Explainer | Iconic Olymic Games rivalries through history: Johnson vs Lewis, Lin vs Lee, Coe vs Ovett, Sun vs Horton

The ‘dirtiest race in history’ in 1988 saw Ben Johnson test positive for steroids while Carl Lewis was handed the gold, while Nadia Comaneci and Nellie Kim fought with grace in gymnastics

Taiwan’s Yang was second to his college mate Rafer Johnson in the 1960 decathlon; Mary Decker and Zola Budd were involved in the most famous fall in Olympics folklore in 1984

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Mack Horton, of Australia, and winner Yang Sun, of China, at the podium medal awards after the men's 400m freestyle final at the Fina World Championships in Gwangju, South Korea in 2019. Photo: EPA

Published: 8:00am, 12 Jul 2021Updated: 1:41pm, 9 Aug 2021

Rivalries are the essence of sport and nowhere are these battles more fervently fought out than at the Olympic Games. The more intense the animosity between two world-class opponents the deeper the divisions for fans, neutrals and the media. Aside from the classic hero vs villain narratives, there are the good-natured rivalries where adversaries maintain mutual decorum and respect but – in elite competitor fashion – fight like their lives depended on it.

Here is a look back at some of the fiercest rivalries, often sprinkled with controversy, that the Summer Games have witnessed through the years.

Malaysian badminton player Lee Chong Wei on his knees after getting an injury during the men's singles final match against Lin Dan of China at the BWF World Championships in Guangzhou, China in 2013. Photo: EPA

Lin Dan vs Lee Chong Wei

For two decades, the illustrious pair have captivated badminton fans across Asia and the world. Malaysian Lee Chong Wei was the world’s No 1 for nearly seven years, dominating the Badminton World Federation rankings. But the major titles were won by China’s two-time Olympic and five-time world champion Lin Dan.

Lin won 28 out of the 40 matches played against Lee. After finishing runner-up to Lin at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympics, Lee finally triumphed in an epic clash at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games semi-finals. He was beaten by Lin’s compatriot Chen Long in the final.

Despite their heated matches, both shuttlers have attributed much of their success to their rivalry. In 2019, Lee retired after undergoing treatment for nose cancer. In response, Lin wrote on Weibo: “I will be alone on the court and no one will accompany me.”

Lin retired a year later, citing pain and injuries, to which Lee paid tribute with a poem.

Great Britain’s Sebastian Coe crosses the finish line in front of East Germany’s Jurgen Straub (338) and Great Britain’s Steve Ovett (279) to win the 1,500-metre race at the Moscow Olympics in the Lenin Stadium in 1980. Photo: AP