- 2000 Summer olympics in sydney
2008A record 10,651 athletes (4,069 of them women) from 199 nations participate; the only nation excluded is Afghanistan. North and South Korea enter the stadium under one flag. Australian Aboriginal Cathy Freeman lights the cauldron at the start of the game, and goes on to win the 400m race.
British rower Steven Redgrave becomes the first athlete to win gold medals in five consecutive Olympics.
The U.S. softball team defends its title; Michael Johnson does the same in the 400m race.
17-year-old Ian Thorpe of Australia wins four medals (three gold) in swimming, breaking his own world record in the 400m freestyle.
American Marion Jones wins five track medals, three of them gold.
Russian gymnast Alexei Nemov takes home six medals, as he had done in Atlanta in 1996.
Eric "the Eel" Moussambani of Equatorial Guinea is this year's lovable loser, taking 112.72 seconds in the 100m freestyle swim. This is more than twice as long as Pieter van den Hoogenband's gold-winning performance.
There are 165 events for men, 135 for women, and 12 mixed events. Women are excluded from boxing and baseball; men are excluded from synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics, and softball.
The United States, the Russian Federation, and the People's Republic of China lead the medal-winners.
- 2004 Summer Olmpics in Athens
Jan 1, 2004In 2004 the Olympic Games returned to Greece, the home of both the ancient Olympics and the first modern Olympics. There were 301 events and 45,000 volunteers! The united states won 35 gold, 39 silver, and 29 bronze metals!
http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=2004
- The Games of the XXVI Olympiad
1996Muhammad Ali lit the torchto start the games. The first Glod Medal Hong Kong ever won was won by Lee Lai Shan. 197 nations take part in the 1996 Olympics. 79 nations won at least one medal
- The Games of 1992 Olympics in Barcelona
1992The Summer Olympics of 1992 is where some major historical events occured. Here are some of many:
1. In basketball, the admittance of professional players led to the American Dream Team, with players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Larry Bird. They won the gold medal with great ease.
2. South Africa was allowed again to participate in the Olympics after a 28 years suspension in the Olympic Games for its apartheid policy.
3. In men's artistic gymnastics, Vitaly Scherbo from Belarus won six gold medals, including four on a single day. Five of the six golds were in individual events, tying Eric Heiden's record for individual gold medals at a single Olympics.
4. In the diving competitions, held in the view of the Sagrada FamÃlia, Fu Mingxia won the high dive event, despite being only 13 years old.
5. After being demonstrated six times, baseball became an Olympic sport, with Cuba winning the gold medal, Chinese Taipei winning silver, and Japan, the bronze.
6. Badminton and women's judo became part of the Olympic programme, while slalom canoeing returned to the Games after a 20-year absence.
- 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul
1988The 1988 Summer Olympics were held in Seoul, South Korea. It was the second Asian nation to ever host an Olympic Games.
North Korea was still at war with South Korea, so they boycotted the event. Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua joined the boycott as well. Athletes from 159 nations competed at the Seoul Games. Aruba, American Samoa, Cook Islands, Guam, Maldives, Vanuatu, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and South Yemen made their first Olympic appearance at these Games. The Korean government hoped the Olympics would symbolize a new legitimacy of Korea in world affairs.
However, this attempt to provide legitimacy to the Korean government, especially the Chun administration, backfired. The anticipation of the Olympic Games intensified world scrutiny of Korea during a time of political crisis.
- The Summer Olympics of 1984 in Los Angeles
1984Countries participating 140
People participating 6,797
(5,230 men, 1,567 women)
Events 221 in 23 sports
Opening ritual July 28
Closing ritual August 12
- 1976 summer Olympics
1976Canada, the host country, left with only five silver and six bronze medals. It was the first and only time to date in Olympic history that the host country of the Summer Games won no gold medals.
- The 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich
1972The Summer Olympics of 1972 in Munich, Germany is one to remember. First off, It is the set of the famous horrible Munich Massacre. This Massacre consisted of a group of seven Palestinian terrorists took eleven Israeli athletes hostage; all of whom did not survive. Although, not every part of the Olympics was this gruesome. In fact, United States Swimmer Mark Spitz set a world record by winning seven gold medals in a single Olympics. In conclusion, the Summer Olympics of 1972 in Munich, Germany will always be remembered, for bad and for good.
- The Games of the XVII Olympiad
1960In 1960 the USA took home a total of 71 medals which put them in second place behind the USSR in total number of medals. During these olympic games, Cassius Clay(Muhammad Ali) took home a gold medal in boxing. Wilma Rudolph also won medals in sprinting. Wilma Rudolph previously had polio. The 1960 olympics also marked South Africa's last time competing until 1992 due to Apartheid.
- The Games of the XIV Olympiad - London
1948The 1948 Summer Games were the first olympics in 12 years due to World War II. 59 countries sent athletes to the games, but Germany and Japan were not allowed to as they were under Allied occupation, the United States led the medal count with 84 total medals. Fanny Blankers-Koen of Holland was the big individual winner, taking home four gold medals.
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