The Olympics has come to an end and Black America has many accomplishments to be proud of. There was Gabby Douglas becoming the first African-American to ever win Olympic gold in the gymnastic individual all-around and the women’s 4x 100 relay team setting a new world record, as well as the total USA domination on both the men’s and women’s side of the Olympic basketball competition. As the Games of the 30th Olympian fade into the history books, we want to take a moment to remember the best of the black moments at the Olympics this year.
1. Gabby Douglas
Virginia Beach’s own Gabby Douglas must have seen her Olympic success years ago when she begged her mother for better coaching. She had to go to Iowa to get it, staying with a white host family and training with Liang Chow, the Asian-American coach who coached Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson to gold. Black Americans stuck out their chests with pride when Gabby won gold in the individual all-around, the first African-American to do so. Yet her divorcing parents, her military father’s absence (as he served the country in Afghanistan) her mother’s bankruptcy and her hair all became a subject of scrutiny in the wake of her win. Sigh. What’s a black girl going to have to do to have the world focus just on her accomplishments? Gabby Douglas sees her family after winning gold.
2. Serena Williams
We already knew she and sister Venus were straight outta Compton. But in winning a Wimbledon gold medal by beasting Russian opponent Maria Sharapova in straight sets, Serena set off an instant YouTube sensation when she Crip walked in joy after her historic victory. Yes, in one of the most hallowed arenas in sport, Serena C-Walked it out. Of course, this set off intense Internet debate on whether this was appropriate given that the dance was originated by gang members, but most with sense knew it has long sense found a place in the mainstream. Either way, Serena’s impromptu dance was one of the best Olympic moments of maybe, all time. (And she and sister Venus picked up more gold as the winner of the doubles match as well.)
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3. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Team Jamaica
We love the Jamaican athletes, even when they’re beating our behinds on the track. So it was great to see Jamaica’s men go 1, 2, and 3 in the 200m, win gold in the 4 x 100 relay and enjoy themselves while doing so. Usain Bolt, as he himself predicted, cemented his legend on the track to become one of the greatest ever in his sport. But it’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the two-time gold medalist in the 100 meters who gave us our favorite moment from Team JA. In her profile clip, she said that when the men in her neighborhood started coming after her for sex as a teenager, her mother threatened them with a cutlass. You know, one of those huge knives usually associated with pirates? Obviously, Jamaican mamas don’t play. Usain Bolt sprints to gold in the 200.
4. Fast Girls: Alyson Felix, Sanya Richards Ross and Carmelia Jeter
Team USA had their share of victories on the track with gold medals looking good for the women, since Usain Bolt wasn’t in any of their races. Both Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards’ stories were particularly heartwarming since both came up short four years ago in their specialties, the 200 and 400 meters. This year, both celebrated gold medals in those events, while participating in gold-medal winning relays as well. Felix took home three golds and was part of the women’s 4×100 world-record win as well as the 4×400 win. Carmelia Jeter, who’s had some of the fastest times in the 100 meters ever, got over losing to Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100 to anchor the U.S. world record relay team. Watch the 4×100 relay here.
5. USA Basketball
Though the men are always expected to win gold at the Olympics, it’s the women who have really set the tone, winning the last five straight gold medals in the Olympics. The likes of WNBA stars Candace Parker, college champ Maya Moore and veterans like Tamika Catchings, all still young, are likely to keep the U.S. dominating in 2016 and beyond. As for the men, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Dwyane Wade, all still pretty young, can keep the U.S. on top in the same way. Hey, if we can’t do anything else, we got hoops on lock. USA women win five straight.
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