With the Rio Summer (but technically Winter) Olympics under 100 days away, I thought I would try and get the jump on others in what will no doubt be a hot topic come late July and August by hopefully stimulating some good banter on the best Olympics ever.

Gone are the days where we could simply lean on Juan Antonio Samaranch for his opinion (except, famously Atlanta), and we can’t rely on Jacques Rogge as he famously avoided the phrase (annoying Beijing to the limit as a result) in the games he presided over and Thomas Bach hasn’t presided over a Summer Olympics as supremo yet.

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What makes an Olympics the best? I’d say the best must have as many of the following of this not exhaustive list: World records, good organisation, joyous atmosphere in the crowds, full crowds, drug free (or as drug free as possible), inspirational stories, the creation of legends, opening ceremonies to be remembered for the ages?

I’ll list my top five (and do my very best to keep the bias to a minimum).

5. Berlin, 1936

I admit this is a very, very controversial call. It’s hard to justify putting a games that was hosted by the Nazis on the top of this list. However, if we try to briefly (and I mean briefly) put the politics aside, the Berlin games would actually serve as the template for how future Olympics would be organised.

It was the first to be televised and as a result 41 countries, including this one, saw for the very first time the pure spectacle of athletes in full competition and Jesse Owens owning the track. It was the first Olympics to have the now institutionalised the torch relay. And it ran like clockwork.

Downsides? A one Adolf Hitler’s involvement, the Swastika, the use of the games to legitimise the Nazi party on a global platform. Take your pick.

3. Beijing 2008

A great games. Billions poured into these games. I was fortunate enough to be living in Beijing (but didn’t get to go to the games sadly) at the time, and it was a great time to be in the city. Clean skies, and a significantly boosted subway system were the best thing to happen to residents ahead of the games.



The athletes themselves delivered in spades as well. In the two main sports (athletics and swimming), the world witnessed the emergence and crowning of legends: Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.

No city has ever put on a better Opening ceremony. No city ever will either. Probably because no city will ever spend as much money on one ever again to make it happen.

The downsides to this Olympics? While superbly organised, stadiums were empty outside the Birds Nest, Water Cube and any non-Chinese dominated event.

Much of this came down to a questionable ticket selling strategy. Lots of hard working Chinese were blocked from getting tickets, foreigners reported difficulties getting tickets and getting into the lottery, and general lack of olympic spirit in getting to the lower profile events.

3. Barcelona

Quite simply, the Olympics movement needed this. A succession of uninspiring Olympic games questioned whether the Olympics would remain relevant in the professional sport era.

Munich in 1972 would be forever tainted by terrorists, Montreal in 1976 for nearly bankrupting the city (only in the early 21st century did Montreal finally square away it’s debts from the games), Moscow in 1980 for being boycotted by half the free world, Los Angeles in 1984 for being boycotted by the communist bloc, spelt dark times for the games.

Seoul provided a glimmer of hope, but even then Ben Johnson really did cast a shadow over the games that will never be forgotten.

But Barcelona, did it deliver and then some. The first games after the fall of the Soviet Union and a unified Germany. The first games with South Africa back in the fold. The first games to be professional (welcome the dream team everyone!), world records, fantastic organisation and a quality opening and closing ceremony to boot.



Excellent exploits by the athletes as well (the dream team, Linford Christie, Jennifer Capriati, Kieran Perkins first 1500m gold) and Derek Redmond’s tear-jerking busted hammy. Quality games.

2. Sydney

Ah, it was tough not to put this at number one, but my reason later will be justified. This was a truly wonderful games, and the best time to ever be in Sydney. It was a two-week period where everything just worked, and if it didn’t work, we simply didn’t care for a change.

Bad traffic? Who cares. Queues everywhere? Hmph! Overpriced food at the games? Bah!

These were astonishingly well organised games, possibly the best organised of all time. Infrastructure ready and complete years before the games started.

Massive crowds, happy crowds, a ridiculously awesome atmosphere. The Australians owned these games. Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Cathy Freeman, the women’s hockey team, heroes such as Simon Fairweather and Lauren Burns were all unforgettable. Eric the eel….

The downside? The drugs. We didn’t know it then but Sydney would eclipse Seoul as one of the most tainted games ever, topped off by Marion Jones losing all five of her medals. Of course, it wasn’t SOCOG’s fault, nor the fans, but this legacy that’s hard to shake.

1. London

The Sydney equivalent. In fact, despite the drugs tainting Sydney, it would take an almighty games to top it, and London delivered.

A great and fun opening ceremony (and an equally fun closing ceremony), incredibly organised, full and fun stadiums (Sydney and London sold more tickets than any other Olympics) in all sports, and 32 records broken.



Few British people will ever, ever forget the night they owned the track and field with Greg Rutherford, Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis each winning gold in the space of 90 minutes. The 29 golds won by Team GB also helped turn the games into a real party for the hosts.

Annoyingly, if you only had Channel 9, then you saw endless, endless replays of the women’s 4x100m swimming gold, sailing and James Brayshaw turn foregone conclusion rowing heats into an utter shambles.

The downside? Drugs have also pervaded this games in the aftermath, with a few gold medals being overturned – thanks a lot Russia. London gets the nod for now, if only because the athletics medal tally hasn’t yet been entirely rewritten, but gosh darn it if the Poms beat us, so I’m equally happy to call it a tie.

What are your thoughts?