My Olympic rankings: Barcelona No. 1

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BEIJING -- The Olympics were exceptional in Barcelona, but that wasn’t all that was going on there in the summer of ’92. It was a 17-day festival, uninterrupted by controversy, politics or sleep.

The plazas of Barcelona were filled day and night -- young people, old people, anyone who could get there to bask in the joy.

I don’t exaggerate when I say it was one of the best summers of the century. South Africa competed for the first time since 1960 after the repeal of apartheid. East and West Germany were reunited as one team. The Soviet Union had unraveled but athletes from many of the former republics competed together one last time as the Unified Team. Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia competed under their own flags.

There were many outstanding sporting events. One stands out. For the first time, a black African woman, Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia, won a gold medal, finishing first in the 10,000 meters. A white South African, Elana Meyer, finished second.

They ran the victory lap hand in hand.

-- Randy Harvey

P.S. In my rankings, after the last two weeks, I would place Beijing fourth among the nine Summer Olympics I have covered. It had the best organization by far, but that joie de vivre so pervasive and pulsating in Barcelona and Sydney was lacking here. Friendly for sure, but it didn’t seem like a celebration. Maybe it will during the closing ceremony.

Sydney, Los Angeles, Moscow, Athens, Seoul, Montreal, Atlanta