![]() ![]() ![]() Strug was a vault specialist, but she landed poorly on her first attempt, and also injured her left ankle. With the USA challenging for the team gold medal, they had only a narrow lead over Russia and Romania going into the final rotation, with Strug scheduled for the horse vault. men’s Olympic basketball team, made up of basketball stars including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, Patrick Ewing and others became known as “The Dream Team.Kerri Strug was far from the greatest ever American female gymnast, but she may be the best remembered for one vault she did at the 1996 Olympics. Griffith Joyner's records remain unbroken today, and her performances in both the 19 Olympic Games have cemented her in track and field history. ![]() Florence Griffith Joyner sets recordsįlorence Griffith Joyner, or “Flo-Jo,” set the world record for the 100 meter and the 200 meter sprints during the 1988 Olympic trials and Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea. Her victory "catapulted the women gymnasts onto a different level than they ever had been," Rogers said. Retton, who was inspired by Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci, would go on to win four additional medals at the 1984 games in Los Angeles, be named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press and more. 'I want to take responsibility for my actions': Sha'Carri Richardson disqualified from Tokyo Olympics over marijuana Mary Lou Retton wins gold in gymnasticsĪt 16-years-old, Mary Lou Retton in 1984 became the first American woman to win an Olympic all-around gold medal for gymnastics. Team USA: Bruce Springsteen’s daughter Jessica named to US Olympic equestrian team “In many ways we sort of see this as the start of athlete activists,” Andrews said, citing ex-NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick and other athletes who have since used their fame to protest and raise awareness. "To have an African American man come through and just blow everybody away, it was very symbolic," Jane Rogers, a curator at the National Museum of American History, told USA TODAY.Īmerican athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos sent a Black Power salute to the world at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City.Īs they received their gold and bronze medals in the men’s 200 meter race, the sprinters lowered their heads and raised their fists in the air. The Black track and field star’s victory flew in the face of Adolph Hitler’s goal for the games – to promote Nazi propaganda. ![]() Jesse Owens made history after winning four gold medals at the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany, sweeping in the 100 meter, 200 meter, long jump and 4x100-meter competitions. With Tokyo Olympics upon us, here are some of Team USA's most memorable moments: Jesse Owens wins gold in Nazi Germany “The Olympics provide a forum for America to sort of broadcast itself on the international stage,” Andrews said. Matthew Andrews, associate teaching professor at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, explained to USA TODAY that the United States has “used the Olympic Games as a showcase for American greatness,” since the first modern games in 1896. Watch Video: Olympic moments: 4 times Team USA won more than the goldĪudiences around the world are turning their eyes to Tokyo this summer, hoping to catch a glimpse of history at the Olympic Games.īut the games will also remind viewers of iconic moments from past Olympics, from gold medals to injuries and political statements. ![]()
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