Tuesday Ten

Today is a Summer Olympics edition of the Tuesday Ten.  Let's take an objective, unbiased look at the Olympics through the years. 

1924:  Paris
Paavo Nurmi - Gold in the 1500, 5000, cross country run, and team 3000 and cross country run.  Though the 1920 gold medal winner in the 10000, he was held out of the race so other Finns could compete.  After the Olympics, he would set a world record at the distance which would last for 13 years.

Johnny Weismuller - Won three gold medals in swimming and a bronze as a member of the U.S. water polo team.  Would win two golds in swimming at the 1928 Olympics before embarking on an acting career which included several film roles as Tarzan and Jungle Jim.

  

1936: Berlin
Jesse Owens - Gold in the 100, 200, 4 X 100 relay, and long jump.

Jumping higher than the stadium walls.

1952: Helsinki
Emile Zatopek - Gold in the 5000, 10000, and marathon.

Bob Mathias - Gold in the decathlon after winning it in 1948 as well.

1964: Tokyo
Billy Mills - Gold in the 10000.  Also, I have his autograph.

 

Joe Frazier - Gold in heavyweight boxing.  He would later fight Ali three times, defeating him once.  Was also world heavyweight champion from February 1970 - January 1973. 

 

Bob Hayes - Gold in the 100.  He would later play WR for the Dallas Cowchips and win a Super Bowl ring.  

Hayes be like: Who let all the slow Euros into the Olympics?

1968: Mexico City
Dick Fosbury - Gold in the high jump.  Invented the Fosbury Flop, seen here.  

 

Tommie Smith and John Carlos -  Gold and bronze in the 200.  

1972: Munich
Black September Attack - Terrorism against the Israeli team.

 

Mark Spitz -  Seven gold medals and seven world records.  He also won two gold, a silver, and a bronze in 1968.

Spitz be like: I don't even need a swim cap.

Steve Prefontaine -  Fourth in the 5000.  Would have won it in 1976.  (sigh)

 

Men's Basketball Controversy Scandal -  In which the U.S. got screwed out of a gold medal. 

1980:  Moscow
Soviet Union invades Afghanistan. 

U.S. boycotts.  (I knew a guy who was on the 1980 U.S. judo team.  Went running with him a few times.)

1984:  Los Angeles
Commie Boycott - Because they're whiny little b*tches.

 

Carl Lewis -  Gold in the 100, 200, 4 x 100 relay, and long jump.  Two golds and a silver in 1988, two golds in 1992, and one more gold in 1996.

 

1996:  Atlanta
Michael Johnson -  Gold in the 200 and 400.

Amanda Beard -  A gold and two silvers at age 14.  A bronze in 2000 and a gold and two silvers in 2004. 

Not 14.

Karch Kiraly -  Gold in the boring version of beach volleyball, with Kent Steffes.  Kiraly is the only volleyball player to win a gold medal in both beach and indoor, having won indoor golds in 1984 and 1988.   

 

USA Women's Gymnastics -  Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, and Jaycie Phelps.
Team gold, gold for Miller in balance beam, silver for Chow in uneven bars, and bronze for Dawes in floor exercise. 

2008:  Beijing
Misty May / Kerri Walsh -  Gold in beach volleyball.  They also won it in 2004 and 2012.

We get to be in Elliptical Man's blog!

Michael Phelps -  Won eight gold medals.   Also won six golds in 2004 and four in 2012. 

 

Usain Bolt -  Gold in the 100, 200, and 4 x 100 relay.  Repeated the trifecta in 2012.

 

Tania Cagnotto -   2008 was her third of five appearances in the Olympics.  In 2012, she would place fourth in both springboard and synchronized springboard. However, she has  avenged the horrible judging with a silver in synchronized springboard in 2016.

Adjusting her swimsuit after some between-dive amore.  #Italian

Question for readers:  What made Billy Mills' accomplishment extra noteworthy?