Whether you’re an Olympics fanatic or just enjoy watching the highlights – there is always that one moment or athlete story that stands outs above the others.

With less than a week before the 2012 London Olympics, here is a list of Latino athletes who have earned a spot in Olympic history.

John Carlos, Sprinter, 1968 Olympics

It was off the track, that sprinter, John Carlos, made his mark during the 1968 Mexico City Olympic Games. While standing on the podium to receive the bronze medal for the 200-meter event, he and his teammate, Tommie Smith, raised their fists in the air in support for civil rights in the United States. The image capturing their “silent protest” led to numerous honors, documentaries, and monuments around the world. Carlos went on to be a high school track and field coach and was inducted into the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2003.

Joaquin Capilla, Diver, 1984, 1952, and 1956 Olympics

Mexican diver, Joaquin Capilla, is the only Latino to ever win an Olympic gold medal in diving. As part of the Mexican Olympic team, Capilla earned four medals from the 1948, 1952 and 1956 Olympic Games. Mexican President Felipe Calderon recognized the diver with the National Sports Award in 2009. Capilla retired after his third and final competition in 1956 and passed away, at the age of 81, in 2010.

Read more at NBC Latino