ATLANTA — As Atlanta marks the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Summer Olympics, former Atlanta Mayor and U.S. Ambassador Andrew Young is sharing new details about one of the most memorable moments in Olympic history.
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In an interview with Channel 2’s Karyn Greer, Young reflected on the surprise appearance by boxing legend Muhammad Ali during the Opening Ceremony.
When asked what stood out as one of the best moments of the Games, Young pointed to Ali lighting the Olympic cauldron.
“I think Muhammad Ali lighting the torch. That came from NBC. And they saw Muhammad Ali as a giant, world-class figure that would focus the entire world in one moment on Atlanta, and that’s sort of what happened,” Young said.
According to Young, Ali arrived in Atlanta the day before the Opening Ceremony. Organizers worked to keep his presence under wraps, housing the three-time heavyweight champion in a hotel arranged by the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games.
However, keeping Ali out of sight proved difficult.
“It was supposed to be a secret that he was in town,” Young said.
Young recalled that Ali quickly grew restless and wanted to get out and experience the city.
“He didn’t want to be hiding in a hotel room,” Young said. “He called me and said he wanted to get a haircut.”
Young offered to bring a barber to the hotel, but Ali had other plans.
“No, I don’t want to bring no barber up here. I want to go where you go, get your hair cut,” Young recalled Ali saying.
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Before Young could arrive, Ali had already made his way to a local barbershop.
“He got somebody to bring him down, but he went down the aisle and in the beauty parlor, and he hugged the ladies, and he shook hands with everybody, and he put on his little rope-a-dope show. And he had a ball,” Young said.
After getting a haircut, Ali visited a seafood restaurant in southwest Atlanta.
“And he bought everybody lunch,” Young said.
As word spread and crowds began to grow, Young worried the secret surrounding the Opening Ceremony could leak to the media.
Despite Ali’s public appearances, organizers managed to keep his role in the ceremony hidden until the moment he stepped into the spotlight and lit the Olympic torch.
“And nobody ever got word of that, but he wanted to be out with the people. He brought a spirit to the games,” Young said. “That may be my biggest thrill.”
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