Classic Olympic moments

Finnish athlete Paavo Nurmi during the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. He won five gold medals (1500m, 5000m, Individual cross country, Team cross country, and 3000m).

1936

U.S. champion Jesse Owens crosses the finish line of the 100m event, that he won, Aug. 5, 1936 during Olympic Games in Berlin. Grandson of a slave and legendary athlete, Owens established 6 world records in 1935. Owens retained his 100m world record for 20 years and his long jump world record for 25 years (until 1960).

1936

U.S. champion Jesse Owens captures the gold of the long jump event, Aug. 7, 1936 during Olympic Games in Berlin where he captured 4 gold medals, 100m, 200m, 4x100m and long jump.

1952

Harrison Dillard jumps a hurdle during his training at the London Olympics, 1948. Dillard won gold in the 100 meters dash and 400 meters relay. In the 1952 Olympics, he took two gold medals and he won 82 races in a row during the fifties.

1956

Soviet gymnast Larysa Latynina at the Melbourne Olympic Games in July 1956. She won four gold medals (All-Around, Teams, Floor Exercise and Vault), one silver medal (Bars) and one bronze medal (Object Exercise).

1960

Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila runs barefoot for victory in the Rome 1960 Olympic Games marathon.

1960

Wilma Rudolph of the USA, middle, stands on the awards stand with competitors Dorthy Hyman, left, and G. Leone after winning the gold in the 200 meter sprint at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy.

1968

U.S. athletes Tommie Smith (center) and John Carlos (right) raise their gloved fists in the Black Power salute to express their opposition to racism in the USA during the U.S. national anthem, after receiving their medals, Oct. 17, 1968 for first and third place in the men's 200m event at the Mexico Olympic Games. At left is Peter Norman of Australia who took second place.

1968

U.S. athlete Bob Beamon competes in the men's long jump event during the Mexico Olympic Games on Oct. 19, 1968. Beamon won the event with a world and Olympic record-breaking long jump of 8.90 meters on Oct. 18.

1972

USA Basketball team battles for the tip off against the Russia basketball team on Sept. 10, 1972 in Munich, Germany. Russia won the controversial game 51-50 after being given extra time to get a final shot off. It was the first loss in USA Basketball history.

1972

American swimmer champion Mark Spitz shows five of his seven Olympic gold medals, Aug. 31, 1972 in Munich. Spitz captured seven swimming gold medals (100m, 200m, 4x100m, 4x200m, 100m and 200m Butterfly and 4x100m medley) at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

1972

U.S. swimmer champion Mark Spitz during the Olympic 200m butterfly final on Aug. 31, 1972 in Munich.

1972

U.S. swimmer champion Mark Spitz in action during the Olympic 200m Butterfly event Aug. 28, 1972 in Munich.

1976

Romanian star gymnast Nadia Comaneci, 14, flips on the uneven bars during her performance in the individual apparatus finals on July 19, 1976 at the Olympic Games in Montreal. She made sports history with an unprecedented perfect score.

1976

Romanian champion Nadia Comaneci waves on the women' s Olympic uneven bars event podium, July 1976 in Montreal. During her athletic career, the legendary gymnast captured four Olympic gold medals and was the first to score 10 in her discipline. At left is silver medalist Rumanian Teodora Ungureano.

1984

Mary Lou Retton of the United States in action on the balance beam during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif. Retton scored perfect 10s on the floor exercise and vault to win the Olympic all-around title.

1984

Synchronized swimmers Candy Costie and Tracie Ruiz perform their routine during the pairs competition at the XXIII Olympic Summer Games on Aug. 9, 1984 at the Olympic Swim Stadium, University of Southern California, Los Angeles. They both won the gold.

1988

The American First Lady of athletics, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, throws the javelin during the heptathlon competition at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. Joyner-Kersee won the gold with 7,291 points, a new world record.

1988

Jackie Joyner-Kersee jumps to her second gold medal at the Seoul Olympic women's long jump final, Sept. 29, 1988, setting an Olympic record with 7.40.

1992

United States swimmer Janet Evans swims July 30, 1992 during the women's Olympic 800m freestyle. Evans won the gold medal with a time of 8:25.52.

1992

Janet Evans holds her gold medal during the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain.

1992

Great Britain Olympic runner Derek Redmond, left, cries out in pain, Aug. 3, 1992, in Barcelona, as he is assisted from the Olympic track by his father Jim Redmond, who jumped from the stands to help his injured son finish the 400 meter Olympic race.

1992

The USA's Scottie Pippen, left, with Michael Jordan, center, and Clyde Drexler, pose with their gold medals after beating Croatia 117-85 in Olympic basketball at Barcelona, Aug. 8, 1992.

1992

U.S. athlete Carl Lewis landing in the sand during the final of the men's Olympic long jump competition on Aug. 6, 1992 in Barcelona. He won two gold medals for the 4x100m relay and long jump events.

1996

U.S. gymnast Kerri Strug (2nd left) screams in pain as she is carried from the floor by team officials after she injured her ankle during the women's team optionals in the Olympic gymnastics competition at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, July 23, 1996.

1996

U.S. Olympic artistic gymnastics' coach Bela Karolyi carries injured gymnast Kerri Strug onto the podium after his team won the women's gold medal July 23, 1996 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. The U.S. won the event ahead of Russia and world champion Romania.

1996

Dominique Dawes of the USA on the beam during the women's team gymnastics event at the Georgia Dome at the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia.

Dominique Dawes

of the U.S. waves from the podium after receiving bronze in the women's individual floor event at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. All-round women's champion Lilia Podkopayeva of the Ukraine took gold and Simona Amanar of Romania got silver.

1996

Michael Johnson of the USA carries the American Flag after winning the Gold in the Men's 200 meters during the 1996 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.

2000

Two-time Los Angeles gold medalist Greg Louganis of the U.S. bangs his head against the board after mistiming his dive during the Olympic competition, Sept. 2000 in Seoul. Louganis nonetheless qualified for the final.

2000

Rulon Gardner of USA (right) in action winning the gold medal by defeating Alexandre Kareline of Russia in the 130 kilogram event during the Greco Roman wrestling held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

2000

Cathy Freeman of Australia (1110), Nanceen Perry of the USA (3368) and Beverly McDonald of Jamaica (2291) in the Womens 200m Heats in the Olympic Stadium on Day 12 of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

2000

Cathy Freeman of Australia celebrates with her gold medal after winning the Women's 400m final at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, Sydney, Australia.

2008

Fireworks explode next to the National Stadium, also known as the "Bird's Nest", during the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Aug. 8, 2008. A thundering display of fireworks exploded over the stadium in the shape of a blossoming red flower as China put the full glory of its rich history on display at the Olympic opening ceremony. Some 91,000 people, many waving Chinese flags, packed into the National Stadium on a hot and humid night for a spectacular show masterminded by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Zhang Yimou.

2008

Serena Williams and Venus Williams of the United States celebrate winning the gold medal over Virginia Ruano Pascual and Anabel Medina Garrigues of Spain in the Women's Doubles gold medal match held at the Olympic Green Tennis Center during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 17, 2008 in Beijing, China.

2008

Natalie Coughlin of the United States competes in the Women's 100m Freestyle Final held at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 7 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 15, 2008 in Beijing, China.

2008

Left to right: Natalie Coughlin, Rebecca Soni, Christine Magnuson and Dara Torres of the United States hold their silver medals in the Women's 50m Freestyle final held at the National Aquatics Centre during Day 9 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 17, 2008 in Beijing, China.

2008

China's Wei Yang competes in the men's rings final of the artistic gymnastics event of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on Aug. 18, 2008. China's Yibing Chen won the gold, Wei Yang the silver and Ukraine's Oleksandr Vorobiov the bronze.

2008

USA's Erinn Smart (left) competes against Hungary's Gabriella Varga during the women's team foil semi-final match USA vs. Hungary on Aug. 16, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

2008

USA's Erinn Smart, Emily Cross and Hanna Thompson celebrate with their silver medals on the podium at the end of the women's team foil event on August 16, 2008 at the Fencing Hall of National Convention center, as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Russia won the gold medal, USA the silver and Italy the bronze.

2008

In a file picture taken on Aug. 17, 2008, US swimmer Michael Phelps competes during the men's 4 x 100m medley relay swimming final at the National Aquatics Center during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games in Beijing. Phelps set new standards in Olympic swimming with his eight gold medals in Beijing.

2008

Combination of eight pictures showing Michael Phelps of the U.S. displaying the eight gold medals he won at the swimming events during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. From left to right, top row : men's 4 x 100m medley on Aug. 17, 100m butterfly on Aug. 16, men's 200m individual medley on Aug. 15, men's 4 x 200m freestyle relay on Aug. 13. From left to right, bottom row : men's 200m butterfly on Aug. 13, men's 200m freestyle on Aug. 12, men's 4X100m freestyle relay on Aug. 11, men's 400m individual medley on Aug. 10. Phelps became the first man to win eight gold medals at the same Olympics.

2008

Left to right: Cullen Jones, Jason Lezak, Michael Phelps, Garrett Weber-Gale of the United States pose with the gold medal during the medal ceremony for the Men's 4 x 100m Freestyle Relay held at the National Aquatics Center on Day 3 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 11, 2008 in Beijing, China.

2008

Rafael Nadal of Spain celebrates his win over Fernando Gonzalez of Chile in their men's gold medal tennis match at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing on Aug. 17, 2008. Spain beat Chile 6-2, 7-6, 6-3.

2008

Wang Hao of China plays a shot in the Quarter Final of the Men's Singles Table Tennis event against Ko Lai Chak of Hong Kong China held at the Peking University Gymnasium on Day 14 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 22, 2008 in Beijing, China. Hao won gold for Men's Team and silver for Men's Single.

2008

Russia's Yelena Isinbaeva clears the bar and sets a new world record in the women's pole vault final at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Aug. 18, 2008. Isinbayeva vaulted 5.05m, 1cm further than her own world record of 5.04m set in Monaco the previous month.

2008

Anna Tunnicliffe of the United States of America celebrates overall victory in the Laser Radial class event following the medal race held at the Qingdao Olympic Sailing Center during day 11 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 19, 2008 in Qingdao, China.

2008

Belarus' Aksana Miankova competes during the women's Hammer Throw final at the National stadium as part of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Aug. 20, 2008. Miankova won the Olympic Games women's hammer gold medal, throwing a new Olympic record of 76.34 meters.

2008

Chinedu Ogbuke (left) of Nigeria and Robbie Rogers (right) of the US fight for the ball during their 2008 Beijing Olympic Games first round Group B men's football match at the Worker's Stadium in Beijing on Aug. 13, 2008. Nigeria won the silver medal for Football.

2008

Regi Witherspoon of the U.S. (2nd right) runs with the baton handed over to him by teammate Kerron Clement (R) as they compete against South Africa, Australia and Belgium in the men's 4'400m relay round 1 heat 1 at the National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Aug. 22, 2008. The U.S. team won ahead of Russia and Belgium.

2008

US gold medalist Angelo Taylor (center), U.S. silver medalist Kerron Clement (left) and US bronze medalist Bershawn Jackson pose on the podium a day after the men's 400m hurdles at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games on Aug. 19, 2008.

2008

Usain Bolt of Jamaica reacts after breaking the world record with a time of 19.30 to win the gold medal in the Men's 200m Final ahead of Brian Dzingai of Zimbabwe and Shawn Crawford of the United States at the National Stadium during Day 12 of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on Aug. 20, 2008 in Beijing, China.

1896

Robert Garrett of the USA wins the gold in the discus event during the Olympic Games circa April of 1896 in Athens, Greece.

1896

The Opening Ceremony at the 1896 Athens Olympics.

1896

French educationalist and Olympics founder Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin (sitting, left) poses with members of the first International Olympic Committee in Athens in 1896. Standing, from L : Dr. Willibald Gebhard (Germany), Jiri Guth-Jarkovsky (Bohemia), Ferenc Kemeny (Hungary), General Victor Balck (Sweden); sitting in the middle, next to Pierre de Coubertin are Demetrios Vikelas (Greece), first IOC president, and General Boutowsky (Russia).

1896

The Olympic Medals from the 1896 Games in Athens, the First Olympic Games of the Modern Era.