It’s the greatest sporting spectacle on Earth, an ultimate test of elite athletes striving to jump higher, run faster and be stronger than anybody else.
A gold medal has made lifelong heroes of men and women at the top of their game – think Chad le Clos powering through the pool, Caster Semenya sprinting down the track, or Wayde van Niekerk wrapping himself in the SA flag after breaking the world record.
During those Olympic Games the stands heaved with cheering crowds and athletes congratulated each other on the podium. But how times have changed.