Many people have witnessed several moments filled with different emotions in the Olympics. Some moments have been emotional whereas some moments have been weird where some have been entertaining but in the end, every moment has its own charm, story, and significance. This blog is a presentation of the 15 Iconic Photos in Olympic History.

Note: The photos are in random order. Every photo here has their own significance in the history of Olympics.

1. Gali Devers- Olympics 1992

Gali Devers, the three-time Olympic gold medalist, and the five-time Olympian is the second woman in the history of the Olympics who successfully defended the Olympic title. Everything was going great for her. She made a record in the 100-meter hurdles and qualified for the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team and was fully prepared for the Olympics in Seoul. For a few days, she was feeling unwell and later was eliminated in the semifinals. After some years, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder that causes an overactive thyroid. The solution was radiation which also started showing harmful effects on her feet and worsen the situation while walking.

After proper treatment and with a lot of determination, she overcame her immune disorder, returned to the track, and got qualified for the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games. She won the gold medal in the 100-meter dash in a span of 10.82 seconds. The smiling Devers is one of the Iconic Photos in Olympic History.

Read also- A Glimpse of Indian Female Athletes Who Qualified for Tokyo Olympics

2. Kelly Holmes- Olympics 2004

Kelly Holmes is a British runner who participated in both the 800m and 1500m at Athens 2004. She did not plan on contesting in both of them yet she ended up winning in both of the final major championships and created history by winning double gold medals. It was indeed one of the best moments of her life filled with absolute joy and surprise for her.

3. Lawrence Lemieux- Olympics 1988

In the 1988 Olympics, keep these dreams of winning the medal aside and ran towards saving two competitors in the dangerous and choppy waters. He was clearly sailing very well and had the medal in his sights. In that situation, the Canadian sailor considered saving the lives of his fellow competitors was more important than running towards the medal and national glory.

4. Grant Hackett- Olympics 2000

Swimming at the 2000 Summer Olympics men's- 1500 metre freestyle was not that easy for the Australian swimmer, Grant Hackett. The swimmer had a partially collapsed lung which made the situation difficult for him. It was really difficult to swim in that moment but he he did not let his disease affect his performance in the Olympics. He refused the disease to hold him back and he ended up winning the 2000 Summer Olympics in front of his home crowd.

5. Derek Redmond- Olympics 1992

Derek Redmond, the British sprinter, pulled his hamstring while running on the courts during the semi-finals. After this, the moment was all about his determination, enthusiasm and love towards his profession and the sports. Instead of such a severe injury, he completed covering the entire track with the help of his father. This is one of the most emotional moments in Olympic history.

Read also- Indian Wrestlers who qualified for Tokyo Olympics

6. Greg Louganis- Olympics 1988

Just a few months before the Seoul Olympics 1988, he was found HIV positive but kept it a secret as the South Korean government won't permit him to participate. During the Olympics, the American Olympic diver hit his head hard with the springboard in the preliminary rounds. But this did not stop him from competing. He came back stronger and bounced again and won the gold medal for his country.

7. Leander Paes

Leander Paes, the Indian tennis player, has created a record by competing at seven Olympic games. He also made a record for winning the most Davis Cup doubles with 43 victories. He started playing in 1992 and retired in 2016.

8. Usain Bolt

This photograph was taken by Cameron Spencer, a Sydney-based photographer with Getty Images. Bolt here amusingly looks at his opponents as he easily beats them. Perhaps, this is one of the Iconic Photos in Olympic History. Usain Bolt, the Jamaican sprinter, is the greatest runner of all time. He holds the world record in 100 meters 200 meters and 4*100 meters relay. He is the only sprinter in the history of the Olympics who won the titles in 100 meters and 200 meters in the three consecutive Olympics 2008, 2012, and 2016.

9. Haile Gebrselassie- Olympics 2000

The 2000 Summer Olympics took a turn when the Ethiopian, Haile Gebrselassie edged out his competitor, Paul Tergat from Kenya. Paul Tergat was easily winning the 10000 meters race but the game changed at the very last moment when Haile Gebrselassie edged out by only 0.09 second. That is why this photo of Haile gets a position on our list of 15 Iconic Photos in Olympic History.

10. Nadia Comăneci- Olympics 1976

Nadia Comăneci created a world record when she was only 14 years old. The Romanian gymnast is the first gymnast in the history of the Olympics to record a perfect 10 on TC-BB. She showed some extraordinary stirring uneven bars routine and bagged the record to her name.

11. Deriba Merga- Olympics 2008

The winner of the men's marathon at the 2008 Summer Olympics is Sammy Wanjiru. He indeed won the marathon but there was someone else who could not win the marathon but surely won the hearts of the spectators. While running, Wanjiru missed his water sport but his rival Deriba Merga chose to share his water bottle with him. This was a true essence of sportsmanship shown by him. In the end, Merga secured the fourth position in the marathon.

12. Tommie Smith and John Carlos- Olympics 1968

Tommie Smith and John Carlos secured the first and third position in the Mexico City Summer Olympics, 1968. While receiving their medals, these two African American athletes showed their respect and made a statement on racism by wearing necklaces to represent the horrible situation of racism. The most iconic moment was that they gave the black power salute while standing on the podium.

13. Calgary Winter Olympics- 1988

The Disney movie Cool Runnings was inspired by the Jamaican bobsled team who debuted in the Calgary winter Olympics 1988. A disaster struck in the third heat. The driver, Dudley Stokes suffered an injury in his shoulder during training. Due to this, he lost his control on a turn and the team ended up crashing during the competition. This footage was also used in the film. This is one of the Iconic Photos in Olympic History.

14. Kerri Strug- Olymics 1996

Something unbelievable happened in the Atlanta Summer Olympics 1996. The American gymnast, Kerri Strug tore her ankle's ligament while trying the first vault. But she did not let the injury be trouble for her and with full determination and courage, she tried a second attempt and scored a 9.712, and won the gold medal for her team USA.

Read Also: Women In Sports: 15 Iconic Images In Women Sport

15. Michael Phelps

The American former swimmer, Michael Phelps created a new record in 2012 after his record-breaking presentation in 2008 where he won 8 gold medals. He won 8 gold medals at every event he participated in. He also successfully broke world records in seven of them. The legendary swimmer also showed a record-breaking performance in London 2012 where he won 4 gold medals and 2 silver medals.

World Athletics has earlier announced that athletes should wear shoes with a uniform 20-millimeter sole thickness limit for all events. This rule will come into action on November 1st, 2024, marking a notable change in the actions of the athletes.

This rule has been induced to welcome fairness in the game. However, this has sparked controversies. While many athletes have accepted it, some are still in dilemmas about the rule.

Well, let's look at how the rule will impact the performance. However, for now, let's look at the present thickness.

Current Shoe Sole Thickness Rules in Athletics

Presently, there is no such uniformity of sole thickness. Thickness normally varies according to the events in which the athletes participate.

Suppose, in events where an athlete will have run more than 800 meters, shoes are allowed to have a sole up to 25 mm. However, when it comes to shorter distances, the maximum thickness has been limited to 20 mm.

For field events, including the high jump, athletes have a 20mm limit. But for the triple jump, athletes are allowed to wear shoes with soles up to 25mm.

These rules were implemented in January 2022, based on the technological advancements in shoes. However, from 1st November this year, there will be no distinction in sole thickness in different events.

Point to be noted: the rules for road events like marathons and race walks, which permit a 40mm sole thickness, will remain unchanged.

Why is World Athletics enforcing a 20mm sole limit?

The main motto of World Athletics is to ensure fairness. As a result of this, the federation has decided to apply the rule of a uniform 20mm limit to the sole.

In recent years, advances in shoe technology—particularly with thicker soles and carbon fiber plates—have sparked debates about whether these shoes offer athletes some unfair advantage.

Thus, World Athletics created its own Working Group on Athletic Shoes in 2020. The main task of this group is to analyze the impact of shoe technology on performance. They also draft regulations, ensuring that athletes are focusing more on skills and not technology.

The new rule was announced well in advance to give shoe manufacturers ample time to adapt their designs.

Athletes' Reactions to the 20mm Rule Change

Top athletes have had mixed reactions to the upcoming rule. Joshua Cheptegei, the Olympic and World Champion in the 10,000 meters, supports the change, describing it as "for the benefit of the sport."

He added that the thinner soles won’t necessarily lead to slower times, emphasizing that performance is often influenced by an athlete's mindset. Cheptegei also noted that recent shoe technology has aided recovery between training sessions, which could be impacted by the new regulations.

Meanwhile, Muktar Edris, a former two-time 5,000m World Champion, said that a thicker sole helps the athletes, providing them extra "energy" and "push." A reduced sole may hamper a regular action.

The Controversy Surrounding Shoe Technology

The controversy regarding shoe technology is nothing new. Before 2022, the track spikes had soles with thicknesses up to 30 mm.

During the Tokyo Olympics, legendary sprinter Usain Bolt brought this issue to the public, citing the unfair advantage an athlete may receive due to thicker boots. Not only that, but with the increased use of technologically advanced shoes, world records that looked unbreakable are at stake.

Karsten Warholm, the one who holds the World Record in 400m hurdles, also expressed his concern. After winning the gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, he questioned the boots of the runner-up, Rai Benjamin.

Warholm made serious claims that Benjamin used thicker Nike soles that provided the later an unfair advantage. Warholm's remarks not only concerned the federation but drew attention to the fine line between technological innovation and "technological doping."

The Impact of Shoe Technology on Performance

Eliud Kipchoge, the first athlete who broke the two-hour marathon barrier in 2019, sparked controversies at his time as well. He used the Nike Alphafly, which featured thick soles and carbon plates. However, the nature of the event didn't let that record count. 

Later, World Athletics introduced a rule. It required the new shoes to be in the open market for at least four months prior to the competition. This rule also aspired to thwart athletes with exclusive shoe deals from gaining an unfair advantage.

Will the 20mm sole limit affect athlete performance?

It is not exactly negative, but the athletes will solely depend on their physical abilities and techniques. Yes, a few athletes do consider this to hurt their performance, but just like Cheptegei mentioned, mental resilience and training will play a crucial role in breaking records or achieving personal bests (PB).

Well, a reduced cushion in the sole will demand more energy from the athlete. Thus, athletes need to adjust their training regimes to adapt to the new rules.

World Athletics had mentioned clearly that they want to promote uniformity. They want the athletes to rely on their power and skills, not some technology beneath their feet, that will change and evolve with time. 

However, with shoe manufacturers rushing to adapt their designs, the real test will come when athletes compete under the new regulations in 2024.

On Tuesday, the organizers of the Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2026 confirmed that only 10 sports will be played in limited venues to keep the finances in check. 

A previously proposed event, that had a minimum of 20 disciplines was reduced to half, which has sparked disappointments amongst many Indians. The reason is quite simple. The Indian-dominated sports like badminton, hockey, cricket, and weightlifting have been axed. 

Not only that, a sport like squash, which gets major highlights in the CWG due to its absence in the Olympics, has been eliminated.

The IOA (Indian Olympics Association) president, PT Usha, too expressed her despondency towards the decision. But, why? 

The point is, how relevant are "Commonwealth Games," previously known as "British Empire Games," in a decolonized era?

The Idea behind Commonwealth Games

A brainchild of revered Canadian sportswriter and editor Melville Marks Robinson, the Commonwealth Games had its origin in 1930, bearing an essence of still-accepted colonialism. A total of 54 countries, who were once colonies of the British Empire, participated in this event.

The 2022 version, however, saw 72 nations participating.

Inspired by the 1911 Inter Empire Championships, this unique event has been hosted across nine countries. Australia and Canada lead with five editions each. 

Standing in 2024, when the phrase "third-world country" seems nonexistent, who would ever succumb to the pre-established boot-licking attitude toward the English, that too spending some billion dollars for hosting?

Finance definitely raises eyebrows, but the motto it has been carrying for so long should come into question, even in countries like India.

U-turn from Australia to Glasgow

Australia, a country that has hosted the event at least five times, has denied hosting it. Initially, it was Victoria's assignment to conduct the event. However, the arrangement costs skyrocketed from an estimated Aus$2 billion to an alarming Aus$7 billion.

Premier Daniel Andrews, in the press conference in Melbourne, clearly stated that he would never dare to pluck in a huge sum from the funds of hospitals and schools for a sporting event. 

The Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) scrambled to find a replacement, offering Malaysia £100 million to step in. Even with such a hefty financial contribution, Malaysia turned down the offer, citing insufficient preparation time and the prohibitive costs of hosting the event.

Even Canada's Alberta province last year withdrew its support for a bid for the 2030 Games.

Financial Suffering

The rejections have somehow brought in a raw, uncut picture to the world. The sentiments, accompanied by the suffering, take a long time to recover.

Countries are unwilling to foot the massive bill for an event, even when provided with financial assistance. The event brings in little to no economic return and dwindling global interest.

The Commonwealth Games, which seemed like a prestigious event, has been a burden — a relic of the past whose significance is diminishing in a world with far more pressing priorities.

Glasgow steps in

Following the repeated rejections, there was a point when the Commonwealth Games future looked uncertain for the 2026 version. Countries backing out brought clouds of a postponed tournament before its centenary year in 2030.

At that point, Glasgow stepped in. Glasgow had its experience of hosting a CWG, as it did in 2014. This time, it made the event easy.

Glasgow decided to host a severely pared-down version of the CWG in 2026, with 4 venues in an 8-mile radius. Not only that, the number of participants will also be restricted.

Birmingham's Commonwealth Games: A Legacy of Financial Strain?

Birmingham stepped up to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games when Durban withdrew, promising a grand event to boost the city. However, financial issues soon arose, leading to political tension and public concern.

Max Caller, former adviser to Birmingham City Council, called the decision to host the Games "a mistake" amidst longstanding financial problems. Hosting the event diverted attention from the council’s critical issues, including a £760 million bill for equal pay claims and a botched IT system that may cost £100 million to fix.

While the Games were an "amazing event," their financial aftermath sparked debates, with citizens worried about budget cuts affecting essential services. Community centres, libraries, and even the famed German Christmas Market could face closures as the council struggles with bankruptcy.

But is finance the real concern?

India had hosted the 2010 CWG, followed by financial turmoil in the country. It took years for the country to overcome. India has now successfully bid for the Olympics 2036. 

Hosting the Olympics has also led to never-ending financial scars for many countries. Athens is a prominent name in that. 

But yet, countries hardly step back to host it. Is it really the finances or the pride that pushes them to bid for the Olympics?

Will India suffer from the reduction?

In the idealistic world of sport, India shouldn't. In such a situation, the question comes: how relevant is CWG to the sporting world? 

With the rising popularity of the Asian Games that have dominated countries like China and the Olympics, which is the oldest and largest form of multidisciplinary sports event, CWG falls short in both glamour and relevance.

The limited exposure giving year-old consolation to the country with an "international medal" has been falling short repeatedly in the Olympics. The count of CWG medalist athletes who have earned a medal in the Olympics is relatively low. A Mirabai Chanu, a PV Sindhu, or a Neeraj Chopra is countable. 

When at one corner, it is justified to be upset knowing that Indian dominance has been restricted, then at the other corner, another question gets tossed—why does India need going-to-be-abolished events to prove its excellence? 

India, which takes pride in being a sporting excellence and a country that tried to push cricket hard in the Olympics, should think if it's really dominant or not.

Does Commonwealth participation assure greatness?

Usain Bolt, at his peak point in his career, decided to participate only in the 4x100m relay in Glasgow (2014). Not only that, he was nowhere in New Delhi (2010) too, despite India's desperate request to have him.

Sir Chris Hoy, too, stayed away from the Delhi games because a win wouldn't have added any decorated feather to his already stellar career.

In the harshest reality, a hundred medals won't assure at least 50 medals in the Asian Games itself. Olympics are out of reach!

Medal tally for India in CWG, in its popular sport

After the Paris Olympics 2024, now Paris Paralympics is going to start from 28th August. The 84 contingent will compete for India at Paralympics 2024 which will run till September 8. This time Indian athletes are participating in 12 sports. This is India's largest contingent so far in the Paralympics. Bhagyashree Jadhav and Sumit Antil will be India's flag bearers.

So before the start of the games, let's take a look at the medals India won at the Paralympics so far.

Also Read: India's largest contingent to compete in Paris Paralympics 2024

India won 31 Paralympic medals so far

The Paralympic Games started in 1960. India sent an Indian contingent for the first time in 1968. The Paralympic Games started for India long after the Summer Olympics. Despite this, the country has so far won 31 medals in the Paralympics, including 9 gold, 12 silver and 10 bronze medals. India has participated in 11 editions so far.

India got 19 medals in Tokyo Paralympics

54 athletes had participated in the Tokyo Paralympics and won a maximum of 19 medals which included 5 gold, 8 silver, and 6 bronze medals. Out of a total of 162 nations, India had finished 24th in the overall medal tally at Tokyo, while its accomplishment of 19 medals is ranked 20th based on the number of medals.

Murlikant Petkar won the first medal

Murlikant Petkar, the hero of the 1965 Indo-Pak war, is India's first Paralympic medal winner. Murlikant Petkar won the gold medal in swimming in the Men's 50m Freestyle 3 event at the 1972 Heidelberg Games.

Petkar, a soldier of the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) in the Indian Army, was a boxer. He became paralyzed after being shot during the India-Pakistan war of 1965. After this, he started swimming. In 2018, he was awarded the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian award.

Joginder Singh Bedi captured 3 medals

In the 1984 Paralympics, Bhimrao Kesarkar won the silver medal in men's javelin throw L6 with a throw of 34.55m. While Joginder Singh Bedi had won silver medal in Men's Shotput L6, a bronze medal in Men's Javelin Throw L6 event, and bronze medal in Men's Discus Throw L6 event.

India at Paralympics 2004

India has participated in every Paralympic Games since 1984, but the next medal came in the 2004 Paralympics in Athens. Devendra Jhajharia won the gold medal in the men's javelin throw F44/46 event. At the same time, Indian powerlifter Rajinder Singh Rahelu won the bronze medal in the men's 56 kg weight category by lifting 157.5 kg. 

In London 2012, High jumper Girisha N Gowda won the silver medal for India. 

Also Read: Largest refugee team set to compete at Paris Paralympics

India at Paralympics 2016

Tamil Nadu's Mariyappan Thangavelu won the gold medal in the men's high jump F42 event at the Rio 2016 Paralympics. He had jumped 1.89m. At the same time, Varun Singh Bhati won the bronze medal in the high jump competition. 

Avani Lekhara creates history

Avani Lekhara won the gold medal in her first Paralympics. She set a new Paralympic record of 249.6 in the women's 10m air rifle shooting standing SH1 final in Tokyo. With this, Avani became the first Indian woman to win a Paralympic gold medal.

India at Paralympics: India's Medals so far

PR Sreejesh, the legendary former Indian hockey goalkeeper expressed his admiration for former India cricket coach Rahul Dravid’s coaching philosophy and is hoping to follow a similar path in mentoring the next generation of hockey players, keeping the 2036 Olympics in mind. Sreejesh wants to work closely with the country's junior and emerging talents. He aims to groom the future stars of Indian hockey just like Dravid did with the Under 19 players.

Read Also: India at Olympics: Every member of the medal-winning hockey teams

Rahul Dravid's journey began with nurturing India’s U-19 and A team players before leading the senior side. Sreejesh wants to play a similar role within the hockey setup.

"I want to become a coach. That was always my plan but now there is a question of when. After retirement, family comes first. I need to talk with them if they are OK with this. Now you have to listen to your wife a little bit," Sreejesh told PTI.

"The way I wanted is start with the juniors, and Rahul Dravid is an example. It's like you develop a bunch of players, get them into the senior team, and let them follow you," he said.

Sreejesh wants to transform Indian Hockey setup into the World's best side before the 2036 Olympics

Sreejesh wants to start at the grassroots level, working his way up to the position of chief national coach by the time the 2032 Brisbane Olympics arrive. Sreejesh believes that the Indian Hockey setup can rule the world once again like they did in the 50's and 60's.

"I start this year, next in 2025, we have the junior World Cup and in another two years, the senior team will be playing the World Cup. So maybe, by 2028, I can produce 20 or 40 players and by 2029, I can have 15-20 players into the senior team, and by 2030 almost like 30-35 players in the senior side. And 2032, I will be ready for the chief coach's position. If India gets to host the 2036 Olympic Games, I want to be the India coach," Sreejesh concluded.

The former goalkeeper played a crucial role in India's bronze medal win at the recently-concluded Olympics in Paris. He was also a part of the team that won bronze in the Tokyo Olympics three years ago.

It was in the javelin throw that the rivalry between India's Neeraj Chopra and Pakistan's Arshad Nadeem came out onto the Olympic stage at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. Neeraj won gold and Arshad couldn't medal in Tokyo, but both athletes dominated the field in Paris and the latter shattered the Olympic record to take gold. Neeraj could only get to silver but with his season-best throw. Neeraj would've had to throw more than 90m to win the gold. By winning the gold in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Neeraj had joined shooter Abhinav Bindra as the only two Indians to have won an Olympic gold medal in an individual event. Bindra feels that winning back-to-back medals at the Olympics is an “Incredible feat”.

Read Also: Some major controversies of the Paris Olympics 2024

“I think we are all very proud of him. The Pakistani (Arshad Nadeem) is a worthy winner on the day, the way he performed. But I think Neeraj should be proud of himself,” Bindra said in an interview with The Indian Express. 

“There will be a level of disappointment, which is fine because that’s how the life of an athlete is. You’re not gonna get everything going your way, but he performed admirably. A lot of expectations were also on him. It’s not easy to be in that spot, but he delivered. Now, he can go back to the drawing board and reassess what needs to be done. Really work on how he can make the big leap,” said Bindra. 

‘Olympics is a platform which is imperfect for performance,’ Abhinav Bindra in an interview

Abhinav Bindra thinks that the Olympics is an imperfect platform for athletes to put in their best performance as there are so many things moving around it. “The Olympics is a very, very hard platform to perform at for a variety of reasons. But the Olympics is also a platform that is imperfect for performance. Because there are external expectations, and you also have internal expectations, that just doesn’t allow you to let go,” said Bindra. 

Read Also: India at Olympics: India's medals at the Olympics by sports

Arshad Nadeem threw 92.97m to win the gold while Neeraj could manage to throw 89.45m. He hasn't been able to get past that 90m mark and he will be desperate to do that in the coming years. The 2008 Gold medallist Bindra said that it's not easy for the athletes to put in their best performance over and over again at the Olympics. 

“Performance sometimes is almost artistic. That’s where you almost have to allow it to happen. And the ability to let go is very difficult. So skill is almost thrown into the dustbin. Sometimes for most athletes, there will be a few who are just so great, but for a majority, it’s not just picking up your skill and trying to get things together. You have to almost find perfection on that imperfect day,” he concluded.