5 iconic Olympic moments of Muhammad Ali

Ali was presented with a replacement for his 1960 Gold medal during the Atlanta Olympics in 1996

The greatest ever heavyweight professional boxer in the history of the sport, Muhammad Ali, formerly Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr., met his demise on Friday, 3 June 2016 at the age of 74. His innumerable accolades achieved in course of a 22-year-long pro boxing career is already known far and wide.

Let us now take a look at some iconic Olympic moments that the legend had us witness throughout his illustrious life:

1) 1960 Summer Olympics – Rome

USA’s Cassius Clay in action during Men's Light-Heavyweight Gold Medal bout vs Poland’s Zbigniew Pietrzykowski at Palazzo dello Sport, Rome

The Games that got the ball rolling towards a professional career. It’s where the teenage Cassius Clay battered his way to the pinnacle of amateur boxing success by winning his maiden Olympic Gold medal for USA in the Light Heavyweight (81kg) category.

His victims during the knockout rounds were Yvon Becaus of Belgium, Gennadiy Shatkov of the Soviet Union and the Aussie boxer Anthony Madigan before Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland fell to him 0-5 in the final clash to settle for silver.

Gold medalist Cassius Clay flanked by Zbigniew Pietrzykowski of Poland (R) - silver and Giulio Saraudi (Italy) and Anthony Madigan (Australia) - joint bronze winners

2) 1984 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles

Muhammad Ali carries the Olympic torch for a kilometer in his hometown Louisville in Kentucky during the 1984 relay (Image: AP)

    Three years into his retirement, 1984 happened to be the year that threw off the dynamics of Ali’s life forever. In the latter half, he got diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease which had already started impeding his muscular as well as vocal abilities dreadfully.

    Still, when the Olympic torch in transit reached his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, The People’s Champion turned up in all his charisma to run a one-kilometer stretch of the relay ahead of the Games to be held Los Angeles, USA.

    3) 1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta

    Muhammad Ali lights the flame during the opening ceremony for the 1996 Olympics as 4-time gold medalist Janet Evans looks on

    No sports lover will ever forget the moment Ali lit the main cauldron to initiate the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta’s Olympic Stadium.

    As the penultimate torchbearer, 4-time gold winning American swimmer Janet Evans passed on the flame to Ali’s torch, the amazed audience broke into a deafening cheer, for it marked the return of the champion after a long period away from the limelight.

    In the moments that followed, the world watched in awe as the greatest boxer of all time, with his hands and head shaking heavily due to his medical condition, set ablaze the fire that would then keep burning throughout the entire span of the tournament.

    Awarded a replacement gold medal for his 1960 Rome Olympics win

    In Atlanta 1996, Muhammad Ali also received an honorary gold medal to replace the one he had won at the Rome Olympics in 1960 but had subsequently lost possession of. In his autobiography titled ‘The Greatest: My Own Story’, Ali has narrated how he was subjected to racial discrimination at a Louisville restaurant which refused him entry on the basis of his skin colour which angered him to the sheer extent of walking down to the Ohio River and tossing his medal into the water.

    4) 2002 Winter Olympics – Salt Lake City

    Ali lighting the Olympic torch to start off the 2002 relay at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta

    Muhammad Ali had already battled with Parkinson’s for 27 years when he stepped up to light the first torch from the flame which had been flown over to Atlanta from the Greek capital of Athens that set off a 46-state relay across the United States prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics to be held at Salt Lake City.

    It also marked the auspicious 50th anniversary of the Winter Olympic torch relay, which had taken place for the first time in 1952 at Oslo, Norway.

    5) 2012 Olympic Games – London

    Muhammad Ali and his wife Lonnie with the Olympic flag at the London 2012 opening ceremony (Credits: The Olympic Channel – YouTube)

    The 2012 London Olympics, as we know now, will remain the last time ever that the legend made his appearance at the Games arena.

    During the opening ceremony, as the Olympic flag was carried into the stadium by iconic figures such as UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and former World and Olympic Champion runner Haile Gebrselassie, the band came to a halt in front of the Alis.

    Amidst thundering applause, Muhammad Ali slowly approached the flag and extended his hand to represent the fundamental virtues that the Olympics bring to the forefront before it was carried on towards the central stage by the celebrated bearers.

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    Edited by Staff Editor