The Euro snobs looked down on him but he was a master at getting inside their heads. He was an expert at intimidating them and had no fear. When he would run into them in the village he would tell them right to their faces: "I'm gonna win the gold." His winning race is right up there with Franz Klammer for edge of the seat excitement. Wish his life after the olympics had gone better for him. He was a real character.
For me, that is still the single-most thrilling moment in Olympic history.