CONTENTS Introduction 4 The Great Race 6 The Multi-Sport Star 8 The Flying Finn 11 Owens Defies the Führer 13 A Blazing Trail Blazer 15 Dominating the Discus 18 Beauty Grace and Speed 20 Rafer’s Run for the Gold 23 Beamon Takes Flight 26 King Carl 29 Queen of the Track 32 The Courage to Finish 34 Johnson Pulls off the Double 36 How Much Faster 39 The Games of 2012 44 Endnotes 46 Resources 47 Index 48 SUMMER OLYMPIC LEGENDS
INTRODUCTION Throughout human history people have always sought to challenge themselves to compete against others and to discover the limits of their capabilities Such desires can turn destructive leading to war But the ancient Greeks also recognized the good in these human traits and it was because of them that the Olympic Games featuring running races jumping contests throwing competitions and wrestling and boxing matches began more than 2,700 years ago The ancient Olympics ended in a d 393 but the Games were revived in 1896 in hopes of promoting world peace through sports Fittingly the first modern Olympics were held in Athens Greece but they moved around the world every four years after that In 2009 it was announced that the Games would be held in South America for the first time going to Rio de Janeiro Brazil in 2016 Every 1896 Olympian received a medal reading International Olympic Games Athens 1896 4
One of the most exciting sports in the Olympics has always been track and field otherwise known as athletics The history of athletics dates back to the original Greek Games Many of the same events have carried over from ancient times to today from sprinting and distance running on the track to long and high jumping to the throwing of discuses shots and javelins During the 1896 Summer Games there were only a dozen events in track and field and 63 men no women from 11 countries competed against each other But 112 years later during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing China more than 2,000 men and women from 200 countries were running leaping or throwing for gold in 47 athletics events Throughout the history of the Olympics some of the most exciting and memorable moments have taken place inside the giant jam-packed stadiums built around the world for track and field This is where Wilma Rudolph Bob Beamon and Usain Bolt stunned big crowds by shattering world records It’s where Al Oerter Carl Lewis and Jackie Joyner-Kersee showed off their mighty arms and fleet feet and collected numerous medals And it’s where Dorando Pietri Rafer Johnson and Derek Redmond demonstrated that sometimes a big heart is the most important muscle an Olympian can have INTRODUCTION 5 The ancient Greeks celebrated human achievement and the human form with athletes competing nude
