Rome
made the most of its dramatic history, holding the
wrestling competition in the Basilica of Maxentius.
Among the other ancient sites that were used were the
Caracalla Baths (gymnastics) and the Arch of Constantine
(finish of the marathon). Sante Gaiardoni of Italy
became the only cyclist in Olympic history to win both
the time trial and the match sprint events. By winning
the silver medal in light-welterweight boxing, Clement "Ike" Quartey
of Ghana became the first black African Olympic medalist.
Five days later in the marathon, Abebe Bikila, running
barefoot, outlasted Rhadi Ben Abdesselem of Morocco
to become the first black African Olympic champion.
Suffering from concussion and a broken collarbone after
a fall in the endurance test of the three-day equestrian
event, Bill Roycroft left his hospital bed to compete
in the jumping test and ensure the gold medal for Australia.
Year
Location
Dates
Participating
Countries
Number
of
Sports
Number
of
Events
Number
of
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1964
Tokyo
Japan
10-24
October
93
19
163
5151
4473
678
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
None
The
1964 Tokyo Games were the first to be held in Asia.
The Japanese expressed their successful reconstruction
after World War II by choosing Yoshinori Sakai who
was born in Hiroshima the day that that city was destroyed
by an atomic bomb, as the final torchbearer. Judo and
volleyball were introduced to the Olympic program.
The African runner Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia became
the first repeat winner of the marathon, less than
six weeks after having his appendix removed. The American
Al Oerter won the discus throw for the third time despite
a cervical disc injury that forced him to wear a neck
harness and torn rib cartilage incurred a week before
the competition. By winning two medals of each kind,
Larysa Latynina of the Ukraine brought her career medal
total to an incredible 18. She is also one of only
four athletes in any sport to win nine gold medals.
Year
Location
Dates
Participating
Countries
Number
of
Sports
Number
of
Events
Number
of
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1968
Mexico
City
Mexico
12-27
October
112
20
172
5516
4735
781
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
None
The
choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympics was
a controversial one because of the city's high altitude,
2.300m, which meant that the air contained 30% less
oxygen than at sea level. These Olympics were the first
Summer Games to include sex testing for women. Mexican
hurdler Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to
light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony. The most
popular female athlete of the 1968 Games was Vera Caslavska,
the Czech gymnast. After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia
two months before the Olympics, Caslavska went into
hiding for three weeks. She emerged to win four gold
medals and two silvers. On the male side, Al Oerter
of the United States won the discus throw for the fourth
time. The 1968 Games also saw the first drug disqualification
when Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, a Swedish athlete in the
modern pentathlon, tested positive…for excessive
alcohol.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1972
Munich
West Germany
26
August
11 September
121
23
195
7134
6075
1059
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
The
1972 Munich Games were the largest yet, setting records
in all categories, with 195 events and 7.134 athletes
from 121 nations. They were supposed to celebrate peace
and but in the early morning of 5 September, eight
Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village,
killed two members of the Israeli team and took nine
more hostage. In an ensuing battle, all nine Israeli
hostages were killed as well as five terrorists and
one policeman. The Olympics were suspended and a memorial
service was held in the main stadium. In defiance of
the terrorists, the International Olympic Committee
ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of
34 hours. Archery was reintroduced to the Olympic program
after a 52-year absence and handball after a 36-year
absence. Whitewater (or slalom) canoeing was included
for the first time. The 1972 Games were also the first
to have a named mascot: Waldi the dachshund. U.S. swimmer
Mark Spitz won an incredible seven gold medals to go
with the two he had earned in 1968. Lasse Viren of
Finland fell midway through the 10.000m final but rose
and set a world record to win the first of his four
career gold medals. The media star of the Munich Games
was the tiny Soviet gymnast, Olga Korbut, whose dramatic
cycle of success in the team competition, failure in
the individual competition and renewed success in the
apparatus finals captured the attention of fans worldwide.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1976
Montreal
Canada
17
July
1 August
92
21
198
6084
4824
1260
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
The
1976 Montreal Games were marred by an African boycott
to protest the fact that the national rugby team of
New Zealand had toured South Africa and New Zealand
was scheduled to compete in the Olympics. Women’s
events were included for the first time in basketball,
rowing and team handball. Fourteen-year-old gymnast
Nadia Comaneci of Romania caused a sensation when,
for her performance on the uneven bars, she was awarded
the first-ever perfect score of 10.0. She eventually
earned seven 10.0s. On the men’s side, Japan’s
Shun Fujimoto broke his leg while completing his floor
exercises routine. The Japanese team was engaged in
a close contest with the Soviet Union, so Fujimoto
kept his injury secret. But when he dismounted from
the rings, he dislocated his knee and was forced to
withdraw.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1980
Moscow
USSR
19
July
3 August
80
21
203
5179
4064
1115
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
A
US-led boycott reduced the number of participating
nations to 80, the lowest number since 1956. Aleksandr
Dityatin earned medals in every men's gymnastics event
to become the only athlete ever to win eight medals
in one Olympics. Super-heavyweight Teofilo Stevenson
became the first boxer to win the same division three
times. Gerd Wessig became the first male high jumper
to break the world record at the Olympics and swimmer
Vladimir Salnikov broke the 15-minute barrier for the
1.500m. In a dramatic confrontation, runners Steve
Ovett and Sebastian Coe split the 800 and 1.500m.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1984
Los
Angeles
USA
28
July
12 August
140
23
221
6829
5263
1566
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
Although
a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted
the field in certain sports, a record 140 nations took
part. Joan Benoit won the first women's marathon and
Connie Carpenter-Phinney the first women's cycling
road race. Carl Lewis won both sprints and the long
jump and earned a fourth gold in the 4x100m relay.
Sebastian Coe became the first repeat winner of the
men's 1.500m. Archer Neroli Fairhall was the first
paraplegic athlete to take part in a medal event. She
competed in a wheelchair.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1988
Seoul
South Korea
17
September
2 October
159
25
237
8391
6197
2194
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
Although
the drug disqualification of sprinter Ben Johnson was
the biggest story of the 1988 Olympics, the Seoul Games
were highlighted by numerous exceptional performances.
Christa Luding-Rothenburger, who was also a speed skater,
earned a silver medal in cycling to become the only
person in history to win Winter and Summer medals in
the same year. Steffi Graf concluded her Grand Slam
tennis season by winning Olympic gold. Greg Louganis
repeated victories in both diving events. Florence
Griffith-Joyner dominated the sprints. For the first
time, all the medalists in dressage were women.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1992
Barcelona
Spain
25
July
8 August
169
28
257
9356
6652
2704
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
Men's
basketball was open to all professionals, and the US
sent a "Dream Team"
that included Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird.
Gymnast Vitaly Scherbo won six gold medals including a
record four in one day. Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia won the
10.000m run to become the first female black African Olympic
champion. Her victory lap with silver medalist Elana Meyer,
a white South African, symbolized hope for the future of
the Olympic Movement.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
1996
Atlanta
USA
19
July
4 August
197
26
271
10318
6806
3512
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
The
1996 Games were given a dramatic start when the cauldron
was lit by Muhammad Ali. On 27 July during a concert
held in the Centennial Olympic Park, a terrorist bomb
killed one person and injured a further 110 people
but the Atlanta Games are best remembered for their
sporting achievements. A record-setting 79 nations
won medals and 53 won gold. Carl Lewis became only
the third person to win the same individual event four
times and the fourth person to earn a ninth gold medal.
Naim Suleymanoglu became the first weightlifter to
win a third gold medal. Michael Johnson smashed the
200m world record to complete a 200m and 400m double.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
2000
Sydney
Australia
15
September
1 October
199
28
300
10.651
6582
4069
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
The
Sydney 2000 Games were the largest yet, with 10.651
athletes competing in 300 events. Despite their size,
they were well organized, renewing faith in the Olympic
Movement. Birgit Fischer earned two gold medals in
kayak to become the first woman in any sport to win
medals 20 years apart. Judoka Ryoko Tamura lost in
the final in both Barcelona and Atlanta but came back
to win the gold medal in Sydney. Steven Redgrave became
the first rower to win gold medals at five consecutive
Olympics.
Year
Location
Dates
Countries
Sports
Events
Athletes
Male
Athletes
Female
Athletes
2004
Athens
Greece
13-29
August
201
28
301
11.000
-
-
Emblem
Mascot
Torch
Poster
In
2004 the Olympic Games returned to Greece, the home
of both the ancient Olympics and the first modern Olympics.
For the first time ever a record 201 National Olympic
Committees (NOCs) participated in the Olympic Games
and there were 301 events. Women's wrestling made its
introduction. Swimmer Michael Phelps won 6 gold medals
and set a single-Games record with 8 total medals.
Leontien Zijlaard-van Moorsel became the first female
cyclist to earn 4 career gold medals and 6 total medals
while canoeist Birgit Fischer became the first athlete
in any sport to win two medals in each of 5 Olympics.
Runner Hicham El Guerrouj won both the 1.500m and the
5.000m while on the women's side Kelly Holmes triumphed
in both the 800m and the 1.500m. In team play, Argentina
won the men's football tournament without giving up
a goal and the U.S. softball team won from their opponents
with 51-1.