The Rio games aren't the only reason East Tennessee residents are talking about the Olympics. Some are remembering the 20th anniversary of the 1996 summer games that featured whitewater events in Ocoee, Tennessee. Though those events turned out to be a success, some were skeptical when the idea was first proposed, and grassroots organizations worked hard to make it happen.
Blake Fontenay has written a brief history of how Olympic fever came to East Tennessee. He's the Coordinator for the Tri-Star Chronicles, an online history publication.