http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1994W_city.gif 27_February_1994 12_February_1994 Lillehammer In 1986 the IOC voted to change the schedule of the Olympic Games so that the Summer and Winter Games would be held in different years. To adjust to this new schedule, the Lillehammer Games were held in 1994, the only time that two Games have been staged two years apart. The 1994 Games were extremely well organised and the Norwegian host' natural love of winter sports added a refreshing purity of spirit. Local hero Johann Koss won three speed skating events and set a world record in every one. Vreni Schneider won a complete set of medals in alpine skiing and Manuela Di Centa earned medals in all five cross-country events. Myriam Bedard won both women's individual biathlon races. Gustav Weder and Donat Acklin became the first repeat winners of the two-man bobsled. Pairs skaters Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov returned to repeat their Olympic victory of 1988.  67 NOCs (Nations) 1,737 athletes (522 women, 1, 215 men) 61 events 9,054 volunteers 6,633 media (2,615 written press, 4,018 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/2004S_city.gif 29_August_2004 13_August_2004 Athens In 2004 the Olympic Games returned to Greece, the home of both the ancient Olympics and the first modern Olympics. For the first 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). Popularity in the Games reached soared to new highs as 3.9 billion people had access to the television coverage compared to 3.6 billion for Sydney 2000. Women's wrestling was included in the program for the first time. Swimmer Michael Phelps won 6 gold medals and set a single-Games record with 8 total medals. Leontien Ziljaard-van Moorsel became the first female cyclist to earn 4 career gold medals and 6 total medals, while canoeist Birgit Fischer became the first athlete in any sport to win two medals in each of 5 Olympics. Runner Hicham El Guerrouj won both the 1,500m and the 5,000m, while on the women's side Kelly Holmes triumphed in both the 800m and the 1,500m. In team play, Argentina won the men's football tournament without giving up a goal, and the U.S. softball team won by outscoring their opponents 51-1. 201 NOCs (Nations) 10,625 athletes (4,329 women, 6,296 men) 301 events 45,000 volunteers 21,500 media Relive the magic of the Athens Olympic Summer Games <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/index_uk.asp">The Olympic village</a>: <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/backstage/index_uk.asp">Behind the scenes</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/home/index_uk.asp">Olympic house</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/gallery/index_uk.asp">Games gallery</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/antidoping/index_uk.asp">Doping control station</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/vipclub/index_uk.asp">VIP Club</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/billboard/index_uk.asp">Olympic stadium</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/athens2004/presscenter/index_uk.asp">Media zone</a> http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1998W_city.gif 22_February_1998 07_February_1998 Nagano In 1998 the Winter Olympic Games returned to Japan after 26 years. Snowboarding debuted as an official discipline. Curling was returned to the Olympic Winter programme this time with a tournament for both men and women. For the first time, the men's ice hockey tournament was opened to all professionals and women’s ice hockey was introduced to the Olympic programme. The inspired team from the Czech Republic scored a surprise victory. Björn Dählie won three gold medals in Nordic skiing to become the first winter athlete to earn eight career olympic gold medals and twelve total medals. Tara Lipinski won the women’s figure skating title to become, at 15, the youngest champion in an individual event in the history of the Winter Olympics. The spirit of the Games was exemplified by Alpine skier Hermann Maier. Maier survived a spectacular fall in the downhill, recovered and earned gold medals in both the super-G and the giant slalom.  72 NOCs (Nations) 2,176 athletes (787 women, 1,389 men) 68 events 32,000 volunteers 8,329 media (2,586 written press, 5,743 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1992W_city.gif 23_February_1992 08_February_1992 Albertville The 1992 Albertville Olympic Games were the last Winter Games to be staged in the same year as the Summer Games. Only 18 of the 57 events were held in Albertville itself, while nearby resorts hosted the rest. Freestyle skiing and short-track speed skating made their debuts as medal disciplines, as did women’s biathlon. Norwegian skiers won every cross country skiing race, as Björn Daehlie and Vegard Ulvang each won three gold medals. Speedskater Bonnie Blair won the 500m and 1,000m events, while Gunda Niemann took both of the longest races. At age 16, ski jumper Toni Nieminen became the youngest male winner of a Winter event. Alpine skier Petra Kronberger won both the combined event and the slalom. Ki-hoon Kim earned gold medals in both short track events.  64 NOCs (Nations) 1,801 athletes (488 women, 1,313 men) 57 events 8,647 volunteers 5,894 media (2,271 written press, 3,623 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/2000S_city.gif 01_October_2000 15_September_2000 Sydney The Sydney 2000 Games were the largest yet, with 10,651 athletes competing in 300 events. Despite their size, they were well organised, renewing faith in the Olympic Movement. Birgit Fischer earned two gold medals in Kayak to become the first woman in any sport to win medals 20 years apart. Judoka Ryoko Tamura lost in the final in both Barcelona and Atlanta, but came back to win the gold medal in Sydney. Steven Redgrave became the first rower to win gold medals at five consecutive Olympics. The US softball team won in stirring fashion, losing three games in a row and then coming back to defeat each of the teams they had lost to.  199 NOCs (Nations) and 4 individual athletes (IOA) 10,651 athletes (4,069 women, 6,582 men) 300 events 46,967 volunteers 16,033 media (5,298 written press, 10,735 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1988W_city.gif 28_February_1988 13_February_1988 Calgary Calgary was notable for a number of firsts beginning with the fact that the Winter Games were extended to 16 days, including three weekends. The Alpine events were expanded from three to five with the inclusion of the super giant slalom and the Alpine combined. Team events were added in Nordic combined and ski jumping. Jumper Matti Nykänen took advantage of this new programme to win three gold medals. The speed skating races were held indoors. Yvonne van Gennip surprised the favourites with three victories. Christa Rothenburger won the 1,000m. Seven months later she earned a silver medal in cycling to become the only athlete ever to win medals in the Winter and Summer Olympics in the same year. Other notable sporting performances included figure skater Katarina Witt defending her Olympic title and Brian Boitano edging out Brian Orser in an extremely close decision in the men’s competition. Charismatic skier Alberto Tomba made his first Olympic appearance, winning both the giant slalom and the slalom. 57 NOCs (Nations) 1,423 athletes (301 women, 1,122 men) 46 events 9,498 volunteers 6,838 media (2,477 written press, 4,361 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1992S_city.gif 09_August_1992 25_July_1992 Barcelona Men's basketball was open to all professionals, and the US sent a "Dream Team" that included Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. Gymnast Vitaly Scherbo won six gold medals, including a record four in one day. Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia won the 10,000m run to become the first female black African Olympic champion. Her victory lap with silver medallist Elana Meyer, a white South African, symbolised hope for the future of the Olympic Movement.  169 NOCs (Nations) 9,356 athletes (2,704 women, 6,652 men) 257 events 34,548 volunteers 13,082 media (5,131 written press, 7,951 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1996S_city.gif 04_August_1996 19_July_1996 Atlanta The 1996 Games were given a dramatic start when the cauldron was lit by Muhammad Ali. On 27 July during 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. A record-setting 79 nations won medals and 53 won gold. Carl Lewis became only the third person to win the same individual event four times and the fourth person to earn a ninth gold medal. Naim Suleymanoglu became the first weightlifter to win a third gold medal. Michael Johnson smashed the 200m world record to complete a 200m and 400m double.  197 NOCs (Nations) 10,318 athletes (3,512 women, 6,806 men) 271 events 47,466 volunteers 15,108 media (5,695 written press, 9,413 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1984W_city.gif 19_February_1984 08_February_1984 Sarajevo In 1984, the Winter Games took place in a Socialist country for the first and only time. The people of Sarajevo gained high marks for their hospitality, and there was no indication of the tragic war that would engulf the city only a few years later. Skier Jure Franko brought joy to the host nation by earning Yugoslavia’s first Winter Olympics medal : a silver in the giant slalom. Marja-Liisa Hämäläinen won all three individual cross-country races for women. In speed skating, Gaétan Boucher and Karin Enke each won two gold medals. Biathlete Eirik Kvalfoss earned a complete set of medals. Twin brothers Phil and Steve Mahre took first and second place in the slalom. The highlight of the figure skating competitions was the free dance performance of Jane Torvill and Christopher Dean. Their interpretation of Ravel’s Bolero earned across-the-board perfect scores for artistic impression. 49 NOCs (Nations) 1,272 athletes (274 women, 998 men) 39 events 10,450 volunteers 7,393 media (2,363 written press, 5,030 broadcasters) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1896S_city.gif 15_April_1896 06_April_1896 Athens The first celebration of the modern Olympic Games attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain. On 6 April 1896, the American James Connolly won the triple jump to become the first Olympic champion in more than 1,500 years. Winners were awarded a silver medal and an olive branch. The German athlete Carl Schuhmann finished in the top five events of three different sports. The people of Athens greeted the Games with great enthusiasm. Their support was rewarded when the Greek Spyridon Louis won the most popular event, the marathon.  14 NOCs (Nations) 241 athletes (0 women, 241 men) 43 events 30 November 1874 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/59636_TOP.JPG N/A http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1932S_city.gif 14_August_1932 30_July_1932 Los_Angeles Because the 1932 Olympics were held in the middle of the Great Depression and in the comparatively remote city of Los Angeles, half as many athletes took part as had in 1928. Nevertheless, the level of competition was extremely high and 18 world records were either broken or equalled. The crowds set records too, starting with the 100,000 people who attended the Opening Ceremony. The 1932 Olympics were the first to last 16 days. The duration of the Olympics has remained between 15 and 18 days ever since. Between 1900 and 1928, no Summer Olympics was shorter than 79 days. For the first time, the male athletes were housed in a single Olympic Village. (The women stayed in a luxury hotel.) At the victory ceremonies, the medal winners stood on a victory stand and the flag of the winner was raised. Official automatic timing was introduced for the track events, as was the photo-finish camera. 14-year-old Japanese Kusuo Kitamura won the 1,500m freestyle to become the youngest male in any sport ever to earn a gold medal in an individual event. 21-year-old American Babe Didrikson qualified for all five women’s track and field events, but was only allowed to compete in three. She won the javelin throw and set world records in the high jump and the 80m hurdles. Ivar Johansson, a Swedish policeman, won gold medals in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. Another Swedish wrestler, Carl Westergren, won his third Greco-Roman title, each in a different division. In the spirit of fair play, British fencer Judy Guinness gave up her hopes for a gold medal when she pointed out to officials that they had not noticed two touches scored against her by her final opponent, Ellen Preis of Austria. 37 NOCs (Nations) 1,332 athletes (126 women, 1,206 men) 117 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/51047_TOP.jpg http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1928S_city.gif 12_August_1928 17_May_1928 Amsterdam The Amsterdam Olympics of 1928 were held in an atmosphere of peace and harmony that preceded twenty years of economic uncertainty and war. Perhaps the Games were best exemplified by the experience of Australian rower Henry Pearce. Midway through his quarterfinal race, he stopped rowing to allow a family of ducks to pass single file in front of his boat. Pearce won the race anyway and, later, the gold medal as well. At the Opening Ceremony, the team from Greece led the Parade of Nations and the host Dutch team marched in last. Greece first, hosts last would become a permanent part of the Olympic protocol. Athletes from 28 different nations won gold medals in Amsterdam, a record that would last for 40 years. The number of female athletes more than doubled as women were finally allowed to compete in gymnastics and athletics. For the first time, Asian athletes won gold medals. Mikio Oda of Japan won the triple jump, while his teammate, Yoshiyuki Tsuruta, won the 200m breaststroke. Meanwhile the team from India swept to victory in field hockey. Between 1928 and 1960, Indian teams won six straight gold medals. Another winning streak began in 1928. Hungary earned the first of seven consecutive gold medals in team sabre fencing. 46 NOCs (Nations) 2,883 athletes (277 women, 2,606 men) 109 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1936S_city.gif 16_August_1936 01_August_1936 Berlin The 1936 Olympics, held in Berlin, are best remembered for Adolf Hitler’s failed attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. As it turned out, the most popular hero of the Games, was the African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals. During the long jump competition, Owens’ German rival, Luz Long, publicly befriended him in front of the Nazis. 1936 saw the introduction of the torch relay, in which a lighted torch is carried from Olympia to the site of the current Games. The 1936 Olympics were also the first to be broadcast on a form of television. Twenty-five large screens were set up throughout Berlin, allowing the local people to see the Games for free. Basketball, canoeing and team handball made their first appearances, while polo was included in the Olympic programme for the last time. Thirteen-year-old Marjorie Gestring of the United States won the gold medal in springboard diving. She remains the youngest female gold medalist in the history of the Summer Olympics. Inge Sorensen of Denmark earned a bronze medal in the 200m breaststroke at the age of 12, making her the youngest medalist ever in an individual event. Hungarian water polo player Olivier Halassy won his third medal despite the fact that one of his legs had been amputated below the knee following a streetcar accident. Rower Jack Beresford of Great Britain won a gold medal in the double sculls event, marking the fifth Olympics at which he earned a medal. Kristjan Palusalu of Estonia won the heavyweight division in both freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling. 49 NOCs (Nations) 3,963 athletes (331 women, 3,632 men) 129 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1948S_city.gif 14_August_1948 29_July_1948 London Despite the fact that the Olympic Games had not been held in either 1940 or 1944 due to World War II, interest in the Games had survived. On short notice, the city of London rose to the challenge and played host to the Games of the XIV Olympiad in 1948. The London Games were the first to be shown on home television, although very few people in Great Britain actually owned sets. A women’s canoeing event was held for the first time - and won by Karen Hoff of Denmark. 17-year-old American Bob Mathias won the decathlon only four months after taking up the sport. He is the youngest athlete in Olympic history to win a men’s athletics event. Two athletes who were Olympic champions in 1936 managed to defend their titles twelve years later. They were Ilona Elek of Hungary in women’s foil fencing and Jan Brzak of Czechoslovakia in the canoeing Canadian pairs 1,000m. Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands entered four athletics events and won all four. Concert pianist Micheline Ostermeyer of France won both the shot put and the discus throw. Karoly Takacs was a member of the Hungarian world champion pistol shooting team in 1938 when a grenade shattered his right hand - his pistol hand. Takacs taught himself to shoot with his left hand and, ten years later, he won an Olympic gold medal in the rapid-fire pistol event. 59 NOCs (Nations) 4,104 athletes (390 women, 3,714 men) 136 events Jaszbereny (Hungary) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1952S_city.gif 03_August_1952 19_July_1952 Helsinki The 1952 Olympic Games in Helsinki started in spectacular fashion with Paavo Nurmi, then aged 55, entering the stadium with the Olympic flame and lighting the cauldron on the ground. Then, young football players carried the torch up to the top of the stadium tower, where another Olympic cauldron was lit by 62-year-old Hannes Kölehmainen. It seemed appropriate that the most impressive achievements in Helsinki should be those of another long-distance runner, Emil Zatopek of Czechoslovakia, who became the only person in Olympic history to win the 5,000, 10,000 and marathon at the same Olympics. The Soviet Union entered the Olympics for the first time. Although their athletes were housed in a separate "village", warnings that Cold War rivalries would lead to clashes proved unfounded. Particularly impressive were the Soviet women gymnasts who won the team competition easily, beginning a streak that would continue for forty years until the Soviet Union broke up into separate republics. One of the first women allowed to compete against men in the equestrian dressage was Lis Hartel of Denmark. Despite being paralyzed below the knees after an attack of polio, Hartel, who had to be helped on and off her horse, won a silver medal. Lars Hall, a carpenter from Sweden, became the first nonmilitary winner of the modern pentathlon. Back in 1924, Bill Havens had been chosen to represent the United States in coxed eights rowing, but declined in order to stay home with his wife, who was expecting their first child. Twenty-eight years later, that child, Frank Havens, won a gold medal in the Canadian singles 10,000m canoeing event. 69 NOCs (Nations) 4,955 athletes (519 women, 4,436 men) 149 events 16 March 1910 http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1956S_city.gif 08_December_1956 22_November_1956 Melbourne_/_Stockholm Melbourne won the right to host the 1956 Olympics by one vote over Buenos Aires. Australian quarantine laws were too severe to allow the entry of foreign horses, so the equestrian events were held separately in Stockholm in June. The Melbourne Games were the first to be held in the southern hemisphere. Laszlo Papp of Hungary became the first boxer to win three gold medals. American Pat McCormick won both diving events, just as she had in 1952. Two athletes dominated the gymnastics competition. On the men’s side, Ukrainian Viktor Chukarin earned five medals, including three gold, to bring his career total to eleven medals, seven of them gold. Agnes Keleti of Hungary brought her career total to ten medals by winning four gold medals and two silver. The U.S. basketball team, led by Bill Russell and K.C. Jones, put on the most dominant performance in Olympic history, scoring more than twice as much as their opponents and winning each of their games by at least 30 points. U.S. weightlifter Paul Anderson weighed 137.9kg. In weightlifting, ties are broken by awarding the higher place to the athlete with the lower body weight. Incredibly, this worked to Anderson’s advantage when he tied for first with Humberto Selvetti of Argentina. Selvetti weighed 143.5kg. Prior to 1956, the athletes in the Closing Ceremony marched by nation, as they did in the Opening Ceremony. In Melbourne, following a suggestion by a young Australian named John Ian Wing, the athletes entered the stadium together during the Closing Ceremony, as a symbol of global unity. 72 NOCs (Nations) 3 314 athletes (376 women, 2 938 men) 145 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1960S_city.gif 11_September_1960 25_August_1960 Rome Fifty-four years after Italy had to give up hosting the Olympics, Rome finally got its chance. They made the most of their dramatic history, holding the wrestling competition in the Basilica of Maxentius. Among the other ancient sites that were used were the Caracalla Baths (gymnastics) and the Arch of Constantine (finish of the marathon). Paul Elvstrom of Denmark won the gold medal in the single-handed dinghy class yachting - for the fourth consecutive time. Hungarian fencer Aladar Gerevich earned his sixth consecutive gold medal in the team sabre event. In canoeing, Sweden’s Gert Fredriksson won his sixth gold medal. Yugoslavia, which qualified for the final by winning a coin toss, won the football tournament after losing in the final three times in a row. Sante Gaiardoni of Italy became the only cyclist in Olympic history to win both the time trial and the match sprint events. By winning the silver medal in light-welterweight boxing, Clement "Ike" Quartey of Ghana became the first black African Olympic medalist. Five days later in the marathon, Abebe Bikila, running barefoot, outlasted Rhadi Ben Abdesselem of Morocco to become the first black African Olympic champion. Rafer Johnson and C.K. Yang were decathlon training partners at UCLA, but in Rome Johnson represented the United States and Yang represented Chinese Taipei. In a dramatic finish, they took first and second places and then, exhausted, fell against each other for support. Suffering from concussion and a broken collarbone after a fall in the endurance test of the three-day equestrian event, Bill Roycroft left his hospital bed to compete in the jumping test and ensure the gold medal for Australia. 83 NOCs (Nations) 5,338 athletes (611 women, 4,727 men) 150 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/10620_TOP.JPG 28 September 1904 Rome (Italy) 16 February 1973 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/69981_TOP.JPG Mackay (Australia) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1984S_city.gif 12_August_1984 28_July_1984 Los_Angeles Although a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in certain sports, a record 140 nations took part. Joan Benoit won the inaugural women's marathon and Connie Carpenter-Phinney the first women's cycling road race. Carl Lewis won both sprints and the long jump and earned a fourth gold in the 4x100m relay. Pertti Karppinen won single sculls rowing for the third time. Sebastian Coe became the first repeat winner of the men's 1,500m. Archer Neroli Fairhall was the first paraplegic athlete to take part in a medal event. She competed in a wheelchair. 140 NOCs (Nations) 6,829 athletes (1,566 women, 5,263 men) 221 events 28,742 volunteers 9,190 media (4,327 written press, 4,863 broadcasters) 9 July 1966 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/68706_TOP.jpg N/A http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1988S_city.gif 02_October_1988 17_September_1988 Seoul Although the drug disqualification of sprinter Ben Johnson was the biggest story of the 1988 Olympics, the Seoul Games were highlighted by numerous exceptional performances. Christa Luding-Rothenburger, who was also a speed skater, earned a silver medal in cycling to become the only person in history to win Winter and Summer medals in the same year. Steffi Graf concluded her Grand Slam tennis season by winning Olympic gold. Greg Louganis repeated victories in both diving events. Florence Griffith-Joyner dominated the sprints. For the first time, all the medalists in dressage were women. 159 NOCs (Nations) 8,391 athletes (2,194 women, 6,197 men) 237 events 27,221 volunteers 11,331 media (4,978 written press, 6,353 broadcasters) Los Angeles (United States) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/35907_TOP.JPG 21 December 1959 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/42418_TOP.jpg http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1980S_city.gif 03_August_1980 19_July_1980 Moscow A U.S.-led boycott reduced the number of participating nations to 80, the lowest number since 1956. Aleksandr Dityatin earned medals in every men's gymnastics event to become the only athlete ever to win eight medals in one Olympics. Super-heavyweight Teófilo Stevenson became the first boxer to win the same division three times. Gerd Wessig became the first male high jumper to break the world record at the Olympics and swimmer Vladimir Salnikov broke the 15-minute barrier for the 1,500m. In adramatic confrontation, runners Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe split the 800 and 1,500m. 80 NOCs (Nations) 5,179 athletes (1,115 women, 4,064 men) 203 events 5,615 media (2,685 written press, 2,930 broadcasters) Cold Spring (Jamaica) 10 May 1960 9 May 1968 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/121602_TOP.JPG Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe (France) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1956W_city.gif 05_February_1956 26_January_1956 Cortina_d'Ampezzo The 1956 Winter Olympics, held in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, were most notable for the first appearance by a team from the USSR. The Soviets immediately won more medals than any other nation. Their speed skaters won three of the four events, while their ice hockey team ended Canada’s domination. Pavel Kolchin became the first non-Scandinavian to earn a medal in cross-country skiing. Anton Sailer won all three men’s races in Alpine skiing - the first clean sweep in Olympic history. Madeleine Berthod celebrated her birthday by winning the downhill by an amazing 4.7 seconds. The United States began to emerge as a definite power in figure skating as Tenley Albright won the women’s title and Hayes Alan Jenkins led an American medal sweep on the men’s side. The Cortina Games were the first to be televised and the last at which the figure skating competitions were held outdoors. 32 NOCs (Nations) 821 athletes (134 women, 687 men) 24 events 6 February 1929 http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1964W_city.gif 09_February_1964 29_January_1964 Innsbruck The 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck were threatened by a lack of snow. The Austrian army rushed to the rescue, carving out 20,000 ice bricks from a mountain top and transporting them to the bobsled and luge runs. They also carried 40,000 cubic meters of snow to the Alpine skiing courses. When rain caused further havoc ten days before the Opening Ceremony, the army packed down the slopes by hand and foot. Lydia Skoblikova won all four women’s speed skating events to become the first athlete to win four gold medals in one Winter Olympics. Klavdiya Boyarskikh earned three gold medals in cross-country skiing and, on the men’s side, Eero Mäntyranta won two. Sisters Christine and Marielle Goitschel finished first and second in both the slalom and the giant slalom. Ski jumping gained a second event, and the sport of luge made its Olympic debut. 36 NOCs (Nations) 1,091 athletes (199 women, 892 men) 34 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1960W_city.gif 28_February_1960 18_February_1960 Squaw_Valley The 1960 Squaw Valley Games were preceded by a controversy when the organizing committee refused to build a bobsleigh run because only nine nations had indicated an intention to take part. This was the only time that bobsledding was not included in the Olympic programme. As the Games were held in California, it seemed fitting that the chairman of the Pageantry Committee in charge of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies was none other than Walt Disney. A new sport, biathlon (a combination of cross-country skiing and shooting) was added to the Olympic programme. The first race was won by Klas Lestander of Sweden. Women competed in speed skating for the first time. Male speed skater Yevgeny Grishin gained victories in the 500m and the 1,500m, just as he had in 1956. The United States ice hockey team won an unexpected championship, upsetting both Canada and the USSR. 30 NOCs (Nations) 665 athletes (144 women, 521 men) 27 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1952W_city.gif 25_February_1952 14_February_1952 Oslo In 1952, the Olympic Winter Games were finally held in Norway, the birthplace of modern skiing. A flame was lit in the hearth of the home of Sondre Nordheim, the first famous skier, and relayed by 94 skiers to Oslo. Speed skater Hjalmar Andersen starred for the home team, winning three gold medals. His winning margins in the 5,000m and the 10,000m were the largest in Olympic history. In Alpine skiing, the combined event was dropped and replaced by the giant slalom. Andrea Mead Lawrence won both the giant slalom and the slalom even though she was only nineteen years old. Canada won the ice hockey tournament for the fifth time, bringing their cumulative Olympic record to 37 wins, 1 loss and 3 ties. In those 41 games they scored 403 goals while conceding only 34. For the first time, a cross-country skiing event was held for women. The winner was Lydia Wideman of Finland. 30 NOCs (Nations) 694 athletes (109 women, 585 men) 22 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/78485_TOP.JPG 4 January 1925 Kurkijoki (Finland) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1968W_city.gif 18_February_1968 06_February_1968 Grenoble At the 1968 Grenoble Games, sex tests for women and doping controls for both men and women were introduced. French hero Jean-Claude Killy swept the men’s Alpine events, but only after the greatest controversy in the history of the Winter Olympics. Killy’s rival, Karl Schranz, claimed that a mysterious man in black crossed his path during the slalom race, causing him to skid to a halt. Given a restart, Schranz beat Killy’s time. However, a Jury of Appeal disqualified Schranz and gave the victory to Killy. There was also controversy in the women’s luge when the three East German entrants, who had finished first, second and fourth, were disqualified for heating their runners. Toini Gustafsson starred in women’s cross-country skiing, winning both individual races and earning a silver medal in the relay. Lyudmila Belousova and Oleg Protopopov, an elegant married couple, successfully defended their pairs figure skating title. Eugenio Monti piloted his two-man and four-man bobsleighs to gold medals. 37 NOCs (Nations) 1,158 athletes (211 women, 947 men) 35 events 20 November 1937 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/78697_TOP.JPG Pello (Finland) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1972W_city.gif 13_February_1972 03_February_1972 Sapporo The 1972 Sapporo Games in Japan were the first to be held outside Europe or the United States. The subject of amateurism stirred controversy when skier Karl Schranz was declared ineligible to compete because he had allowed his name and photo to be used in commercial advertising, but full-time ice hockey players from Communist nations were allowed to compete. Galina Kulakova of the USSR won all three cross-country skiing events for women. Ard Schenk of the Netherlands took three golds in speed skating. In Alpine skiing, little-known Marie-Thérès Nadig of Switzerland won both the downhill and the giant slalom. Norway’s Magnar Solberg won the 20km race to become the first repeat winner in an individual biathlon event. Before the Sapporo Games, Japan had never won a gold medal in the Winter Olympics, but in the normal hill ski jumping event, three Japanese jumpers, led by Yukio Kasaya, swept the medals. 35 NOCs (Nations) 1,006 athletes (205 women, 801 men) 35 events 1 October 1941 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71543_TOP.JPG Toula (Russia) 15 February 1939 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74604_TOP.JPG Furnes (Norway) 9 October 1934 Lensvik (Norway) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74656_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71802_TOP.JPG Lima (Sweden) 11 May 1943 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/79224_TOP.JPG Ottawa (Canada) 9 June 1944 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/77489_TOP.JPG Sainte Maxime (France) 28 September 1945 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/77490_TOP.JPG Sainte Maxime (France) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1968S_city.gif 27_October_1968 12_October_1968 Mexico The choice of Mexico City to host the 1968 Olympics proved to be a controversial one because of the city's high altitude, 2,300m, which meant that the air contained 30% less oxygen than at sea level. Sure enough, the rarefied air proved disastrous to many athletes competing in endurance events. On the other hand, the high altitude led to world records in all of the men’s races that were 400m or shorter, including both relays, and in the 400m hurdles, in the long jump and triple jump as well. Bob Beamon’s spectacular long jump of 8.90m would last as a world record for 22 years. The Mexico City Olympics, the first Summer Games to include sex testing for women, were blessed with many outstanding heroines. Mexican hurdler Enriqueta Basilio became the first woman to light the cauldron at the Opening Ceremony. Eulalia Rolinska of Poland, Gladys de Seminario of Peru and Nuria Ortiz of Mexico were the first women to compete in shooting. Wyomia Tyus of the United States became the first repeat winner of the 100m dash. The most popular female athlete of the 1968 Games was Vera Caslavska, the Czech gymnast. After the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia two months before the Olympics, Caslavska went into hiding for three weeks. She emerged to win four gold medals and two silvers. On the male side, Al Oerter of the United States won the discus throw for the fourth time. The 1968 Games also saw the first drug disqualification, as a Swedish entrant in the modern pentathlon, Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, tested positive…for excessive alcohol. 112 NOCs (Nations) 5,516 athletes (781 women, 4,735 men) 172 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1964S_city.gif 24_October_1964 10_October_1964 Tokyo The 1964 Tokyo Games were the first to be held in Asia. The Japanese expressed their successful reconstruction after World War II by choosing as the final torchbearer Yoshinori Sakai, who was born in Hiroshima the day that that city was destroyed by an atomic bomb. Judo and volleyball were introduced to the Olympic programme. American swimmer Don Schollander won four gold medals. Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia became the first repeat winner of the marathon - less than six weeks after having his appendix removed. Russian rower Vyacheslav Ivanov won the single sculls for the third time, and Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser won the 100m freestyle for the third time. Al Oerter of the United States did the same in the discus throw despite a cervical disc injury that forced him to wear a neck harness and torn rib cartilage incurred a week before the competition. Hungarian water polo player Dezso Gyarmati won his fifth medal in a row. Another Hungarian, Greco-Roman wrestler Imre Polyak, finally won a gold medal after finishing second in the same division at the previous three Olympics. By winning two medals of each kind, Larysa Latynina of the Ukraine brought her career medal total to an incredible 18. She is also one of only four athletes in any sport to win nine gold medals. 93 NOCs (Nations) 5,151 athletes (678 women, 4,473 men) 163 events 24 November 1939 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/23485_TOP.JPG Miyagi Prefecture (Japan) 17 September 1962 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/77272_TOP.jpg Germany 14 June 1969 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/64473_TOP.JPG Brhl (Germany) 6 February 1973 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/68047_TOP.JPG Zhengzhou (China) 11 February 1971 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/63899_TOP.JPG Tasikmalaya (Indonesia) 18 December 1971 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/34716_TOP.jpg Barcelona (Spain) 11 April 1970 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/63333_TOP.JPG Ansan (Korea / South Korea) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/2002W_city.gif 24_February_2002 08_February_2002 Salt_Lake_City The Salt Lake City Olympic Winter Games saw the expansion of the Olympic programme to 78 events, including the return of skeleton and the introduction of women's bobsleigh. Athletes from a record 18 nations earned gold medals. Canadian teams won both the men's and women's ice hockey tournaments. Ole Einar Bjoerndalen earned gold medals in all four biathlon events and Samppa Lajunen in all three Nordic combined competitions. Alpine skier Janica Kostelic won three gold medals and one silver. Simon Ammann scored unexpected victories in both individual ski jump events. Speedskater Claudia Pechstein earned her third straight gold medal in the 5,000m race and also won at 3,000m. By taking the silver medal in singles luge, Georg Hackl became the first person in Olympic history to earn a medal in the same individual event five times in a row. Short track speedskater Yang Yang (A) became the first Chinese athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Games. Competing in the women’s bobsleigh, Vonetta Flowers became the first black athlete to earn winter gold, while ice hockey player Jarome Iginla followed as the first black male winner.  77 NOCs (Nations) 2,399 athletes (886 women, 1,513 men) 78 events 22,000 volunteers 8,730 media (2,661 written press, 6,069 broadcasters) Relive the magic of the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games through <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/index_uk.asp">the Virtual Olympic Village</a>: <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/backstage/index_uk.asp">Behind the scenes</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/chalet/index_uk.asp">Athletes' Chalet</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/home/index_uk.asp">Olympic House</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/billboard/index_uk.asp">Bulletin board</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/kodak/index_uk.asp">Kodak Image Centre</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/antidoping/index_uk.asp">Doping Control Station</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/media/index_uk.asp">Media Zone</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/gallery/index_uk.asp">Gallery of the Games</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a onfocus="blur();" href="/uk/games/slc2002/flame/index_uk.asp">Flame</a> Paluzzo (Italy) 31 January 1963 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74963_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1976W_city.gif 15_February_1976 04_February_1976 Innsbruck The 1976 Winter Olympics were awarded to the U.S. city of Denver, but the people of the state of Colorado voted to prohibit public funds from being used to support the Games. Innsbruck was subsequently selected by the IOC Executive Board to take over. By updating some facilities and building others they were able to host the Games on short notice, just 12 years after Innsbruck had first hosted an edition of the Winter Games. Rosi Mittermaier won two of the three Alpine skiing events and almost became the first woman to sweep all three events. But in the final race, Kathy Kreiner beat her by 12 hundredths of a second. The ice hockey team from the USSR won its fourth straight gold medal. A new figure skating event, ice dancing, was added to the programme and, like the pairs, it was dominated by Russian couples. The most memorable image of the Games was Franz Klammer flying wildly down the downhill course, barely keeping control, on his way to a gold medal. 37 NOCs (Nations) 1,123 athletes (231 women, 892 men) 37 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71311_TOP.JPG Votkinsk (Russia) 29 April 1942 17 January 1938 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71740_TOP.JPG Soumisalmi (Sweden) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1980W_city.gif 24_February_1980 13_February_1980 Lake_Placid The 1980 Winter Games, held in Lake Placid, New York, were filled with impressive performances. The great Swedish skier, Ingemar Stenmark, won both the giant slalom and the slalom. Hanni Wenzel did the same in the women’s races and her nation, Liechtenstein, became the smallest country to produce an Olympic champion. Ulrich Wehling won the Nordic combined for the third time and pairs skater Irina Rodnina did the same in her event. In the biathlon relay, Aleksandr Tikhonov earned his fourth straight gold medal. Nikolay Zimyatov earned three gold medals in cross-country skiing. In an unprecedented achievement, Eric Heiden of the United States won all five speed skating races, from 500m all the way up to 10,000m. Nonetheless, for the home crowd, the highlight was the unexpected victory of the US ice hockey team. 37 NOCs (Nations) 1,072 athletes (232 women, 840 men) 38 events 6,703 volunteers 13 June 1964 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71517_TOP.JPG Kovalyovo (Russia) 3 February 1965 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/78672_TOP.JPG Lohja (Finland) 29 February 1952 Mokhcha (Russia) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71482_TOP.JPG 13 January 1969 Vinadio (Italy) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/76436_TOP.JPG 26 April 1918 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/79842_TOP.JPG Baarn (Netherlands) 18 July 1925 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/4976_TOP.JPG Guildford (Australia) 23 June 1940 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/10427_TOP.JPG St. Bethlehem (United States) 20 April 1938 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/12161_TOP.JPG Sydney (Australia) 27 December 1934 3 May 1942 Praha (Czech Republic) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/16525_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/11260_TOP.JPG Kherson (Ukraine) 12 December 1936 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/12213_TOP.JPG Timosoara (Romania) 29 April 1970 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/96979_TOP.JPG Las Vegas (United States) 10 January 1976 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/90110_TOP.jpg Xinxiang (Peoples Republic of China) Khabarovsk region (USSR) 30 January 1967 19 April 1964 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75713_TOP.JPG Gstrow (Germany) 4 April 1970 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75874_TOP.JPG Neuhaus (Germany) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/2006W_city.gif 26_February_2006 10_February_2006 Turin A record 2,508 athletes from 80 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) competed at the Turin Winter Games, and 26 NOCs took home medals, another record. Austrians dominated Alpine skiing, gaining 14 of the 30 medals awarded. South Korea displayed equal success in short-track speed skating (gaining 10 medals of the 24 awarded). On the women’s side, Sun-Yu Jin earned three gold medals, and for the men Hyun-Soo Ahn won three golds and one bronze. The other triple-gold winner was Michael Greis in biathlon. Cindy Klassen earned medals in five of the six women’s speed skating events. Another speed skater, Claudia Peschstein, won a gold and a silver to become the first athlete in her sport to earn nine career medals. With his victory in the Super G, Kjetil Andre Aamodt became the first Alpine skier to earn four medals in the same event and the first to win four gold medals in total. At the age of 39, skeleton specialist Duff Gibson became the oldest athlete in the history of the Olympic Winter Games to win a gold medal in an individual event. Andre Lange drove to victory in the two-man bobsleigh and then defended his Olympic championship in the four-man event. During the cross-country skiing team sprint, Sara Renner of Canada broke one of her poles. Norwegian head coach Bjørnar Håkensmoen, seeing her struggle, gave her one of his (albeit 12 cm too long). This allowed Renner to help her team win silver medals, and dropped Norway out of the medals. Bjørnar Håkensmoen’s display of fair play clearly demonstrates true sportsmanship. 80 NOCs (Nations) 2,508 athletes (960 women, 1,548 men) 84 events 18,000 volunteers 2,688 journalists, agencies and photographers and 6,720 radio and TV Discover the magic of <a href="/uk/games/torino2006/index_uk.asp">the Olympic village</a>: <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a href="/uk/games/torino2006/backstage/index_uk.asp">Behind the scenes</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a href="/uk/games/torino2006/gallery/index_uk.asp">Games gallery</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a href="/uk/games/torino2006/home/index_uk.asp">Olympic house</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a href="/uk/games/torino2006/billboard/index_uk.asp">Bulletin Board</a> <img style="WIDTH: 8px; HEIGHT: 9px" height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a href="/uk/games/torino2006/antidoping/index_uk.asp">Anti-doping Centre</a> <img height="9" alt="" src="/common/images/common/picto_link.gif" width="9" border="0"/> <a href="/uk/games/torino2006/presscenter/index_uk.asp">Press Centre</a> http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/141881_TOP.jpg 5 July 1964 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71354_TOP.JPG Izhevsk (Russia) 18 July 1978 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/122410_TOP.JPG Baton Rouge (United_States) 23 October 1967 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/66911_TOP.JPG Pinar del Rio (Cuba) 1 November 1964 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/66898_TOP.JPG Palma Soriano (Cuba) Winnipeg (Canada) 12 August 1979 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/126630_TOP.jpg Winnipeg (Canada) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/89906_TOP.jpg 27 September 1972 Boekel (Netherlands) 22 March 1970 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/132925_TOP.jpg 31 October 1958 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/129568_TOP.JPG Annecy (France) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/77239_TOP.JPG Sondershaus (Germany) 10 July 1968 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/35990_TOP.JPG Constantine (Algeria) 7 September 1966 Berlin (Germany) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75920_TOP.JPG 22 February 1972 19 May 1951 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/70389_TOP.JPG Chicago (United States) 20 May 1938 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/76076_TOP.JPG Delft (Netherlands) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1972S_city.gif 11_September_1972 26_August_1972 Munich The 1972 Munich Games were the largest yet, setting records in all categories, with 195 events and 7,173 athletes from 121 nations. They were supposed to celebrate peace and, for the first ten days, all did indeed go well. But in the early morning of 5 September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village, killed two members of the Israeli team and took nine more hostage. In an ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. The Olympics were suspended and a memorial service was held 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 about the Munich Games paled in significance, but it did have its highlights. Archery was reintroduced to the Olympic programme after a 52-year absence and handball after a 36-year absence. Whitewater (or slalom) canoeing and kayaking was included for the first time. The 1972 Games were also the first to have a named mascot: Waldi the dachshund. U.S. swimmer Mark Spitz won an incredible seven gold medals to go with the two he had earned in 1968. Lasse Viren of Finland fell midway through the 10,000m final, but rose and set a world record to win the first of his four career gold medals. Freestyle wrestler Ivan Yarygin of Russia pinned all seven of his opponents en route to his first Olympic championship in the heavyweight division. West German, Liselott Linsenhoff, competing in the dressage event, became the first female equestrian to win a gold medal in an individual event. The media star of the Munich Games was the tiny Soviet gymnast, Olga Korbut, whose dramatic cycle of success in the team competition, failure in the individual competition and renewed success in the apparatus finals captured the attention of fans worldwide. 121 NOCs (Nations) 7,134 athletes (1,059 women, 6,075 men) 195 events 17 January 1940 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/21763_TOP.JPG Nandi (Kenya) 16 September 1944 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/76107_TOP.JPG Anna Paulowna (Netherlands) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1976S_city.gif 01_August_1976 17_July_1976 Montreal The 1976 Montreal Games were marred by an African boycott to protest the fact that the national rugby team of New Zealand had toured South Africa and New Zealand was scheduled to compete in the Olympics. Womens events were included for the first time in basketball, rowing and team handball. Fourteen-year-old gymnast Nadia Comaneci of Romania caused a sensation when, for her performance on the uneven bars, she was awarded the first-ever perfect score of 10.0. She eventually earned seven 10.0s. On the mens side, Japans Shun Fujimoto broke his leg while completing his floor exercises routine. The Japanese team was engaged in a close contest with the Soviet Union, so Fujimoto kept his injury secret. But when he dismounted from the rings, he dislocated his knee and was forced to withdraw. The Japanese womens volleyball team won all their matches in straight sets, and in only one of fifteen games did an opponent score in double figures. Individual stars included Klaus Dibiasi of Italy, who won his third straight gold medal in platform diving; Viktor Saneyev of Soviet Georgia, who won his third triple jump gold; and Irena Szewinska of Poland, winner of the 400m run, who brought her career total to seven medals - in five different events. Alberto Juantorena of Cuba put together the first 40m-800m double victory. Miklos Nmeth of Hungary won the javelin throw to become the first son of an athletics gold medalist to win a gold of his own. His father, Imre, had won the hammer throw in 1948. Clarence Hill of Bermuda earned a bronze medal in boxings super-heavyweight division to give Bermuda the honor of being the least populous nation (53,500) ever to win a medal in the Summer Olympics. 92 NOCs (Nations) 6,084 athletes (1,260 women, 4,824 men) 198 events 18 February 1947 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/31826_TOP.JPG Viseu (Portugal) 22 July 1949 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/43478_TOP.JPG Myrskyl (Finland) 15 May 1944 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/43467_TOP.JPG N/A (Ethiopia) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/70356_TOP.JPG Madison (United States) 14 June 1958 10 May 1958 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/79041_TOP.JPG Charlesbourg (Canada) 29 September 1956 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/43395_TOP.JPG London (Great Britain) 9 October 1955 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/43388_TOP.JPG Brighton (Great Britain) 6 June 1965 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/72553_TOP.jpg Herznach (Switzerland) 2 August 1961 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/73157_TOP.jpg Diepoldsau (Switzerland) 9 September 1966 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/77927_TOP.JPG Berchtesgaden (Germany) 4 January 1974 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/142497_TOP.jpg Merano (Italy) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/4731_TOP.JPG 19 September 1922 Koprivnice (Czech Republic) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1948W_city.gif 08_February_1948 30_January_1948 St._Moritz The 1940 Winter Olympics were scheduled for Sapporo, Japan. War with China forced the Japanese to admit, in July 1938, that they would be unable to host the Games. St. Moritz was chosen as an alternative site, but the continuing dispute about ski instructors led the Swiss to withdraw as well. The Germans volunteered Garmisch-Partenkirchen in July 1939, but four months later the reality of World War II forced the cancellation of the Olympics. The first postwar Games were held in St. Moritz in 1948. Germany and Japan were barred from competing, but everyone else took part eagerly, and it was clear that the Winter Olympics had successfully survived the 12-year hiatus. For the first time, North Americans won gold medals in figure skating. Barbara Ann Scott of Canada took the women’s title and Dick Button of the United States the men’s. In general, athletic success was evenly divided. Although 22 events were contested, only French Alpine skier Henri Oreiller and Swedish Nordic skier Martin Lundström were able to win two gold medals. 28 NOCs (Nations) 669 athletes (77 women, 592 men) 22 events 15 December 1919 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/72052_TOP.jpg Stockholm (Sweden) 1 January 1921 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/7087_TOP.JPG El Telagh (Algeria) 12 March 1923 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74503_TOP.JPG Rodoy (Norway) 20 January 1940 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/70358_TOP.JPG New York (United States) 8 September 1930 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/76642_TOP.jpg Liverpool (Great Britain) 18 July 1935 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71583_TOP.JPG Newton Center, Massachusetts (United_States) 31 March 1971 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/97433_TOP.JPG Moscow (Russia) 29 January 1965 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/72277_TOP.JPG Pardubice (Czech Republic) 28 December 1959 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71741_TOP.JPG Katrineholm (Sweden) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1920S_city.gif 12_September_1920 20_April_1920 Antwerp The 1916 Olympics were scheduled to be held in Berlin, but were canceled because of what came to be known as World War I. The 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honor the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war. The Opening Ceremony was notable for the introduction of the Olympic flag and the presentation of the Athletes’ Oath. In a performance unequaled in Olympic history, Nedo Nadi of Italy earned gold medals in five of the six fencing events. Ethelda Bleibtrey of the United States won gold medals in all three women’s swimming contests. Including preliminary heats, she swam in five races and broke the world record in every one. France’s Suzanne Lenglen dominated women’s tennis singles so completely that she lost only four games in the ten sets she played. At age 72, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn earned a silver medal in the team double-shot running deer event to become the oldest medalist ever. The 1920 12-foot dinghy sailing event was the only event in Olympic history to be held in two countries. The first race was staged in Belgium, but the last two races took place in the Netherlands because both entrants were Dutch. 29 NOCs (Nations) 2,626 athletes (65 women, 2,561 men) 154 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/55526_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1912S_city.gif 27_July_1912 05_May_1912 Stockholm Held in Stockholm, the 1912 Olympics were a model of efficiency. The Swedish hosts introduced the first Olympic use of both automatic timing devices for the track events and a public address system. The modern pentathlon was added to the Olympic program. Women's events in swimming and diving were also introduced. Sweden would not allow boxing contests to be held in their country. After the Games, the International Olympic Committee decided to limit the power of host nations in deciding the Olympic program. If there was an unofficial theme of the 1912 Games, it was endurance. The course for the cycling road race was 320km (199 miles), the longest race of any kind in Olympic history. In Greco-Roman wrestling, the middleweight semifinal match between Russian Martin Klein and Finland’s Alfred Asikainen lasted eleven hours. Hannes Kohlemainen of Finland won three gold medals in long-distance running. The most popular hero of the 1912 Games was Jim Thorpe of the United States. Thorpe won the pentathlon and shattered the world record in the decathlon. One member of the Austrian team that finished second in the team sabre fencing event was Otto Herschmann, who was, at that time, president of the Austrian Olympic Committee. Herschmann is the only sitting national Olympic committee president to win an Olympic medal. 28 NOCs (Nations) 2,407 athletes (48 women, 2,359 men) 102 events 9 December 1889 Kuopio (Finland) 3 June 1967 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/63685_TOP.JPG Budapest (Hungary) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/77174_TOP.JPG 14 September 1977 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/58930_TOP.JPG Changchun (China) N/A 6 January 1976 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74173_TOP.JPG 4 December 1959 Weisswasser (Germany) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75710_TOP.JPG 18 March 1964 Cornwall (United States) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/70040_TOP.JPG Dresden (Allemagne) 1 May 1964 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/76126_TOP.JPG Haarlem (Netherlands) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/77278_TOP.JPG 1 December 1960 Dresden (Germany) 20 June 1961 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/71221_TOP.JPG Tula (Russia) 23 March 1931 Bad Tlz, Germany 10 May 1967 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75909_TOP.JPG Magdeburg (Germany) 22 December 1969 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/79021_TOP.JPG Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec (Canada) 15 November 1970 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75820_TOP.JPG 9 February 1905 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/87810_TOP.JPG Stamford (Great Britain) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1928W_city.gif 19_February_1928 11_February_1928 St._Moritz The 1928 Winter Games, hosted by St. Moritz, Switzerland, were the first to be held in a different nation than the Summer Games of the same year. A new event was contested: the skeleton, which is like luge except that the athletes descend headfirst. Speed skater A. Clas Thunberg added two more gold medals to the three he had won in 1924. Johan Grøttumbråten of Norway won the 18km cross-country event and the Nordic combined. Another Norwegian, Sonja Henie, caused a sensation by winning the women’s figure skating at the age of fifteen. Her record as the youngest winner of an individual event stood for 74 years. In men’s figure skating, Gillis Grafström of Sweden won his third straight gold medal. Canada again dominated the ice hockey tournament, winning their three matches 11-0, 14-0 and 13-0. 25 NOCs (Nations) 464 athletes (26 women, 438 men) 14 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1936W_city.gif 16_February_1936 06_February_1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen The 1936 Games were held in the twin Bavarian towns of Garmisch and Partenkirchen. An efficient bus service allowed 500,000 people to attend the final day's events. Alpine skiing events were included for the first time, and this led to a major controversy. The IOC, overruling the International Ski Federation (FIS), declared that ski instructors could not take part in the Olympics because they were professionals. Incensed, the Austrian and Swiss skiers boycotted the events with the exception of a few Austrians who decided to become Germans and take part. The dispute carried on after the Games and it was decided that skiing would not be included in the 1940 Olympics. Sonja Henie earned her third gold medal and Karl Schäfer his second. Speed skater Ivan Ballangrud of Norway won three of the four races, including the 500m, the shortest race, and the 10,000m, the longest. Great Britain upset Canada in ice hockey, but it should be noted that some of the British players, while living in Canada, still had British passports. 28 NOCs (Nations) 646 athletes (80 women, 566 men) 17 events Lunner (Norway) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1932W_city.gif 15_February_1932 04_February_1932 Lake_Placid The third Winter Olympics, in 1932, were held in Lake Placid, New York State, a town of fewer than 4,000 people. Faced with major obstacles raising money in the midst of a depression, the president of the organizing committee, Dr. Godfrey Dewey, donated land owned by his family to be used for construction of a bobsleigh run. Sonja Henie defended her figure skating title, as did the French pair of Andrée and Pierre Brunet. However Gillis Grafström was thwarted in his attempt at winning a fourth gold medal, placing second behind Austrian Karl Schäfer. Billy Fiske of the United States won a second gold medal in the four-man bobsleigh. One member of Fiske’s team was Eddie Eagan, who had won the light-heavyweight boxing championship at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics. Eagan remains the only person in Olympic history to earn gold medals in both Summer and Winter sports. 17 NOCs (Nations) 252 athletes (21 women, 231 men) 14 events 7 March 1904 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74521_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1924W_city.gif 05_February_1924 25_January_1924 Chamonix In 1921, the International Olympic Committee gave its patronage to a Winter Sports Week to take place in 1924 in Chamonix, France. This event was a complete success and was retroactively named the First Olympic Winter Games. The first event to be decided in Chamonix was the men’s 500m speed skating where the first gold medal went to Charles Jewtraw of the United States. A. Clas Thunberg of Finland earned medals in all five speed skating events: three gold, one silver and one bronze. Norway’s Thorleif Haug dominated Nordic skiing, winning both cross-country races and the Nordic combined. The Canadian ice hockey team won all five of their matches, outscoring their opponents 110 to 3. 16 NOCs (Nations) 258 athletes (11 women, 247 men) 16 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1924S_city.gif 27_July_1924 04_May_1924 Paris At the 1924 Games in Paris the Closing ceremony ritual of raising three flags: the flag of the International Olympic Committee, the flag of the host nation and the flag of the next host nation was introduced. The number of participating nations jumped from 29 to 44, signalling widespread acceptance of the Olympics as a major event, as did the presence of 1,000 journalists. Women’s fencing made its debut as Ellen Osiier of Denmark earned the gold medal without losing a single bout. Johnny Weissmuller of the United States won two gold medals in swimming on 20 July alone. That same day he earned a bronze medal in water polo. He later went to Hollywood and starred as Tarzan in twelve movies. American swimmer Gertrude Ederle won a bronze medal in the 100m freestyle. Two years later she caused a sensation by becoming the first woman to swim across the English Channel (La Manche) - and in a time almost two hours faster than any man had ever achieved. Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, won five gold medals to add to the three he had won in 1920. His most spectacular performance occurred on 10 July. First he easily won the 1,500m. Then, a mere 55 minutes later, he returned to the track and won the 5,000m. Nurmi’s teammate, Ville Ritola, did not do badly either in 1924: he won four gold medals and two silver. 44 NOCs (Nations) 3,089 athletes (135 women, 2,954 men) 126 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/52813_TOP.JPG 13 June 1897 Turku (Finland) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/53102_TOP.JPG Perseinjoki (Finland) 18 January 1896 12 June 1889 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/78831_TOP.jpg N/A http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74486_TOP.jpg 2 September 1971 Oslo http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74767_TOP.JPG 14 January 1971 24 August 1969 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/126322_TOP.JPG Brixlegg 7 December 1972 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/96624_TOP.JPG Altenmark (Austria) 4 February 1963 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/73188_TOP.JPG Saas Almagell (Switzerland) San Lazzaro di Savena (Italy) 19 December 1966 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75283_TOP.JPG Oslo (Norway) 4 June 1911 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/70257_TOP.jpg New York (United States) 26 April 1897 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/52407_TOP.JPG N/A (United States) 23 March 1962 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/65847_TOP.JPG Amersham (Great Britain) 10 October 1970 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/65835_TOP.jpg Holt (United Kingdom)

12 October 1972 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/92758_TOP.JPG Sungham / Korea / South Korea Palo Alto (United States) 8 October 1965 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/37496_TOP.JPG Frankfurt (Germany) 17 June 1964 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/37541_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/66529_TOP.JPG 16 November 1971 Paddington-Sydney (Australia) Baltimore (United_States) 3 July 1980 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/136208_TOP.JPG Pretoria, Afrique du Sud 30 June 1985 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/136177_TOP.jpg http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/123020_TOP.JPG 13 October 1982 Maastricht (Netherlands) 14 March 1978 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/93210_TOP.jpg Volgograd (Russia) Vladimir (USSR) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/44465_TOP.JPG 14 October 1952 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/44464_TOP.JPG 7 August 1957 St. Petersburg (Russia) 16 August 1938 Kondoros (Hungary) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/19423_TOP.JPG 13 January 1972 Minsk (Belarus) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/66269_TOP.JPG 3 November 1982 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/125979_TOP.jpg Solnechni (Russia) 10 June 1968 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/128456_TOP.JPG Hartford (United_States) 18 March 1980 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/98498_TOP.JPG St.Petersburg (Russia) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/97809_TOP.JPG Turku (Finland) 23 April 1979 3 February 1908 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74674_TOP.jpg N/A 27 September 1905 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75802_TOP.jpg Zwickau (Germany) 14 December 1956 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74381_TOP.JPG Staubirnen (Germany) 5 August 1950 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/78058_TOP.JPG Reit-i-Winkel (Germany) Zagreb 5 January 1982 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/96483_TOP.JPG Elm (Switzerland) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/73085_TOP.JPG 26 November 1964 4 June 1970 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74906_TOP.JPG Sondalo (Italy) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/75951_TOP.JPG Datteln (Germany) 10 May 1972 3 April 1971 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/59425_TOP.JPG Triumph (Idaho) (United_States) 25 March 1973 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/96476_TOP.JPG Vienna (Austria) 14 August 1959 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/59916_TOP.JPG Lansing (United States) 17 February 1963 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/33546_TOP.JPG New York (United States) 22 February 1964 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/60843_TOP.jpg Gteborg (Sweden) 29 July 1878 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/54174_TOP.JPG N/A 19 June 1913 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/88437_TOP.JPG Madison (United States) 2 October 1904 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/50020_TOP.JPG Tss (Switzerland) 12 November 1898 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/50017_TOP.jpg Novo Mesto (Slovenia) 6 September 1975 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/63208_TOP.JPG Fukuoka (Japan) 2 August 1979 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/95355_TOP.JPG Pyongyang (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) 30 April 1927 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/3920_TOP.JPG Karlskrona (Sweden) Solbad Hall (Austria) 6 October 1947 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/27350_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/28977_TOP.JPG San Diego (United States) 29 January 1960 31 May 1975 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/78707_TOP.JPG Lahti (Finland) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/73400_TOP.JPG 10 October 1963 Kirkenes (Norway) 19 June 1967 Elverum (Norway) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/74576_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/25085_TOP.JPG http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/25065_TOP.JPG Wuppertal-Barmen (Germany) 24 July 1926 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/36373_TOP.JPG 14 January 1936 Mnster (Germany) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/62708_TOP.jpg 1 March 1956 Cambridge (New Zealand) 17 March 1915 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/25001_TOP.JPG N/A 27 August 1927 Frankfurt (Germany) http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/22817_TOP.JPG 14 March 1921 http://www.olympic.org/upload/heroes/top/5801_TOP.JPG N/A Poggio Mirteto (Italy) 2 February 1925 14 October 1873 Lafayette (United States) http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1904S_city.gif 23_November_1904 01_July_1904 St_Louis The 1904 St. Louis Olympics organizers repeated all of the mistakes of 1900. The Olympic competitions, spread out over four and a half months, were lost in the chaos of a World’s Fair. Of the 94 events generally considered to have been part of the Olympic program, only 42 included athletes who were not from the United States. The 1904 Olympics did have a few highlights. They were the first at which gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded for first, second and third place. Boxing and freestyle wrestling made their debuts. Marathon runners Len Tau and Jan Mashiani, Tswana tribesmen who were in St. Louis as part of the Boer War exhibit at the World’s Fair, became the first Africans to compete in the Olympics. One of the most remarkable athletes was the American gymnast George Eyser, who won six medals even though his left leg was made of wood. Chicago runner James Lightbody won the steeplechase and the 800m and then set a world record in the 1,500m. 12 NOCs (Nations) 651 athletes (6 women, 645 men) 91 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1900S_city.gif 28_October_1900 14_May_1900 Paris The Games of 1900 were held in Paris as part of the Exposition Universelle Internationale - the Paris World’s Fair. The exposition organizers spread the events over five months and de-emphasized their Olympic status to such an extent that many athletes died without ever knowing that they had participated in the Olympics. Women made their first appearance in the modern Games. The first to compete were Mme. Brohy and Mlle. Ohnier of France in croquet. The first female champion in tennis was Charlotte Cooper of Great Britain. Tennis was one of five sports in which athletes from different nations competed on the same team. The others were football, polo, rowing and tug of war. Alvin Kraenzlein won four athletics events in three days and, on 16 July, Ray Ewry, who had overcome childhood polio, won three championships in one day - all in the standing jump events. 24 NOCs (Nations) 997 athletes (22 women, 975 men) 95 events http://www.olympic.org/upload/games/1908S_city.gif 31_October_1908 27_April_1908 London The 1908 Olympics were originally awarded to Rome, but were reassigned to London. At the Opening Ceremony, the athletes marched into the stadium by nation, as mos