Mary Lou Retton and Ecaterina Szabo
Ecaterina over there won three out of four individual events and Romania won the team gold, and I think you can tell from her face that she didn't expect to lose this one. Mary Lou was trailing with two apparata to go, and got a perfect 10 on both, and a bajillion copycat haircuts were born.
Mary Lou
She bronzed on the bars in the individual, I believe, but I think this is such a good photo. She's a ball of power and control.
Kathy Johnson
This is Mary Lou's teammate Kathy Johnson, and I pulled this picture because it's both cool AND showcases what an effective leotard this design is. It's great both in motion and still.
Ecaterina Szabó
These Romanian uniforms, though. They're iconic to me. From when Nadia had the stripes down her arms, to this one, to the 1988 version... Romania was such a force and I saw SO much of these unis during my formative Olympics years.
The men's team: Bart Conner, Peter Vidmar, Jim Hartung, Mitch Gaylord, Scott Johnson and Tim Daggett
The U.S. men had never won all-around gold before -- and indeed, have not since. But real talk: Men's gymnastic pants are maybe the least alluring pants in the world.
Bart Conner
I'll say it again: Sports photography is so superb. I kept expecting to see that he was gripping the rings, but no, he's just holding himself so carefully while he spins through the air in a dismount, NO BIG DEAL. (Bart, of course, also famously helped Nadia Comaneci out of an abusive relationship with the person who managed her defection from Romania, and then later fell in love and married her.)
Mitch Gaylord
Mitchard here was the first American man to get a perfect 10 at the Olympics (by a technicality -- I think several of them did at this ceremony and he just went first -- but it's still neat). Also, yes, his name is not Mitchard; that's just my favorite joke from the late lamented The Grinder. AND FINALLY: his shoulders. Just... his shoulders.
Mitch Gaylord
This is so easy!!!!!!
Li Ning
"It's not even my turn, I'm just chilling." (This was the first year China competed since 1949, and Li won six medals, three of them gold, although he had a rough outing when he tried to do it again in 1988.)
Japan's synchro team
This was the first year of synchronized swimming, and I freaking LOVE this trident-shaped formation, which was also sadly the only photo that we have of this. I mean, if we HAD to have only one, I'm glad it was this one.
Stefan Edberg
Wait, who let my boyfriend in here?
Steffi Graf
STEFFI! My favorite when I was a kid.
Greg Louganis
This is not a view I will ever have of the world. Can you imagine being able to do this with yourself? I don't even have this much body awareness when I'm crossing my living room.
Greg Louganis
Aw, hi, Greg. Two medals and no stitches.
Rowdy Gaines
Hi Rowdy! Thank you for your forearms.
Rowdy Gaines
Did you know his first name is Ambrose? I did not, until today.
A US relay team
I think the tallest guy in the center is Matt Biondi? Regardless: ABS.
Victor Davis
Victor here won the 200m breaststroke for Canada, and I just thought this was a cool photo of him... and his triceps.
Dara Torres; Carrie Steinseifer, and Nancy Hogshead
Yep, that's young Dara Torres, second from left, winning gold in her only event from this year. She ended up going to five Olympics, her last at age 41 (a story NBC milked and milked and milked and MILKED like the only cow on the meadow). They're wearing the team's warm-up/cool-down outfits, which I would like better if the white parts actually WERE white and not a sort of dingy ecru.
Closing ceremony
Etta James performed at the opener, but I didn't have a photo of it. Lionel, however, owned the Closing Ceremony and apparently performed a NINE MINUTE VERSION of "All Night Long," which honestly is a party I would like to go to again right now and a perfect note on which to close what were the most financially successful Olympics of the time. And look at that jacket! A-plus, Lionel. It IS you we're looking for, at all times.