Non-NBC Olympic Moments

The "30 Greatest NBC Olympic Moments" series is starting to get more and more play.  I've even already written a blog about it.  But like I said a few weeks ago, there are plenty of Olympic moments that have happened on networks other than NBC (OK, mainly ABC).  So, in that spirit, here are 10 of my favorite Olympic moments from 1960 (the first televised Olympics) to 1984 (the last Games not on NBC).  Keep in mind that these are in no particular order.

Bob Beamon, 1968 Mexico City-Bob Beamon's long jump is one of the truly remarkable sporting achievements of all time.  Going into the Mexico City Olympics, the world record in the long jump was 8.35 meters (27 feet, 4-3/4 inches).  No one had ever broken the 28-foot barrier.  Beamon bypassed 28 feet altogether.  He shattered the world record, jumping 8.90 meters (29 feet, 2-1/2 inches).  It would be 23 years until Mike Powell broke the record, and Beamon's mark is still the second-best all-time.  Incredible record-breaking performances like this one have been referred to as "Beamonesque" ever since.

Nadia Comaneci, 1976 Montreal-Right up there with Bob Beamon's long jump is Nadia Comaneci's perfect 10 in Montreal.  In the uneven bars portion of the women's team competiton, the diminutive 14-year-old Romanian did something that had never been done before--score a perfect 10.0.  She would end up with seven 10's, and three gold medals, including one in the all-around.

Mary Lou Retton, 1984 Los Angeles-Nadia Comaneci's coach was Bela Karolyi.  After moving to the United States, Karolyi took on a new protege: Mary Lou Retton.  Even though the Soviets weren't there because of the boycott, Romania and world champion Ekaternia Szabo were.  And the two would wage an epic battle for the all-around title.  With two rotations left, Szabo led by 0.15 points.  Retton responded with 10's in the floor exercise and vault to win by a margin of 0.05, becoming the first American to win the Olympic all-around gold medal.

Mark Spitz, 1972 Munich-Before Michael Phelps, there was Mark Spitz.  Phelps' eight gold-medal performance in Beijing broke the record of seven golds set by Spitz in Munich.  He swam seven events, and set the world record in each!  With that performance, Spitz set the standard by which all future Olympians would be measured.  Of course, Michael Phelps would one-up him 36 years later.

Carl Lewis, 1984 Los Angeles-In my opinion, Carl Lewis is on the short list of greatest Olympians ever.  He won nine gold medals in his Olympic career, but LA was when his star shone the brightest.  In 1936, Jesse Owens won four golds in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and 4x100 meter relay.  Lewis entered the LA Games looking to match that feat.  He started his quest by winning the 100, then earned the first of what would be four straight long jump golds.  After winning his third gold medal, in the 200 meters, Lewis matched Owens by anchoring the United States to a world record in the relay.

Abebe Bikila, 1960 Rome-Today we're used to the long distance races being dominated by Africans, but that wasn't the case in the first televised Olympics 62 years ago.  Running barefoot in the first Olympic marathon held at night, Bikila set a world record.  He became the first East African to win an Olympic gold medal, then became the first man to repeat as Olympic marathon champion four years later in Tokyo (the 1964 Games were on NBC).

Tommie Smith and John Carlos, 1968 Mexico City-Sometimes Olympic moments transcend the competition.  That's certainly the case with the men's 200 meters in 1968.  Tommie Smith won the gold medal, setting a world record of 19.83 seconds.  John Carlos took the bronze.  However, what they did on the medals stand is what makes Smith and Carlos noteworthy.  As a silent protest to the treatment of blacks in the United States, they received their medals barefoot, and raised clenched fists that were covered by black gloves during the national anthem.  The IOC was outraged, but they got their point across.

Sugar Ray Leonard, 1976 Montreal-The 1976 U.S. Olympic boxing team was perhaps the greatest in history.  The Americans won five gold medals in Montreal, including ones for each Spinks brother (Leon and Michael), both of whom would become world heavyweight champions.  But arguably the best member of that team is the man who would become one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters in history.  Sugar Ray Leonard won the gold medal in the light welterweight division before going on to a professional career in which he would win world titles in five different weight classes.

Greg Louganis, 1984 Los Angeles-When I did the blog about the NBC Olympic moments a few weeks ago, someone wrote a comment about Louganis hitting his head on the board in Seoul, then coming back to still win two gold medals.  I 100 percent agree.  Those two golds that Louganis won in Seoul were his second straight.  He first pulled off the diving double in Los Angeles.  Up first was the springboard, in which he set a record by winning by more than 90 points.  Then in the platform final four days later, Louganis became the first diver in history to break the 700-point barrier.  With that, he became the first diver to win both the springboard and platform competitions at the same Olympics since 1928.

Wilma Rudolph, 1960 Rome-One of the first great female Olympic champions was Wilma Rudolph, who won three gold medals in Rome.  Rudolph dominated the field in the 100 meters, then did the same in the 200.  In the 4x100 meter relay, where Rudolph was joined by three of her teammates from Tennessee State University, the United States set a world record in the semifinals.  Germany had the lead in the final, but Rudolph went ahead on the anchor leg and crossed the line first for her third gold medal of the Rome Games.