Bruce McAvaney's top five Olympic moments
5: Men’s 200m Freestyle in 2004
Coming in at number five is a race including four of the greatest swimmers of all time in one epic showdown at the Athens Olympics.
The favourite was Pieter Van den Hoogenband and representing Australia was arch rival Ian Thorpe, who’d lost to the Dutchman four years earlier in Sydney.
Add American superstar, Michael Phelps and Aussie distance great Grant Hackett and it was a battle of superstars.
The Dutchman lead early but as the race deepened, Thorpe dug deep.
"Thorpe's victory and what it means historically adds that extra element because he is the first to five and still the only Australian, as we sit, that has won five gold medals in any sport in over 100 years of Olympic competition."
4: Ben Johnson vs Carl Lewis 100m in 1988
Bruce's pick for Number four was the most anticipated 100 metre final in history. No race had had a build-up like it.
It was the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the fastest men on the planet — Canadian Ben Johnson and American Carl Lewis.
"We didn’t know what was going to happen afterwards, and what happened afterwards is an even bigger story than what happened on the track."
"The start was amazing, and then you could see lewis looking to his right. Almost in disbelief."
Carl Lewis left the track defeated but Ben Johnson left the Olympics in disgrace.
He tested positive to steroids and was forced to surrender his gold medal
"Johnson turned from a national treasure to a disgrace."
3: Kieren Perkins 1500m in 1996
At Number Three Bruce recalls the king of comebacks.
" If you could pick one swimming moment it’s Perkins in ’96."
Reigning Olympic champion Kieren Perkins had been in terrible form.
"He scraped into the final by .25 of a second. He was the last man in."
Kieren’s days of glory were over, or so we thought — he was in lane 8 and nobody gave him a chance.
Incredibly, Perkins led from the start and just kept going.
Defying all the doubters with every enormous stroke.
"Great champion, seemingly down and out, rises to the occasion."
2 - Usain Bolt 100m Gold in 2008 & 2012
Usain Bolt burst onto the Olympic stage in Beijing in 2008.
Then he backed it up four years later in London, storming home again and setting a new Olympic record.
"Lightning bolt, that’s his signature, he breaks all the rules and he breaks all the records. He’s the perfect package."
Now Rio beckons and if he can win he will be the greatest track runner ever.
"It won’t be easy. But if he does, we will see something that we won’t see again. And I think he confirms himself as the number one track and field athlete in the history of the Olympic Games."
1: Cathy Freeman 400m in 2000
At number one, in Sydney 2000, Bruce says the best Olympics ever brought out the best from Cathy Freeman.
"She was our great runner. And yet it meant nothing if she didn’t win."
"Ten million people were watching on television."
"It was a fascinating race the way it unfolded. Cathy was quite a bit behind at half way, she makes her move between the 200 and 300 hundred."
Kathy stormed down the straight to claim the 'perfect' race and made her country proud.
"It’s my number one, because it’s personal. Once in a lifetime stuff. It was just the best experience. "
