| Rome 1960 | | | | duels. In the 800m, Ovett won the gold medal just |
| Rome had been chosen to stage the 1908 Olympic | | | | ahead of his compatriot. Six days later, a determined |
| Games, but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in | | | | Coe redeemed himself in the 1,500m, taking gold |
| southern Italy had intervened. It was some 52 years | | | | while Ovett could only manage bronze.o By winning |
| later that the Games finally arrived in the Italian | | | | the decathlon, Great Britain's Daley Thompson |
| capital. The Rome games were broadcast by | | | | became "king of the athletes", beating home crowd |
| television to all European countries and were watched | | | | favourite Yuri Kutsenko into second place. |
| by millions. However, the competitions themselves | | | | Los Angeles 1984 |
| were overshadowed by the rivalry between the US | | | | Although a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union |
| and the USSR. In the final medal table the USSR | | | | depleted the field in certain sports, a record 140 |
| finished ahead of the US by 43 to 34 gold medals. | | | | nations took part in the first privately funded |
| Olympic Highlightso Running barefoot, Ethiopian | | | | tournament in Olympic history. More than 30 sponsors |
| athlete Abebe Bikila did not go unnoticed when he | | | | together contributed more than $500 million, while |
| entered the marathon. He refused to be daunted by | | | | other companies funded the building of new sports |
| the condescending remarks and left all his opponents | | | | facilities, in a deal that allowed them to advertise on |
| behind to cross the finishing line victorious, near | | | | the admission tickets. The ABC television network |
| Constantine's triumphal arch.o Aged 20, Wilma | | | | paid $225 million for the exclusive television rights, |
| Rudolph became the first American woman to win | | | | thereby ensuring that most events started in the |
| three gold athletics medals in one Olympiad: in the | | | | evenings during prime television time in the US. With |
| 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. She achieved this | | | | these vast amounts of money involved, many critics |
| extraordinary feat despite suffering from a string of | | | | held the view that what had once been a festival of |
| childhood illnesses and recovering from a deformed | | | | amateur sport was now a purely commercial |
| leg caused by polio.o Cassius Marcellus Clay, later | | | | spectacle. |
| known as MuhammadM/, firstgai/ied r'nfernaffonaf | | | | Olympic Highlightso American diver Greg Louganis |
| prominence by winning the light-heavyweight gold | | | | remained unbeaten from the 3m springboard as well |
| medal. He would later turn professional and embark | | | | as from the 10m platform.o Sebastian Coe became |
| on a phenomenal career. | | | | the first repeat winner of the men's 1,500m.o In the |
| Tokyo 1964 | | | | women's 400m hurdles, Nawal El Moutawakel led |
| For the first time, the Olympic Games were hosted in | | | | from start to finish, becoming the first Moroccan |
| Asia, Japan invested heavily in the most modern | | | | athlete to win a gold medal.o British decathlete gold |
| sports facilities as well as in improving the | | | | medallist Daley Thompson finished just one point off |
| infrastructure of a city containing over 10 million | | | | the world record. |
| people. The extraordinary architectural design of the | | | | Seoul 1988 |
| swimming stadium led to it being described as a | | | | Happily, the large-scale boycotts of Moscow and Los |
| "cathedral of sports". Other outstanding new buildings | | | | Angeles did not recur at Seoul. For the first time in 12 |
| included the judo hall, which was modelled on the | | | | years, all leading Olympic nations, except Cuba and |
| architectural style of traditional Japanese temples. | | | | Ethiopia, took part in the Olympic Games. Although |
| The opening ceremony offered a glimpse into how | | | | the drug disqualification of sprinter Ben Johnson |
| record-breaking the competition would be, when | | | | became the biggest story of the 1988 Olympics, the |
| teams from 93 nations (10 more than participated in | | | | Seoul Games were highlighted by numerous |
| Rome) paraded into the Meiji Stadium. However, the | | | | exceptional performances and 27 new world records. |
| high standards set by athletes at the Tokyo Games | | | | Once again the Soviet Union (55 gold medals) and |
| led some critics to warn about exaggerated | | | | East Germany (37) demonstrated their sporting |
| expectations for the future development of the | | | | superiority over the Western nations by finishing first |
| Olympic disciplines. | | | | and second in the medal table. |
| Olympic Highlightso Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser | | | | Olympic Highlightso American swimmer Matt Biondi |
| (see p.21) won her third successive gold medal in the | | | | won seven medals, including five gold. His gold medals |
| 100m freestyle. She was the first woman swimmer | | | | came in the 50m and 100m freestyle, and all three |
| to win eight medals (four gold and four silver) - over | | | | relays.o Soviet pole-vaulter Serguei Bubka won his |
| three Olympics.o Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina (see | | | | first gold medal, clearing 5.90m at the third attempt. |
| p.20) added six more medals to her tally, becoming | | | | Despite being a world record holder and dominating |
| the first woman to win nine Olympic gold medals.o | | | | the sport for 14 years (1983-97), it was his only |
| Deszo Gyarmati won gold with the Hungarian water | | | | Olympic medal.o West German speed skater and |
| polo team, thus achieving the (then) unique feat of | | | | cyclist Christa Luding-Rothenburger made Olympic |
| winning medals at five successive Olympic Games | | | | history after becoming the first person to win |
| Mexico City 1968 | | | | Summer and Winter Olympic medals in the same |
| Mexico City's high altitude - almost 2,240m (7,350ft) | | | | year. After winning gold and silver in the speed |
| above sea level dominated much of the pre-Games | | | | skating at Calgary, she won silver in the 1,000m |
| discussion: the consensus being that athletes from | | | | sprint cycling. |
| lowland countries would be at a disadvantage. | | | | Barcelona 1992 |
| However several weeks of high-altitude training | | | | Spanish IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch |
| enhanced the performances of many of these | | | | brought the Games to his home city of Barcelona, |
| athletes. There were violent riots in the run-up to the | | | | expressing his gratitude to the Games' sponsors at |
| Games, following complaints about the exorbitant | | | | the final celebrations. The IOC received millions of |
| amounts of money being invested in Olympic facilities | | | | dollars in revenue from the sale of television |
| in contrast to Mexico's own social problems. | | | | broadcasting rights, although many athletes |
| Controversy also arose over South Africa's | | | | complained that the start times of many events |
| participation at these Games and the IOC withdrew | | | | were arranged to suit primetime television advertising |
| its invitation under pressure. Doping controls were | | | | slots. Teams from a post-apartheid South Africa and |
| introduced for the first time and a Swedish athlete | | | | a unified Germany were welcomed back onto the |
| was disqualified for having too much alcohol in his | | | | world stage. Men's basketball was open to |
| bloodstream. | | | | professionals for the first time, allowing the creation |
| Olympic Highlightso American Bob Beamon was the | | | | of an American "Dream Team", which included Magic |
| favorite in the long jump but he exceeded all | | | | Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Charles |
| expectations. His jump of 8.90m beat the world | | | | Barkley. |
| record by 0.55m.o Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska | | | | Olympic Highlightso Spaniard Fermin Cacho Ruiz was |
| won four gold and two silver medals. These victories | | | | not one of the favourites in the 1,500m. |
| were given extra significance by beating the Soviet | | | | Takingadvantage of the fact that the race was run |
| gymnasts shortly after Soviet tanks had invaded her | | | | at an unusually slow pace, he started his sprint with |
| homeland.o American Debbie Meyer became the first | | | | half a lap to go and with the crowd behind him, took |
| woman swimmer to win three individual gold medals | | | | gold, becoming the first Spanish runner ever to win a |
| at one Olympic Games. | | | | gold medal.o Great Britain's Linford Christie is the |
| Munich 1972 | | | | oldest man (32 years) to win Olympic gold in the |
| The 1972 Munich Games were the largest yet, | | | | 100m. He added the World Championship title the |
| setting records in all categories, with 195 events and | | | | following year.o In the closely fought women's 100m, |
| 7,134 athletes from 121 nations. The Games were | | | | Jamaican Merlene Ottey was just 0.06 seconds |
| supposed to celebrate peace, and for the first 10 | | | | behind the winner yet still only finished in fifth place. |
| days all went well. But in the early morning of 5 | | | | Atlanta 1996 |
| September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the | | | | The 1996 Atlanta Games were given a poignant start |
| Olympic village [ killed two members of the Israeli | | | | when the cauldron was lit by a visibly shaking |
| team, and took nine more hostage. In the ensuing | | | | Muhammad All, by this time suffering from Parkinson's |
| battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, along with | | | | disease. On 27 July, during a concert held in the |
| five of the terrorists, and one policeman. The | | | | Centennial Olympic Park, a terrorist bomb killed one |
| Olympics were suspended and a memorial service | | | | person and injured a further 110 people, but the |
| was held in the main stadium. In defiance of the | | | | Atlanta Games are best remembered for their |
| terrorists, the International Olympic Committee | | | | sporting achievements, including Michael Johnson's |
| ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of | | | | extraordinary 200m and 400m double victory. A |
| 34 hours. All other details about the Munich Games | | | | record-setting 79 nations won medals, 53 of them |
| paled in significance. | | | | winning gold. |
| Olympic Highlightso Finnish distance runner Lasse Viren | | | | Olympic Highlightso French runner Marie-Jose Perec |
| fell halfway through the 10,000m final, but still set a | | | | won the 200m and 400m, breaking the 400m |
| new world record to win the first of his four career | | | | Olympic record and becoming the first woman to win |
| gold medals.o The media star of the Munich Games | | | | the 400m at two consecutive Olympics. She is the |
| was the petite Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut, whose | | | | most successful French female athlete of all time.o |
| three gold medals helped establish Soviet dominance | | | | Russian swimmer Aleksandr Popov won two gold |
| in the female gymnastics events and captured the | | | | medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle - overtaking |
| attention of fans worldwide. | | | | American swimmer Gary Hall, Jr on both occasions - |
| Montreal 1976 | | | | and two silver medals in the relays.o Maim |
| The 1976 Montreal Games were marred by the | | | | Suleymanoglu of Turkey became the first weightlifler |
| boycott of 22 African nations protesting the fact | | | | to win three consecutive Olympic titles.o American |
| that despite the New Zealand rugby team touring | | | | Michael Johnson's double gold over 200m and 400m |
| South Africa in defiance of international sporting | | | | was the first for a man in Olympic history. |
| sanctions, New Zealand was still allowed to compete. | | | | Sydney 2000 |
| To compound the situation, the host nation suffered | | | | The Sydney Games were the largest yet, with |
| an unusually long winter, industrial disputes, and a lack | | | | 10,651 athletes competing in 300 events. Despite their |
| of funds, which made it impossible to finish work on | | | | size, the Games were well organized, renewing faith |
| the Olympic facilities in time for the opening | | | | in the Olympic Movement. Athletes from North and |
| ceremony. However, the performances of the | | | | South Korea marched together under the same flag, |
| athletes did not suffer from the political and national | | | | while four athletes from East Timor (it only became |
| disputes. Despite the problems, the Games were well | | | | a sovereign state in 2002) were allowed to |
| organized and, following the 1972 terrorist attack in | | | | participate under the Olympic flag as individual |
| Munich, security was tight. | | | | athletes. Cathy Freeman, an indigenous Australian, |
| Olympic Highlightso Nadia Comaneci was the star of | | | | was given the honour of lighting the Olympic flame in |
| the Games. She achieved her first perfect 10 on the | | | | the opening ceremony, and repaid the compliment by |
| uneven parallel bars, and the judges awarded her the | | | | winning the 400m final in front of an ecstatic home |
| maximum mark seven times.o With his victory in | | | | crowd. |
| platform diving, Italian Klaus Dibiasi became the first | | | | Olympic Highlightso After being kept away from |
| Olympic diver to win three successive gold medals, | | | | competitions for over a year by serious shoulder and |
| and to win medals in four Olympic Games.o The US | | | | back problems, French judo champion David Douillet |
| and East Germany dominated the swimming events. | | | | won his second consecutive Olympic gold by beating |
| Only Great Britain's David Wilkie and the Soviet | | | | Shinichi Shinohara of Japan in an exciting final.o |
| Union's Marina Koshevaya (both winning their 200m | | | | 17-year-old Australian swimming sensation Ian Thorpe |
| finals in record times) upset the monopoly. | | | | won his first gold medal in the 400m freestyle by |
| Moscow 1980 | | | | breaking his own world record. He then swam the |
| As a result of the US-led boycott in protest at the | | | | anchor leg in the 4x100m freestyle to win again. A |
| Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, only 80 countries | | | | third gold came from the 4x200m freestyle, and he |
| were represented at the Moscow Games [ Notable | | | | added a silver medal in the 200m freestyle.o German |
| absentees included Japan, West Germany, and the | | | | canoeist Birgit Fischer won two golds in the K-2 and |
| US. Western countries have frequently referred to | | | | K-4 500m to become the first female Olympian to |
| the Moscow Games as being of a low standard, and | | | | win medals 20 years apart. |
| have raised doubts about the sporting value of the | | | | Athens 2004 |
| results and medals. Nonetheless, although not of the | | | | In 2004 the Olympic Games returned to Greece, |
| highest calibre, the Moscow Games were hardly | | | | home of both the ancient Olympics and the first |
| sub-standard: 36 world records, 39 European records, | | | | modern Olympics, For the first time ever, a record |
| and 73 Olympic records bore testimony to the high | | | | 201 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated |
| level of talent and competition on display. | | | | in the Olympic Games, The overall tally for events on |
| Olympic Highlightso Soviet swimmer Vladimir Salnikov | | | | the programme was 301 (one more than in Sydney |
| won three gold medals: in the 400m and 1,500m | | | | 2000). The popularity of the Games soared to new |
| freestyle, and 4x200m relay. He was also the first to | | | | heights as 3.9 billion people had access to the |
| swim 1,500m in a time of less than 15 minutes.o | | | | television coverage, compared to 3.6 billion for |
| British middle-distance runners Steve Ovett and | | | | Sydney 2000. |
| Sebastian Coe faced each other in two memorable | | | | |