Olympic moments which stopped the nation

At every Olympic Games, there are moments when you know you've just witnessed sporting history - events you know you'll be talking about in 10, 20 even 30 years' time.

Some are predicted - hyped, even; others take you completely by surprise. They can be moments when everything goes perfectly right, or moments when everything goes horribly wrong.

As the one year countdown to London 2012 begins on 5 Live Sport this week, we've picked out eight of them to feature in a special programme.

We're calling it, "Moments Which Stopped the Nation".

Kelly Holmes wins double Olympic gold in Athens in 2004 Photo: Getty

Of course, there's Steve Redgrave in Sydney in 2000. As viewers and listeners at home cowered under their duvets and prayed, the man hailed in many quarters as Britain's greatest ever Olympian defied his ageing body and the fast-finishing Italians to secure his fifth title, 16 years after his first.

In Athens four years later, it was Kelly Holmes's last chance to fulfill her destiny. After so many near misses, she was actually fully fit at last - and fulfill it she did, not once, but twice. But as she cruised to victory in the 1500ms, four more proud Brits were oblivious.

The men's 4x100m relay squad were in the warm up room preparing for their final. As you'll hear from Darren Campbell on Tuesday night, the only thing on their mind was beating the mighty USA team. It turned into not just a moment, but a whole evening which stopped the nation.

When Mary Peters won her pentathlon gold in Munich in 1972, she not only stopped a nation, but united it. Protestants and Catholics in conflict-torn Northern Ireland came together to celebrate as she brought her medal home to Belfast.

We've moments of triumph then, but also of despair.

I remember on a warm evening in Athens waiting with a bunch of 5 Live colleagues in the Panathinaikon stadium for Paula Radcliffe. She was overwhelming favourite for the women's marathon - but she never got to the finish. Her friend Allison Curbishley will join us in the studio to tell us what went so wrong for Paula that day.

In 1992, Derek Redmond and his father Jim produced one of the most iconic images of the modern Olympics. Derek's hamstring popped half way through the 400m semi-final, and Jim's comforting paternal arm as he helped his stricken son to cross the finish line in front of the packed Barcelona crowd has become an illustration of the Olympic spirit, cited by Barack Obama in a speech endorsing Chicago's bid for the 2016 Games.

I visited the Redmonds in Northampton a couple of weeks ago and I also went to chat toKay and Steve Adlington. They told me all about their double celebration - in Mansfield and Beijing - as their teenage daughter Rebecca became a national heroine, the most successful British swimmer in a century.

And we'll recall two great track and field rivallries, through the eyes of two people who shared the track on two memorable nights.

When Seb Coe and Steve Ovett staged the first of their epic battles in the 1980 Olympics, in the 800m, the other British runner in the race was Dave Warren. You'll hear how Ovett won the psychological battle in the warm-up room, as well as the physical battle on the track.

And when the eyes of the world focussed on two women, Zola Budd and Mary Decker, in the 3,000m at the LA Olympics, few were taking much notice of another British runner, Wendy Sly. Yet she was the one who would go on to take a silver medal in that race. She's been giving me her perspective on a confrontation which still causes controversy, and recalling her own Olympic triumph.

So we'll be remembering eight very special sporting moments which captivated the watching and listening public.

We'd love to know how you remember them - where were you, and what were you doing as history was being made?

And of course, in a two hour programme we won't have time to nominate every single stand-out point in our collective Olympic memories. So feel free to tell us which ones we've missed.

Moments Which Stopped the Nation is on 5Live Sport from 1900 BST on 26 July