Your Favourite Olympic Moments

[Sir Rols]

The recent exchange between Jeremie and the Baron about the parade of nations got me thinking about all the different things that attract us to the games. Some people here are into the sports (in Arwebb's case, the sports alone), some the ceremonies, some the graphics, some the stadiums etc etc. Just thought it would be a fun poll to see what are the particular aspects that appeal to us most. I'll jkake it multiple choice as well.

Well, what floats your Olympic boats? What gets your interest and enthusiasm up in discussions here?

[Citius Altius Fortius]

My first olympic Games which I really followed were SARAJEVO 1984

[baron-pierreIV]

You forgot the PINS, roltel. Some people are entirely into those prickly things!!

I voted for Mexico since that was my first exposure to the OGs in this life. Of course it was Ellis in the other but we'll save that for another day.

[BTHarner]

As I mentioned in another post, my initial experience was Lake Placid 1980. I mentioned that the OC enlightened me but it really is the international aspect that made me a fan for nearly three decades. There had to be something else to it because I really don't follow the world championships in the individual sports (other than the World Cup and the IAAF Worlds). There is just some kind of magic in the five rings that causes me to set my life aside for two weeks every other year.

[Michelle]

Martin,

You're not THAT old, are you?

[Citius Altius Fortius]

Martin,

You're not THAT old, are you?

well - depends how you define "THAT old" - I became 18 years old in 1984

[micheal_warren]

For me it is definately the sport! Also the 1996 Atlanta olympics was when i first became interested in the games and it would be becuase of Danyon Loaders performance in winning gold in the 200/400m freestyle titles

[Scotguy]

My first memory was the lighting of the 1992 flame in Barcelona, although the Atlanta ceremony i thought was breathtaking and i had seen nothing like it. Sports wise it was Sydney when i actually got up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the sports.

In 1996, when i was 11, after watching the Atlanta Games i organised my own Olympics for fun, sounds silly now but at the time it was a big deal

So although it may not have been the best Olympics, it introduced me to the Olympic world and everything that makes me love it so much come every 4 years.

[Kaufy]

Favourite Olympic moment was from the 2004 Olympics, when Andreas Dittmer won the 500m Kayak Final. A big fan of his.

[Chateau Petrus]

Having watched live near to 100 finals over 4 differents Olympics,

only one time I had the chance to see my country win the gold.

So, that have to be my favourite moment :

Donovan Bailey 100m victory in Atlanta

(I hope to see many more next summer)

[Victor Mata]

Barcelona '92: too young to remember anything...

I remember i was 6 years old when Atlanta games opened. We were visiting some neighbors and someone turned on the TV and the opening ceremony had just started. That was my first contact with the Olympic Games. I remember I watched a couple events, but they're not fresh in my memory anymore. Maybe the only memories I have from the Atlanta Games are some ladies' indoor volleyball games, the look and logo, and the cauldron (who could forget THAT?)

I remember I didn't watched the closing ceremony because it was my birthday.

During the Sydney games I became a lot more interested in the Olympics. Unfortunately, my classes were at 7:00 AM and I couldn't follow the games because I was either sleeping or studying. Something I remember from Sydney is the torch design and the relay, as well as when the flame traveled underwater. Those images of Opera House all lit up at night and the bridge with the rings in the background; One or two events of artistic gymnastics when I woke up to have some water late at night; and the logo of course.

Athens 2004 turned me into an Olympic Freak!! I watched almost everything of those games!!

[NY20??]

...

Cathy Freeman lighting the cauldron is pretty much the only thing that I clearly remember from Sydney 2000.

Amazing. I just wish it didn't take as long... !

[LA84]

Definitely Montreal. I have sketchy memories of Munich but Montreal was great. That stadium was quite exciting and considered out of this world at the time. And there was a lot of press coverage as to whether it would get done.

I also remember Leroy Neiman painting an abstract during the games - commissioned by ABC. And of course Nadia, Bruce Jenner, the East Germany Women Swimmers scandal, Liz opening the games, a Quebecois and Ontarian lighting the flame. All good stuff.

Despite their problems, Canada put on a pretty good SOG in spite of it all.

[Kaufy]

...

Cathy Freeman lighting the cauldron is pretty much the only thing that I clearly remember from Sydney 2000.

Amazing. I just wish it didn't take as long... !

Ja I remember that too. But I remember there being some tension that maybe it wasn`t go to work. It took so long for it to start moving

[NY20??]

It took so long for it to start moving

^Yeah, that's what I mean when I said I wish it didn't take as long. I think because it took awhile for it to start moving, the music and fireworks synchronization with the cauldron ended up being really off. For example, the night's closing announcements ("Ladies and Gentleman, this concludes the Opening Ceremony of the Games of the...") began while the cauldron's pedestal was still rising to it's final position.

Eugh, I'm sounding like a total Ceremony whore! I do love the sports as well!

[danderson400]

the first Olympic moment i remember was on ABC in 88 when Dan Jansen fell during speed skating- i remember how Gary Bender and Eric Heiden reacted also i remember how Jansen left the ice in tears it made me so sad but i also remember the Battle of the Brians and and how Elizabeth Manley won sliver over Debi Thomas

[LDOG]

My experience is pretty similar to Victor's since we're almost the same age.

Personally I care 99% about the sports, the ceremony is fine, but I forget it the day after it's done.

My best memory is obviously Argentina winning the basketball gold in Athens

[Throne]

The astounding preciseness of Moscow and the unparalleled serenity of the best less is more segment to date - who has seen the wind....Vancouver.

[zekekelso]

Franz Klammer. '76. Innsbruck

[Quaker2001]

Dan Jansen `94 winning his first gold.

Michael Johnson `96 winning the 200.

2000 Opening Ceremony (which I got to watch live, thank you college cable TV for piping in CBC from Canada)

2002 Olympics - lots of things I could pull from this one because I was there

Men's 4x100 freestyle relay in 2008 (I was literally yelling at my TV on the last leg of that race)

[danderson400]

Dan Jansen `94 winning his first gold.

Michael Johnson `96 winning the 200.

2000 Opening Ceremony (which I got to watch live, thank you college cable TV for piping in CBC from Canada)

2002 Olympics - lots of things I could pull from this one because I was there

Men's 4x100 freestyle relay in 2008 (I was literally yelling at my TV on the last leg of that race)

i remember watching much of 2000 live on cbc on my dish-my teacher at school really got on me for doing that

[MissEurasia]

Here are some of mine:

-Olga Korbut's Amazing Backflip on the Beam in Munich.

-Nadia Comaneci's Perfect 10 in Montreal.

-Mary Lou Retton's All-Around Gold in LA.

-Nigeria's Bronze Medal in the Women's 4x100m Relay.

-US Women's Team Gold in the Team Final in Atlanta.

I would put the 1996 Relay but I was kinda upset that Nigeria didn't win. They had a great start with Afolabi and then Yusuf made a huge gap behind her, the problem was the 3rd leg, when they passed it to Charity Opara she lost that gap and was overtaken by Kim Graham of USA, Ogunkoya had to do an awful lot to catch up with Jearl Miles who won Gold for USA. If Opara did not run 3rd Leg, then Nigeria would have taken Gold no doubt.

The Reason I put the 1992 Relay was because of their reaction towards their Bronze finish:

[daniel anderson400]

my Mom watched LA pretty much wall to wall-expect for the soaps(those soaps though were her favorites since she was a big fan of the ABC soaps IMHO) and the news my Mom said that she had never sat in front of the TV for as long as a time as during the 84 Olympics my first was Calgary in 88-was 3 years old at the time and can remember watching all of the feeds on my big dish of sports that were on tape later that night-mostly were ABC feeds-Mom used the dish in 84 for when ABC was airing the soaps or the news or if she wanted to watch a event uninterrupted

[daniel anderson400]

my Mom used the dish in 84 for a few events-the US-China volleyball gold medal match-was ABC raw feed she even skipped the late news(even though ABC went to the news she didn't want to watch the news instead) also used it for wrestling and basketball and for the medal ceremonies-ABC was all over the dish with the Summer Games that year their main sat(T1) and the second one(T2) was lot of raw feeds from LA she saw a lot of events that weren't live she told me later one she remembers how Russ Hellickson was working wrestling venue solo-and had to get microphone and headset to interview gold medalists near booth i wonder if ABC did commentary on all events for world feed-was before OBS