Catalina PONOR

Flooring the Opposition

During a period when Romanian gymnastics needed new talent, Catalina Ponor was spotted during a nationwide talent search and chosen to train with the national team. She competed in her first major meet in 2003 when she took part in the world championships and earned a silver medal in the team event on her sixteenth birthday. She went on to win two more silver medals, on the beam and in the floor exercise. In May 2004 she moved up to the gold medal in all three events at the European Championships. Three months later, at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad Athens 2004, she led the Romanian team to victory in the team event. She also qualified for two apparatus finals six nights later. On the balance beam, she outscored Carly Patterson of the United States 9.787 to 9.775 to win her second gold medal. After a break of only 45 minutes, Ponor won the floor exercise final. Her margin of victory, .188 points, was the largest in the event's history.

Barbara KENDALL

An extraordinary windsurfer

This former dance school manager embarked on the professional windsurfing circuit in 1987, seven years after her debut in the junior category, The first of her four world championship titles convinced her to pursue her career in sailing, an area in which she had been immersed since childhood.

Barbara Kendall took part in her first Olympic Games in 1992 in Barcelona. In the “lechner” board category, she took her first Olympic title at the end of 10 regattas. This title was already a feat in itself, as it was the first for a female New Zealand athlete for 40 years. It also allowed Barbara to equal her brother Anthony Bruce, himself an Olympic windsurfing champion in 1988 and bronze medallist in 1984 (when it was a demonstration discipline).

At the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996, the competitions took place in the “mistral” category. This change in no way affected Barbara’s performance, as she came second in the competition behind Lai Shan Lee of Hong Kong. This silver medal earned her the title of Athlete of the Year in her country, a title awarded to her on two other occasions.

For her third Olympic Games, in Sydney, Barbara Kendall took her third medal, this time a bronze, behind Italy’s Alessandra Sensini, Olympic champion, and Germany’s Amelie Lux. On this occasion she became one of the three female athletes with the most medals in sailing, alongside Ukraine’s Ruslana Taran and Alessandra Sensini.

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At the age of 36, the Athens Games marked her fourth Olympic participation. Two poor results in regattas n°3 and n°5 meant that her handicap was too large to be able to take part in the fight for the Olympic title. Despite her three victories over the 11 rounds of the competition, her Games ended with a fifth-place result.

In Beijing in 2008, the windsurfer represented her country for the fifth time at the Olympic Games. After a laboured start, the New Zealander moved up the rankings thanks to her regularity. Unfortunately, a 13th and 21st place in regattas 9 and 10 put paid to her medal hopes. Barbara Kendall finished in sixth place

Besides her sports career, Barbara Kendall devotes herself to many activities in the administration of her sport. Since 2005, she has also been a member of the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

Kipchoge KEINO

Middle Distance Master

Kip Keino, an uncoached Nandi tribesman, was already 28 years old when he made his second Olympic appearance at the 1968 Mexico City Games. Suffering from violent stomach pains caused by a gall bladder infection, Keino entered the 10,000m. He was running with the leaders when, with two laps to go, he doubled up with pain and fell onto the infield. He jumped back up and finished the race, but he was disqualified for leaving the track. Four days later, he earned a silver medal in the 5,000m, trailing Mohamed Gammoudi of Tunisia by barely a metre. In the 1,500m, Keino tried to neutralize the finishing kick of the favourite, Jim Ryun, by building up a huge lead. His tactic worked and he won by 20m, the largest margin of victory in the history of the event. In 1972, Keino entered the steeplechase even though he had little experience in the event. Still, he was able to outkick teammate Ben Jipcho and win another gold medal. Six days after this victory, he added a silver medal in the 1,500m. Keino and his wife, Phyllis, eventually established a childrens' home and school for orphaned and abandoned children.

Jackie JOYNER-KERSEE

The First Lady of the Heptathlon

When she was born on 3 March 1962, she was named Jacqueline after the wife of U.S. President John F. Kennedy because, in the words of her grandmother, "Someday this girl will be the First Lady of something". She was right. The first of Jackie Joyner's four Olympic appearances came in 1984, when she competed in both the seven-event heptathlon and in the long jump. Ironically, Joyner's downfall in the heptathlon came in her best event, the long jump, when she fouled her first two attempts and had to play it safe with a mediocre final jump. In the end, she earned a silver medal, missing the gold by only five points. Had she jumped only three centimetres farther or finished the 800m only one third of a second faster, she would have won. In the formal long jump competition, she placed fifth. By the time of the 1988 Olympics, Joyner-Kersee (she had married her coach, Bob Kersee) was so much better at the heptathlon than everyone else, that her husband had to invent a fantasy opponent: Wilhelmina World Record. At the Seoul Games, Joyner-Kersee won the gold by beating Wilhelmina by 76 points. Five days later, she earned a second gold medal in the long jump with a fifth-round leap of 7.40m. Joyner-Kersee easily won the heptathlon again at the 1992 Olympics. In the long jump, she gained a bronze medal. At the age of 34, Joyner-Kersee competed in the Olympics one last time, at the 1996 Atlanta Games. Entered only in the long jump, she was in seventh place after five rounds. With her last jump, she hit 7 metres and leapfrogged into third place to bring her career medal total to 3 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze.

Earvin JOHNSON

The Magic Man

Basketball player Earvin Johnson earned the nickname "Magic" when he was only 15 years old. He led his high school to a state championship, led Michigan State University to the NCAA title and won the NBA Championship with the Los Angeles Lakers all within a period of only three years. The tallest point guard in NBA history (2.06m), Johnson was elected the NBA's most valuable player of the year three times and, with the Lakers, won five NBA championships. His all-around play inspired the term "triple-double" to refer to a game in which he scored at least 10 points, captured at least 10 rebounds and made at least 10 assists. On 17 April 1989, the International Basketball Federation voted to allow NBA professionals to participate in the Olympics for the first time at the 1992 Barcelona Games. The United States chose a squad of all-stars that deservedly came to be known as the Dream Team. Magic Johnson and Larry Bird were honoured with the positions of co-captains. The Dream Team was so much better than their opponents that they never called a single time-out, and their average margin of victory was 43¾ points. They also averaged an Olympic record 117¼ points per game and scored more than 100 points in every one of their eight games.

Daley THOMPSON

Daley Thompson first competed in the Olympics in 1976, finishing 18th in the decathlon at the age of 18. He was the youngest competitor in the event. Four years later in Moscow he won the gold medal. Thompson returned to the Olympics for a third time in 1984 and faced his nemesis, Jürgen Hingsen of West Germany. It was a close battle over the first seven events, but then Thompson pulled away with strong performances in the pole vault and the javelin. With the gold medal secure, Thompson needed to run the final event, the 1,500m, in 4:34.98 to break Hingsen's world record. Thompson exasperated the crowd for easing up at the finish line and stopping the clock at 4:35.00. Two years later, IAAF officials reexamined the photo timer results and discovered that Thompson had completed the 110m hurdles in 14.33 seconds rather than 14.34 seconds. They added one more point to his Olympic total and he was given a belated share of the world record.

Decathlon Daley Double

Sergei TCHEPIKOV

18 years between medals
Sergei Tchepikov is a survivor. He took up biathlon at the age of 13, and competed in his first World Cup in 1987. His first Olympic participation followed in 1988 in Calgary, for the USSR. After finishing fourth in the 20km, he won bronze in the 10km and then gold with the Soviet relay team. He would play a key role in every relay team of which he was a member.In 1992, at the Winter Games in Albertville, competing for the Unified Team, Sergei placed fourth and 10th in the 10km and 20km events, but won a silver medal in the relay. Two years later in Lillehammer, it was the flag of the Russian Federation which was raised for his victory in the 10km. In the 4 x 7.5km relay, as in 1992, Sergei and his team-mates finished behind the Germans. This was Tchepikov’s fifth Olympic medal.
The Russian Army officer then had to wait 12 years before again mounting an Olympic podium. At the Winter Games in Nagano, his best result was a fifth place in the 4 x 10km relay. In 2002, at the Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, he finished fourth with the Russian relay team, and eighth in the 20km.At the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Sergei Tchepikov placed fourth in the first event, the 20km, but only 24th in the 10km. He skipped the pursuit events in order to focus on the relay. For this 4 x 7.5km race, he set off in second place after Ivan Tcherezov had gone first. He was neck-and-neck with the French, who would finish in third place. Sergei achieved a faultless shooting performance. His team-mates Pavel Rostovtsev and Nikolay Kruglov could not catch up with the victorious Germans, but secured the silver medal for their efforts. In his last event, the 15 km, Sergei Tchepikov placed fifth.
After these Games in Turin, Sergei Tchepikov became the fourth most titled biathlete of all time. But it is above all his consistency at the highest level which has earned him a place in Olympic history. He competed in six editions of the Olympic Games, won medals in four different editions and mounted the podium 18 years after his first Olympic medal.

Ryoko TANI

Yawara-Chan
Ryoko Tamura was only sixteen years old when she upset Karen Briggs in the semifinals of the Judo extra-lightweight division at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. She lost to world champion Cécile Nowak of France in the final, but it was clear that the future belonged to Tamura. Indeed, she went undefeated for the next four years. Only 1.46m tall, Tamura was hugely popular in Japan, where her success had spawned an interest in women's judo. She was known as "Yawara-chan" because of her resemblance to a popular comic book character. She entered the final of the 1996 Olympics with an 84-match winning streak. Her opponent was a complete unknown: 16-year-old Kye Sun-hi of North Korea, who had never heard of Tamura. Kye startled Tamura by attacking from the start and the double world champion was unable to establish her rhythm. With 22 seconds left, Kye scored with a leg hook and then added an insurance point when Tamura, on her knees, was penalized for "false attack."
Between the 1996 and 2000 Olympics, Tamura again won all of her matches. No Japanese athlete at the Sydney Games bore the weight of her nation’s expectations more than Tamura. "My goal at Sydney?" she said. "At best a gold, at worst a gold." Tamura survived a near-upset in the semifinals when she was awarded a decision over North Korean Cha Hyon-hyang. As a contest, her final match against Lyubov Bruletova of Russia was an anticlimax, as Tamura used an uchimata (inner thigh throw) to score ippon after only 36 seconds. Tamura was mobbed by photographers and cameramen who broke down the barrier separating the athletes from the media. She was kept up doing live television interviews until 3am, when she was finally able to lock herself into her room at the Olympic Village. Alone at least, she burst into tears and then placed her gold medal on her pillow and fell asleep.
At the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, Ryoko Tamura, whose name is now RyokoTani - her husband Yoshitomo Tani is a member of the Japanese baseball team - defended her title won in Sydney in 2000 and won the gold medal in the - 48kg, ahead of French woman Frédérique Jossinet. She thus became the first judoka to retain her Olympic title.
In Beijing in 2008, the Japanese judoka took part in her fifth Olympic Games. The six-time world champion and double Olympic champion was the woman to beat in the under-48kg ranking. However, her dream to win a third gold medal ended in the semi-final, when, a few seconds before the end of the bout against Romania’s Dimitru, she took a penalty, which made her lose the match. As a great champion, Ryoko Tani did not throw in the towel, and won the bronze medal match again Russia’s Bogdanova. She thus stood on the Olympic podium for the fifth time in five editions of the Games.

Sergey BUBKA

The Vaulter Who Raised The Bar
Pole vaulter Sergey Bubka burst on the international scene when, as a 19-year-old, he scored an upset victory at the inaugural World Championships of Athletics in 1983. Over the next 14 years, he won all five world championships. He is still the only athlete in any event to win six world championships. Competing in Paris on 13 July 1988, he became the first vaulter to clear six metres. An overwhelming favourite at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, Bubka came within one miss of finishing out of the medals completely. However he easily cleared the height - 5.90 metres - and won the gold medal. In 1991, Bubka became the first person to clear 20 feet, which he did both indoors and outdoors. Favored to win at the 1992 Olympics, Bubka missed all three of his attempts. However, he rebounded quickly and broke the world record twice in the next 36 days. Bubka eventually set world records 35 times, 18 times indoors and 17 times outdoors. Bubka is a member of the International Olympic Committee's executive board and he is chairman of the IOC's Athletes' Commission.

Olga BRUSNIKINA

Living Upside Down
Olga Brusnikina first attracted attention when, at the age of 14, she performed a mesmerizing solo routine at the 1993 world junior synchro championships that earned her a standing ovation. When team synchronized swimming was added to the Olympic programme in 1996, Brusnikina was a member of the Russian team that placed fourth. In Sydney 2000 the duet result was never in doubt. Brusnikina and her partner, Maria Kisseleva, swam a karate-themed free routine, performed to Japanese drums, and earned straight 10's for artistic interpretation and technical merit scores of 10 from four of the five judges. Brusnikina won a second gold medal as a member of the Russian squad in the team event. Four years later, at the Athens Olympics, she earned another gold medal in the team event. Brusnikina, who had been a synchronized swimmer since she was nine years old, once explained, "After so many years of training, I feel at home in the water. I'm used to having my feet point upward. I'm used to living upside down."

Usain BOLT

　
Lightning Bolt
It was on 31 May 2008 at an athletics meeting in New York when the general public discovered Usain Bolt. That day, the Jamaican took the 100m world record in 9.72 seconds, a prestigious record, till then held by his compatriot Asafa Powell. When the athletics competition of the Olympic Games began in Beijing, Usain Bolt was the favourite in the sprint events thanks to his recent performances - though many could have claimed the final victory.
After a first heat completed in 10.20 seconds, the Jamaican ran both a second heat and a semi-final in under 10 seconds, setting the best qualification time. On 16 August 2008, the 100m final, the Games key event, was held in optimal atmospheric conditions. Positioned in the centre of the track, the Caribbean sprinter set off slightly behind his competitors. With his height of 1.96m, Usain Bolt caught up all his rivals and overtook them at the half-way point. With a few metres remaining to the finish line, victory was already his. Usain Bolt could savour his first Olympic gold medal. A look at the clock informed him that he had run an exceptional race: 9.69 seconds! A new world record: he is now the fastest man on the planet.
The 200m heats began two days after this achievement. Usain Bolt, who was world junior champion over this distance, lined up in his favourite event. He qualified for the final with the best time in the heats. On 20 August, he gave a new demonstration of his talent. In front of the enthusiastic crowd in the national stadium, known as the "Bird’s Nest", he won the race in 19.30 seconds. He thus beat the world record set by Michael Johnson in 1996.
His team-mates Dwight Thomas, Nesta Carter, Michael Frater and Asafa Powell qualified the 4x100m Jamaican relay team for the final on 22 August. For this last race, Usain Bolt took the third relay leg on the bend and passed the baton to Asafa Powell. At the end of the home straight, Jamaica won the Olympic title. The four men achieved a great result, beating the world record and the relay teams of Trinidad and Tobago and Japan. This time, it was with his team-mates that Usain Bolt took victory.
In six days, "Lightning Bolt" as he is now known, won three gold medals and set three world records in the finals. In Beijing, Usain Bolt entered the Olympic Games and athletics history books.

Inge DE BRUIJN

Queen of the Sprint
Inge de Bruijn won her first medal at the World Championships in 1991 at the age of 17. For her first Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, she was one of the young hopefuls to follow. But these Games ended for her with two eighth-place finishes in the 50m freestyle and the 4x100m medley. In the 100m butterfly, she did not qualify for the final. Feeling demotivated, Inge, who had swum since the age of seven, put her career on hold, even though she continued to train. Then followed a long difficult period, topped off by not qualifying for the Atlanta Games in 1996.
In spring 2000, she signalled her return to the top by beating or equalling seven world records in two weeks! The Dutch swimmer arrived in Sydney for the Olympic Games as firm favourite in the sprint events, a status she confirmed in the pool by taking three tiles in the 50m freestyle, the 100m freestyle and 100m butterfly. To these achievements she added exceptional times, lowering the Olympic and world records.
Accompanied by compatriots Thamar Henneken, Wilma Van Rijn and Manon Van Rooijen, she helped the Dutch relay team take silver in the 4x100m freestyle behind the untouchable US team. At the World Championships in 2001 and 2003, Inge de Bruijn confirmed her status as Queen of the Sprint by taking several titles.
At the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, she once again competed in five events. For her first race, the 4x100m freestyle, Inge de Bruijn swam the last leg. Even though she could not catch the Americans and Australians, she overtook Germany’s Franziska Van Almsick to snatch the bronze medal with teammates Chantal Groot, Inge Dekker, Marleen Veldhuis and Annabel Kosten (who swam in the semi-final).
In the 100m butterfly, she took another Olympic medal, this time a bronze, behind another Australian, Petria Thomas, and Poland’s Otylia Jêdrzejczak, even though she was only sixth at the half-way point.
Her third event was the 100m freestyle, where she came second behind Australia’s Jodie Henry. On the last day of the swimming competitions, Inge competed in the 50m freestyle. The world- and Olympic-record holder took the lead by three tenths of a second, and thus held on to the title she had won in Sydney, taking her fourth Olympic gold medal. In her last event, the 4x100m relay medley, she finished in sixth place.
With eight Olympic medals to her name, Inge de Bruijn is one of women’s swimming’s legends, confirming all the potential she showed at her first Games 12 years previously.

Pauline Elaine DAVIS

The Doyenne of Bahamian Sprinters
Pauline Davis began practising sport at school. Although she already liked running, she also practised as many sports as possible, including softball, field hockey and basketball. At 13, she was spotted by a coach thanks to a video tape. It was then she took her first real steps into athletics.
At her first Olympic Games in 1984 in Los Angeles, Pauline was the flag-bearer for her country at the Opening Ceremony. In the 100m, she was eliminated in the semi-final, and she finished in sixth place in the 4x100m relay.
Her second and third Olympic Games, in 1988 in Seoul and in 1992 in Barcelona, resulted in semi-final places in the 100m and 200m. It was in Barcelona that Frank Rutherford, with whom Pauline was at school and who was behind her meeting her coach, won the first Olympic medal for the Bahamas in the triple jump.
At the 1996 Games in Atlanta, Pauline Davis lined up for the 400m. In the semi-final and final, she twice beat the national record. In a very fast race in which Olympic, African and Oceanic records were beaten, she finished fourth by only 18 hundredths of a second. With her compatriots Sevatheda Fynes, Chandra Sturrup and Eldece Clarke, she won the silver medal in the 4x100m relay behind the US team.
Aged 34 in 2000, Pauline Davis competed in her last Olympic Games in Sydney. However, the sprinter had never run so fast. In the 200m final, she achieved the best time of her career beating Susanthika Jayasinghe of Sri Lanka by one hundredth of a second and collecting the silver medal: the first Bahaman woman to win an Olympic medal in an individual event. World champions since 1999, it was in the 4x100m relay that the Bahamians were eagerly awaited. After Sevatheda Fynes and Chandra Sturrup, Pauline passed on the baton to Debbie Ferguson, who held off Merlene Ottey-Page and Marion Jones to win the race and give the Bahamas their first gold medal of the Olympic Games.
With three Olympic medals, Pauline Davis retired at her peak. The woman who was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2004 today gives back to athletics what the sport gave to her by training talented young Bahamian sprinters.

Tamas DARNYI

The Greatest All-Around Swimmer

The most demanding of swimming events is the individual medley, in which the swimmer must use each of four strokes. The greatest medley swimmer in Olympic history is Tamás Darnyi of Hungary. When Darnyi was 15 years old, he lost the vision in his left eye as a result of being hit by an icy snowball three years earlier. Darnyi entered the 1988 Olympics as the world record holder in both the 200m and 400m medleys. In Seoul he won both races and set another world record in each. At the Barcelona Games in 1992, Darnyi successfully defended both of his Olympic titles and completed an eight-year stretch during which he was undefeated at either distance.

Mia HAMM

Women's football pioneer

The most dominant women's football player of the 1990s, Mia Hamm joined the U.S. national team at the age of 15 and scored her first international goal (against Norway) at 18. In 1991, she was a member of U.S. team that won the Women's World Cup. At the 1995 World Cup, the Americans placed third, but Hamm, who even filled in at goalie in one match, was voted the tournament's Most Valuable Player. At the inaugural women's Olympic football tournament in 1996, Hamm sprained her left ankle in an early match, but skipped only one game. In the final against China, which was played before a crowd of 76,481, Hamm slammed a hard shot that Chinese goalie Gao Hong deflected into the post. Shannon MacMillan collected the rebound and scored the match's first goal. The United States went on to win 2-1. Hamm's ankle was still so sore that she was unable to join her teammates in the post-match victory lap around the field. On March 22, 1999, in a match against Brazil, Hamm scored her 108th international goal to break the career record previously held by Elisabetta Vignotto of Italy. Later that year, Hamm led the U.S. team to victory in the Women's World Cup. The final went to penalty shootout. Hamm did not want to take part, but she was chosen anyway and made the fourth of five goals that won the Americans the title. At the 2000 Olympics, Hamm helped the United States to qualify for the final by scoring the only goal in their semifinal victory over Brazil. The U.S. lost the final to Norway in overtime, but Hamm's play has continued to inspire young players around the world. At the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, Mia Hamm and the American team won the gold medal, beating the Brazilian team 2-1 after extra time.

Alfred HAJOS

My Will to Live Completely Overcame My Desire to Win

Alfred Hajos was 13 years old when he felt compelled to become a good swimmer after his father drowned in the Danube River. The first Olympic swimming contests, at the 1896 Athens Games, were held in the Bay of Zea in water with a temperature of only 13 degrees Celsius. Hajos won the 100m and the 1,200m freestyle on the same day (11 April). For the longer race, the nine entrants were transported by boat to the open water and left alone to swim back to shore. According to Hajos, "I must say that I shivered from the thought of what would happen if I got a cramp from the cold water. My will to live completely overcame my desire to win". In 1924 Hajos won a prize in the architectural division of the Olympic Art Contest

Archie HAHN

The Mildwaukee meteor

Archie Hahn, who came to be known as "The Milwaukee Meteor," was quite small for a sprinter: 1.65m tall and only 59kg. He did not seriously take up competitive running until he was nineteen years old. The following year, 1900, he was recruited by representatives of the University of Michigan, who saw him win a race at a county fair. At the 1904 St. Louis Olympics, Hahn earned three gold medals. He began by winning the 60m dash in 7.0 seconds. Next, he won the 200m, leading the final from start to finish, in a time of 21.6 seconds. Finally, Hahn shot out to a fast start in the 100m final and held on to defeat fast-finishing Nate Cartmell by about two metres. Running into a strong wind, Hahn's time was 11.0 seconds. Two years later, Hahn traveled to Athens for the 1906 Intercalated Games. Taking advantage of his usual quick start, he led the final from start to finish and beat fellow American Fay Moulton by one metre. Hahn studied law at university, but never practiced his profession. Instead he devoted his life to coaching young runners. His book How to Sprint was considered a classic text.

Oddbjorn HAGEN

Two-sport winter medalist

Oddbjørn Hagen won the Nordic combined world championship in both 1934 and 1935. It would be another 66 years before another Nordic combined athlete won two world championships in a row. At the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Hagen earned three medals in fours days. On 10 February he skied the leadoff leg for Norway's 4x10km relay team. The Norwegians lost to Finland by only 20m, but they were far ahead of the third-place team. Two days later, Hagen took part in the 18km cross-country race, finishing second behind Erik-August Larsson of Sweden. This race also served as the first half of the Nordic combined event. Since Larsson was only a skier, Hagen took a lead of more than two minutes into the ski jump portion of the Nordic combined. Although his score was only the sixteenth best, Hagen achieved a clear victory and led a Norwegian sweep of the medals.

Georges ANDRE

Forever young

Géo André made his first appearance at the Olympics as an 18-year-old high jumper in 1908. Although his pre-Olympic best was 1.79m, in London he cleared 1.88m and earned a surprise silver medal. At the 1912 Olympics, André took part in the decathlon, the pentathlon, the high jump, the standing high jump and standing long jump and the 110m hurdles. He served as a soldier during World War I and was badly injured and taken prisoner. After escaping at his sixth try, he rejoined the fight as an aviator. At the 1920 Olympics he placed fourth in the 400m hurdles and then, a week later, he won a bronze medal in the 4x400m relay. He also ran in the 400m. In 1924 the Olympics were held in André's hometown of Paris. By now he was 34 years old and André, now participating in his fourth Olympics, was chosen to take the Athletes' Oath on behalf of all the athletes. He competed again in the 400m hurdles and again he qualified for the final and placed fourth. Even after his retirement from sport, André continued to be a late achiever. Anxious to do his part in World War II, but too old to be a fighter pilot, André joined the infantry and was killed near Tunis on 4 May 1943. He was 53 years old.

Gabriela ANDERSEN-SCHIESS

Marathon

Gabriela Andersen-Scheiss was a ski instructor in the U.S. state of Idaho when she represented Switzerland at the 1984 Olympics. Twenty minutes after the winner, Joan Benoit, crossed the finish line, the 39-year-old Andersen-Scheiss staggered into the stadium, suffering from heat prostration. Her right leg was stiff and her left arm was hanging limply by her side. While spectators gasped in horror, doctors noted that she was perspiring - a good sign - and they let her continue. For 5 minutes and 44 seconds, she lurched along the final lap around the track, occasionally stopping and holding her head. Finally she fell across the finish line and into the arms of waiting medics. Andersen-Scheiss placed 37th. Remarkably, she recovered rapidly and was released by medical personnel only two hours later.

Hjalmar ANDERSEN

Largest Victory Margins in Skating History

Hjalmar Andersen of Norway was the first man to win three speedskating gold medals at one Olympic Winter Games, when in 1952, he triumphed in the three long races (1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m) in his native Oslo. His winning margin in the 5,000m was an astounding 11 seconds and he also won the 10,000m by a substantial margin. His Olympic speed skating career began with a rather inauspicious debut, as he failed to finish the 10,000m in 1948, the only event in which he competed that year. He retired after the 1952 Games but returned to competition in 1954 to win his fourth Norwegian title, having earlier won the World, European and Norwegian all-around titles in 1950-52. Andersen competed at the 1956 Olympic Games, finishing 11th in the 5 000 and 6th in 10,000, but then retired for good. His strength was as a distance skater, and he was world champion at 5,000m and 10,000m from 1950-52 consecutively. He set one world record at 5,000m and three at 10,000m.

Olympic Stadium

Olympic Stadium is a Olympic Games Main Stadium.

Summer Olympics Stadias

Panathinaiko Stadium

Vélodrome de Vincennes

Francis Field

White City Stadium

Stockholms Olympiastadion

Antwerp Olympisch Stadion

Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir

Amsterdam Olympisch Stadion

Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

Olympiastadion Berlin

Wembley Stadium

Helsinki Olympic Stadium

Melbourne Cricket Ground

Stadio Olimpico

National Olympic Stadium

Estadio Olímpico Universitario

Munich Olympiastadion

Stade Olympique, Montreal

Luzhniki Stadium

Seoul Olympic Stadium

Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys

Centennial Olympic Stadium

Telstra Stadium

Athens Olympic Stadium

Paralympic Games

The Paralympic Games are an elite multi-sport event for athletes with a disability. This includes mobility disabilities, amputees, visual disabilities and those with cerebral palsy. The Paralympic Games are held every four years, following the Olympic Games, and are governed by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). (The Paralympic Games are sometimes confused with the Special Olympics, which are only for people with intellectual disabilities.)

Olympic Flame

The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games.[1] A committee plans the route that it goes through, which ends at the city where the event is being hosted. Sometimes people use the torch route to make a point. During the 2008 Olympic torch relay to Beijing, people talked about and held signs that were against China's human rights record and signs that said Tibet was not a part of China.

Ancient Olympic Games

The Ancient Olympic Games were a series of athletic competitions held between the city-states of Ancient Greece. They used to be called the Olympic Games (Greek: Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες; Olympiakoi Agones) until the modern day Olympic Games started. The Ancient Olympic Games began in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. They ran until 393 AD.Prizes at the games were olive wreaths, palm branches and woollen ribbons.

Famous athletes

Here are athletes that competed at the Games:

from Athens:

Aurelios Zopyros (Junior boxing)

from Sparta:

Acanthus of Sparta (Running: diaulos)

Chionis of Sparta (Running: stadium, diaulos. Long and Triple Jump)

Cynisca of Sparta (first woman to be listed as an Olympic victor)

from Rhodes:

Diagoras of Rhodes (Boxing 79th Olympiad, 464 BC) and his sons Akusilaos and Damagetos (Boxing and Pankration)

Leonidas of Rhodes (Running: stadium, diaulos and hoplitodromos)

from Croton:

Astylos of Croton (Running: stadium, diaulos and hoplitodromos)

Milo of Croton (wrestling)

Timasitheos of Croton (wrestling)

from other cities:

Koroibos of Elis (Stadion)

Orsippus of Megara (Runner: diaulos)

Theagenes of Thasos (Pankration)

non-Greek:

Tiberius (steerer of a four-horse chariot)

Nero (steerer of a ten-horse chariot)

Varastades, Prince and future King of Armenia, (last known Ancient Olympic victor (boxing) during the 291st Olympic Games in the fourth century. 

American basketball at the Olympics

1992 Men's Basketball Team (Barcelona) - The Dream Team

In 1989, FIBA, international basketball's governing body, allowed professional NBA players to participate in the Olympics for the first time. Before the 1992 Summer Olympics, only European and South American professionals were allowed to play in the Olympics.

1992 roster

Charles Barkley of the Phoenix Suns

Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics

Clyde Drexler of the Portland Trail Blazers

Patrick Ewing of the New York Knicks

Earvin "Magic" Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers and the 1995-96 season)

Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls

Christian Laettner of Duke University

Karl Malone of the Utah Jazz

Chris Mullin of the Golden State Warriors

Scottie Pippen of the Chicago Bulls

David Robinson of the San Antonio Spurs

John Stockton of the Utah Jazz

Coach: Chuck Daly of the Detroit Pistons

Assistant Coach: Mike Krzyzewski

Assistant Coach: Lenny Wilkens

Assistant Coach: P.J. Carlesimo

American men's medal record

1936: 1st 

1948: 1st 

1952: 1st 

1956: 1st 

1960: 1st 

1964: 1st 

1968: 1st 

1972: 2nd  (refused, never awarded)

1976: 1st 

1980: did not participate (1980 Summer Olympics boycott)

1984: 1st 

1988: 3rd 

1992: 1st  1989 rule change by FIBA allowed USA Basketball to field teams with professional players

1996: 1st 

2000: 1st 

2004: 3rd 

2008: 1st 

2022 Winter Olympics

The 2022 Winter Olympics, formally called the XXIV Olympic Winter Games is a sporting event that the International Olympic Committee has yet to organize. The winning bid will be announced in the summer of 2015.

Possible Bids

Europe

 Prahova Valley, Romania

Romanian Prime Minister Călin Popescu Tăriceanu said on June 14, 2007 that the country is thinking about a bid for the Games to be held there

 Zurich, Switzerland

North America

 Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Salt Lake City is considering a bid for either the 2018 Games or the 2022 Games. The city hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics.

 Montreal, Quebec, Canada – Lake Placid, New York, USA

Officials from Quebec and the state of New York have met to talk about the possibility of a joint bid. With Vancouver hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, the earliest that Canada could hope to host the Olympics is 2022.

2018 Winter Olympics

The 2018 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Olympic Winter Games, is a sporting event that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has yet to organize and will be celebrated in 2018. The deadline for bids was January 2009. The winning bid should be announced in mid-2011.

Possible bids

Asia

 Almaty, Kazakhstan

 Bursa, Turkey

 PyeongChang, South Korea

Europe

On July 4, 2007 Sochi, Russia was selected to host the 2014 Winter Games, hurting European candidates' chances at a successful bid.[1] The IOC rarely awards back-to-back games to the same continent.

 Upper Carniola, Slovenia

 France

Annecy

Gap

Grenoble

Nice

 Munich, Germany

 Sofia, Bulgaria

 Tromsø, Norway

North America

 United States

Denver, Colorado

Reno-Lake Tahoe, Nevada-California

Salt Lake City, Utah

Detroit, Michigan

South America

 Chile

Santiago, Chile

2014 Winter Olympics

The 2014 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXII Olympic Winter Games, is an international winter sports event that will be celebrated from February 7 to February 23, 2014. The host city, Sochi, Russia, was chosen on July 4, 2007, during the 119th International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting in Guatemala City, Guatemala.This will be Russia's first time hosting the Winter Olympics (the Soviet Union hosted the 1980 Summer Games in Moscow though).

2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games, are the next Winter Olympics and will be celebrated in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada in 2010. Both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are being organized by the Vancouver Organizing Committee (VANOC).

The 2010 Winter Olympics will be the third Olympics hosted by Canada, and the first by the province of British Columbia. Previously, Canada was home to the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. The villages of Whistler and Garibaldi bid for the games in 1976 but failed to win.

2006 Winter Olympics

The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006.

1998 Winter Olympics

The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1998 in Nagano, Japan. Other possible host cities were Aosta, Italy; Jaca, Spain; Östersund, Sweden; and Salt Lake City, USA. The selection was held in Birmingham, United Kingdom in 1991.

1994 Winter Olympics

The 1994 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVII Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway. Other possible host cities were Anchorage, Alaska, USA; Östersund/Åre, Sweden; and Sofia, Bulgaria. In 1986, the International Olympic Committee voted to change the schedule of the Olympic Games so that the summer and winter games would be arranged in alternating even-numbered years. Lillehammer won the right to host the event in September 1988 in Seoul before the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics. The Lillehammer Games were held in 1994, the only time the Winter Games have occurred two years after the previous games.

The Lillehammer Olympics are thought by sport specialists and Olympic officials to be one of the greatest Winter Games ever, and it is among the greatest sporting events in history. [1] It is notable for being the last Winter Olympic Games to date to have been held in a town (Lillehammer's population is just 25,000), rather than the large cities which have held the more recent Winter Olympic Games.

1992 Winter Olympics

The 1992 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVI Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1992 in Albertville, France. Other possible host cities were Anchorage, USA; Berchtesgaden, Germany; Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy; Lillehammer, Norway; Falun, Sweden; and Sofia, Bulgaria.

These were the last Winter Games to be held in the same year as the Summer Games. They were also the first Games where the Winter Paralympics and the Winter Olympics were held at the same site.

1988 Winter Olympics

The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Calgary, Alberta, Canada and opened by Governor General Jeanne Sauvé. The Olympics were highly successful financially as they brought in million-dollar profits. The games left a lasting impression on the host city and gave it a new identity from a cowtown to a large commercial sector of the country.

1988 was also the last year that the Paralympic Games and the Winter Olympics were held in separate cities; all subsequent games have been hosted by the same city or a city nearby.

As at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, the Canadian team failed to win a gold medal, matching only Yugoslavia in the dubious distinction of not having won a winter gold medal on home soil.

History

Background

Calgary first tried for the Olympics in 1964, and again in 1968.

1984 Winter Olympics

The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Sarajevo, then in Yugoslavia and now in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Falun in Gothenburg, Sweden. It was the first Winter Games and the second Olympics held in Eastern Europe (the first was the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow).

1976 Winter Olympics

The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1976 in Innsbruck, Austria. The games were originally awarded to Denver, Colorado, United States in May, 1970 but a 300 percent rise in costs and worries about environmental impact led to voters' rejection of a $5 million bond issue to finance the games in 1972, so the IOC offered the games to Whistler, British Columbia (Canada), who had bid on the games, but they too declined due to a change of government there. (Whistler would go on to be associated with neighbouring Vancouver's successful bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics.) The IOC finally called on Innsbruck, which had hosted the 1964 Winter Games just twelve years earlier, to also host the 1976 games. Salt Lake City, Utah, which would eventually host in 2002 offered itself as a potential host after the withdrawal of Denver. The IOC declined.

1972 Winter Olympics

The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XI Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1972 in Sapporo, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympics to be held outside Western Europe and the United States, and only the 3rd Games (Summer or Winter) held outside these regions, after Tokyo and Mexico City. The city won the rights to the games in 1966.

1968 Winter Olympics

The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1968 Grenoble, France and opened on February 6. Thirty-seven countries participated. Norway won the most medals, the first time a country other than the USSR had done so since the USSR first entered the Winter Games in 1956.

Frenchman Jean-Claude Killy won three gold medals in all the alpine skiing events. In women's figure skating, Peggy Fleming won the only United States gold medal. The games have been credited with making the Winter Olympics more popular in the United States, largely because of ABC's coverage of Fleming and Killy, who became very popular among teenage girls.

1968 was the first year that the International Olympic Committee let East and West Germany enter separately, and the first time the IOC ever ordered drug and gender testing of the athletes.

1964 Winter Olympics

The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964. The games included 1091 athletes from 36 nations, and the Olympic Torch was carried by Joseph Rieder, [1] a former alpine skier who had participated in the 1956 Winter Olympics.

The games were affected by the deaths of Australian alpine skier Ross Milne and a British luge slider, during training, and by the deaths, 3 years earlier, of the entire US figure skating team and family members.

1956 Winter Olympics

The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1956 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. The USSR debuted in these Winter Olympics. They immediately showed their strength by winning more medals than any other nation.

Participating nations

A total of 32 nations sent athletes to Cortina d'Ampezzo. Bolivia, Iran, and the USSR competed at the Winter Games for the first time. Korea, Liechtenstein, and Turkey returned after having missed the 1952 Winter Olympics. Argentina, Denmark, New Zealand, and Portugal did not compete at these Games, after participating in 1952.

Athletes from West Germany (FRG) and East Germany (GDR) competed together as the United Team of Germany at these Games, an arrangement that would continue for the next two Olympiads.

1952 Winter Olympics

The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1952 in Oslo, Norway.

Participating nations

A total of 30 nations sent athletes to compete at these Games, which was the highest number to that date. This was the first time New Zealand and Portugal participated in the Winter Olympic Games. Australia, Germany, and Japan returned, after having missed the 1948 Winter Olympics. Korea, Liechtenstein, and Turkey did not participate in 1952, after having competed in 1948.

 Argentina

 Australia

 Austria

 Belgium

 Bulgaria

 Canada

 Chile

 Czechoslovakia

 Denmark

 Finland

 France

 Germany

 Great Britain

 Greece

 Hungary

 Iceland

 Italy

 Japan

 Lebanon

 Netherlands

 New Zealand

 Norway

 Poland

 Portugal

 Romania

 Spain

 Sweden

 Switzerland

 United States

 Yugoslavia

1948 Winter Olympics

The 1948 Winter Olympics, officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1948 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The games opened on January 30, 1948. St. Moritz was also the site of the 1928 Winter Olympics.

These Games were the first in twelve years, because none were held during World War II.

1944 Winter Olympics

The anticipated 1944 Winter Olympics, which would have been officially known as the V Olympic Winter Games (because of the cancellation of 1940's V Olympic Winter Games), would have been celebrated in 1944 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy. Cortina d'Ampezzo had won the right to host the event in June 1939, but because of World War II, the 1944 Winter Olympics were cancelled. As a result, the V Olympic Winter Games took place in Saint Moritz, Switzerland in 1948. Cortina d'Ampezzo later held the 1956 Winter Olympics.

1940 Winter Olympics

The 1940 Winter Olympics, should have been held in Sapporo, Japan, on February 3 - 12, 1940. These would have been the V Olympic Winter Games. The games were cancelled (not held) because of the start of the war between Japan and China, the Second Sino-Japanese War, in 1937. Sapporo gave the games back to the control of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in July 1938.

The IOC decided to give the Winter Olympics to St. Moritz, Switzerland. There were some problems between the Swiss organizers and the IOC so the Games were cancelled again. The IOC then gave the 1940 Winter Olympics to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Garmisch-Partenkirchen had hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics. The Games were to be held from February 2 - 11, 1940. When World War II began in 1939, the IOC decided in November 1939 not to hold the 1940 Winter Games at all.

St. Moritz later held the 1948 Winter Olympics and Sapporo held the 1972 Winter Olympics.

1940 Summer Olympics

The anticipated 1940 Summer Olympics, which were to be officially known as Games of the XII Olympiad and originally scheduled to be celebrated between September 21 and October 6 1940 in Tokyo, Empire of Japan, were cancelled because of World War II. After the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War in 1937, the International Olympic Committee decided to have the games in Helsinki, Finland. The Games in Finland were scheduled to be celebrated between July 20 to August 4 1940. When World War II started, the Summer Games were cancelled until after the war. They were next held in London in 1948.

With the Olympics cancelled, the major international athletics event in 1940 turned out to be the annual Finland-Sweden athletics international, held at the new Helsinki Olympic Stadium.

Helsinki eventually held the 1952 Summer Olympics and Tokyo the 1964 Summer Olympics.

1936 Winter Olympics

The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1936 in the town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, Germany. Germany also hosted the Summer Olympics the same year in Berlin.

Participating nations

28 nations sent athletes to compete in Germany, to date the largest number at a Winter Games. Australia, Bulgaria, Greece, Liechtenstein, Spain, and Turkey all made their Winter Olympic debut in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, and Estonia, Latvia, the Netherlands, and Yugoslavia all returned to the Games after having missed the 1932 Winter Olympics.

 Australia

 Austria

 Belgium

 Bulgaria

 Canada

 Czechoslovakia

 Estonia

 Finland

 France

 Nazi Germany

 Great Britain

 Greece

 Hungary

 Italy

 Japan

 Latvia

 Liechtenstein

 Luxembourg

 Netherlands

 Norway

 Poland

 The Republic of Spain

 Sweden

 Switzerland

 Turkey

 USA

 Yugoslavia

1928 Winter Olympics

The 1928 Winter Olympics, officially known as the II Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1928 in St. Moritz, Switzerland. The 1928 Games were the first true Winter Olympics held on its own and not as a part of a Summer Olympics. The preceding 1924 Winter Olympics were later renamed as Winter Olympics. They were actually part of the 1924 Summer Olympics. All preceding Winter Events of the Olympic Games were the winter sports part of the schedule of the Summer Games, and not as a separate Winter Games.

Participating nations

Athletes from 25 nations competed at these Games, up from 16 in 1924. This was the first time many countries attended the Winter Olympic Games, including Argentina, Estonia, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Mexico, the Netherlands, and Romania.

 Argentina

 Austria

 Belgium

 Canada

 Czechoslovakia

 Estonia

 Finland

 France

 Germany

 Great Britain

 Hungary

 Italy

 Japan

 Latvia

 Lithuania

 Luxembourg

 Mexico

 The Netherlands

 Norway

 Poland

 Romania

 Sweden

 Switzerland

 USA

 Yugoslavia

1924 Winter Olympics

The 1924 Winter Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1924 in Chamonix, Haute-Savoie, France between 25 January and 5 February 1924. The Games were originally called Semaine Internationale des Sports d'Hiver ("International Winter Sports Week") and were held as part of the 1924 Summer Olympics. It was later decided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that the Games would be called the I Olympic Winter Games.

Participating nations

Athletes from 16 nations competed in the first Winter Olympic Games.

 Austria

 Belgium

 Canada

 Czechoslovakia

 Finland

 France

 Great Britain

 Hungary

 Italy

 Latvia

 Norway

 Poland

 Switzerland

 Sweden

 USA

 Yugoslavia

Winter Olympic Games

Winter Olympic Games

1924 - I Olympic Winter Games - Chamonix, France

1928 - II Olympic Winter Games - St. Moritz, Switzerland

1932 - III Olympic Winter Games - Lake Placid, New York, United States

1936 - IV Olympic Winter Games - Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany

1948 - V Olympic Winter Games - St. Moritz, Switzerland

1952 - VI Olympic Winter Games - Oslo, Norway

1956 - VII Olympic Winter Games - Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy

1960 - VIII Olympic Winter Games - Squaw Valley, California, United States

1964 - IX Olympic Winter Games - Innsbruck, Austria

1968 - X Olympic Winter Games - Grenoble, France

1972 - XI Olympic Winter Games - Sapporo, Japan

1976 - XII Olympic Winter Games - Innsbruck, Austria

1980 - XIII Olympic Winter Games - Lake Placid, New York, United States

1984 - XIV Olympic Winter Games - Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina (formerly Yugoslavia)

1988 - XV Olympic Winter Games - Calgary, Alberta, Canada

1992 - XVI Olympic Winter Games - Albertville, France

1994 - XVII Olympic Winter Games - Lillehammer, Norway

1998 - XVIII Olympic Winter Games - Nagano, Japan

2002 - XIX Olympic Winter Games - Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

2006 - XX Olympic Winter Games - Torino, Italy

2010 - XXI Olympic Winter Games - Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

1960 Winter Olympics

The 1960 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VIII Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1960 in Squaw Valley, California, United States (located in the Lake Tahoe basin). Squaw Valley won the bid in 1955.

Alexander Cushing, the creator of the resort, campaigned vigorously to win the Games. After being awarded the Games, there was a rush to construct roads, hotels, restaurants, and bridges, as well as the ice arena, the speed skating track, ski lifts, and the ski jumping hill.

2002 Winter Olympics

The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States from February 8, 2002, through February 24, 2002.

1980 Winter Olympics

The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. Another possible host city was Vancouver-Garibaldi, British Columbia, Canada; they withdrew before the final vote.

1932 Winter Olympics

The 1932 Winter Olympics, officially known as the III Olympic Winter Games, were celebrated in 1932 in Lake Placid, New York, United States. The games opened on February 4, 1932. The 1932 Winter Olympic Games were going to be in Big Pines, California, but because of poor snow conditions the games were moved to Lake Placid.

Gymnastics at the Summer Olympics

Gymnastics has been contested at every Summer Olympic Games since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. For thirty years, only men were allowed to compete. Women's events were introduced at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. The competition was held in artistic gymnastics discipline until 1984, when rhythmic gymnastics discipline was added to the program of the Olympics. Since 2000, trampolining discipline has also been competed.

Football at the Summer Olympics

Football (soccer) has been included in every Summer Olympic Games except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.

History

Football was not on the original modern Olympic Games programme as international football was in its infancy in 1896. However an unofficial football tournament was organised during the first competition. Complete records have been lost but it seems that only two games may have been played. An Athens XI lost to a team representing Smyrna (Izmir), then part of the Ottoman Empire. Smyrna went on to be beaten 15-0 by a team from Denmark. Demonstration tournaments were played at the 1900 and 1904 games and the "Intercalated Games" of 1906, but these were contested by various clubs and scratch teams, and are not considered to be official Olympic events. In 1906 teams from Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Netherlands and France were withdrawn from an unofficial competition and left Denmark, Smyrna (one Armenian, two Frenchmen and eight Britons), Athens and Thessaloniki Music Club to compete. Denmark won the final against Athens 9-0.

Athletics at the Summer Olympics

Athletics, known as Track and Field in the United States, has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics.

Men's events

No new events have been added to the men's athletics programme since 1952 when the short racewalk was added. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the long racewalk in 1976. The long racewalk is the only event held for men but not included on the women's programme.

A total of 52 different events have been held in the men's competition. The current list has 24 events.

Many of the discontinued events were similar to modern ones but at different lengths, especially in the steeplechasing, hurdling, and racewalking disciplines.

Team racing events were only run in the six early editions of the Games.

The athletic multi-discipline triathlon (3 events) and pentathlon (5 events) have been replaced by the 10 event decathlon, and the medley relay replaced by relay races where each section is the same length as the others.

Standing jump competitions are no longer held, nor are the various modified throwing events which were experimented with in 1908 and 1912.

2028 Summer Olympics

The 2028 Summer Olympics, which will be officially known as the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, is an international athletic event that has yet to be organized by the International Olympic Committee. The winning bid should be announced in the summer of 2021.

Possible bids

Europe

 Amsterdam, Netherlands

In 2005, the Dutch sporting confederation NOC*NSF began thinking about making a bid to host the 2028 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games in Amsterdam. The first and only time the Netherlands hosted the Olympics was in 1928, also in Amsterdam. Amsterdam bid for the 1992 Summer Olympic Games, but lost to Barcelona, Spain.

 Belgrade, Serbia

North America

 Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada – Seattle, Washington, USA

A joint bid for Vancouver and Seattle to host the 2028 Summer Olympics is being explored. This would be the first time 2 countries made a bid together and would also be the first time that a city will have hosted both a Summer and a Winter Games since Vancouver will also host the 2010 Winter Olympics. Vancouver and Seattle both believe it would be possible to do and have said that the travel time between Seattle and Vancouver is similar to the travel time between Whistler, British Columbia and Vancouver, the site of most of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

2024 Summer Olympics

The 2024 Summer Olympics, which will be officially known as the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad, is an international athletic event that will be organized by the International Olympic Committee. The winning bid should be announced in the summer of 2017.

Possible bids

Europe

 Copenhagen, Denmark

The organization of the Games in Copenhagen] is being investigated by the Danish government .

 Paris, France

The French capital lost the bid to be the host city for the 1992, 2008 and 2012 Summer Olympic Games. 2024 will be the 100th anniversary of the last time the Summer Games were celebrated in France. The French Minister of Sports, Jean-Francois Lamour, has made it clear that Paris will likely make a bid for the 2024 Games 

North America

 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Larry Needle, executive director of the Philadelphia Sports Congress, said that if Philadelphia, the largest city in Pennsylvania, wants to host the Olympics, its earliest realistic chance would be the 2024 Summer Games

A study by eleven graduate students from the University of Pennsylvania showed that Philadelphia should consider bidding for the 2024 Olympics. The study said that one of the city's biggest challenges would be convincing the voters who select the host city that Philadelphia is a "world-class city", something that "will require strategic changes in the city’s landscape in conjunction with a persuasive marketing strategy". The study mentions that when arriving in the city from Philadelphia International Airport, it is difficult to find a route that does not have abandoned oil tanks, old structures and thousands of tons of waste. One good thing about having the Games in Philadelphia is that it is near many large cities.

 Toronto, Ontario, Canada

On July 10, 2007 it was revealed that the Canadian Olympic Committee has begun working on a potential bid for the 2020 or 2024 games for Toronto, the capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. This would be Toronto's third bid for the summer Olympic games, after unsuccessful bids for the 1996 and 2008 Summer Games.

Oceania

 Brisbane, Australia

The subtropical city of Brisbane would seriously consider bidding for the Olympic Games in 2020 or 2024, former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has said. His announcement came after IOC President Jacques Rogge said the IOC would love to see a bid from Brisbane in the future.

Australia hosted the 1956 Olympic Games in Melbourne. In 1985, Brisbane lost the bid for the 1992 Summer Olympics, which were held in Barcelona. However, Brisbane has experience in hosting major international sporting events; the city hosted the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Australia also hosted the Olympic games in Sydney, 2000.

2020 Summer Olympics

The 2020 Summer Olympics, which will be officially known as the Games of the XXXII Olympiad is a sporting event that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has yet to organize. The winning bid is expected to be announced in the summer of 2013.

Potential bids

Africa

 Cape Town, South Africa

 Durban,South Africa

Asia

 Busan, Republic of Korea

 Delhi, India

 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 Doha, Qatar

 Shanghai, China

Europe

 Baku, Azerbaijan

 Prague, Czech Republic

 Romagna, Italy

 Rome, Italy

 St. Petersburg, Russia

 Istanbul, Turkey

North America

 Birmingham, Alabama

 Boston, Massachusetts

 Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota

 Monterrey, Mexico

 Toronto, Canada

South America

 Lima, Peru

2016 Summer Olympics

The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXXI Olympiad is a major international sports and cultural event. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has not yet been chosen a host city, but many cities have begun making a bid. A host city will be announced in Copenhagen, Denmark, on October 2, 2009. The 2016 Summer Paralympics will also be held in the same city and organized by the same organizing committee.

Possible host cities

The bidding process for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games began on May 16, 2007. Each city had to submit an initial application to the IOC before September 13, 2007, saying they plan to make a bid. Completed official bids were submitted by each applicant city by January 14, 2008. The final candidate cities were shortlisted in June 2008, and the final selection will be made by the full IOC membership, on October 2, 2009, in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Americas

 Chicago, United States

 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Asia

 Tokyo, Japan

Europe

 Madrid, Spain

Applicant Cities

In June 2008, these cities were not chosen to continue:

Asia

 Baku, Azerbaijan

 Doha, Qatar

Europe

 Prague, Czech Republic

2012 Summer Olympics

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXX Olympiad, will be held in London, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012, followed by the 2012 Paralympic Games from 29 August to 9 September.

London will become the first city to host the modern Olympic Games three times; London also hosted the 1908 Summer Olympics and the 1948 Summer Olympics.

The bidding process

By the bid submission deadline of 15 July 2003, nine cities had submitted bids to host the 2012 Olympics. These cities were Havana, Istanbul, Leipzig, London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro.

On 18 May 2004, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) reduced the number of cities to five: London, Madrid, Moscow, New York, and Paris.

The IOC inspection team visited the five candidate cities during February and March of 2005.

On 6 June 2005 the International Olympic Committee released its evaluation reports for the five candidate cities. Although these reports did not contain any scores or rankings, the evaluation report for Paris was seen as the most positive, followed closely by London.

During the process, many thought Paris was most likely to win the nomination, largely because this was its third bid in recent years. In late August 2004, reports came out predicting a London and Paris tie in the 2012 bid.

On 6 July 2005, London was announced as the winner of the bid at the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore.

2008 Summer Olympics

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, were celebrated in Beijing, People's Republic of China from August 8 to August 24. The opening ceremony began at 08:08:08 pm CST (12:08:08 UTC) at the Beijing National Stadium in Beijing, People's Republic of China. During the games, 10,500 athletes will be competing in 302 events in 28 sports. This is one event more than what was on the schedule of the 2004 games.

The Olympic games were awarded to Beijing after a vote of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) on July 13, 2001. The official logo of the games, titled "Dancing Beijing," features a stylised calligraphic character jīng (京, meaning capital), meaning the host city. The mascots of Beijing 2008 are the five Fuwa, each representing both a colour of the Olympic rings and a symbol of Chinese culture. The Olympic slogan, One World, One Dream, calls upon the world to unite in the Olympic spirit. Several new NOCs have also been recognised by the IOC.

The Chinese government used the games to promote China as an important and powerful country, and spent a lot of money on building new facilities and transportation systems for the games. The events were held in 37 places, including 12 newly-built buildings. In 2007, former IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch said that he thinks that the Beijing games will be "the best in Olympic history". Although there was been some controversy about having the games in China, the IOC's current president Jacques Rogge says that the IOC has "absolutely no regrets" in choosing Beijing to host the 2008 games.

2004 Summer Olympics

The 2004 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, were celebrated in Athens, Greece from August 13, 2004, until August 29, 2004.

The four other candidate cities were Rome, Cape Town, Stockholm, and Buenos Aires. Six other cities had applied, but were turned down by the IOC in 1996. These cities were Istanbul, Lille, Rio de Janeiro, San Juan, Seville, and Saint Petersburg.

Athens won every round of voting and easily beat Rome in round 5, the final vote. Round 2 was to settle a tie break between Cape Town and Buenos Aires from round 1.

2000 Summer Olympics

The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were celebrated in Sydney, Australia from September 15, 2000, until October 1, 2000.

1992 Summer Olympics

The 1992 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were celebrated in Barcelona, Spain from July 25, through August 9.

1988 Summer Olympics

The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad , were celebrated in Seoul, South Korea from September 17, through October 2.

1976 Summer Olympics

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were held in 1976 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. These are the summer Olympic Games organized by the International Olympic Committee. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games in May 1970 over the bid of Moscow and Los Angeles, who later hosted the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games respectively.

1968 Summer Olympics

The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were held in Mexico City in 1968. Mexico City beat out bids from Detroit, Buenos Aires and Lyon to host the Games in 1963. The Games were preceded by the Tlatelolco massacre, in which hundreds of students were killed by security forces ten days before the opening day. It is the only Games ever held in Latin America, and it was the second ever outside of Western Europe, Australia, or the USA.

1964 Summer Olympics

The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, were celebrated in Tokyo, Japan from October 10, 1964, through October 24, 1964.

1960 Summer Olympics

The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, were held in 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had been awarded the organization of the 1908 Summer Olympics, but, after the 1906 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, London became the host. Other possible cities to host the 1960 Summer Olympics were Lausanne, Detroit, Budapest, Brussels, Mexico City and Tokyo; but in 1955, Rome was chosen.

CBS paid $394,000 for the right to broadcast the Games in the United States. 

1956 Summer Olympics

The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were held in 1956 in Melbourne, Australia. However, the equestrian events were not held in Australia because of quarantine regulations. These events were held five months earlier in Stockholm, Sweden, making it the second time that events of the same Olympics were held in different countries. (In the Antwerp, Belgium Olympics of 1920 one sailing event had been held in Dutch waters). Melbourne was chosen as the host city over instead of Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montreal and six American cities on April 28, 1949 at the 43rd IOC session.

1952 Summer Olympics

The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were held in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland. Helsinki had been elected as the host city over Amsterdam, Athens, Lausanne, and Stockholm and five American cities: Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Philadelphia. Helsinki had been given the 1940 Summer Olympics but they were canceled because of World War II.

[change]Participating nations

A total of 69 nations participated in these Games, up from 59 in the 1948 Games. Twelve nations made their first Olympic appearance in 1952: The Bahamas, Gold Coast (now Ghana), Guatemala, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Israel, Netherlands Antilles, Nigeria, Saar, the Soviet Union (USSR), Thailand, and Vietnam.

 Argentina

 Australia

 Austria

 Bahamas

 Belgium

 Bermuda

 Brazil

 British Guiana

 Bulgaria

 Burma

 Canada

 Ceylon

 Chile

 Republic of China

 Cuba

 Czechoslovakia

 Denmark

 Egypt

 Finland

 France

 West Germany

 Gold Coast

 Great Britain

 Greece

 Guatemala

 Hong Kong

 Hungary

 Iceland

 India

 Indonesia

 Iran

 Ireland

 Israel

 Italy

 Jamaica

 Japan

 South Korea

 Lebanon

 Liechtenstein

 Luxembourg

 Mexico

 Monaco

 Netherlands

 Netherlands Antilles

 New Zealand

 Nigeria

 Norway

 Pakistan

 Panama

 Phillipines

 Poland

 Portugal

 Puerto Rico

 Romania

 Saar

 Singapore

 South Africa

 Spain

 Soviet Union

 Spain

 Sweden

 Switzerland

 Thailand

 Trinidad and Tobago

 Turkey

 United States

 Uruguay

 Venezuela

 Vietnam

 Yugoslavia

1948 Summer Olympics

The 1948 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, were held in 1948 at Wembley Stadium in London, England. These were the first Summer Olympics to be held since the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin because no Games were held during World War II.

[change]Participating nations

A total of 59 nations sent athletes to compete at the London Games. Fourteen nations made their first official Olympic appearance at these Games: British Guiana (now Guyana), Burma (now Myanmar), Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Korea, Lebanon, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Syria, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

 Afghanistan

 Argentina

 Australia

 Austria

 Belgium

 Bermuda

 Brazil

 British Guiana

 Burma

 Canada

 Ceylon

 Chile

 Republic of China

 Colombia

 Cuba

 Czechoslovakia

 Denmark

 Egypt

 Finland

 France

 Great Britain

 Greece

 Hungary

 Iceland

 India

 Iran

 Iraq

 Ireland

 Italy

 Jamaica

 South Korea

 Lebanon

 Liechtenstein

 Luxembourg

 Malta

 Mexico

 Monaco

 Netherlands

 New Zealand

 Norway

 Pakistan

 Panama

 Peru

 Phillipines

 Poland

 Portugal

 Puerto Rico

 Singapore

 South Africa

 Spain

 Sweden

 Switzerland

 Syria

 Trinidad and Tobago

 Turkey

 United States

 Uruguay

 Venezuela

 Yugoslavia

1944 Summer Olympics

The anticipated 1944 Summer Olympics, which were to be officially known as the Games of the XIII Olympiad, were cancelled because of World War II. They would have been held in London, England, which won the bid in the June 1939 International Olympic Committee election, over Rome, Detroit, Lausanne, Athens, Budapest, Helsinki and Montreal.

London hosted the next Olympic Games, the 1948 Summer Olympics, awarded without an election.

In spite of the war, the IOC had many events at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland to celebrate its 50th anniversary. These events happened on 17 June to 19 June 1944 and were called "The Jubilee Celebrations of IOC" by Carl Diem, the man who began the modern tradition of the Olympic torch relay.

Polish POWs in the Woldenberg (Dobiegniew) Oflag II-C POW camp were granted permission by their Nazi captors to have an unofficial POW Olympics in 1944, showing that the Olympic spirit can survive even during war.

1936 Summer Olympics

The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad , were celebrated in Berlin, Germany from August 1, 1936, through August 16, 1936.

1932 Summer Olympics

The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were celebrated in Los Angeles, United States, from July 30, through August 14.

1928 Summer Olympics

The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, were held in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had made a bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Belgium and De Coubertin's Paris before finally being awarded with the organisation. The only other candidate city was Los Angeles. Los Angeles would eventually host the Olympics four years later in 1932.

Participating nations

A total of 46 nations were represented at the Amsterdam Games. Malta, Panama, and Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) competed at the Olympic Games for the first time. Germany returned after having not being invited in 1920 and 1924.

 Argentina

 Australia

 Austria

 Belgium

 Bulgaria

 Canada

 Chile

 Cuba

 Czechoslovakia

 Denmark

 Egypt

 Estonia

 Finland

 France

 Germany

 Great Britain

 Greece

 Haiti

 Hungary

 India

 Irish Free State

 Italy

 Empire of Japan

 Latvia

 Lithuania

 Luxembourg

 Malta

 Mexico

 Monaco

 Netherlands

 New Zealand

 Norway

 Panama

 Philippines

 Poland

 Portugal

 Southern Rhodesia

 Romania

 Union of South Africa

 Spain

 Sweden

 Switzerland

 Turkey

 United States

 Uruguay

 Yugoslavia