5 great Olympics memories
The 2024 Olympics begins on 26 July in Paris, when the French capital hosts the Summer Games for the third time in their history.
It’s the biggest international sporting event in the world and only comes around once every 4 years. Millions of people in the UK and worldwide are looking forward to the 17-day spectacle and most of us have good memories of past competitions and some particular highlights.
From Kelly Holmes winning gold in Athens in 2004 to Derek Redmond’s heartbreak but incredible strength and courage in Barcelona in 1992, there have been plenty of incredible highs and lows.
In anticipation of this 33rd Summer Games we thought we’d reflect on some favourite historic moments from the Olympics:
Linford Christie – 100m gold in 1992
Christie’s rival and world record holder Carl Lewis didn’t even qualify for the 100m in Barcelona, so surely it was the Brit’s destiny to win this event? It wasn’t going to be easy though after American former world record holder Leroy Burrell posted a winning time of 9.97 seconds in the semi-finals. Christie knew 1he had to probably match that time to win gold, or at least come very close to it.
After a good start, Christie pulled away from Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks and America’s Dennis Mitchell towards the end to win gold in a time of 9.96 seconds, becoming the oldest ever man, at 32, to win 100m gold at the Olympics. It’s a record he holds to this day.
In an interview with the BBC’s Brendan Foster after the race, Christie said that he had reached his peak and didn’t expect to get close to gold ever again at an Olympic Games. He was right, as that was his only Olympic gold, but what a way to get it! Over 30 years later, we remember Christie’s great achievement fondly.
Not a bad little basketball team that year, either
We can’t move on from Barcelona 1992 without mentioning one of the best teams ever seen at an Olympic Games – the USA Men’s Basketball team. They won gold with the likes of Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing, Scottie Pippen and Larry Bird in the side.
Steve Redgrave – gold after gold after gold…
He’s the most successful male rower in Olympic history with 5 Golds at 5 consecutive Olympic Games from Los Angeles in 1984 to Sydney in 2000. He joked that someone should shoot him if they caught him in a rowing boat after his 1996 triumph in Atlanta.
Redgrave soon changed his mind though, and did it all again in Sydney to become the only man to win 5 Olympic golds at 5 Olympic Games in an endurance sport. Pretty incredible. He retired straight after his 5th gold at Sydney. And who can blame him?
One of the true Olympic greats, Steve Redgrave was knighted in 2001 and later deservedly received the BBC Sports Personality of the Year - Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011.
London 2012 – inspiring a generation
With 26 sports across 34 venues, the London 2012 Olympics left a lasting legacy in what was arguably one of the biggest and most elaborate Summer Games ever staged. Who can forget the opening ceremony with James Bond and The Queen?
It started with a bang and ended with one too as Super Saturday saw the likes of Mo Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford grab gold in a day that will live long in the memory. There were 3 golds for Britain in cycling and rowing that day too!
Usain Bolt triumphed yet again, Sir Chris Hoy became Scotland’s most decorated Olympic cyclist of all time, and Andy Murray won tennis gold after beating Swiss legend Roger Federer in the final. What made it even more special for Murray is that it happened just weeks after he lost to Federer in the final at Wimbledon.
And let’s remember Nicola Adams too – the first woman ever to win Olympic boxing gold. She smashed the glass ceiling in 2012 and had past boxing legends on their feet applauding.
Playtech’s volatile Frank Bruno: Sporting Legends slot will certainly take you back and the visuals could be mistaken for 2012, but in fact, it was released not too long ago in 2022. Sporting Legends slots always have a classic feel to them and it’s a very popular series of games.
Jesse Owens – man of the games in Berlin
Jesse Owens, the man who smashed 5 World Records in 45 minutes in 1935, foiled Hitler’s plans for the 1936 Berlin Olympics to showcase his regime and Aryan superiority. Amazingly, the USA very nearly boycotted these Games due to political tensions. Thankfully, they took part after a change of heart by the American Olympic Committee.
Owens made the 100m final look easy as he picked up his first gold of the 1936 Games. He then beat German Luz Long in the highly publicised long jump, before taking home a 3rd Gold medal in the 200m. A 4th gold followed in the 4x100m Relay. It was an incredible achievement that went unmatched for years until Carl Lewis in 1984.
But Jesse Owens’ Berlin legacy was far more than the 4 gold medals he won. He upset Hitler who envisaged the Olympics showcasing the talents and physical superiority of Aryans over other races. Owens, a black man, put paid to that particular notion. The German Chancellor was also aghast at the heartfelt embrace Luz Long gave Owens after their duel in the long jump. The 2 remained friends until Long’s death in 1943.
Jesse Owens’ performance and medals tally was among a number of things in the mid-20th century that eventually helped pave the way for the Civil Rights Movement to emerge.
Michael Phelps – 8 golds in Beijing
8 – that’s not a typo. 8 golds, 1 supreme performer.
You can’t mention the Olympic Games without mentioning the name Michael Phelps. He has more gold medals and more Olympic medals, 28 – 23 of them gold, than anyone in history. He won 8 of those golds at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, which is still the most ever at a single Games. It may never be eclipsed.
He had already racked up 7 golds, matching Mark Spitz’s 1972 record, by the time the 4x100m medley relay came around. The US were stuttering midway through the race with Australia and Japan ahead of them. Step forward Jason Lezek. He swam a fantastic final leg to pull away from the chasing pack and break the world record to help Phelps make history.
Paris 2024: Games wide open
The 2024 Olympics in Paris will bring sport to the heart of the city this summer. The journey to Paris is a long one for the athletes with qualification events and numerous hours of grueling training ahead of them before they reach France.
But don’t be surprised if you see history made here. It could come in football, it could come in surfing, or it could come on the track or in the field. Or in the pool.
Warm up for this summer’s Olympic Games with popular titles such as Relax Gaming’s Cowabunga Dream Drop (Surfing), Hot Shots Megaways (Football) from iSoftBet and Nyjah Huston Skate for Gold (Skateboarding) from Play’n GO. And if you're in the mood for sporting nostalgia see also our 5 great EUROS memories blog.
Whatever happens, it’s sure to be an incredible spectacle. It always is.