Jon Ander

1. HOW MUHAMMAD ALI
WON OLYMPIC GOLD
Victory for Cassius Clay at Rome 1960 put American
boxer on the path to be 'The Greatest'

2. It all begins with a stolen bike.
When a 12-year-old Muhammad Ali, then known as Cassius Clay, went to a fair at
the Columbia Gym in his hometown of Louisville back in 1955 his pride and joy
Within six weeks, Ali had won his first fight.
Within six years, Ali had a gold medal hanging around his neck at the Olympic
Games in Rome.

3. Journey to Rome
Ali travelled to Rome 1960 to represent the United States as a callow, relatively unknown 18-year-old.
In fact, the then-light heavyweight nearly didn't travel to Italy at all.
A turbulent flight to California for the Olympic trials had put Ali off flying.
Only after some more gentle encouragement from his mentor, Joe Martin, was Ali persuaded to get on the plane.
The teenage boxer did insist on taking a parachute on board for the journey - just in case.

4. Standing in the opposite corner to Ali in Rome’s Palazzo dello Sport stadium on September 5th 1960 was the
imposing frame of Poland's Zbigniew Pietrzykowski.
Pietrzykowski was stronger and vastly more experienced than his rival, and Ali initially struggled to adapt to his
rival's southpaw style.
The 25-year-old Pole edged the first two rounds, but in the final round Ali came to the fore.
With his superior stamina and quick combinations, the American left his rival in a battered - but still upright -
state by the final bell. The judges were unanimous once again. Olympic gold was his.