6.The 1972 Olympics in Munich (1972 duh!)

                    The 1972 Olympics in Munich is not in this list because I am a Muslim therefore a fan of any Jew being killed, but rather because of a particular event that was in the athletics. Let me explain in the 1972 Olympics, the contingent from Israel was shot to death by a group of Neo-Nazi followers. The took them as hostage, and when the German army planned an ambush at the airport, they killed all of the hostages which was their athletes.

LIFE magazine cover the story of the tragedy

 

                 It was a memorable moment enough for it to be in this list, but I am not concern of that. My main concern about the event of the 5,00 meters race, for it was a race between Lasse Viren and Steve Prefontaine. Steve was breaking all sorts of records in the US for long distance running. He had his own philosophy in running. No matter how much his coach Bill Bowerman (the creator of Nike) tried to teach him to run in strategically timing, he did not follow. Steve would only run as fast as he can, every time he took to the tracks, and he would win in every occasion. He said that his heart could take in any kind of pain that he encounters, which makes him a better runner. He insist that he had no real talent, and anyone could win if they ran as fast as they could, as long as they need.

Pre's coach Bill Bowermen the inventor of 'NIKE' (guy in hat)

                     That was in the US, but this is the Olympics, he is now facing Lesse Viren of Finland, one of the best long distance runner (if not the best). When the race started, it took sometime for Steve to break away from the crowd of runners that had pinned him on the inside, but just before the end of the first lap, he managed to. He then took it against Viren. The pair broke away from the pack, and head out first. Neck to neck, body to body. It was the greatest race anyone had ever seen.

Pre in white and Viren in blue

                     As the race developed at the final lap, on the last turn, Steve Prefontaine's body could not with stand the work he had put in, he had run as fast as he could for as long as he could, he began to fall back, and Viren took the lead and the win. Pre (that what they called him) did not finish 2nd, nor 3rd. He came in 4th as Mohamed Gammoudi of Tunisia and Ian Stewart of Great Britain surpass the tired Prefontaine. He had clocked a time of 13.27 minutes, which is 5 seconds faster, then his American record that he set during the Olympic trials in Oregon, USA.

                     Viren went on to win one more gold medal that year (with the tally of 2), and Pre went home disgusted with himself. The fact is that race was the best of any race anyone had ever seen, or even that he had finish faster then his own record, did not consolidate him. He went into hiding, after being tracked down by Bowerman, he again began training, for the 1976 Olympics. Bowerman had made a show for him, a running shoe, and he put on a 'swish' on the side and named it Nike, Pre was going to wear them for the Olympics, but he never did, he died in a car crash in 1975. Though his death was unfortunate, the 5,000 meters race of 1972 Olympics, between Pre, and Viren was never forgotten. "One man made the race, and another man won it" said the commentator of the night.