The 9 Most Dramatic Finish Line Moments in Olympic History Inline
Photo: Getty Images1/9Kerri Strug
In the 1996 Atlanta summer games, Kerri Strug shrugged off a debilitating ankle injury for one final performance on behalf of her gymnastics team. “It was pretty dramatic how things came down to that final vault,” Strug said years after taking home the first-ever U.S. women’s gymnastics team Olympic gold.
Photo: Getty Images2/9Mo Farah
Vying for the inside lane, British runner Mo Farah was accidentally tripped by his competitors during this Olympics 10,000-meter race. Within a blink, he was back on his feet and working his way to the front of the pack, only to take home the gold.
Photo: AP Photo3/9Greg Louganis
After a head collision on the diving board, Greg Louganis went on to execute a jaw-dropping series of flawless, splash-less dives to take home the gold in 1988.
Photo: Getty Images4/9Shaunae Miller
With event favorite Allyson Felix in her periphery, Shaunae Miller dove across the finish line rather than give up her lead in Rio’s 400-meter dash.
Photo: Getty Images5/9Dan Jansen
When Dan Jansen stepped onto the ice in 1994 for the 1,000-meter speed skate race, he had a lot on the line. Six years earlier, he had fallen to his knees mid-race after finding out moments before the event that his sister had passed away from leukemia. And, earlier in the 1994 games, he slipped and fell again in the 500-meter dash even though he was a favorite for the gold. But in his final race, he managed to overcome a small stumble and a storied past to set a world record and win gold.