10 top Olympic moments

Ebony, July, 1996

SINCE the modern Summer Olympic Games began in 1896 in Athens, Greece, some of the most remarkable performances in athletic competition have taken place on this international stage, and many rank among the most memorable moments in sorts history.

On this 10th anniversary of the Summer Olympic Games, EBONY asked a group of sports enthusiasts to compile a list of 10 top Olympic moments that involved African-Americans. They were asked to consider moments that were not only exhibitions of athletic superiority, but those that also represented a major breakthrough or were performances that redefined the limits of what's possible for athletes.

Panelists only concentrated on those moments that were born out of actual competition, thereby eliminating from consideration two memorable moments from 1968--the black-gloved protest by Tommie Smith and John Carlos, and a flag-waving show of patriotism by heavyweight boxer George Foreman following his gold medal-winning performance.

After a great deaf of research, discussion and argument, the panel was finally able to come up with a list that dates back to the 1924 Games held in Paris.

1 DeHart Hubbard, a determined athlete from the University of Michigan, became the first Black to win an individual gold medal when he won the long jump competition at the 1924 Olympics in Paris. His historic jump--24 feet, 6 inches--was exactly one foot short of the Olympic record at the time. (In 1908, John Taylor became the first Black to win a gold medal when he completed as a member of the U.S. 1600-meter relay team at the Games in London.)

2 Jesse Owens (above), in what has been hailed as the greatest Olympic moment of all time, won four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, shattering Adolf Hitler's theory of Aryan supremacy. While the German dictator looked on, the 22-year-old Ohio State sophomore won the 100- and 200-meter runs, the broad jump, and he also led the 400-meter relay team to victory.

3 Alice Coachman, competing in the 1948 Olympics in London, became the forst Black woman gold medalist and the first American woman to win a gold medal in track and field when she won the high jump. The 24-year-old Albany State College atlete eliminated one competitor after another and had to battle. D.J. Tyler, a determined British high jumper who had her sights set on Olympic gold. With the excitement building in Wembley Stadium, the two atletes, matched each other's moves until the bar was raised to a record height of 5 feet, 6 1/2 inches. Coachman cleared the bar and won her "toughest victory" when Tyler missed several attempts.

4. Wilma Rudolph (right) who as a child was crippled and who was ubnable to walk until her eight birthday, stunned the world when she won three gold medals at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. The 20-year-old speedster became the first American woman to win three gold medals in track when she won the 100- and 200-meter dashes, then achored the victorious, record-breaking 400-meter relay team.

5. Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), a brash irreverent and loquacious 18-year-old from Louisville, Ky., beguiled onlookers with his flashy, unorthodox boxing style at the 1960 Olympics in Rome. But in the light heavyweight title about against Zbiegniew Pietrzykowski of Poland, he left spectators in awe when he unveiled what was to become "the Ali Shuffle," his trademark when he turned professional. Before the title about, the gangly youngster--frequently holding his hands low and darling his opponent to lead--knocked out one opponent and outpointed two others. The future heavyweight champion of the world moved with lightning speed, delivering a flury of combinations amd easily won the gold medal.

6. Bob Beamon, on suspension from the university of Texas at El Paso for refusing to compete against Brigham Young University because of its racial policies, shocked the world when he leaped 29 feet, 2 1/2 inches to break the world record in the long jump at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Although he had a history of fouling, Beamon executed a perfect takeoff on his first jump and bested the old world record--27 feet, 4 3/4 inches, set by Ralph Boston in 1964--by 6.5 percent, the greatest percentage improvement ever made on a previous world track and field record. When he realized the magnitude of his feat, Beamon fell to his kness in shock. His record stood until Mike Powell jumped two inches farther in 1991.

7 Carl Lewis duplicated one of the sports world's most amazing accomplishments when he matched Jesse Owens' 1936 feat by winning four gold medals at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Lewis' attempt to repeat history began with the 100-meter dash, followed by the long jump and the 200- meter dash. After winning those events, all that sttod between Lewis and Owens' 48-year-old record was the four-man, 400- meter relay, which the speedster and his teammates won, shattering the Olympic record.

8 Florence Griffith Joyner, in a dramatic display of perseverance, established herself as "the world's fastest woman" at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, becoming the first woman in 40 years to win three gold medals and a silver medal in one Olympics. Flo-Jo, as her fans call her, won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes, and the 400-meter relay. The sprinter, known for her nulticolored fingernails and lacy, one-legged running outfits, also won a silver medal in the 1600-meter relay.