Winners All!

Perfection hit its head on a diving board last week and, in a blissful spell of dizziness, thought it heard the Suriname anthem playing on the Olympic Victrola. For just a second there, a 4-ft. 11-in. Turk seemed to be lifting a 420-lb. dumbbell, the equivalent of two Olympic committeemen. A buoyant black swimmer with ordinary thighs was receiving the gold medal. South Korea was rioting in a boxing ring. The phones were working. The laundry was ready. And in the race for regal figure, Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis both came running.

A little nicer, a little faster, Lewis finished...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!