I think it was the Los Angeles Olympics, where they first allowed pro sportsmen/women. This was because the Olympics had got so expensive, they argued that you needed the pro athletes to attract the sponsorship deals from the big corporations.
That was the end of an era for me. The spirit of the amateur was no longer a key aspect of the Olympics. It was also a springboard for many athletes to start as pro or semi pro athletes. As athletes moved up to pro, it gave more exposure the fresh talent coming through.
I even remember the AAA (Amateur Athletics Association) events being televised on Grandstand, and World of Sport (what ever happened to them).
Well done Fiji.