July 29, 1996

After finishing second in the 400-meter individual medley at the '92 Games, Eric Namesnik thought his time would come in 1996. Instead, a young upstart named Tom Dolan burst out of nowhere to set the world record and become the favorite heading to Atlanta. Dolan's excercise-induced asthma made him a crowd and media favorite, once again relegating Namesnik to the shadows. Leigh Montville described the scene following Dolan's victory: "Eric swam to his lonely spot on the rope, down the lane, left with the sight of the scoreboard and numbers he never could change. Tom looked at the crowd and raised the index finger on his right hand. Number 1. The applause again was for him."

Photograph by John Biever