re: What is your favorite Olympic moment?

rowdy gaines is a national treasure at calling a swim meet

I was pretty young, but I remember Bill Johnson being a badass shite talker with the Euros.

LINK

I was 12 years old

same ...

#1 will always be, for any winter or summer, the defeat of the soviets (not the russians!) during a fairly competitive time of the Cold War ...

#2 is that same olympics, an almost forgotten accomplishment - eric heiden's 5 golds in speedskating ... every distance ...

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Rowdy gaines is a national treasure at calling a swim meet

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I remember Gaines from the 1984 Olympics...he got screwed by the US in 1980 boycotting the Soviet Games when he was in his prime and considered too old by 1984.

But then he won the 100M free Gold Medal over Mark Stockwell.

He claimed Rowdy left early before the gun. If you watch the replay, either he leaves early or it's the most perfectly timed start in Olympic history - he's in the water and nobody else is.

The Australians filed a formal protest. … The complaint was that the start was too quick. The Australians said official Francisco Silvestri of Panama fired the starting gun before all the swimmers were set. Similar complaints had been made about Silverstri at both the 1982 World Championships and the 1983 Pan American Games. FINA officials dismissed the protest.

They said that Gaines knew this starter pistol official had a quick trigger having been in meets with him before and was ready to just take off once the announcer set ready set.

Race

Johnny Weir commentary

Ali lighting the torch is favorite non competition moment. Dream Team was just different than everyone else. It was awesome to watch. Favorite moment though is Kerri Strugg though. Balls of steel.

Another vote for the Miracle on Ice.

Reserving this post so I can edit in a month and say USA skulldragging the competition leading to a gold medal in 2018 curling

"HERE COMES LEZAK!"

Goddamn that call gives me chills.