20 inspirational moments in Olympic history

Jamaica had never appeared in a Winter Olympics until 1988. The Jamaicans did not win a medal, but their inspiring story of recruitment and determination did not go unnoticed, and garnered worldwide attention. (Getty)

The 1992 Barcelona Games marked the debut of the “Dream Team,” featuring many of the NBA’s best players such as Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley and Magic Johnson. Winning every game by an average of 43.8 points, this team went down in history as “one of the best teams ever assembled.” (AP)

Matthias Steiner used his sport to remind the world of the physical and personal obstacles he defeated. His wife died a year before he competed in the 2008 weightlifting event in Beijing. Lifting a weight 30 pounds over his personal best, he took home the gold in what was a bittersweet moment for athletes and spectators alike. (Getty)

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean made ice dancing popular with their flawless performance to Ravel’s “Bolero.” Their performance was given a perfect-10 score from every judge, which clinched the gold medal for the duo. (Getty)

Swimmer Michael Phelps has broken a slew of records, but in the 2008 Beijing Games he won the most gold medals for an individual athlete in one Olympics. He tied Mark Spitz’s record in a race that was won by a margin of 1/100th of a second, one of the closest finishes in history. (Getty)

It took speed skater Dan Jansen 10 years to win his first gold medal. Just hours after his sister passed away from Leukemia, Jansen competed in the 1988 Games and fumbled. He lost again in the 1992 Games, but in a true story of persistence, he won gold in the 1000m in 1994, and used the win to honor his late sister. (AP)

Diver Greg Louganis hit his head on the springboard during the 1988 Seoul Games, giving him a serious concussion and causing him to bleed. Demanding to be stitched up so he could compete the next day, he went on to win gold. This event proved a memorable one in the years to come when Louganis came out and admitted he was HIV positive. (Getty)

Wilma Rudolph suffered from polio and grew up in an oppressive era for African-Americans. It was a miracle that she could walk and was in good health, much less compete with the best athletes in the world. Nevertheless, she went on to the 1960 Rome Olympics and won three gold medals, the first American woman to do so. (Getty)

Figure skater Joannie Rochette’s mother died two days before the figure skating competition began in the 2010 Vancouver Games. Rochette’s near flawless performance landed her the bronze medal, and went on to live as one of the most emotional moments in Olympic history. (Getty)

Gymnast Mary Lou Retton competed in the 1984 Games with very little international experience, and became the first American to win all-around gold. Inspired by Nadia Comaneci, Retton scored a perfect-10 on the vault exercise that led to her victory. (Getty)

In the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Bruce Jenner (now Caitlyn Jenner) won the decathlon, and earned the title of “world’s greatest athlete.” His win came at the height of the Cold War, giving a new definition to patriotism. His celebration of waving the American flag afterwards started a tradition within the Olympics that still stands today. (Getty)

At 14 years old, Nadia Comaneci earned the first perfect-10 in an Olympic gymnastic event. She won three gold medals in these games, changing the nature of the sport forever. (Getty)

Heroism at its finest. The 1996 ‘Magnificent Seven’ gymnastics team needed to win the vault in order to beat Russia. Kerri Strug was the last to compete and in her first vault attempt she fell and heard a crack from her ankle. Pushing through the pain, Strug stuck the vault landing, giving the U.S. their first-ever team gold. (Getty)

Ethiopian long-distance runner Abebe Bikila was the first East African to win an Olympic medal, but that wasn’t his most memorable moment of the 1960 Rome Games marathon. He won the race barefoot. (AP)

11,284 athletes and hundreds of officials from 205 countries are taking part in the grand Olympics, competing across 306 events.

Remembered as ‘The Miracle on Ice,’ the U.S. hockey team that was built of collegiate and rookie athletes, and wasn’t expected to perform well, much less win the gold against the Soviet Union. During a time of tense relations between the two countries, this victory served as a symbol of true grit and patriotism. (Getty)

It was the Olympic Centennial, with the games turning 100 years old. In what could be one of the most emotional Opening Ceremonies to date, boxing and Olympic champion Muhammad Ali lit the cauldron, despite his public battle with Parkinson’s disease. (Getty)

Sprinter Derek Redmond withdrew from the 1988 Games due to injury, and was more determined than ever to compete in the 1992 Barcelona Games. Devastatingly, he tore his hamstring mid-race, but his finish was still the most memorable. His father, Jim Redmond, rushed onto the track, and arm in arm, helped his son complete the race in what would be one of the most inspirational Olympic moments ever. (Getty)

Where sports meets social issues, sprinters Tommie Smith and John Carlos raised their fists in solidarity of the Black Power Movement when accepting their medals, bringing the issues of civil rights to an international stage in the 1968 Mexico City Games. (Getty)

The Berlin Games of 1936 were Adolf Hitler’s attempt to showcase “The new Aryan man,” where African-American athletes were at the low end of the totem pole. Jesse Owens, an African-American sprinter, triumphed this notion, and won four gold medals in these games, showcasing his grace and courage. (AP)