[POLL] What were the best Summer Olympic Games ever?

[rafalgorka 1,821]

What were the best Summer Olympics in your opinion?

 

In the comments, you can write WHY you choose the certain ones.

 

Which one were the most spectaculiar? Which one you cherished the most???

Edited October 13, 2022 by Sindo

[George_D 1,638]

Barcelona 1992, Sydney 2000, Athens 2004

[LDOG 2,477]

Objectively speaking Beijing, but Athens has a special place for me so I can't vote another.

[dullard 744]

Beijing or Sydney but I'll choose Sydney because I'm biased. I felt like Tokyo held great promise to become the best but then the pandemic happened and those ceremonies 

Edited October 13, 2022 by dullard

[Olympian1010 8,297]

I restricted my vote to editions I actually have any sort of memory about, which means the most recent four 

 

I will say, running around in Olympic circles as a journalist, I offer hear people speak fondly about Barcelona 1992. It’s without a doubt one of the most momentous and historically important editions of the Games (Spain’s return to democracy, South Africa’s first team after apartheid, first Games after the Soviet Union split, attendance of the unified team, embrace of professional athletes and commercialism, etc.)

[Monzanator 5,111]

I watched every SOG since 1988 and well, due to youth usually being romanticized by default I pick Atlanta 1996 and Sydney 2000 And yes, Atlanta had GR wrestling in the first week together with judo so Poland led the medal table after two days

[Dragon 2,066]

I can only talk about about Games I remember but Melbourne, Rome and Tokyo 64 all have good reputations from those who remember them.

68 was spoiled by the effects of altitude, 72 ruined by terrorism, 76 was just average and 80 and 84 ruined by politics and rampant drug taking.

 

Now to those I can talk about.

88 was a good Olympics but Barcelona was a fantastic Games. Atlanta 96 was great as long as you were watching on TV but the athletes and spectators were treated badly if you were there.

Sydney was just magnificent, Athens OK, Bejing good, London almost as good as Sydney, Rio was fine and it's not fair to judge Tokyo 2021 because of Covid.

 

My top three would be

1 Sydney

2 London

3 Barcelona

 

But it depends a lot of where you come from and the problems with time zones

Edited October 15, 2022 by Dragon

[vinipereira 3,513]

Voted for Rio, the only one I've attended

 

But I have good memories from Athens and Beijing, the first Games where I followed all days.

[konig 1,591]

Atlanta 96 was my first olimpyc game and i remember well in everything (including music), London and Rio were the next.

 

Like LDOG says, Athens was the return of the gold medal for Argentina since Helsinki......for that reason has an special place for us, im from the citiy of Emmanuel Ginobili, Alejandro Montechia and Juan Sanchez (all part of the team which obtein the gold medal in basquet), i NEVER see my city like in that day, ALL the people celebrating in the streets.

[Vektor 3,326]

The Summer Games that I have watched "live" are Athens, Beijing, London, Rio and Tokyo. My ranking is...

 

1. London 2012 - Simply the best, amazing atmosphere from the crowds, a top tier Hungarian Olympic team, many memorable moments

 

2. Beijing 2008 - tainted by very poor Hungarian results, but it had peak Phelps and Bolt, probably the most perfect Summer Games ever in terms of organization

 

3. Athens 2004 - great results from Hungary BUT we had terrible doping scandals and lost two gold medals, probably the greatest water polo match ever between us and Serbia and Montenegro in the final

 

4. Rio 2016 - unprofessional Games compared to the others, but it had Hosszú at her peak, the last appearances of Bolt and Phelps, Biles sweeping in gymnastics, etc.

 

5. Tokyo 2020 - COVID Games, it never had a chance to be great without the spectators