1) Usain Bolt breaks the 100 meters world record. Bolt already owned the record and in front of a packed Bird's Nest stadium he ran 9.69 seconds. He thumped his chest in triumph over the last few meters before his 'marksman' celebration which became one of the lasting images of the Games.

2) Michael Phelps roars in triumph and relief after American team mate Jason Lezak overtook France's Alain Bernard on the final leg of the 4x100 freestyle relay to keep alive Phelps's dream of beating Mark Spitz's record from 1972 of seven golds in a Games - a dream he was to realize.

3) Liu Xiang dejectedly walks away from the track as he realizes he has to withdraw from the defense of his 110 meters hurdles title because of a leg injury. Liu was the most popular sportsman in China and his grimacing departure clouded the Games for millions of home fans.

4) Russia's Yelena Isinbayeva turns the Bird's Nest into her private theatre with a gold medal and world record-breaking pole vault performance that captivated the 91,000 crowd. After she spent most of the competition lying under a towel, she broke her own world mark with a leap of 5.05 meters.

5) The Opening Ceremony. It was a jaw-dropping beginning to the Games, culminating in former gymnast Li Ning being swung up the roof of the stadium and 'running' around the top level before lighting the cauldron.

6) German weightlifter Matthias Steiner kisses a picture of his late wife Susann on the gold medal podium, choking back tears over the promise he made to her that he would keep their Olympic dream. The super-heavyweight made the pledge to Susann at her bedside in hospital as she lay dying after a car crash in 2007.

7) American Matt Emmons blows a 3.3-point lead on the very last shot of a 120-shot competition to throw away the gold medal in the "marathon" event of shooting. Four years ago in Athens he had fired at the wrong target and squandered a 3-point lead.

8) Usain Bolt breaks Michael Johnson's 200 meters record. Charging towards the finish line, Bolt has his eye on the clock all the way and once again celebrates his triumph in style -- this time, after he completed his run.

9) Rohullah Nikpai wins Afghanistan's first Olympic medal with a bronze in the men's 58-kg taekwondo. Proof that no matter how tough the conditions you have to train in, Olympic success is achievable if you have the talent.

10) Estonian Gerd Kanter celebrates his discus gold medal by sprinting down the 100 meter track at the Bird's Nest and mimicking Bolt's marksman routine.
 
1）烏塞恩•博爾特打破男子100米世界紀錄。博爾特之前已經是該項目的世界紀錄保持者，在鳥巢數萬觀眾的見證下，他跑出了9秒69的成績。在最后幾米的時候他興奮地捶打著胸膛，慶祝勝利，之后的“博爾特式”招牌慶功動作成為北京奧運會上最令人難忘的畫面之一。

2）在男子4x100米自由泳接力賽中，邁克爾•菲爾普斯的隊友賈森•萊扎克在最后一棒超過法國選手阿蘭•貝爾納，使菲爾普斯打破了馬克•斯皮茨在1972年奧運會上一人奪七金的紀錄。那一刻，菲爾普斯如釋重負，縱情歡呼。這是他的圓夢時刻。

3）因腳傷無奈退出男子110米欄衛冕冠軍的比賽時，劉翔沮喪地走出了跑道。劉翔是中國最受歡迎的運動員，他的意外離場讓他的無數支持者扼腕嘆息。

4）俄羅斯女子撐桿跳高運動員葉蓮娜•伊辛巴耶娃把鳥巢變成了她的個人秀場。她的表現征服了91000名觀眾，最終奪得了金牌并打破世界紀錄。比賽的大部分時間她都拿塊毛巾遮著臉躺在地上，然后一躍而起將自己保持的世界紀錄提高到了5.05米。

5）開幕式。這是一場精彩絕倫的開幕式，前體操運動員李寧被威壓吊至高空，“跑步”繞場一周，點燃主火炬的一瞬讓開幕式的氣氛達到頂點。

6）德國舉重運動員馬蒂亞斯•施泰納在領獎臺上親吻亡妻蘇姍娜的照片，含淚感嘆他終于實現了對妻子的承諾：永不放棄奧運夢想。蘇珊娜2007年遭遇車禍，在妻子彌留之際，守在病床邊的施泰納向她做出了上述承諾。

7）在男子步槍3x40決賽上，美國射擊運動員馬修•埃蒙斯在最后一槍還保有3.3環的大好優勢下，不料最后一槍失手，將這枚射擊“馬拉松”的金牌拱手讓出。四年前的雅典奧運會上，他也是在最后一槍打到了別人靶上，錯失了3環的領先優勢。

8）烏塞恩•博爾特打破邁克爾•約翰遜保持的200米世界紀錄。沖刺的時候，博爾特一直盯著計時器，然后又一次以他獨特的方式慶祝這一勝利——不過這次是在他跑完全程之后。

9）魯胡拉•尼帕伊獲跆拳道男子58公斤級比賽的銅牌，為阿富汗贏得首枚奧運獎牌。這說明，無論訓練條件多么艱苦，有實力的運動員還是能在奧運會上脫穎而出的。

10）愛沙尼亞運動員戈德•坎特獲得男子鐵餅金牌后，在鳥巢百米跑道上狂奔，并模仿博爾特的招牌動作慶祝勝利。