The Greatest Comeback Stories in Summer Olympics History

Every four years, athletes with specialized skills prepare to perform in the Summer Olympics, a multi-sport event that opens the floor for the greatest, most determined, most untouchable sports professionals. These athletes have developed tunnel vision, focused only on further refining their talents in the hope of winning a gold medal. Not only do they focus on strength and conditioning, but they also have to prepare mentally. This mental preparation allows them to perform well. It also helps to prevent the pressure of the event from becoming too much to surmount.

Still, even highly trained athletes have missteps. Sometimes, they over-train and render themselves unable to perform due to exhaustion. In other situations, a wrong landing causes a debilitating injury. But these are Olympians. Their spirits are unbreakable. They may face adversity but instead of letting it take over, they use it as fuel. Consider Olympians Kerri Strug and Derek Redmond, for instance. They were present to give their all and in the process, they got injured. Both of the injuries would have sent anyone else straight to the hospital. But they didn't give up. They kept going.

Other Olympians like Wilma Rudolph, Greg Louganis, and Gail Devers had to grapple with difficult diagnoses and learn to train despite the symptoms they faced. These are the kinds of people who recognize that when they're in hell, they need to keep moving. They don't pause to lick their wounds while in the inferno of their suffering and instead decide with a determined attitude that their stories aren't over. They're the ones who make news headlines,  captivate audiences, and inspire anyone facing difficulties with their own stories of tragedy and triumph.

To compile this list of the greatest comeback stories in the history of the Summer Olympics, 247 Tempo reviewed several sites, including the official Olympics website, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and NBC. (Also Read: The Most Iconic Summer Olympics Moments in History)

Wilma Rudolph was ill as a child and diagnosed with polio. She wasn't given much hope and instead was told to prepare for life without the ability to walk. Despite the grim news about her future, Rudolph overcame the illness and went on to not only walk but also become an American sprinter.

She won a total of three gold medals in the 1960 Rome Olympics, winning in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay races. Her name went down in history as one of the most impactful comeback stories in the history of the Summer Olympics.

Muhammad Ali came in hot in 1960 when he won the boxing gold medal at the Rome Olympics. At the time, he was known as "Cassius Clay." Ali was triumphant in his early career and wouldn't let age or illness deter him. Over three decades passed by the time Ali took the Olympics by storm again. Only this time it was different. In 1996, Ali was navigating the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's Disease—but he was present at the Atlanta Olympics, where he lit the Olympic cauldron, demonstrating the resilience of his untouchable spirit.

Nadia Comăneci, a girl from Romania, competed in the Olympics in 1976 when she was only 14 years old. She was a restless kid and her mother noted she was difficult to direct, so she enrolled her in gymnastics classes to give her an outlet. This proved to be the right move.

The pressure of the Olympics didn't phase her and she completed her gymnastics routines effortlessly, making history when she scored a perfect 10.0. As if that weren't impressive enough, Comăneci went on to receive six more 10.0 scores and became a five-time Olympic gold medalist.

Joan Benoit Samuelson is an American marathon runner but she's dealt with several injuries that would deter someone less determined. A slalom skiing accident left her with a broken leg. Samuelson decided to take up long-distance running so she could heal and strengthen her leg.

She excelled—claiming victory after victory without further injury. In 1981, she had to have surgery on her Achilles tendons and at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, Samuelson won the gold medal after competing in the women's marathon running. She was the first woman to celebrate this victory.

Greg Louganis is known as the "greatest American diver." Although he started being physically active when he was under two years of age, he didn't pick up swimming until he turned nine. Louganis was diagnosed with asthma as a child, and instead of limiting his physical activities, he was encouraged to continue with his classes.

Louganis took a shot at the 1976 Summer Olympics but it wasn't until 1984 and again in 1988 Seoul that he was recognized for his awe-inspiring skill. That's when he won his gold medals. After making history, Louganis shifted gears and today, he hosts a podcast that addresses mental health and human potential.

You have probably seen the video of Derek Redmond at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics even if you didn't know that was his name. Redmond is now a retired British sprinter but when he was mid-race in 1996, one of the worst things that could happen did. He tore his hamstring. He fell to the ground in pain but didn't linger. Redmond got back to his feet, his hand against his injury, and began limp-running to finish the race.

The crowd rose to their feet and erupted in applause as he passed them, determined. He was in obvious agony as he pushed through. His father, Jim Redmond, wasted no time reaching his son to lend his shoulder and walk with him. Though Redmond was disqualified, his Olympic spirit inspired admiration from audiences.

Gail Devers is a retired American track and field sprinter who is no stranger to adversity. She was diagnosed with Graves' disease, an immunological disorder that requires ongoing treatment. She trained for the 1988 Summer Olympics but she was plagued by a range of health issues, including migraines and vision loss.

Despite dealing with a condition that affects her quality of life, Devers demonstrated her tenacity in the 1992 Barcelona and 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics when she won gold medals in the 100m races.

Kerry Strug's comeback story is unique in that she didn't have time to recover after her injury before having to perform perfectly. She knew the fate of her gymnastics team rested on her ability to execute a flawless performance. Her ability to pull through led to her team's first-ever gold medal.

She is an American gymnast who was performing on the vault. During her first performance, she injured her ankle. Not willing to accept defeat, Strug powered through the second vault performance using her uninjured foot and landed without a hitch, moments later collapsing due to the intensity of the pain. For her, giving up was not an option.

Dan O'Brien buckled under the pressure of his pole vault performance in the 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympics. Simply put, it was a disaster. However, instead of wallowing in the failure, O'Brien came back ready to dominate in the 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics. This time, he participated in the decathlon and walked away with a gold medal and a much better memory of his performance.

He proved that a lot can change in a few short years, so long as you're focused and determined. They say the comeback is always greater than the setback.

In the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, Paula Radcliffe, a British long-distance runner, had to drop out to tend to her injuries. Though she never walked away with an Olympic medal, Radcliffe proved her commitment to the sport when she competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics while dealing with a stress fracture.

She finished in 23rd place and though she didn't walk away with a victory, she did walk away having demonstrated her fighting spirit. Today, Radcliffe is a mother of two who still enjoys running—only now she does it for fun.

Michael Phelps is a former competitive swimmer who stacked medals around his neck like it was his job. He received a total of 28 medals while competing in the Olympics. In the 2008 Beijing Olympics alone, Phelps won eight gold medals. It was his dream to accomplish this and he almost failed to reach his goal.

He won against Milorad Čavić in the 100m butterfly final, beating his time by only 0.01 seconds. Today, Phelps is still the most decorated Olympian in the history of the Olympics.

Usain Bolt, a retired Jamaican sprinter, has mastered the art of comebacks. On his Instagram, he writes "Anything is possible. I don't think limits." These aren't just words he speaks but words he lives by. The start of Bolt's career was a bit rocky but by the time he competed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he was ready to show the world what he was made of.

He went on to break world records as a sprinter, crushing the 100m and 200m sprints. Then, he did it again in the 2012 London Olympics and once more in the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is officially recognized as the fastest man alive and this has earned him a new nickname: "Lightning Bolt."

Gabby Douglas, an American artistic gymnast, suffered a wrist injury in 2009 that prevented her from performing her routines to their full extent. By the time of the 2012 London Olympics, Douglas' wrist had healed and she was ready to perform without holding back. She ended up winning the gold medal in the individual all-around.

Not only did she walk away with that victory, but she also made history by becoming the first African-American woman to win the event. Douglas has always been outspoken about her faith and was quoted as saying, "I love sharing about my faith. God has given me this amazing God-given talent, so I'm going to go out and glorify His name."