1. Jesse Owens’ Four Gold Medals
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I would be remiss if this list did not include the astounding achievement of Jesse Owens. At the Berlin Games of 1936, Jesse Owens performed a feat that would not be duplicated until the 1984 Games by Carl Lewis. Namely, Owens went away with four gold medals — one each in the 100 meter, 200 meter, 400 x 100 meter relay, and the long jump.
This accomplishment alone is a tremendous athletic effort. But it is the circumstances that accompanied Owens’ success that is so captivating. Owens overcame virtually tremendous difficulties by merely being on the US squad as an African American. The ugly character of racial segregation in the United States during this century was a shackle of constraint that was difficult to transcend, notwithstanding one’s potential to succeed. In addition, Adolf Hitler was keen to create the scene to exhibit Aryan supremacy of his Nazi government during these games.
There was no way that America, or Hitler, was prepared for the performance that Owens displayed. In the stroke of a handful of races, Owens showed the world that the racial prejudices that so characterised the conventional awareness of so many was pure nonsense. On the international stage, an American black guy was the greatest in the world. And you know what - Owens was able to captivate the hearts of even the German people, who really CHEERED him to victory. Hitler may not have liked it very much, but the Olympic spirit is about the best we have to give one another.
2. Nadia Comaneci’s Perfect 10
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Nadia Comaneci, to this day, is a worldwide sweetheart who grabbed the hearts of the world on one unforgettable night during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada. This waifish young woman (she was only standing 4’11 and weighed all of 86 pounds) did the unimaginable - all at the age of 14. Up until Ms. Comaneci walked to execute her routine on the uneven bars, no gymnast before her had ever accomplished a perfect 10. In fact, it was so unthinkable for anybody to achieve so, the scoreboards at the time weren’t even intended to be able to reflect this score.
Nadia was a godsend to the gymnastic scoreboard business — not only did she get the first 10 on the uneven bars, she opted to score 6 more flawless 10’s before she was done. The precocious Romanian came away with a plethora of Olympic medals - 3 gold medals, plus a bronze and silver medal apiece to round out her outfit – and, of course, the affections of a whole globe.
Nadia would go on to become a famous advocate for her sport, and remains a yardstick of Olympic excellence. Her accomplishment is still spoken about in gymnastic circles and talks regarding sports success. The Olympic spirit may motivate the tiniest among us to accomplish the unattainable.
3. George Eyser Wins Six Medals With A Wooden Leg
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If you’ve never heard of George Eyser, don’t feel too terrible - I hadn’t either until I happened to stumble across his wonderful tale while researching another athlete who, regrettably, lost his position to Mr. Eyser on this list. Today, we are all aware that the Paralympics have been founded to provide disabled athletes the chance to participate at the international level. Mr. Eyser, however, completed his achievement amid a field of quality competitors at…wait for it…the 1904 Olympic Games in St. Louis, Missouri. Without the luxury of contemporary prosthesis, Mr. Eysner competed with a wooden prosthetic left leg. As a gymnast , no less!
Eysner had the misfortune of losing his leg after being ran over by a train as a toddler. This barrier, however, did not hinder his Olympic goal. He managed to capture gold in the rope climb (that was new to me too), the parallel bars, and vault contests. But that’s not all; he also brought home silver in something called the “combined,” the pommel horse, and a bronze medal in the horizontal bars.
In fact, his medal total (6 overall) makes Eyser one of the most decorated Olympians in history — prosthetic limb or otherwise. Determination to fight against all obstacles — the indomitable Olympic spirit is an inspiration to us all.