the first time, female Olympians are being sex-tested in response to complaints that some of the female Eastern bloc athletes, uh, look like men.

Sixteen year old Debbie Meyer, an asthmatic as a child, never used steroids but she trained by swiming great distances to prepare for shorter events. The Olympic trials signal the world that, shockingly, the awkward teenager is perhaps the fastest woman on a deep USA team.

On the eve of her showcase events in the XIX Olympiad, however, Meyer is struck with a severe stomach infection in Mexico City.

She refuses to take the drugs that would alleviate her symptoms because under the newly instituted testing, the drugs might disqualify her. To everyone's surprise, she comes out to compete in the 200 m and 400 m freestyle events and guts out both to win the gold. The next day, recovered, she breezes to a 1st place finish in the 800 m freestyle.

She is the first woman to win three gold medals in individual swimming events in the same Olympics.

[R U DUN]

Peggy Fleming
Picabo Street
Dawn Staley carrying the flag.
Marion Jones

1996- Women's Basketball Gold Medal
I was fortunate enough to see them play a pre-Olympic exhibition game vs. the Canadian National team and was completely mesmerized. Hasn't faded since.

And SASS made me remember: In Eugene I lived right across the street from the track when the Olympic trials were held there, don't recall which year, I had crossed the street, walking along and looked over the chain link fence to see Jackie Joyner doing warm up sprints about fifteen feet away. That was a tingly little moment watching her run.

[fancy_daniel]

[rooky]

Flo Hyman and the U.S. women's volleyball team winning silver in 1984.

Hyman was an incredible athlete and a joy to watch.

[Sass]

Oh how I love the Olympics. Favorite Olympics was LA in '84. Fave Olympic moment is from those games: Jackie Joyner finishing the heptathalon. Running the last event, the 800 meters, and knowing she'd probably come in second. Her brother Al runs with her the last 200 meters screaming, "C'mon Jackie! C'mon Jackie!"

I cried.

Other favorites:

Marion Jones' 100 in Sydney (none of us knew she was guilty at that point)

1996 women's basketball gold medal game.

Cheryl Miller playing in the 84 Olympics.

Mary Lou Retton. Period.

Any time Edwin Moses raced.

Last Olympics when that woman became the first Mexican to win a gold in track and field in the 400.

Greg Louganis' diving.

Flo-Jo.

Kurt Thomas on the pommel horse.

Nadia Comaneci.

Joan Benoit winning the marathon in 84, the first time it was allowed for women. (My brother just met her last weekend at the track and field trials in Eugene).

I can't wait for the Olympics.

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More high school team allegiances than can be believed
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He's the greatest of the greater
get it straight - he's great
- Run-DMC

[lilcrc]

[Slovydal]

[Ottie]

The cauldron hydraulics failing during the Sydney opening ceremony and
Cathy Freeman just standing holding the flame and standing... standing... everyone waiting for it to move. I love a good bit of showbiz stuff up. And anything to do with Fatso the Fat Arsed Wombat... plus the rejected songs that were done on The Dream (give just a little bit more, just a little bit more, take it right down to the wire... you're on fire!).

Sport wise though... I'm only going to include ones I actually recall seeing, given my age that culls the moments a bit.

Opals getting Bronze in Atlanta - I'd just gotten into women's bball following the world champs in Australia in 1994 and I remember being so ecstatic!! I still rate it higher than the two silvers. Sandy Brondello had that great big hair!

Cathy Freeman winning the 400m at Sydney

The Michael Johnson double in 96 - I just went wow!

Stephen Bradbury not falling over to win gold in some speed skating winter sport (what do I know about winter Olympics) to get Australia's first ever winter gold.

Worst memory - Australian walker Jane Saville (sp??) getting disqualified metres from entering the stadium in first position in her home Olympics... it just sucked.

[smenko]

The worst memory--The Munich Olympics.

The best memory--The Munich Olympics.

[bullsky]

[caune]

Opening ceremonies from Sarajevo.
I was awestruck by the beauty of the country, stadium and people...it was simple and beautiful
The stadium, and much of the country, was destroyed by war

athletically...
Torvil and Dean's ice dance
Bill Johnson wins the downhill
Olga Korbet's back flip on the uneven bars..yep, I'm that old

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Because there is only one Diana Taurasi.
@Phoenix Mercury

[Kelli]

[Luuuc]

We've narrowed it down to a male though, right?

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Thanks for calling. I wait all night for calls like these.

[Kelli]

[LTF1]

I think they ought to eliminate national teams and let athletes compete without any reference to national origin. No opening ceremonies with flags a waving and no medal ceremonies with national anthems blaring.

Then it would be interesting to see if any body watched. By and large, the Olympics are nationalistic farce.

Also the IOC should stop awarding the Olympics to totalitarian or authoritarian states likes Germany (1936), Mexico (1968), Moscow (1980), and China (2008).

_________________
"I'd work very hard but I'm lazy,
I can't take the pressure & it's starting to show
In my heart, you know how it pains me,
A life of leisure is no life you know"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPeJixp-zp4&feature=related