Everyone has their own Olympic moment. The one you immediately think of when you see the Olympic rings, or weighing up the merits of sleep deprivation versus gold medal glory.
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Those moments are the ones that make the Games so special. Athletes - many of whom we only hear about once ever four years - are thrust on to centre stage for the world's biggest sporting event.
You can stay updated with all the cheers, tears and celebrations from the Paris Games via our daily Olympic newsletter and a live blog on every day of competition.
Caden Helmers, Karen Hardy, Tim Barrow and Josh Callinan will bring you the action as it happens via the blog and in preparation, we asked three of them to detail their Olympic highlight.
Tim Barrow
The Oarsome Foursome were as iconic as any 1990s boy band, with their coxless fours rowing gold medals in Barcelona and then Atlanta four years later, let alone the dulcet tones of food product endorsements fame. I remember sitting there as a wide-eyed nine-year-old, watching an archer light the 1992 Olympics torch in Spain with a flaming arrow and thought it was the most amazing thing I'd ever seen.
It sparked a sporting fire in me. Then the Olympics came to us, cheering Cathy Freeman, Ian Thorpe, Grant Hackett, Susie O'Neill, Natalie Cook and Kerry Pottharst and the Hockeyroos to success in Sydney in 2000. There's nothing better than hearing the words "gold for Australia!"
Josh Callinan
Maybe it was the Kindergarten-style Olympics that took place in a country NSW primary school during Barcelona in 1992, maybe it was Gran taking me to Sydney for the athlete's "welcome home" parade after Atlanta in 1996, maybe it was the Games extravaganza on home shores in 2000.
I've loved the Olympics for as long as I can remember so heading over to London in 2012 and experiencing it live was something else.
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I was fortunate enough to become part of the Kookaburras supporter's family via a hockey-playing mate and midway through one match everything paused. The entire Games precinct (similar to Homebush) fell silent for a little under 10 seconds as Usain Bolt sprinted his way into the history books again.
A collective roar followed and danced along the night sky. Magic moment.On that same trip Australia's current chef de mission Anna Meares unknowingly provided me with bragging rights in a city pub.
I ducked in to watch her sprint duel with long-time cycling rival Victoria Pendleton and found myself surrounded by nothing but Team GB fans. Friendly banter ensued across the best-of-three series and hearty congratulations afterwards made it feel like I'd actually won gold as well. (edited)
Karen Hardy
As a young girl who could barely do a handstand, I remember being in awe of Romania's Nadia Comaneci, who, at just 14, was the first gymnast to receive a perfect 10 in 1976 at Montreal. She scored six more 10s and won three gold medals and inspired a generation of girls to take our somersaults more seriously.
My favourite Australian moment was the 1996 comeback swim from Kieren Perkins at the Atlanta Games. Who would have thought watching 15 minutes of laps could be so enthralling?
As for non-sporting memories, while Nikki Webster swinging from a high-wire at Sydney's 2000 Games is a classic, London's opening ceremony will never be beaten. Let the Games begin.
Caden Helmers
You would have been excused for thinking Cedric Dubler was celebrating his own medal win had you seen him roaring over a Tokyo finish line. It was the final event of the men's decathlon at the Tokyo Olympic Games. An unheralded 21-year-old named Ash Moloney was on the verge of Australia's first medal in the event, history for a nation which had never finished better than sixth. Dubler sacrificed his own race to set a pace for Moloney to win bronze.
Dubler was battling a hamstring injury and had not registered a height in the pole vault - but he bravely finished the 1500m finale for the sake of Moloney.
"All I heard in the last 300 was Cedric shout 'f---ing go' - it was pretty unreal," Moloney said. "I just heard his voice in my brain and it filled me with energy." Ever hear people talk about the Olympic spirit? That's it.