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Aug 2, 2004
At Large: Keith Quinn

Today I give you my favourite watching and broadcasting highlights counting down from number 10. Next week here on tvnz Interactive I will bring you part two with my all time top five favourite moments of Olympic excitement and thrills.

The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens will be the seventh Games I have been privileged to attend. I first went in 1972 to Munich and as well to Montreal in 1976, Los Angeles in 1984, Seoul in 1988, Barcelona in 1992 and Sydney in 2000.

Of those I rate Sydney the best I have been at. That's in terms of being friendly, well organised and exciting. Sydney was followed in my view by Barcelona and then Seoul.

Because I have always loved the Olympic Games. There have been moments at each where I have caught my breath in amazement. I have felt the spine tingling thrill of being close by something which is happening for the entire world to see at that same instant. And I have seen good and decent people of all countries working hard at playing fair and bringing peace to this planet.

I don't regard any of what I have written in the previous paragraph as corny rhetoric. I feel very strongly about what the Olympics stand for. When I go to the Games I feel part of a worldwide dignity of sports watching and reporting. That's because when you watch the Olympics on TV (in New Zealand it will only be on ONE Sport) you must keep in mind it is not some silly reality TV show, or a sports quiz where front people demean themselves and make fun of famous and dignified sporting history. The Olympics stand for a real and honest attempt by individuals who are striving to excel in accordance with the Olympic spirit, and it is the only place in the world which comes together in peace. When you are at an Olympic Games you really feel that. Therefore it is a privilege to be there.

Here my favourites moments counting down from 10:

10. Seoul Opening Ceremony, 1988

Many people have asked me over the years - "which is the best of the Opening or Closing ceremonies you have seen?" And this is a hard question to answer. All of the openings I have seen have offered unique glimpses of the host nation's culture and that has made parts of each breathtaking to see and remember.

However when it comes down to a crunch I might plump for the Seoul Opening Ceremony in 1988 as being the best. It had everything; emotion, colour, tradition, great music, kids, a demonstration of a local sport (taekwondo), and utmost respect for the competitors of the teams marching in.

The ceremony began with lit candles lazily drifting down the Han River and soon it swept into the main stadium action with the bright, bright colours of the dancers mixed with impeccably choreographed taekwondo kids. At one point a giant bell, which had not been rung for hundreds of years, rang out a solemn welcome to the world.

The Olympic torch made an even more emotional entrance than ever, it being carried in by 76-year old Son Kee-chung. He had won the marathon in Berlin in 1936 but then had been forced to run under a Japanese name as the Japanese occupied Korea then. The symbolism of three representatives of art, culture and science actually lighting the flame in the stadium was another first. Everything was perfect for the well-planned opening.

[Maybe the only drawback to the day was seeing three or four pigeons that did not fly away in time to avoid the explosion of the stadium flame being lit. The hapless birds were fried chicken by the end of the ceremony. It's funny the things you recall.]

9. Kristin Otto and Matt Biondi's medal hauls from Seoul, 1988

Before the Seoul Olympics these two fine swimmers were burdened, in much the same way as Michael Phelps of USA is in 2004, with the perceived expectations of having Mark Spitz-like success. Especially, Matt Biondi who was entered in seven chances at medals and was a strong contender in all of them. That he only won five gold's (as against Spitz's seven in 1972) should not in any way diminish Biondi's achievement. He was truly great in Seoul. And anyway, added to his five gold's, were one silver and one bronze. He seemed to be in the pool every day of competition and carried himself like a champion.

Kristin Otto actually did one better. She won six gold medals (which turned out to be a record by any woman, in any event, at any Games). She dominated the racing to such an extent that she won her gold's in three different strokes, something which was totally unique in swimming. As Matt Biondi did in the men's events the echoes of the cheers for them both were loud and long every day. As a commentator it was difficult to find new things to say about them, they were in the winner's circle so often.

8. Michael Gross; his World Record swim at Los Angeles, 1984

He was tall, angular and nicknamed "the Albatross." He came from the Federal Republic of Germany. At LA he was the one man who over-strode the whole McDonald's pool arena. (Yes that's right, the world of commercialism had hit the Olympics at LA, and the giant hamburger chain built the pool complex)

Gross was a fantastic swimmer and I just loved seeing him in action. In all, he won three gold medals. The 200 metres freestyle was the best of them. His 1 minute 47.44 seconds winning swim was a staggering result of the time, easily eclipsing his own world record by half a second. He distanced the field, beating home the second swimmer, Michael Heath of USA, by one and a half seconds. In swimming that is several body lengths, a massive distance.

In 1984 Gross didn't have it all his own way, losing the 200 metres butterfly to a superb effort by Jon Sieben of Australia. Overall though, Gross was a great champion. He was West Germany's first swimming gold medallist. Incidentally, Ian Thorpe now holds the world record for his 200 metres freestyle at 1 minute 44.6 seconds.)

7. Danyon Loader's silver medal swim at Barcelona, 1992

Danyon Loader was a kid of 17 when he went to the Barcelona Games in 1992. Not many people thought he would do any good, perhaps not even the very shy Loader himself. Maybe his excellent coach Duncan Laing did. Danyon was just a kid from little, quiet Dunedin. He was not at all a worldly lad. But in Barcelona's outdoor pool, under scorching skies, Loader shocked the world and surprised himself. Or maybe it was the other way round!

He swam firstly in the 400 metres freestyle and made the final. An excellent effort. But he came in 8th and last in the big race. We thought that was pretty good actually. But in the 200 metres butterfly he announced his presence to the world. Danyon swam brilliantly and touched as a silver medallist. New Zealand swimming could not believe it. But it was truly a great and breakthrough swim for Danyon. Four years later, of course, he joined the greats and swam to double gold at Atlanta. For me, it was great to be there in Barcelona and to see him announce himself as a swimmer of the future.

6. Pyambu Tuul's Marathon run, Barcelona 1992

This was an incredible and emotional story. Here was a Mongolian running in the 1992 Olympic marathon. His country was previously mainly known for its prowess in wrestling. And that's all. But Pyambu Tuul trained and trained and was sent to do his best in the Games' most gruelling event.

Soon after the start of the race he fell back to the rear of the field. Everyone was going too fast for him. He must have felt keenly the speed with which the other runners ran way ahead. In the end when Hwang Young-cho of Korea crossed the line in the Gold medal position, clocking 2 hours 13 minutes and 23 seconds, Tuul still was about two hours away from the stadium.

Officials looked anxiously at their watches. The closing ceremony was fast approaching and the configuration of the main stadium floor had to be changed around to accommodate dance sequences and the like. Millions would be tuning in the see the Olympic conclude with due dignity.

So a decision was made that any runner slower than three hours would be guided away from a main stadium finish and would instead complete his marathon on the training track next door.

In the end the only one that hasty rule applied to was Pyambu Tuul of Mongolia. He was directed to the training track and in the dark with only one spotlight from an official to show the way, he jogged painfully to the finish. His time when it was officially announced was a couple of minutes over four hours.

Reporters rushed to see Tuul as this was deemed a good story. Tuul was asked, "How come your time was this slow? Is this the greatest day in your life? Questions like that.

At a press conference Tuul answered quietly and calmly. Through an interpreter he said, "No, my time was not slow, after all you could call my run a Mongolian Olympic marathon record." That was an excellent reply I thought.

He carried on. "And as for it being the greatest day of my life, no it isn't."

The reporters craned forward with their notebooks at the ready. Tuul said, "Up till six months ago I had no sight at all. I was a totally blind person. When I trained it was only with the aid of friends who ran with me. But a group of doctors came to my country last year to do humanitarian medical work. One doctor took a look at my eyes and asked me questions. I told him I had been unable to see since childhood. He said 'But I can fix your sight with a simple operation'. So he did the operation on me and after 20 years I could see again. So today wasn't the greatest day of my life. The best day was when I got my sight back and I saw my wife and two daughters for the first time. And they are beautiful."

You like that story of an Olympic athlete achieving within his own world. Me? I love the story. It's one of my favourites.

Next week I'll give you my Top Five Olympic memories.