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With athletes from around the world gathered in the same venue and a mood of celebration all around them, the Opening Ceremony for the Olympic Games and the lighting of the Olympic torch is often a memorable event. The one that sticks out from the rest in my memory occurred in the summer of 1996.

The excitement level was rising by the minute at Centennial Olympic Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia - a facility now known as Turner Field that serves as the home of the Atlanta Braves Major League Baseball team. On the night the Olympic Torch would make its final stop, the stadium was indeed the home of the brave as broad stripes, bright stars and the toughest competitors the world had to offer were on display in America for all to see.

After entering the facility and galloping through some of the halls and runways beneath the anxious athletes and frenzied fans, boxer Evander Holyfield brought the flame into the stadium as the crowd erupted. The long-time Georgia resident won a bronze medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, and he was a two-time World Heavyweight Boxing Champion at the time.

Shortly after his stadium entrance, Holyfield passed the torch to swimmer Janet Evans. She had already earned four Gold Medals in the pool at the 1988 and '92 Olympic Games, and she was preparing to compete once again. The excitement in the stadium was building with every stride Evans took around the stadium track that warm summer night.

Evans was expected to be the final torch bearer, but organizers had a surprise in store. As she raced to the top of the stairs to the site of the Olympic Cauldron, the spotlight suddenly shifted to legendary boxer Muhammad Ali, who was waiting there with a smile.

Announcer Dick Enberg's shout of "Oh my!" was a terrific example of the energy of the moment for people around the world when perhaps the greatest fighter of all time appeared. Ali, who won a Gold Medal in the 1960 Olympic Games, used the torch passed to him to light the flame that would burn until the Games were complete.

A shadow of his former self due largely to Parkinson's Disease, Ali displayed the Olympic spirit of continuing the battle, no matter the odds. Despite his physical limitations, he was still right in the middle of the action and playing a significant role in a worldwide event.

The torch lighting ceremony for the Olympics is known for being a glorious exercise for the eyes. When some of the greatest Olympic athletes this nation has ever produced are involved the proceedings, the impression left behind is likely to be significant. However, the ceremony that launched the 1996 Summer Games turned out to be The Greatest of them all.

Learn more about this author, Ryan Gray.
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