
The Summer Olympics are a time of pride and joy. Representing one’s country and winning medals are the highlights of many athletes' careers and make them national heroes. Unfortunately for some other Olympians, it is a two-way street. Mess up on the world’s biggest stage and you can gain pariah status in a heartbeat. The list of Olympians who have disappointed in one way or another is lengthy and often the failures are more memorable than the winners.
From doping to poor sportsmanship to everything in between, the Summer Olympics have brought out the best and worst of the world’s greatest athletes. We collected the best of the worst and here are the 50 Biggest Fails in Summer Olympics History.
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50. Lochte Blows 4x100 Swimming Lead

49. Bring Back the Swimming Obstacle Course

48. The Judges Award Style Points

47. Tennis Player Hits Partner in Face

46. Baseball and Softball Dropped

45. Cauldron Re-Lit with Cigarette Lighter

44. Wrestler Tosses Away Bronze Medal

43. Members of US 4x400 Team Test Positive

42. Photography 101 Failure

41. "Because I'm From Russia, Not From America"

40. Stacey Augmon Loses Bronze Medal

39. No Women Allowed in First Games

38. Marathon Heartbreak

37. “Fresh as a Buttercup”

36. Underage Chinese Gymnasts

35. No Love for Slashers

34. Jewish Long Jumper Didn't Compete on Sunday, Punched Rival Who Did

33. US Men Win Bronze in Seoul

32. Greg Louganis Hits Head on Diving Board

31. The Worst Marathon Time EVER

30. The Original Marathon Cheater

29. First Loss in Three Years

28. 2008 US Softball Team Loses Final Game

27. Real Life Juwanna Men

26. Crying and Quitting the Marathon

Who: Paula Radcliffe
Olympics: Athens 2004
After setting a world record in the marathon seven months before the 2004 Games, Paula Radcliffe entered Athens as the decided favorite. Things didn't go quite to plan, however, as she dropped out of the race when she was trailing at the 23-mile mark. Some said it was because of the heat, but Radcliffe dismissed that theory by saying she felt "empty." She famously sat on the curb and cried while the other competitors finished. Hey, there's no crying in baseball running!
25. Aleksandr Karelin Loses for First Time

24. Two Gold Medals?

23. Best of Both Worlds? Not So Much

22. Medals from 1906 Games Not Recognized

21. Kicked Off Team for Twitter Racism

20. Billion with a B

19. Jim Thorpe Stripped of Gold Medals

18. Mary Decker Tripped Up by Zola Budd

17. Women's Gymnastics Vault Horse Set at Wrong Height

16. Spanish Men's and Women's Basketball Teams Pose Trying to "Look Asian"

15. Wait Until Results Are Official Before Going on a Food Bender

14. Mikha Singh Celebrates Too Early

13. An Unsuccessful Sit-In

12. Cuban Taekwondoist Attacks Referee

11. 2004 US Men's 4x100 Track Team Wins Silver

10. Marion Jones Forfeiting Medals for Using PHDs

9. Frederic Weis Is Not Ready for the NBA

8. American Sprinters Watch Their Heat on Television

7. First Suriname Olympian Sleeps Through Competition

6. 1 Territory >>> 50 States

5. Adolf Hitler's Claim of Supremacy

4. A Canadian Sprinter Set a World Record? We Better Take a Look at This.

3. Roy Jones Jr. Robbed of Gold Medal

2. "Dan and Dave, Dan and Dave, Dan and.... Hey. Where the fuck did Dan go?"

1. USSR Beats USA. On Third Try
