All by himself, Michael Johnson crosses the finish line to win the 400m final at the 1996 Atlanta Games. It’s another memorable Olympic moment. Take a look:

We continue our look at past Olympic Opening Ceremonies. If you can keep a dry eye while watching this one, you’re better than I am.

This is just a quick look on who Rechelle Hawkes is and what her Olympic achievements are.
Hawkes is the captain of the Australian Women’s Hockey Team aka Hockeyroos for eight years. She is a midfield player.
Hawkes was able to compete in three Olympic Games: 1988 Seoul Games, 1996 Atlanta Games and 2000 Sydney Games, where she won the gold medal. Another time she competed is during the 1992 Barcelona Games, where Australia finished fifth place.
The three gold win in the Olympics is a record in women’s hockey that still remains unbroken today. And Hawkes is one of two Australian …read more

Answer: It was in 1996, at the Olympic Games held in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
That was their first Olympic appearance as an official event. (See prior posting)
Unlike men’s football, no age restriction is applied to the tournament. The final attracted 76,000 spectators – a record for a women’s sporting event.

While modern men’s football has existed since 1863 and was among the first team sports on the programme of the Olympic Games, the same cannot be said of women’s football. Although women played football from the end of the 19th century in England, we had to wait until the end of the …read more

It was during the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris that the sport, Football, became part of the the Olympic programme. It’s good to note that in the coming 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, the sport will celebrate its 108th year. It is considered significant, if not vital, to the sport’s continued success and popularity.
Women’s Football was only introduced in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. It has gained a considerable following and support since then and it is expected to cultivate more women football athletes.
Source: www.olympic.org

Again, I am not referring to that huge ape in the movie but the Chinese Table Tennis star, who was known for his handshake-style of playing.
According to the article I read today, multiple Olympic and World champion Kong Linghui announced his retirement last Thursday after playing his last competitive match during the Chinese National Championships.
He had plans of competing in the upcoming 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing but he viewed it as an unrealistic goal prior his decision. He further said that he’s no longer in his prime and will be able to contribute better as a coach. He now …read more

Shannon Miller will be inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. She has won seven Olympic medals in her discipline, Artistic Gymanstics. This made her the most decorated gymnast in U.S. history.
Breaking down the seven medals, three bronze, two silver and two gold. Five of which, the three bronze and two silver, she won during the 1992 Barcelona Games and the other two remaining, which were gold medals, were during the 1996 Atlanta Games.