#10: Muhammad Ali’s Olympic Debut
Before Muhammad Ali participated in the inspiring 1996 Olympics opening ceremony, he competed in the Olympics as a young man. Muhammad Ali, formerly known as Cassius Clay, made his Olympic debut during the 1960 Rome Games. At the time, Ali was a relatively unknown boxer. However, his participation in the 1960 Games set him off on the path to becoming world famous.
Ali quickly turned heads and drew attention thanks to his raw talent. The 18-year-old competed in the light heavyweight division and easily defeated all four of his opponents. He swept the competition and won the gold medal. Unfortunately, Ali had his gold medal revoked in 1967 after publicly denouncing the Vietnam War and refusing to be drafted into the Army. His gold medal was reinstated when he participated in the 1996 Olympics opening ceremony.