Monday, July 28, 2008

CHARME THE SENSES, OTHERS OVERCOME: As we get out our paint-grade respirators and prepare to brave the sludge that beginning on August 8 is going to choke the world's greatest athletes to death (incidentally, China has asked spectators not to smoke, on account of the risk that the atmosphere might catch fire), it might be time to start dishing our favorite Summer Olympic memories.

For my money, the greatest feat in Olympic history was Bob Beamon's 29'2.5" long jump in 1968 -- 21.75" longer than the previous world record, and a record that stood for an unbelievable 23 years -- but I was still two years from being born so I can hardly call that a memory. My favorite memory involved watching Ben Johnson's short-lived 1988 100-meter victory in my freshman dorm room, when he just muscled his way to a then-unreal 9.79 while slowing down before the finish line, forcing the Americans in the room to hand cash to the Canadians (which we would get back a few days later). I don't care that Johnson was hopped up on stanozolol (though, if you care, Carl Lewis, Linford Christie, and Dennis Mitchell all tested positive for steroids at different times in their careers, so it's not entirely clear that Johnson's use made it an unfair race). Johnson looked like the Incredible Hulk and ran like the Roadrunner, his turnover seemingly too fast for the TV cameras, or SI's cameras, to capture. Dirty or not, Johnson embarrassing the field in what was then probably the greatest collection of fast people ever -- while soon embarrassing Canada to boot -- was something to behold.

So that's my most indelible memory. Yours?

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