Top 5 Moments from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing

The 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing kicked off on August 8 and ended on August 24. The games were filled with drama and excitement from the opening ceremony and the lighting of the torch to the closing ceremony. Various athletes made history for their athletic attempts.

1) Michael Phelps will always be associated with the Beijing Summer Olympics. He broke three records at these games. He won eight gold medals for swimming, the most of any athlete in one Olympics. He surpassed fellow swimmer Mark Spitz record of seven gold medals at a single game. At the game, he became the most decorated Olympian by reaching a career record of 16 medals, 14 of which are gold.

2) Usain Bolt was crowned the "World's Fastest Man" by setting world records in the 100 m and 200 m dashes, previously held by Michael Johnson. The Jamaican sprinter also won the 4 x 100 m relay with his teammates. Not since Carl Lewis in 1984 has one man prevailed in all three events. He was also the first man to set records in the three events in which he participated in a single Olympics. He earned his name "Lightening Bolt" because of his achievements at this game.

3) Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin helped the U.S. gymnastics squad win the silver medal team competition, but the pivotal moment for them occurred in the individual all-around competition. Liukin won the gold medal while Johnson won the silver medal. This was the first time that the women's gymnastics team won gold and silver in a single competition. It was also only the fourth time any country accomplished this feat in the all-around competition. They were able to remain focused on their events despite controversies concerning the ages of some member of the Chinese women's team.

4) Dara Torres became the first U.S. swimmer to compete in five Olympic Games. The 41-year-old, mother of a toddler also became the oldest woman to make the U.S. Olympic swim team. At the 2008 games, she entered three events and won silver medals in all of them. She proved that age does not have to be a deterrent for competing. People can say that she didn't win the gold, but she was slower than only one person who was almost half her age.