Rome 1960
Rome had been chosen to stage the 1908 Olympic Video games, however the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy had intervened. It was some 52 years later that the Video games lastly arrived within the Italian capital. The Rome video games had been broadcast by tv to all European nations and had been watched by hundreds of thousands. Nevertheless, the competitions themselves had been overshadowed by the rivalry between the US and the USSR. Within the last medal desk the USSR completed forward of the US by 43 to 34 gold medals.
Olympic Highlights
o Working barefoot, Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila didn’t go unnoticed when he entered the marathon. He refused to be daunted by the condescending remarks and left all his opponents behind to cross the ending line victorious, close to Constantine’s triumphal arch.
o Aged 20, Wilma Rudolph grew to become the primary American lady to win three gold athletics medals in a single Olympiad: within the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. She achieved this extraordinary feat regardless of affected by a string of childhood diseases and recovering from a deformed leg attributable to polio.
o Cassius Marcellus Clay, later generally known as MuhammadM/, firstgai/ied r’nfernaffonaf prominence by successful the light-heavyweight gold medal. He would later flip skilled and embark on an outstanding profession.
Tokyo 1964
For the primary time, the Olympic Video games had been hosted in Asia, Japan invested closely in probably the most fashionable sports activities services in addition to in enhancing the infrastructure of a metropolis containing over 10 million individuals. The extraordinary architectural design of the swimming stadium led to it being described as a “cathedral of sports activities”. Different excellent new buildings included the judo corridor, which was modelled on the architectural model of conventional Japanese temples. The opening ceremony supplied a glimpse into how record-breaking the competitors can be, when groups from 93 nations (10 greater than participated in Rome) paraded into the Meiji Stadium. Nevertheless, the excessive requirements set by athletes on the Tokyo Video games led some critics to warn about exaggerated expectations for the longer term improvement of the Olympic disciplines.
Olympic Highlights
o Australian swimmer Daybreak Fraser (see p.21) received her third successive gold medal within the 100m freestyle. She was the primary lady swimmer to win eight medals (4 gold and 4 silver) – over three Olympics.
o Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina (see p.20) added six extra medals to her tally, turning into the primary lady to win 9 Olympic gold medals.
o Deszo Gyarmati received gold with the Hungarian water polo group, thus reaching the (then) distinctive feat of successful medals at 5 successive Olympic Video games
Mexico Metropolis 1968
Mexico Metropolis’s excessive altitude – virtually 2,240m (7,350ft) above sea degree dominated a lot of the pre-Video games dialogue: the consensus being that athletes from lowland nations can be at an obstacle. Nevertheless a number of weeks of high-altitude coaching enhanced the performances of many of those athletes. There have been violent riots within the run-up to the Video games, following complaints in regards to the exorbitant quantities of cash being invested in Olympic services in distinction to Mexico’s personal social issues. Controversy additionally arose over South Africa’s participation at these Video games and the IOC withdrew its invitation below strain. Doping controls had been launched for the primary time and a Swedish athlete was disqualified for having an excessive amount of alcohol in his bloodstream.
Olympic Highlights
o American Bob Beamon was the favourite within the lengthy bounce however he exceeded all expectations. His bounce of 8.90m beat the world document by 0.55m.
o Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska received 4 gold and two silver medals. These victories got additional significance by beating the Soviet gymnasts shortly after Soviet tanks had invaded her homeland.
o American Debbie Meyer grew to become the primary lady swimmer to win three particular person gold medals at one Olympic Video games.
Munich 1972
The 1972 Munich Video games had been the biggest but, setting information in all classes, with 195 occasions and seven,134 athletes from 121 nations. The Video games had been presupposed to rejoice peace, and for the primary 10 days all went effectively. However within the early morning of 5 September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic village [http://www.nike-trainers.com], killed two members of the Israeli group, and took 9 extra hostage. Within the ensuing battle, all 9 Israeli hostages had been killed, together with 5 of the terrorists, and one policeman. The Olympics had been suspended and a memorial service was held in the primary stadium. In defiance of the terrorists, the Worldwide Olympic Committee ordered the competitions to renew after a pause of 34 hours. All different particulars in regards to the Munich Video games paled in significance.
Olympic Highlights
o Finnish distance runner Lasse Viren fell midway via the ten,000m last, however nonetheless set a brand new world document to win the primary of his 4 profession gold medals.
o The media star of the Munich Video games was the petite Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut, whose three gold medals helped set up Soviet dominance within the feminine gymnastics occasions and captured the eye of followers worldwide.
Montreal 1976
The 1976 Montreal Video games had been marred by the boycott of twenty-two African nations protesting the truth that regardless of the New Zealand rugby group touring South Africa in defiance of worldwide sporting sanctions, New Zealand was nonetheless allowed to compete. To compound the scenario, the host nation suffered an unusually lengthy winter, industrial disputes, and a scarcity of funds, which made it inconceivable to complete work on the Olympic services in time for the opening ceremony. Nevertheless, the performances of the athletes didn’t endure from the political and nationwide disputes. Regardless of the issues, the Video games had been effectively organized and, following the 1972 terrorist assault in Munich, safety was tight.
Olympic Highlights
o Nadia Comaneci was the star of the Video games. She achieved her first excellent 10 on the uneven parallel bars, and the judges awarded her the utmost mark seven instances.
o Along with his victory in platform diving, Italian Klaus Dibiasi grew to become the primary Olympic diver to win three successive gold medals, and to win medals in 4 Olympic Video games.
o The US and East Germany dominated the swimming occasions. Solely Nice Britain’s David Wilkie and the Soviet Union’s Marina Koshevaya (each successful their 200m finals in document instances) upset the monopoly.
Moscow 1980
Because of the US-led boycott in protest on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, solely 80 nations had been represented on the Moscow Video games [http://www.nike-trainers.com]. Notable absentees included Japan, West Germany, and the US. Western nations have regularly referred to the Moscow Video games as being of a low commonplace, and have raised doubts in regards to the sporting worth of the outcomes and medals. Nonetheless, though not of the very best calibre, the Moscow Video games had been hardly sub-standard: 36 world information, 39 European information, and 73 Olympic information bore testimony to the excessive degree of expertise and competitors on show.
Olympic Highlights
o Soviet swimmer Vladimir Salnikov received three gold medals: within the 400m and 1,500m freestyle, and 4x200m relay. He was additionally the primary to swim 1,500m in a time of lower than quarter-hour.
o British middle-distance runners Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe confronted one another in two memorable duels. Within the 800m, Ovett received the gold medal simply forward of his compatriot. Six days later, a decided Coe redeemed himself within the 1,500m, taking gold whereas Ovett might solely handle bronze.
o By successful the decathlon, Nice Britain’s Daley Thompson grew to become “king of the athletes”, beating dwelling crowd favorite Yuri Kutsenko into second place.
Los Angeles 1984
Though a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the sphere in sure sports activities, a document 140 nations took half within the first privately funded match in Olympic historical past. Greater than 30 sponsors collectively contributed greater than $500 million, whereas different corporations funded the constructing of recent sports activities services, in a deal that allowed them to promote on the admission tickets. The ABC tv community paid $225 million for the unique tv rights, thereby making certain that the majority occasions began within the evenings throughout prime tv time within the US. With these huge quantities of cash concerned, many critics held the view that what had as soon as been a competition of beginner sport was now a purely business spectacle.
Olympic Highlights
o American diver Greg Louganis remained unbeaten from the 3m springboard in addition to from the 10m platform.
o Sebastian Coe grew to become the primary repeat winner of the lads’s 1,500m.
o Within the ladies’s 400m hurdles, Nawal El Moutawakel led from begin to end, turning into the primary Moroccan athlete to win a gold medal.
o British decathlete gold medallist Daley Thompson completed only one level off the world document.
Seoul 1988
Fortunately, the large-scale boycotts of Moscow and Los Angeles didn’t recur at Seoul. For the primary time in 12 years, all main Olympic nations, besides Cuba and Ethiopia, took half within the Olympic Video games. Though the drug disqualification of sprinter Ben Johnson grew to become the largest story of the 1988 Olympics, the Seoul Video games had been highlighted by quite a few distinctive performances and 27 new world information. As soon as once more the Soviet Union (55 gold medals) and East Germany (37) demonstrated their sporting superiority over the Western nations by ending first and second within the medal desk.
Olympic Highlights
o American swimmer Matt Biondi received seven medals, together with 5 gold. His gold medals got here within the 50m and 100m freestyle, and all three relays.
o Soviet pole-vaulter Serguei Bubka received his first gold medal, clearing 5.90m on the third try. Regardless of being a world document holder and dominating the game for 14 years (1983-97), it was his solely Olympic medal.
o West German velocity skater and bicycle owner Christa Luding-Rothenburger made Olympic historical past after turning into the primary individual to win Summer season and Winter Olympic medals in the identical 12 months. After successful gold and silver within the velocity skating at Calgary, she received silver within the 1,000m dash biking.
Barcelona 1992
Spanish IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch introduced the Video games to his dwelling metropolis of Barcelona, expressing his gratitude to the Video games’ sponsors on the last celebrations. The IOC obtained hundreds of thousands of {dollars} in income from the sale of tv broadcasting rights, though many athletes complained that the beginning instances of many occasions had been organized to swimsuit primetime tv promoting slots. Groups from a post-apartheid South Africa and a unified Germany had been welcomed again onto the world stage. Males’s basketball was open to professionals for the primary time, permitting the creation of an American “Dream Workforce”, which included Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Fowl, and Charles Barkley.
Olympic Highlights
o Spaniard Fermin Cacho Ruiz was not one of many favourites within the 1,500m. Taking
benefit of the truth that the race was run at an unusually sluggish tempo, he began his dash with half a lap to go and with the gang behind him, took gold, turning into the primary Spanish runner ever to win a gold medal.
o Nice Britain’s Linford Christie is the oldest man (32 years) to win Olympic gold within the 100m. He added the World Championship title the next 12 months.
o Within the intently fought ladies’s 100m, Jamaican Merlene Ottey was simply 0.06 seconds behind the winner but nonetheless solely completed in fifth place.
Atlanta 1996
The 1996 Atlanta Video games got a poignant begin when the cauldron was lit by a visibly shaking Muhammad All, by this time affected by Parkinson’s illness. On 27 July, throughout a live performance held within the Centennial Olympic Park, a terrorist bomb killed one individual and injured an extra 110 individuals, however the Atlanta Video games are finest remembered for his or her sporting achievements, together with Michael Johnson’s extraordinary 200m and 400m double victory. A record-setting 79 nations received medals, 53 of them successful gold.
Olympic Highlights
o French runner Marie-Jose Perec received the 200m and 400m, breaking the 400m Olympic document and turning into the primary lady to win the 400m at two consecutive Olympics. She is probably the most profitable French feminine athlete of all time.
o Russian swimmer Aleksandr Popov received two gold medals within the 50m and 100m freestyle – overtaking American swimmer Gary Corridor, Jr on each events – and two silver medals within the relays.
o Maim Suleymanoglu of Turkey grew to become the primary weightlifler to win three consecutive Olympic titles.
o American Michael Johnson’s double gold over 200m and 400m was the primary for a person in Olympic historical past.
Sydney 2000
The Sydney Video games had been the biggest but, with 10,651 athletes competing in 300 occasions. Regardless of their dimension, the Video games had been effectively organized, renewing religion within the Olympic Motion. Athletes from North and South Korea marched collectively below the identical flag, whereas 4 athletes from East Timor (it solely grew to become a sovereign state in 2002) had been allowed to take part below the Olympic flag as particular person athletes. Cathy Freeman, an indigenous Australian, was given the honour of lighting the Olympic flame within the opening ceremony, and repaid the praise by successful the 400m last in entrance of an ecstatic dwelling crowd.
Olympic Highlights
o After being evaded competitions for over a 12 months by severe shoulder and again issues, French judo champion David Douillet received his second consecutive Olympic gold by beating Shinichi Shinohara of Japan in an thrilling last.
o 17-year-old Australian swimming sensation Ian Thorpe received his first gold medal within the 400m freestyle by breaking his personal world document. He then swam the anchor leg within the 4x100m freestyle to win once more. A 3rd gold got here from the 4x200m freestyle, and he added a silver medal within the 200m freestyle.
o German canoeist Birgit Fischer received two golds within the Okay-2 and Okay-4 500m to develop into the primary feminine Olympian to win medals 20 years aside.
Athens 2004
In 2004 the Olympic Video games returned to Greece, dwelling of each the traditional Olympics and the primary fashionable Olympics, For the primary time ever, a document 201 Nationwide Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated within the Olympic Video games, The general tally for occasions on the programme was 301 (yet one more than in Sydney 2000). The recognition of the Video games soared to new heights as 3.9 billion individuals had entry to the tv protection, in comparison with 3.6 billion for Sydney 2000.
Olympic Highlights
o Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj grew to become the primary runner since Paavo Nurmi in 1924 to win each the 1,500m and the 5,000m. Within the 1,500m, he was handed by Bernard Lagat within the dwelling stretch, however got here again to win. Within the 5,000m, he got here from behind to defeat 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele.
o Turkish weightlifter Nurcan Taylan received the gold medal within the ladies’s 48kg class. She was the primary Turkish lady in any sport to win an Olympic championship.
o Argentina’s males’s basketball group put an finish to the domination of the US’s professionals, defeating them 89-81 within the semi-finals. The Argentinians went on to beat Italy 84-69 within the last.
o German canoeist Birgit Fischer grew to become the youngest and oldest Olympic canoeing gold medallist, successful her gold medals in Okay-1 and Okay-4 500m -24 years aside, and the primary feminine athlete to win gold in six totally different Olympics.
