I was there! Joan was awesome but the person who made the headlines was Gabriela Andersen-Schiess of Switzerland who staggered around the last lap looking as if she might collapse and die. She placed 37th as it was important to just finish. On her final lap that might have lasted 15 mins they attempted to help but she brushed them off and finished on her own. Her picture made it to Sports Illustrated and all the major publications.
The 1984 Olympics were incredible, & living in Los Angeles at the time, it was impossible not to get swept up in the excitement. My family watched most of the various events, but on this particular day, I was working (at Carl's Jr, ha ha), so a friend with a vcr recorded part of it for me. I did get home in time to catch the final routines & scores, followed by this emotional ceremony, & only later discovered that my tape ran out just before this section. So stumbling across it 40 years later (!) was a surprise, & an example of why it's still fun to see what channels like this post on RU-vid. Thank you so much for sharing!
If memory serves me correct (I was only 16 at the time) no one had heard of her and wasn't even supposed to win. Some other American was favored. Joan Benoit came out of nowhere and won
he graced us with his presence during our "sprint" workout at purchase (suny) probably 1987. no matter what or when anybody did, nitz sailed on by every time. just saying... it put things into perspective a long time ago for me.
I’m 67 and a marathon runner and remember watching this fantastic moment, but it just occurred to me after all these years that the marathon is the only Olympic event where you get to make a grand entrance into the stadium!
I love that the coach, or bike tech, or whoever he is, decided to go shirtless for the Olympics, broadcast around the world. I guess he was like, we're the USA, we're hosting, everyone else can wear a shirt in my house, I'm going to be comfortable.
It was the early days of cycling in the US, CBS was not going to show the whole race to football/baseball audience. That was the only access we had in the US. I loved it, I didn't need to watch the whole race. CBS did an awesome job. Now that style is copied in every highlights! Ahead of their time! 👏👏👏
I remember us watching this on tv when I was 13 years old. We were still out of school for summer, but I am pretty sure it was weekend day as the whole family was eating together. I think it was breakfast. We had a tiny little tv that my dad had moved into the kitchen and set on the end of the counter/desk for the Olympics that year. The whole family...all seven of us..lingered a little longer at the table to watch this race and the conclusion. Great Olympic moment from my childhood.
It's called television for a reason...the announcers should have stayed silent from the time Benoit entered the stadium until she crossed the finish line...the moment and accomplishment spoke for themselves
Two times, but in 84, Kelly was on top of the world. Just in the early season, he won Paris-Nice, the tour of the Basque Country, the tour of Catalunya. Paris-Roubaix, Liège Bastogne Liège, finished second in the tour of Flanders and Milan San Remo !!!
I saw this televised live in 1984. Great moment is women's and US running. I wasnt thinking back then about how incredible a 3rd best marathon time was considering a summer marathon in LA. But back then the women' didnt compete in the marathon distance equally by gender as they do now.
O mais importante nessa maratona foi o que ocorreu com a sueca Gabrielle Andessen-Scheiss, que teve os movimentos do corpo afetados pelo calor e falta de hidratação, chegando ao estádio cambaleante, sem coordenação motora, mas com garra e determinação de alguém que queria cruzar a linha de chegada. É a cena mais emocionante de todas as Olimpíadas e merece a medalha Barão de Coupertain.
American Greg Lemond used to love this race. The big classics men would often have to contend with American Greg Lemond who always performed well. You'd often see the top riders up front, along with American Greg Lemond. By the way, that American Greg Lemond guy, wasn't he American?
Not sure aLemond liked this race. He never won or even was a close to winning . Don’t feel bad Hinault (an actual Frenchman) hated this race and publicly said so. But to Hinault credit, he busted his ass and won the race but never entered it again.
In 1984, at the Los Angeles, California, United States of America Summer Olympic Games in Men's Artistic Gymnastics Team Final in top three medals are; 🥇🇺🇸🥈🇨🇳🥉🇯🇵.
What a great week this was , we had our local 5mile Time Trial that Wednesday and I hurried home from my best time ever to see Steve Hegg take the Gold
Nitz earned many magazine covers, I remember watching him jump up to the break at a Houston Crit, take the Prime, then drift back to the pack,,,astonishing (that break held legends Mayer Oakes/Holder/Howard!)
