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Rome 1960 Rome had been chosen to stage the 1908 Olympic Games, but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in southern Italy had intervened. It was galore 52 years later that the Games in the long run arrived in the Italian capital. The Rome games were broadcast by television to all European countries and were watched by millions. However, the competitions themselves were eclipsed by the rivalry among the US and the USSR. In the final medal table the USSR finished in front of the US by 43 to 34 gold medals. Olympic Highlights o Running barefoot, Ethiopian athlete Abebe Bikila did not go unnoticed when he entered the marathon. He refused to be daunted by the condescending remarks and left all his opponents behind to cross the finishing line victorious, near Constantine’s triumphal arch. o Aged 20, Wilma Rudolph became the original American woman to win three gold athletics medals in one Olympiad: in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay. She achieved this extraordinary feat in spite of suffering from a string of childhood impairment of normal physiological functions and recovering from a deformed leg caused by polio. o Cassius Marcellus Clay, later known as MuhammadM/, firstgai/ied r’nfernaffonaf prominence by winning the light-heavyweight gold medal. He would later turn professional and embark on a extraordinary career. Tokyo 1964 For the original time, the Olympic Games were hosted in Asia, Japan invested to a great extent in the most modern sports facilities as well as in bettering the infrastructure of a city containing over 10 million people. The extraordinary architectural design of the swimming stadium led to it being described as a “cathedral of sports”. Other outstanding new buildings included the judo hall, which was modelled on the architectural style of established Japanese temples. The opening ceremony offered a glimpse into how record-breaking the contest would be, when teams from 93 nations (10 more than participated in Rome) paraded into the Meiji Stadium. However, the high standards set by athletes at the Tokyo Games led numerous critics to warn in regards to exaggerated expected values for the future development of the Olympic disciplines. Olympic Highlights o Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser (see p.21) won her third successive gold medal in the 100m freestyle. She was the original woman swimmer to win eight medals (four gold and four silver) – over three Olympics. o Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina (see p.20) added six more medals to her tally, getting the initial woman to win nine Olympic gold medals. o Deszo Gyarmati won gold with the Hungarian water polo team, therefore achieving the (then) distinguishable feat of winning medals at five successive Olympic Games Mexico City 1968 Mexico City’s high altitude – closely 2,240m (7,350ft) above sea level eclipsed much of the pre-Games discussion: the consensus being that athletes from lowland countries would be at a disadvantage. However assorted weeks of high-altitude training heightened the performances of a lot of of these athletes. There were violent riots in the run-up to the Games, following complaints in regards to the exorbitant amounts of cash being invested in Olympic facilities in contrast to Mexico’s own social problems. Controversy likewise arose over South Africa’s participation at these Games and the IOC withdrew it is invitation underneath pressure. Doping controls were introduced for the original time and a Swedish athlete was disqualified for having too much alcohol in his bloodstream. Olympic Highlights o American Bob Beamon was the favored in the long jump but he exceeded all expectations. His jump of 8.90m beat the world record by 0.55m. o Czech gymnast Vera Caslavska won four gold and two silver medals. These victories were given extra signification by beating the Soviet gymnasts shortly after Soviet tanks had invaded her homeland. o American Debbie Meyer became the basi woman swimmer to win three person gold medals at one Olympic Games. Munich 1972 The 1972 Munich Games were the greatest yet, setting records in all categories, with 195 events and 7,134 athletes from 121 nations. The Games were supposed to celebrate peace, and for the initial 10 days all went well. But in the early morning of 5 September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic village [http://www.nike-trainers.com], killed two members of the Israeli team, and took nine more hostage. In the ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, along with five of the terrorists, and one policeman. The Olympics were suspended and a memorial service was kept in the main stadium. In defiance of the terrorists, the International Olympic Committee ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of 34 hours. All other details with regards to the Munich Games paled in significance. Olympic Highlights o Finnish distance runner Lasse Viren fell halfway through the 10,000m final, but still set a new world record to win the basi of his four career gold medals. o The media star of the Munich Games was the petite Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut, whose three gold medals helped establish Soviet dominance in the female gymnastics events and captured the attention of fans worldwide. Montreal 1976 The 1976 Montreal Games were marred by the boycott of 22 African nations protesting the fact that in spite of the New Zealand rugby team touring South Africa in defiance of international sporting sanctions, New Zealand was still permitted to compete. To compound the situation, the host nation suffered an unusually long winter, industrial disputes, and a lack of funds, which made it totally unlikely to finish work on the Olympic facilities in time for the opening ceremony. However, the performances of the athletes did not suffer from the political and national disputes. Despite the problems, the Games were well organized and, following the 1972 terrorist attack in Munich, security was tight. Olympic Highlights o Nadia Comaneci was the star of the Games. She achieved her original perfective 10 on the uneven parallel bars, and the judges awarded her the greatest or most complete or best possible mark seven times. o With his victory in platform diving, Italian Klaus Dibiasi became the initial Olympic diver to win three successive gold medals, and to win medals in four Olympic Games. o The US and East Germany overshadowed the swimming events. Only Great Britain’s David Wilkie and the Soviet Union’s Marina Koshevaya (both winning their 200m finals in record times) disturb the monopoly. Moscow 1980 As a result of the US-led boycott in protest at the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, only 80 countries were represented at the Moscow Games [http://www.nike-trainers.com]. Notable absentees included Japan, West Germany, and the US. Western countries have often referred to the Moscow Games as being of a low standard, and have raised doubts with regards to the sporting value of the results and medals. Nonetheless, though not of the most eminent calibre, the Moscow Games were hardly sub-standard: 36 world records, 39 European records, and 73 Olympic records bore testimony to the high level of talent and contest on display. Olympic Highlights o Soviet swimmer Vladimir Salnikov won three gold medals: in the 400m and 1,500m freestyle, and 4x200m relay. He was likewise the primary to swim 1,500m in a time of less than 15 minutes. o British middle-distance runners Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe faced each other in two unforgettable duels. In the 800m, Ovett won the gold medal just in front of his compatriot. Six days later, a determined Coe redeemed himself in the 1,500m, taking gold while Ovett could only manage bronze. o By winning the decathlon, Great Britain’s Daley Thompson became “king of the athletes”, beating home crowd favourite Yuri Kutsenko into second place. Los Angeles 1984 Although a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in sure sports, a record 140 nations took portion in the initial privately financed tournament in Olympic history. More than 30 sponsors together contributed more than $500 million, while other companies furnished the building of new sports facilities, in a deal that permitted them to publicize on the admittance tickets. The ABC television network paid $225 million for the exclusive television rights, thereby ensuring that most events started in the evenings for the duration of prime television time in the US. With these immense amounts of cash involved, a lot of critics held the view that what had once been a festival of novice sport was now a strictly mercantile spectacle. Olympic Highlights o American diver Greg Louganis remained unbeaten from the 3m springboard as well as from the 10m platform. o Sebastian Coe became the basi repeat winner of the men’s 1,500m. o In the women’s 400m hurdles, Nawal El Moutawakel led from commence to finish, getting the primary Moroccan athlete to win a gold medal. o British decathlete gold medallist Daley Thompson finished just one point off the world record. Seoul 1988 Happily, the large-scale boycotts of Moscow and Los Angeles did not reoccur at Seoul. For the primary time in 12 years, all leading Olympic nations, except Cuba and Ethiopia, took share in the Olympic Games. Although the drug disqualification of sprinter Ben Johnson became the biggest story of the 1988 Olympics, the Seoul Games were highlighted by a heap of special performances and 27 new world records. Once again the Soviet Union (55 gold medals) and East Germany (37) demonstrated their sporting superiority over the Western nations by finishing primary and second in the medal table. Olympic Highlights o American swimmer Matt Biondi won seven medals, including five gold. His gold medals came in the 50m and 100m freestyle, and all three relays. o Soviet pole-vaulter Serguei Bubka won his original gold medal, clearing 5.90m at the third attempt. Despite being a world record holder and dominating the sport for 14 years (1983-97), it was his only Olympic medal. o West German speed skater and cyclist Christa Luding-Rothenburger made Olympic history after getting the primary person to win Summer and Winter Olympic medals in the same year. After winning gold and silver in the speed skating at Calgary, she won silver in the 1,000m sprint cycling. Barcelona 1992 Spanish IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch brought the Games to his home city of Barcelona, expressing his gratitude to the Games’ sponsors at the final celebrations. The IOC received millions of dollars in revenue from the sale of television broadcasting rights, even though a lot of athletes complained that the begin times of galore events were arranged to suit primetime television advertising slots. Teams from a post-apartheid South Africa and a merged Germany were welcomed back onto the world stage. Men’s basketball was open to pros for the basi time, permitting the creation of an American “Dream Team”, which included Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Charles Barkley. Olympic Highlights o Spaniard Fermin Cacho Ruiz was not one of the favourites in the 1,500m. Taking o Great Britain’s Linford Christie is the oldest man (32 years) to win Olympic gold in the 100m. He added the World Championship title the following year. o In the almost fought women’s 100m, Jamaican Merlene Ottey was just 0.06 seconds behind the winner yet still only finished in fifth place. Atlanta 1996 The 1996 Atlanta Games were given a poignant begin when the cauldron was lit by a visibly shaking Muhammad All, by this time suffering from Parkinson’s disease. On 27 July, for the duration of a concert held in the Centennial Olympic Park, a terrorist bomb killed one person and injured a further 110 people, but the Atlanta Games are best remembered for their sporting achievements, including Michael Johnson’s extraordinary 200m and 400m double victory. A record-setting 79 nations won medals, 53 of them winning gold. Olympic Highlights o French runner Marie-Jose Perec won the 200m and 400m, breaking the 400m Olympic record and getting the basi woman to win the 400m at two successive Olympics. She is the most successful French female athlete of all time. o Russian swimmer Aleksandr Popov won two gold medals in the 50m and 100m freestyle – overtaking American swimmer Gary Hall, Jr on both occasions – and two silver medals in the relays. o Maim Suleymanoglu of Turkey became the introductory weightlifler to win three successive Olympic titles. o American Michael Johnson’s double gold over 200m and 400m was the firstborn for a man in Olympic history. Sydney 2000 The Sydney Games were the greatest yet, with 10,651 athletes competing in 300 events. Despite their size, the Games were well organized, renewing faith in the Olympic Movement. Athletes from North and South Korea marched together beneath the same flag, while four athletes from East Timor (it only became a sovereign state in 2002) were permitted to participate underneath the Olympic flag as person athletes. Cathy Freeman, an indigenous Australian, was given the honour of lighting the Olympic flame in the opening ceremony, and repaid the compliment by winning the 400m final in front of an ecstatic home crowd. Olympic Highlights o After being kept away from competitions for over a year by severe shoulder and back problems, French judo champion David Douillet won his second successive Olympic gold by beating Shinichi Shinohara of Japan in an stimulating final. o 17-year-old Australian swimming sensation Ian Thorpe won his original gold medal in the 400m freestyle by breaking his own world record. He then swam the anchor leg in the 4x100m freestyle to win again. A third gold came from the 4x200m freestyle, and he added a silver medal in the 200m freestyle. o German canoeist Birgit Fischer won two golds in the K-2 and K-4 500m to become the introductory female Olympian to win medals 20 years apart. Athens 2004 In 2004 the Olympic Games returned to Greece, home of both the ancient Olympics and the introductory innovative Olympics, For the original time ever, a record 201 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the Olympic Games, The overall tally for events on the programme was 301 (one more than in Sydney 2000). The popularity of the Games soared to new heights as 3.9 billion humans had access to the television coverage, equated to 3.6 billion for Sydney 2000. Olympic Highlights o Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj became the introductory runner since Paavo Nurmi in 1924 to win both the 1,500m and the 5,000m. In the 1,500m, he was passed by Bernard Lagat in the home stretch, but came back to win. In the 5,000m, he came from behind to defeat 10,000m champion Kenenisa Bekele. o Turkish weightlifter Nurcan Taylan won the gold medal in the women’s 48kg category. She was the basi Turkish woman in any sport to win an Olympic championship. o Argentina’s men’s basketball team put an end to the domination of the US’s professionals, defeating them 89-81 in the semi-finals. The Argentinians went on to beat Italy 84-69 in the final. o German canoeist Birgit Fischer became the youngest and oldest Olympic canoeing gold medallist, winning her gold medals in K-1 and K-4 500m -24 years apart, and the basi female athlete to win gold in six dissimilar Olympics.
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