Biggest Olympic upsets of all time

With the summer Olympics just around the corner, this monumental event in the sporting world conjures numerous memories of greatness.

Legends such as Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps have produced some of the most memorable moments down the years but there is often value to be found when it comes to betting on the Olympics.

The favourites do not always come out on top in the pursuit of gold medals as we look through the history books and pinpoint some of the biggest Olympic upsets of all time.

Argentina claim basketball victory, Athens 2004

The USA has dominated men’s basketball at the Olympics, having won 16 of the 20 golds on offer, but in 2004 it was a different story entirely.

Despite containing superstars such as LeBron James and Allen Iverson, it was far from a stellar showing for the Americans. They lost twice in the group stage to Puerto Rico and Lithuania but still managed to progress.?

Although not at their best, now into the knockout rounds many thought normal service would resume but Argentina, who had never medalled in the sport, had other ideas.

Led by star man Emanuel ‘Manu’ Ginóbili, Argentina ensured the USA could not add to their impressive haul of gold medals as they defeated the reigning champions 89- 81 in the semi-finals.

Still seen as the underdogs as they headed into the final against Italy (who had beaten them earlier in the tournament), Argentina's electric form continued as they produced a dominant, yet surprising, display to take home the gold.??

Emil Zatopek takes home marathon gold, Helsinki 1954

When it comes to being at the peak of any sport it is safe to say that years of dedication and commitment to a chosen pursuit is a vital ingredient for any success, which makes Emil Zatopek’s marathon gold all the more shocking as the Czechoslovakian runner had never taken part in a single marathon prior to his? victory.

It would be slightly disingenuous to portray Zatopek as just a random passerby who had never put on a pair of running shoes, as in the same Olympics he had already secured gold medals in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres.?

That being said, to enter the marathon as an afterthought and then go and win the race is a feat that seems impossible to repeat.

Karelin toppled by Gardner for wrestling supremacy, Sydney 2000

When it comes to dominant Olympians, Russian heavyweight Greco-Roman wrestler Aleksandr Karelin is up there with the best. Nicknamed the ‘Russian Bear’, ‘Russian King Kong’ and 'Alexander the Great’ to give just a few of his pseudonyms, he won everything there was to achieve in the sport and did so on multiple occasions.

Entering the Sydney Olympics in 2000, Karelin was seen as the sure-fire winner and took his place in the competition having won gold at the previous three Games in Seoul (1988), Barcelona (1992) and Atlanta (1996).

Karelin eased his way to the final and found himself head-to-head with American Rulon Gardner. The son of a dairy farmer, the Wyoming native may have been the Pan-American champion but he had never come close to success on the international stage.

On paper, the gulf in class was there for all to see but despite Karelin holding an unbeaten stretch that went back 13 years and having not even lost a point in over six, Gardner did the impossible and bagged a 1-0 victory.

Even after his success, Gardner was quoted as saying: “He’s been the man for 13 years. Nobody even had a chance to beat him.”

Japan conquer USA in softball, Beijing 2008

A relatively new inclusion into the Summer Games, softball only became an Olympic event in 1996.

The USA won gold at each of the first three Games in which the sport was included but in 2008 it proved to be a different nation that defied the Olympics odds to capture success.

After the preliminary rounds, everybody thought the competition was already sewn up as the Americans had won all seven of their matches by a combined total of 53 runs to 1. This included a 7-0 demolition of the eventual winners Japan.

Things all changed in the final where, in front of a full stadium, Japan turned the tables on their former conquerors and took the game 3-1.

Kostas Kenteris flies home in the 200 metres, Sydney 2000

Before the year 2000, Greek runner Kostas Kenteris’s best individual performance was a 400m bronze medal at the 1999 European Cup in Paris.

Although he was dominating in his native Greece, he entered the 2000 Olympic Games as a likely ‘also-ran’ and many expected him to struggle to get through the heats.

It was a shock to see this relatively unknown athlete line up in the 200m final and despite the absence of defending Olympic champion Michael Johnson and world champion Maurice Greene, nobody saw Kenteris as a medal contender.?

Despite a slightly slower time of 20:09 seconds, it was enough for Kenteris to finish first, ahead of Britain’s Darren Campbell and Trinidad and Tobago’s Ato Boldon.?

Kenteris went on to prove his Olympic success was no fluke as he claimed the 200m World Championship gold medal the following year.

‘Magnificent Seven’ capture gymnastics gold, Atlanta 1996

There are very few sports in the Olympic schedule that the USA does not hold a strong claim over but before the 1996 Games, the world of all-around gymnastics was dominated by the former Soviet Union.

They could do nothing to prevent an unlikely home success in Atlanta in 1996 though. Although US gymnast Kerri Struck picked up an injury halfway through the competition, she still managed to cap a stellar performance by her team when landing a near-perfect vault, which ensured the host nation took the unexpected gold.

Misty Hyman breaks home crowd hearts as she beats ‘Madame Butterfly’, Sydney 2000

As the Olympics headed to Australia, one of the biggest chances for a host nation success came in the women’s 200m butterfly swimming event. Susie O’Neill was the defending champion after picking up the gold in the same event in Atlanta four years earlier.

The Aussie superstar was in a rich vein of form, having been unbeaten in this event for the past six years. Leading up to the Games she broke the 19-year, long-standing world record, and as such was christened ‘Madame Butterfly’.

Making her way to the final with ease, it was the consensus that her seven rivals would be battling it out for second spot. The USA’s Misty Hyman refused to accept such a fate though and surprised even herself as she managed to overhaul such a phenomenal champion.

She was so shocked in fact that Hyman had to check the scoreboard three times before she allowed herself to believe that she had won!

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