10 Incredible Stories From The Summer Olympics

10. Lawrence Lemieux (1988)

Lawrence Lemieux was on course to take second place in his fifth race in the sailing at the Seoul Games when he spotted a boat in another race that had capsized in the rough weather. Realising that the crew was still trapped underneath the boat (and drawing on the rescue skills of his Italian plumber moustache), Lemieux abandoned his race, disqualifying himself in the process, in order to rescue the men.

After handing the men over to a rescue team from the South Korean Navy, Lemieux returned to his own race, finishing 22nd of 33. In recognition of his actions, the International Yacht Racing Union awarded Lemieux second place, the position he'd be on track to take before the rescue occurred. Lemieux went on to finish 11th in the sailing, but he didn't walk away without a medal.

At the awards ceremony, the President of the International Olympic Committee, Juan Antonio Samaranch, awarded Lemieux the Pierre de Coubertin medal for sportsmanship for his actions. Lemieux was the fifth recipient at the time, and one of two to be given the medal while competing in the Olympic Games. Upon giving the medal to Lemieux, Samaranch told him that "by your sportsmanship, self-sacrifice and courage, you embody all that is right with the Olympic ideal."