My Top 16 Olympic Moments: Part One

Over the next couple days, I will countdown my 16 favorite moments from the 2012 Olympics. I'm not really sure why I picked the number 16. It could be because I wanted to get Kayla Harrison in this list at all cost, or because a have weird affinity for Joe Montana. Anyway, here are the honorable mentions and #16.

Honorable Mentions:

• Allyson Felix finally wins individual gold in the 200m
• Serena Williams continued her quest to gain total revenge for her 2004 Wimbledon Final loss, destroying Maria Sharapova to win gold. Honestly, Maria never looked like she had a chance, and hopefully the only thing she remembers from these Olympics is carrying the Russian flag in the Opening Ceremony. Sort of quietly, Serena is on the verge of a pretty historic run. If she wins the US Open, the Compton native will be the second player to ever win Wimbledon, the Olympics and the Open in one year, duplicating her sister Venus' run in 2000. Pretty good for someone that is supposedly uninterested in tennis.   
• Missy Franklin wins her first individual gold in the 100m backstroke.
• The Men's Bars final happened (skip to 2 hours 5 min). It was insane.
• 15 year old Katie Ledecky wins the 800 free in dominating fashion and takes over Janet Evans' American distance swimming crown in the year of the latter's final comeback.

Number 16: Kayla Harrison Wins Judo Gold:

On July 5th 2008, in San Diego, California of all places, I purchased my first MMA pay per view. The event, known as UFC 86, featured the ever-howling Quinton Jackson versus Forest Griffin for Jackson's UFC Light Heavyweight Title. The underdog Griffin took a close decision victory in a fantastic fight that was later named fight of the year by some outlets. Ever since that summer night, I have been a manic MMA fan. My interest in MMA has sparked a curiosity into learning about the many disciplines that make up the world's fastest growing sport. During these Olympics, I watched wrestling, judo and tae kwon do with much more interest than I ever had in the past, because many of the athletes, especially the wrestlers, are potential MMA prospects. All of that, combined with the incredible personal story surrounding it, made Kayla Harrison's gold medal run in Judo one of my favorite Olympic moments. Harrison, who was sexually abused by a coach when she was younger, went through her rounds with controlled ferocity, throwing and arm-barring people like it was nothing. Her gold medal was the first by an American judoka in history, and temporarily put judo in a spotlight that it doesn't normally enjoy in the United States. I would love to see Harrison transition to MMA, where her world class skills combined with built in name recognition would give Women's MMA another marketable star. Putting aside my own selfish thoughts, Harrison's story of personal reclamation is remarkable, and she should be a role model for all victims of abuse. Bravo, Kayla.

Photos Courtesy of the Washington Examiner and onthemat.com.