25 years ago, Magic Monday: Cathy Freeman, Hail G, MJ, Stacy Dragila, Mutola all won gold. Was it the greatest in track history?

Before looking into it, I would have told you that I watched Freeman's race live but didn't watch Haile vs Tergat live. I was a first-year teacher about 3 weeks into the school year and had to get up super early.

But I looked up the schedule.

There is no chance I watched any of it live. Freeman's race was a 5:10 am ET and the 10k final was at 7:45 am ET. So I must have watched Freeman tape delayed during the NBC prime-time broadcast. And then I bet they showed the 10k late night after the news . I do specifically remember making a conscious decision not to watch it as I had to get up early for school but that must have been the taped version. I was like, "I'll find out what happened later. I've got a job to do."

I think back then you could easily go until the evening without knowing the results. Just stay off letsrun which was like a few months old and you'd have no idea what happened in the 10k.

I have no idea if it was the greatest night in athletics history.

This was nowhere close to the greatest night in athletics history. Over rated.

Remember getting my tickets in the mail and was so excited to see 10k. Then looked at the event program and noticed 400m women's final. 110,000 in the stadium that night. It was something I'll never forget. Lucky to have met Cathy 5 years ago. An amazing person.

jesse owens 4 world records in an hour, it it.

that said, freemans win was the most emotional happy experience for me.

along with barbra moore the loveliest person with more heart than a navy seal, perservering to take a bronze in the commonwealth for new zealand.

my ratings are based on heart.

Greatest for whom?

For Great Britain, it would be August 4, 2012.

Magic Monday 2000 in Sydney and Super Saturday 2012 in London were exciting evenings, especially for the host countries. Here are some other contenders I'd nominate, in chronological order:

August 6, 1984 in Los Angeles

• Joaquim Cruz runs a 1:43.00 Olympic Record to defeat Sebastian Coe in the 800m
• American stars 110m hurdles stars Roger Kingdom and Greg Foster finish 1-2 in a thrilling duel, with Kingdom winning 13.20-13.23. Kingdom's time was an Olympic Record.
• Carl Lewis wins his first Olympic long jump title
• Valerie Brisco-Hooks runs an Olympic Record 48.83 to win gold in the women's 400m
• Olympic Record from Tessa Sanderson in the women's javelin

August 1, 1996 in Atlanta

• Michael Johnson completes the famous double and smashes the 200m world record while wearing the golden spikes (I know he's not a popular figure here these days, but that was an iconic moment for the sport)
• Marie-José Pérec completes the same 200m/400m double as Johnson (to less fanfare)
• Dan O'Brien wins the decathlon
• American Derrick Adkins wins the 400m hurdles

August 16, 2008 in Beijing

• Usain Bolt runs that legendary 9.69 WR
• That evening also had a women's shot put final and the conclusion of the heptathlon, but Bolt's performance alone made it one of the most special nights in the sport's history.

In the non-Olympic category, I nominate the August 13, 1997 Zurich meet. That night had world records in the men's 5k (Geb, defeating Komen and Tergat), 800m (Kipketer) and steeple (Boit Kipketer).

No

24th September 1988

Ben Johnson 9.79 WR

Joyner-Kersee 7291 WR

Markov 17.61 OR

I vividly remember watching the 10k. Tergat had the lead coming off the final turn, both of them going flat out and Haile edging ever so slightly ahead in the final strides. I also remember the winning margin was less than in the 100 meters. An all-time great race between two of the greatest rivals.

It was the greatest distance track race if all time for sure.

Obviously

I was watching the Sydney Olympics on this same sofa

I'd like to go back to the year 2000. Even 9/11 hadn't happened.

Im confused, why was it special? Do they normally not hand out gold medals?

So I just belatedly realized WA has the best article out about Magic Monday. It's much longer and for good reason - as there were a lot more golds handed out that day than I mentioned in the fist post.

One of the reasons why the night is remembered is how many gold were handed out that night - 9. That's a crazy amount. Here is all of the finals held that night and the time they took place in the US (ET - Sydney was 14 hours ahead)

Running Finals
Women's 400m final 5:10 a.m.
Men's 400m final 5:25 a.m.
Men's 110m hurdles final 5:40 a.m.
Women's 5,000m final 5:55 a.m.
Women's 800m final 7:15 a.m.
Men's 10,000m final 7:45 a.m.

Field Events
Women's Pole vault 3 a.m.
Men's Discus final 4:20 a.m.
Men's triple jump final 5 a.m.

worldathletics.org

Remembering Magic Monday, the greatest night in athletics history | News | Heritage | World Athletics

Twenty-five years ago today, the Sydney Olympic Games enraptured the world with what is widely regarded as one of the most thrilling nights in athletics history.

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