The lighting of the Olympic Flame is one of the highlights of any Olympic Games opening ceremony. Perhaps the most famous moment happened on July 19, 1996as boxing legend Muhammad Ali had the honor.
Until the decisive moment, it was kept secret who the final torchbearer was. When Ali’s name was announced, numerous spectators in the Olympic Stadium shouted his name and celebrated him.
The exceptional athlete, who was already severely affected by his Parkinson’s disease, was on the stage. With trembling hands he lit the fire and touched millions of viewers worldwide. It was only then that many realized how far advanced his illness was.
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“My left hand was shaking because of Parkinson’s disease, the right one because of fear. But somehow I managed to light the thing with both of them,” Ali was later quoted as saying in the Swiss “Tagesspiegel”.
The boxer, who had previously retired, thus returned to the public eye. Muhammad Ali died on June 3, 2016 at the age of 74.
Great Olympic moments: Muhammad Ali lights the fire in Atlanta in 1996
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