7 Iconic Stories of Sportsmanship From the Summer Olympics

The Olympics are an incredible event for both the participating athletes and the fans who are watching. There are Summer and Winter Olympic games, which alternate every two years. While the Olympics can be full of emotions for the athletes who compete, there are also many moments of incredible sportsmanship that show the event is about more than just winning the gold medal.

The last Summer Olympics to take place was the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Since the Summer and Winter Olympics take place every four years on alternating years, the next Summer Olympics Event is starting this summer.

The 2024 Summer Olympics will begin on July 26 in Paris. The Paris 2024 Olympics are a much-anticipated event with many of the athletes from the Tokyo 2020 Games returning to compete again. Additionally, there's an exciting new sport at the Paris 2024 Olympics with breaking, also known as break dancing, debuting at this year's event.

Although there have been heartbreaking losses during many of the Olympic games, it's encouraging to see athletes display sportsmanship and show their competitors that they truly care. There's no doubt every Olympian wants to take home a gold medal but there are also other things more important than winning the gold. (After this article, check out the Athletes with the Most Medals Ever From the Summer Olympics.)

To create this list of iconic stories of sportsmanship in the Summer Olympics, 24/7 Tempo consulted numerous sources including USA Today, NBC Sports, and BuzzFeed. Here is a list of 7 times when sportsmanship was on display at the Summer Olympics.

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, two runners fell to the ground during the 800-meter race. Isaiah Jewett of the United States and Nijel Amos of Botswana both fell on the track when they were less than a minute behind the winner.

It's unclear whether Jewett tripped himself or he was accidentally tripped by Amos. Either way, there were no hard feelings as they put their arms around each other and finished the race together.

Being able to compete in the Olympics is an honor in itself, but that doesn't mean it feels good to lose. After the women's triathlon race at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Claire Michel collapsed to the ground in tears. Michel finished the race, but she came in last.

One of her competitors in the race, Lotte Miller, came over to console her. Miller gave Michel a pep talk and reminded her that she was a fighter with an Olympic spirit.

Two Olympians in 2021 competed in the Men's High Jump tied after both completing a 2.37-meter jump. After Gianmarco Tamberi and Mutaz Essa Barshim finished their jump, the Olympic official explained to them that they were tied and that they could settle it with a jump-off.

Instead, Barshim asked if they could have two gold medals. In an incredibly emotional moment, the two athletes hugged and immediately started celebrating before the official could even finish explaining how it worked.

Even though Annie Lazor had a rough year and was hoping to win the gold medal, that didn't stop her and her teammates from congratulating the winner. Tatjana Schoenmaker from South Africa not only won the 2020 Summer Olympics women's 200-meter race but she also set a world record.

Three of her competitors, Annie Lazor, Lilly King, and Kaylene Corbett, quickly came over to congratulate Schoenmaker. In an emotional video of the moment, Schoenmaker's teammates can be heard telling her how amazing she is.

Lydia Jacoby, an Olympic swimmer, was 17 when she won the gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Competing against two-time gold winner Lilly King, Jacoby won the race in the Women's 100-meter breaststroke.

When asked how she felt about taking home the bronze medal, King stated how proud she was of Jacoby. She also celebrated the fact that they're keeping the gold in the USA family.

Skateboarding was a brand new Olympic sport that made its debut at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics. Nishiya Momiji and Rayssa Leal were two of the youngest competitors at the Tokyo Olympics. Both skateboarders were only 13 years old during the event.

Momiji and Leal competed in the Women's Street Skateboarding event with Momijij taking home the gold medal and Leal winning silver. In a sweet moment of sportsmanship, Leal congratulated Momiji, shaking her hand and hugging her.

After the USA Olympic Swimming Team won the gold medal in the 4×100 Freestyle Relay event, Caeleb Dressel gave his gold medal away. Brooks Curry, another Olympic swimmer, was in the stands and previously swam in the preliminary round.

Dressel ended up winning five gold medals at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. He tossed his gold medal to Curry after winning the Freestyle Relay because Dressel replaced Curry in the final round. In the end, every member of the Freestyle Relay, including Curry, received a gold medal. (Don't miss The 9 Youngest Olympic Gold Medalists in History.)