We examine one of the most iconic moments in Australian sporting history: the time Kieren Perkins won Gold in the 1500m from lane 8 at Atlanta 1996.

He'd barely qualified for the team, he was ill before the race, and he was plagued by self-doubts and panic attacks. But he romped it home from the "graveyard" Lane 8 position to secure his place in our hearts, and a lifetime's worth of board directorships and corporate sponsorships.

Will the nation "stop" for an event like this again? Have social media, Gen Z slackers and slogan politics killed the 1500 metre race? Is there anything better than a clean cut Olympian winning an against-the-odds gold in an obscure timezone for broadcast?

Audio production courtesy of Tim ‘T-Dog’ Eldridge. Graphic design courtesy of Julia Edwards.

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