Tola had an 18-second lead by the 35km mark, which he extended as the Eiffel Tower came into sight and crowds lining the streets roared him on. He became the first Ethiopian winner of the Olympic men's marathon in 24 years.
This period saw big stars of the likes of Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev fade into the sunset while it was witness to the birth of slew of young Indian cricketers that made their mark home and abroad.
An overwhelming win over Pakistan may have brought a lot of cheer to the Indian cricket team after an indifferent Australian Summer, but there are a few grey areas that are yet to be addressed by the side, including skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni's poor run with the bat.
More than 60 years ago, a bicycle thief in Louisville, Kentucky, unknowingly set in motion one of the most amazing sports careers in history.
