Throughout the world, everyone is getting ready to watch the Sochi Olympic Games. Through all the controversy that has been in the news, and watching as the competitors get ready to show off their athletic skills in hopes for that Gold medal, it’s not hard to remember that behind the scenes of the games, there have been many moments that continue to be discussed and remembered to this day.
Whether or not most of us were around to remember everything on the list, there have been plenty of things to talk about when it comes to the various athletes who have been involved. From terrorism to someone’s knee being clubbed, there have been many things that stick out in the minds of those who heard about these events.
We’re counting down ten of the most infamous moments in Olympic history. Let us know which moment in Olympic history you remember most in the comments below.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons
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10. Boris Onischenko
In the sports world, cheating is one of those controversies that can always be found. The 1976 Montreal Olympics got just that with Boris Onischenko, a pentathlete from the Ukraine who had also competed in the 1972 Munich games. The event included fencing and there was suspicion something was up when Onischenko’s sword was registering hits, even when he wasn’t hitting his British opponent. An examination of the sword revealed a wire that allowed him to score hits electronically.
Photo: Amazon
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9. Greg Louganis
In the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Greg Louganis was attempting a move off the diving board when he hit his head on the board. He suffered a concussion and would end up needing stitches. What no one knew at the time, including the doctor who treated him, was he was HIV positive. Having only been diagnosed a couple months before, this moment is one in which there could have been more traumatic results.
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8. United States vs. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
The 1972 Olympics had a lot going on, but we’ll get to that point later. During a basketball competition, it was the US vs. the USSR (now known as the Soviet Union). Prematurely, the US thought they had won the game even though the USSR claimed to call a time out just seconds before the clock hit zero. After playing one more time, the USSR won but the US refused their silver medals.
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7. Jesse Owens
Jesse Owens was an African American track and field athlete during the 1936 Berlin games. At the time, Hitler had been hoping the Games would prove his theory that the Aryan race was superior. The people of Berlin were awed at Owens, there is even a school named after him. There is controversy over whether Hitler snubbed Owens, although it appears Owens was more received by the people of Berlin than he was in his own United States. It wasn’t until 20 years later he was recognized for his achievements.
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6. Ben Johnson
In 1988, Ben Johnson, a Canadian sprinter, would win the 100 meter final in 9.79 seconds, a feat that sent shockwaves all across, from his rival Calvin Smith to reporters. A drug test later determined he was positive for a drug called stanozolol, a steroid that was banned. He had his gold medal taken from him and this event has been called the ‘Dirtiest Race in History’.
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5. Oscar Pistorius
In the London Summer 2012 Olympics, Oscar Pistorius delighted the world after becoming the first amputee to win a track medal on a track used to seeing people who were not amputees. What makes him so infamous is he is currently awaiting trial on charges of killing his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp.
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4. Bombing
In 1996, a bomb that was planted by an anti-abortion radical interrupted the Olympic games in Atlanta. After noticing an abandoned bag on the ground, a quick thinking security guard began to clear out spectators before many casualties could occur, although hundreds were injured and two were killed.
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3. Bad judging
In the 2002 Salt Lake City games, a figure skating couple became the victims of a French judge who did not treat them fairly. Jamie Sale and David Pelletier were two Canadian figure skaters who enchanted the crowd with their figure skating to the song Love Story. They performed their routine perfectly, but the medal went to Russians Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharudlidze. Regardless, there was suspicion of cheating almost immediately and it was revealed a French judge was under pressure to vote for the Russians by the French skating federation. In a second ceremony, Pelletier and Sale were awarded a gold medal.
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2. Tonya Harding
Tonya Harding was an Olympic figure skater and she had a rivalry with Nancy Kerrigan. In 1994, her husband and bodyguard orchestrated an attack on Kerrigan in order to make her pull out of the Figure Skating Championship so Tonya could win. The images of Nancy’s pain stricken face after the attack were pasted all over the world, making this one of the most talked about moments of the 1994 Olympics.
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1. Terrorism
In 1972, the Olympics were marred when eleven Israeli athletes and judges were taken hostage by a Palestinian organization known as Black September. Two victims were murdered at the hotel where the kidnapping occurred and the rest were killed in helicopters. The Olympics were cancelled for one day and resumed, but there is still controversy over how the Olympics have handled remembrance of the victims. One of the victim’s sons is an actor named Guri Weinburg, who portrayed his father in the movie, Munich.