5 iconic Olympic moments of Muhammad Ali

4) 2002 Winter Olympics – Salt Lake City

Ali lighting the Olympic torch to start off the 2002 relay at the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta

Muhammad Ali had already battled with Parkinson’s for 27 years when he stepped up to light the first torch from the flame which had been flown over to Atlanta from the Greek capital of Athens that set off a 46-state relay across the United States prior to the 2002 Winter Olympics to be held at Salt Lake City.

It also marked the auspicious 50th anniversary of the Winter Olympic torch relay, which had taken place for the first time in 1952 at Oslo, Norway.