Even superstars like Olga Korbut and Gabby Douglas have had theirawkward momentsthey’d hope to soon forget.
Here are just a few of the most memorable ones.
The Vancouver committee came up with a multi-part design: four metal pillars crisscrossed around a central torch.
It was a showstopping idea… almost.
“Symbolic” birds have been used ever since.
He was forced to return his gold medal, which went to the second-place finisher: Lewis.
Even today, that particular event is known as “the dirtiest race in history.”
It was her race to lose, and it seemed impossible that she would.
The stunt caused her to lose balance, fall, and land off-course.
Jacobellis admitted toUSA Today, “Snowboarding is fun.
I was having fun.”
That fun cost her dearly.
This gymnast became a walking meme
It was the Smirk Seen ‘Round the World.
For the first time outside their home country, the American women won the gold in the team event.
The moment quickly went viral, inspiring countless memes with the theme “not impressed.”
The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City took place that October, following a year of anger and civil unrest.
Both competed in the 200-meter dash, where Smith took gold and Carlos the bronze.
At the medals ceremony, they appeared barefoot (symbolizing global poverty).
The two bowed their heads and raised a black-gloved fist in the air as the national anthem played.
As a result, Smith and Carlos’s professional and personal lives suffered for years.
Only in recent years have the activist athletes been recognized for their bravery.
In 2016, Smith and Carlos were invited to be ambassadors for the U.S. Olympic Committee.
