Olympic Moments: Rulon Gardner

Okay, so there's this guy named Alexander Karelin. He's a giant Russian wrestler who looks like he'd swallow your cat whole and then spit out a collar. His nickname is The General. And the General marched into the 2000 Olympics assuming he was winning the gold medal in Greco Roman Wrestling, because he had been undefeated since 1985. Fifteen years! And no one had scored a single point against him in six years - to put that in context, it's the equivalent of a baseball pitcher throwing a perfect game in every start for an entire season. That's how amazing The General was in his sport.

Then, out of a nowhere, came a Wyoming farm boy named Rulon. Olympic Moment? You bet your David & Goliath ass this is an Olympic Moment.



Bonus: His wife’s teary phone call to home after the match “He won. Can you believe that? He won. Call everybody.”

Oh - and then in 2004, he qualified for the Olympics again. When he won a bronze medal, he gave the traditional wrestling retirement speech. He sat on the mat, untied his shoes, and left them inside the circle. All while crying and receiving a standing ovation. If anyone can find that video and send it to me, I'd love to post it!

Give Me More, Monkey!

Olympic Moments: Derek Redmond

Okay, it's time to bawl. And not just a little glaze over the eyes, I'm talking first season of Extreme-Makeover-Home-Edition-what-is-wrong-with-me cascade of tears.

Here's the setup, Sophia Petrillo style: Picture it - Barcelona, 1992. After posting the best time in the quarter final of the 400 meter race, Redmond looked poised to easily make the finals and take gold for the UK. But in the semi, his hamstring popped. Popped.

As the medical crew rushed over, he decided to finish his race. That would be enough to make me cry, I'm easy. But it's what happened next that turns this into a primo example of an Olympic Moment.

Bonus Moment: Redmond referring to himself as a "prat". We Americans need to use that word more often.

Give Me More, Monkey!