The famous Olympic Rings, designed in 1913 by Pierre de Coubertin (with the current version applied since 2011).
"Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter"
— Motto as of 2021 ("Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together.")
In its purest form, the Olympic Games are a time when the world stops fighting, gathers together, and proceeds to watch as every country tries to show up every other country by beating them at sports.
Essentially, it is a chance for (mostly) friendly competition between nations for the greater glory of one's homeland, all under the light of a sacred fire lit with the rays of the sun and brought all the way from Olympia in Greece, where an ancient version of the Games was staged from 776 BC to AD 393. However, the Olympics can also get somewhat political. Just ask the residents of Moscow and Los Angeles, which took turns hosting at the height of the Cold War—and saw boycotts (from the US and USSR respectively) as a result.
Originally from Ancient Greece, the Games were revived as a concept in 1896.
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The Ancient Olympics
Held from 776 BC to AD 393 in (fittingly enough) Olympia, Greece. As with the modern Olympic Games, they were held every four years or Olympiad; Greek historians used the Olympiad to keep track of the years, because it was the one event that all of Greece could be counted on to attend and could therefore be used to cross-reference dates in the innumerable calendars the city-states used. (Each state had its own calendar, and some had two; Athens, for instance, had a twelve-month lunisolar calendar for religious and agricultural purposes, and a ten-month solar calendar for managing state business.)
The Games were only open to free men who spoke Greek (although women could enter horses in the equestrian events, and were later given the Heraean Games, though not much is known about them and they appear to have been a far less prestigious affair). Winners were given wreaths made of olive branches and became heroes — some of them even gods, literally — to their hometowns, which often brought with it a considerable sum of money (among other perks, laureates in Athens, for example, were entitled to free meals for life at the Prytaneum). Athletes competed in the nude; in fact, our word "gymnasium" comes from the Greek word "gymnos," meaning "naked". The nudity helped make sure no woman pulled a Sweet Polly Oliver.
Back in the day, Olympics were very big deals indeed; during the Games period and while the athletes were traveling to the Games and back, all wars were put on hold, armies were forbidden to enter Olympia, and the use of the death penalty was suspended, in contrast to the modern world, where the Olympics gets suspended in favour of warfare.
The Games became increasingly commercialized over the centuries as Greece lost power and prestige in the world. They were no longer considered a religious festival but a secular event. Non-Greeks were allowed to enter, and winners sought not just prestige and laurels but money. Invaders tore down the temples and shrines, while people like Nero "competed" and won, with the playing field tilted in his favor. The Games were ultimately banned by Emperor Theodosius I, who established Christianity as the state religion of The Roman Empire and viewed the Olympics as a pagan festival.
The Modern Summer Olympics
Established by a group led by French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Since then they have been held every four years (coincidentally on every leap year and every US presidential election year too) for the most part; this tradition has only been broken on four occasions, with the 1916 games being cancelled due to World War I, the 1940 and 1944 games being cancelled due to World War II, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics being postponed to the following summer due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. There have been a number of near-misses too (most infamously the 1972 games in Munich, which were nearly cancelled midway through following a high-profile terrorist attack), but so far the four aforementioned games are the only ones to not fulfill the traditional schedule.
Originally a strictly amateur affair in the truest sense of the word, some early winners literally were just in town and decided to have a go. The rule against professionalism was extremely serious. Jim Thorpe (Sac & Fox), who won two medals at the 1912 Games hosted by Stockholm, Sweden, was actually stripped of them when it emerged he'd earlier played baseball semi-professionally.note (However, the rule against professional athletes competing in what were considered amateur events had been lifted in part due to how the Soviet Union and other Eastern Bloc areas implemented the idea of a "full-time amateur athlete" where they were considered either students, soldiers, or workers in another profession, but were actually paid by the state to play in well-developed leagues and modern facilities to train year-round. The result of that loophole led to events like basketball allowing for professionals to play in the Olympics by the end of the 20th century. One famous example of professional players being able to play in the Olympics and do incredibly well was the 1992 U.S. Dream Team, a men's basketball team filled with eventual Hall of Fame players from the NBA (alongside a player from the NCAA and a recently retired NBA player having one last hurrah for himself), that curb stomped the competition of the entire event that year.
Events for the games have varied over the years, with some early events (like lacrosse and tug of war) not lasting and some more recent additions, like badminton in 1992, taekwondo in 2000, rugby sevens from 2016, and skatebording in 2020. Artistic events were also previously featured as a part of the Olympics in the early days from 1912 to 1948, with architecture, literature, music, paining, and sculpture all being a part of the Olympiad at one point (with the focus of sport in mind) due to the original intentions for the Olympics by Pierre de Coubertin himself. However, all artistic endeavors for the event stopped being considered events for the Olympics by 1954 due to a ruling saying all Olympic athletes had to be amateurs, while artists were considered professionals in their respective fields. Cultural Olympiads are considered official replacements for artistic fields with the Olympics since 1956, with more information on it found in The Other Wiki here.
One unique event for the games is the "modern pentathlon", consisting of show jumping, 200-meter freestyle swimming, pistol shooting, épée fencing, and 3-kilometer cross-country running, purportedly based on the experiences of a nineteenth-century cavalryman behind enemy lines. As a side note, from 1912 to 1952 cavalry officers were allowed to compete in the pentathlon, while cavalry soldiers were not; the reasoning was that soldiers trained in riding and weaponry for a living and hence were "professionals", while officers were independently wealthy and were considered "amateurs".
The host city for any given Summer Olympics is chosen about seven years in advance by the International Olympic Committee: cities submit detailed bids, which are voted on in a fairly complex process. After the first Olympiad, a large number of organizers and endorsers advocated for having the games hosted in Athens every year to uphold ancient tradition (even if it wasn't in Olympia), but this was vetoed in favor of making the games a globally-travelling affair; the games would not return to Greece until 108 years later in 2004, where they were once again held in Athens. Hosting the Olympics is a very expensive thing, although (ideally) it does give you a nice stadium or three and some vastly improved city infrastructure when you're done. In many cases, the games can act as a symbol of national strength, for better or for worse, and indeed the Olympics have been utilized for this purpose by a number of regimes, from Nazi Germany's propaganda piece in 1936 to South Korea's freedom from dictatorship in 1988, to the world in the wake of inclusion, diversity and the aftermath of an ongoing pandemic in 2021 (the 2020 games having been delayed by a year).
The Summer Games
All Games are numbered as the "Games of the [Roman numeral] Olympiad", an Olympiad being a four-year cycle.
- I — 1896: Athens, Greece
Duration: 6-15 April
Participating athletes: 241 (all-male) from 14 NOCsnote
Events: 43 in 9 sportsnote
First Medals (bronze): Austrianote , Denmarknote , Francenote , Germanynote , Great Britainnote , Greecenote , Hungarynote , and United Statesnote
First Medals (silver): Austrianote , Denmarknote , Francenote , Germanynote , Great Britainnote , Greecenote , Hungarynote , Switzerlandnote , and United Statesnote
First Medals (gold): Australianote , Austrianote , Denmarknote , Francenote , Germanynote , Great Britainnote , Greecenote , Hungarynote , Switzerlandnote , and United Statesnote
Most decorated athlete (GSB standard): Carl Schuhmann, Germany — 3 gold at gymnasticsnote and 1 gold at wrestlingnote (4 overall)
Most decorated athlete (medal count): Hermann Weingärtner, Germany — 6 (3 goldnote , 2 silvernote , 1 bronzenote )
Most decorated nation (GSB standard): United States — 11 gold, 7 silver and 2 bronze (20 overall, 2nd in medal count)
Most decorated nation (medal count): Greece — 46 (10 gold, 17 silver, 19 bronze)The very first Olympic Games. Irish-American runner James Brendan Connolly was the very first modern Olympic champion, by way of winning the triple jump (known as hop, step and jump at that time). The highlight of the Games, however, was the first marathon, ran at the route said to have been taken by Greek soldier Pheidippides to relay news of the Greek triumph over the Persians at the Battle of Marathon, won by Greek water carrier Spyridon Louis, earning him a place in the Greek sporting pantheon. Princes George and Constantine of Greece ran the last lap alongside him. The second-place winner was also Greek, Kharilaos Vasilakos.
- II — 1900: Paris, France
Duration: 14 May — 28 October
Participating athletes: 997 (975 men, 22 women) from 28 NOCsnote
Events: 85 in 19 sportsnote
First medals (bronze): Belgiumnote , Bohemianote , Canadanote , Netherlandsnote , Mexiconote , Norwaynote , and Swedennote
First medals (silver): Belgiumnote , Bohemianote , Cubanote , Indianote , Italynote , Netherlandsnote , and Norwaynote
First medals (gold): Belgiumnote , Canadanote , Cubanote , Italynote , Luxembourgnote and Spainnote
Most decorated athlete (GSB standard and medal count): Alvin Kraenzlein, United States — 4 gold at athleticsnote
Most decorated nation (GSB standard and medal count): France — 29 gold, 44 silver, 39 bronze (112 overall)Highlights include women participating for the first time, with Swiss sailor Hélène de Pourtalès becoming the first female champion, as well as American runner Alvin Kraenzlein winning the 60m relay (since discontinued after Saint Louis 1904), 110m hurdles, 200m hurdles and long jump — a record that stands to this day. Cuban fencer Ramón Fonst also became the very first Latin American medalist (and a gold medalist, too) of the Games. The marathon's epic craziness involved a poorly laid-out course, leading to runners going in circles and two Americans claiming first place. (The winner, Michel Théato, was Luxembourgian.) Another kerfoofle had to do with the fact that the French wanted to start the Games on Sunday (Saturday being Bastille Day, they were afraid nobody would show up because they'd all be at the parades), and the Americans didn't want to break the Sabbath, throwing the Games into even more chaos (historian John Kieran said the games went along "with all the smoothness of a mining town riot". Putting it mildly). Largely seen at the time as a sideshow to the Exposition Universelle (World's Fair) that Paris was hosting that year. (Which meant that nobody showed up anyway.) It wasn't even called the Olympic Games; the French organizers insisted on calling it an "international sports competition". Pierre de Coubertin remarked afterward that he was surprised that the "Olympic Movement" survived these games.
- III — 1904: St. Louis, Missouri, United States (originally Chicago, Illinois, United States)
Duration: 1 July — 23 November
Participating athletes: 651 (645 men, 6 women) from 13 NOCsnote
Events: 94 in 16 sportsnote
First medals (bronze): Austrianote and Cubanote
First medals (silver): Canadanote
Most decorated athlete (GSB standard): Anton Heida, United States — 5 goldnote and 1 silvernote at gymnastics (6 overall, tied for 1st with George Eyser and Burton Downing)
Most decorated athlete (medal count): Anton Heida, United States — 5 gold and 1 bronze at gymnastics / George Eyser, United States — 3 goldnote , 2 silvernote and 1 bronzenote at gymnastics / Burton Downing, United States — 2 goldnote , 3 silvernote and 1 bronzenote at cycling (6 medals each)
Most decorated nation (GSB standard and medal count): United States — 78 gold, 82 silver, 79 bronze (239 overall)A confusing, badly organized mess, with the Russo-Japanese War and the traveling keeping many Europeans away. Like Paris 1900, these were basically a sideshow for the big World's Fair that year — the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (which lasted longer and was the main reason why the Olympics were as long as it was that year) — and indeed, de Coubertin had been browbeaten into accepting St. Louis in lieu of Chicago, which actually won the hosting rights fair and square. The marathon was a farce and a half.note In short, these were the Games that almost ended the Olympics! This is also the main reason why Chicago has continuously bid on a spot for the Olympics many years later, even though they never have ben awarded a new year to make up for it. More bizarre details here!
- 1906: Athens, Greece
A special edition of the Games to celebrate its tenth anniversary, but is now retconned by the IOC as unofficial,note it tends to be now called the "1906 Intercalated Games" to differentiate it from the other games. Still, a lot of things we now take for granted began here, including the Parade of the Athletes, an Olympic Village, and the Closing Ceremonies. Prince George of Greece was again involved in the organizing and some of the judging, and ran the last lap of the Marathon alongside the winner, Canadian Billy Sherring.
- IV — 1908: London, England, United Kingdom
Duration: April 27 - October 31
Participating Athletes: 2,008 (1,971 men, 37 women) from 22 NOCsnote
Events: 110 in 22 sportsnote
First medals (bronze): Australia/Australasianote and Finlandnote
First medals (silver): Australia/Australasianote , Finlandnote , Russian Empirenote , South Africanote , and Swedennote
First medals (gold): Finlandnote , Norwaynote , Russian Empirenote , South Africanote , and Swedennote
Most decorated athlete (GSB standard): Mel Sheppard, United States — 3 goldnote at athletics / Henry Taylor, Great Britain — 3 goldnote at swimming
Most decorated athlete (medal count): Mel Sheppard, United States — 3 gold at swimming / Henry Taylor, Great Britain — 3 gold at swimming / Benjamin Jones, Great Britain — 2 goldnote and 1 silvernote at cycling / Martin Sheridan, United States — 2 goldnote and 1 bronzenote at athletics / Oscar Swahn, Sweden — 2 goldnote and 1 bronzenote at shooting / Major Josiah George Ritchie, Great Britain — 1 goldnote , 1 silvernote and 1 bronzenote at tennis / Ted Ranken, Great Britain — 3 silvernote at shooting (3 medals each)
Most decorated nation (GSB standard and medal count): Great Britain — 56 gold 51 silver, 39 bronze (146 overall)Originally supposed to take place in Rome, but following an eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906 the games were relocated to London so Italy could focus on rebuilding the devastated Naples. Typical English weather ensued, along with protests over over the U.S. and Swedish flags not being displayed; the Finns being told they had to march under the Russian flag (they marched flagless, as did the Irish who were told they had to use the British flag); more controversy over the American flag not being dipped before King Edward VII at the royal boxnote Italian marathoner Dorando Pietri, also a strychnine user, staggering into the stadium half-dead, turning the wrong way, collapsing and being dragged across the finish line by doctors and officials (he was hailed as the winner, but disqualified for the assist); the 400-meter being run twice because of claims of foul play by two of the lead runners against the third; and the marathon length being standardized at 26 miles 385 yards (42.195 kilometers) because of royal requests to have Princess Alexandra start the marathon at the Windsor Palace, apparently to let the royal grandchildren see it. There were so many protests over the way the British officials handled their parts of the program that the IOC subsequently changed the entire way the games were put on and took much more control to standardize things. Another highlight is American medley runner John Taylor becoming the first ever African-American champion.
- V — 1912: Stockholm, Sweden
Duration: 6-22 July
Participating Athletes: 2,406 (2,359 men, 47 women) from 28 NOCsnote
Events: 102 in 14 sportsnote
Most decorated athlete (GSB standard and medal count): Vilhelm Carlberg, Sweden — 3 goldnote and 2 silvernote at shooting (5 overall)
Most decorated nation (GSB standard): United States — 25 gold, 19 silver, 19 bronze (63 overall, 2nd in medal count)
Most decorated nation (medal count): Sweden — 24 gold, 24 silver, 17 bronze (65 overall)Saw the first arts competitions, a tradition kept up until London 1948. Japan also debuted as the first ever Asian nation at the Games. First Games to have automatic timers, invented by R. Carlstedt. These Games also featured the first women's aquatics events, as well as the first pentathlon and decathlon, both won by Jim Thorpe (Sac & Fox, USA), the first Native American champion; another Native athlete, Louis Tewanima (Hopi) winning silver in the 10,000 meter run and setting a record time (32:06.6) that lasted 52 years; and Finnish runner Hannes Kohlemainen setting records on the 5km, 10km and cross-country events.
- VI — 1916: Berlin, Germany
Cancelled due to World War I.
- VII — 1920: Antwerp, Belgium
Duration: 14 August — 12 September
Participating Athletes: 2,626 (2,561 men, 65 women) from 29 NOCsnote
Events: 156 in 22 sportsnote
Olympic Oath: Victor Boinnote
First medals (bronze): Australianote , Brazilnote , Czechoslovakianote , Italynote , New Zealandnote , and South Africanote
First medals (silver): Australianote , Brazilnote , Estonianote , Japannote , Luxembourgnote , and Spainnote
First medals (gold): Brazilnote , Estonianote , and Netherlandsnote
Most decorated athlete (GSB standard): Willis Augustus Lee, United States — 5 gold,note , 1 silver,note and 1 bronzenote in shooting (7 total)
Most decorated athlete (medal count): Willis Augustus Lee, United States — 5 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze at shooting / Lloyd Spooner, United States — 4 gold,note 1 silvernote and 2 bronzenote at shooting (7 medals each)
Most decorated nation (GSB standard and medal count): United States — 41 gold, 27 silver, and 27 bronze (95 total)First appearance of the Olympic Flag, the Oath and the doves. First Games in which the U.S. Army and Navy took an official part. The U.S. team were brought over on a military transport with lousy accommodations and threatened to strike — and again when they discovered their Antwerp lodgings were in an old abandoned schoolhouse. Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn set a record for becoming the oldest medalist ever, winning silver at 72 years old (he had won gold in the previous two Games), and introduced the world to legendary Finnish runner Paavo Nurmi, who won three golds and one silver. As the losing nations of World War I, Austria, Germanynote , Hungary and Turkey were banned from these games.
- VIII — 1924: Paris, France
Duration: May 4 — July 27
Participating Athletes: 3,089 (2,954 men, 135 women) from 44 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 17
Olympic Oath: Géo AndrénoteThis marked the second time the Games were held in Paris. Not especially well known, except for the movie Chariots of Fire, which focused on Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell, British runners who won the 400m and 100m, respectively. For those who would pry deeper, the Games featured Paavo Nurmi once again, as he tore through the competition with five golds, complementing his compatriots' domination of the track events. These Games also introduced the Olympic Motto and the idea of a Village in which athletes could interact and train with each other. - IX — 1928: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Duration: July 28 — August 12
Participating Athletes: 2,883 (2,606 men, 277 women) from 46 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 14
Olympic Oath: Harry DénisnoteThe Games that set several firsts, such as the first appearance of the Olympic Flame, the tradition of Greece starting the athletes' parade, the 400m oval which would become the standard for Olympic track events, and the sponsorship of Coca-Cola. Germany, banned in both 1920 and 1924, made its return. Austro-Hungarian-American swimmer Johnny Weissmuller won two gold medals, then went on to a film career as Tarzan, and Paavo Nurmi ended his career with a gold and a silver. Amsterdam 1928 also featured the first ever Asian gold medalist, Japanese triple jumper Mikio Oda. - X — 1932: Los Angeles, California, United States
Duration: July 30 — August 14
Participating Athletes: 1,332 (1,206 men, 126 women) from 37 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 14
Olympic Oath: George CalnannoteFirst use of the victory podium. Not exactly notable except for people who watched Letters from Iwo Jima — one of its main characters is Takeichi Nishi, Japan's only equestrian gold medalist, who would later die as a soldier during the defense of Iwo Jima. Fellow Japanese swimmer Kusuo Kitamura also became the youngest ever Olympic champion at 14 years old, a record that would last until 1992. Afro-American Ed Gordon (father of, yes, that Ed Gordon) took the gold in long jump.
- XI — 1936: Berlin, Germany
Duration: August 1-16
Participating Athletes: 3,963 (3,632 men, 331 women) from 49 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 19
Olympic Oath: Rudolf Ismayrnote
Lighter of the Flame: Fritz Schilgen"The Nazi Games"note and the first to be broadcast on television. African-American runner Jesse Owens won four gold medals (in the process defying Adolf Hitler's philosophy of Aryan supremacy) in a highly controversial games that saw a Spanish boycottnote , the first torch relay, and only "Aryans" being allowed to compete for Germany. - XII — 1940: Tokyo, Japan
Taken from Tokyo when the Second Sino-Japanese War began, then moved to Helsinki, Finland, then definitely cancelled after World War II began. An unofficial POW games was held in Stalag XIII-A though.
- XIII — 1944: London, England, United Kingdom
Cancelled, also due to World War II. However, an unofficial POW games was held in Oflag II-C by the Polish prisoners with German permission.
- XIV — 1948: London, England, United Kingdom
Duration: July 29 - August 14
Participating Athletes: 4,104 (3,714 men, 390 women) from 59 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 17
Olympic Oath: Don Finlaynote
Lighter of the Flame: John MarkThis marked the second time the Games were held in London. The "austerity games", with athletes housed in barracks. Germany and Japan, losers of World War II, were banned. These Games featured a breakthrough in women's sports through Dutch runner Fanny Blankers-Koen, then a 30-year-old mother of three, winning both the 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles and 4×100m relay.
- XV — 1952: Helsinki, Finland
Duration: July 19 — August 3
Participating Athletes: 4,955 (4,436 men, 519 women) from 69 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 17
Olympic Oath: Heikki Savolainennote
Lighters of the Flame: Paavo Nurminote (on-track) and Hannes Kolehmainennote (above stadium)The only appearance of Saar, then not part of West Germany. These Games marked the debut of Israel as well as the USSR, in its first appearance since Tsarist Russia last competed in Stockholm 1912 (previously, Soviet leaders denounced the Games as "bourgeois" and created their own "Workers Olympics"). Also, Japan and Germany, having been banned in 1948, made their returns again, although only West Germany represented Germany as a whole. These Games featured an astonishingly successful performance by Hungarian athletes, as well as Czechoslovak runner Emil Zátopek winning both the 5km, 10km and marathon, as well as USA's Bob Mathias becoming the first to successfully defend his decathlon gold. Also among the athletes was British runner Roger Bannister, whose failure to win the 1500m event inspired him to train harder, leading him to ultimately become the very first runner to run a mile (1609 m) under four minutes in a 1954 race.
- XVI — 1956: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia / Stockholm, Sweden
Duration: November 22 — December 8
Participating Athletes: 3,314 (2,938 men, 376 women) from 72 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 17
Olympic Oath: John Landynote
Lighter of the Flame: Ron ClarkenoteFirst Games in the southern hemisphere. The equestrian events were held in Stockholm due to quarantine regulations; they were also held five months earlier than the rest of the Olympics, taking place from June 11-17. Australian athletes had a field day, courtesy of runner Betty Cuthbert winning the 100m, 200m and 4×100m, as well freestyle swimmers Murray Rose, the first to win multiple golds since Weissmuller (400m, 1500m and 4×200m), and Dawn Fraser at the 400m and 4×100m. The Games also featured the debut of Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina, who won four gold and one each of silver and bronze. The Americans left far from empty-handed, with sprinter Bobby Morrow winning the same events on the men's side as Cuthbert on the women's, as well as discus thrower Al Oerter, who would win the first of his four discus golds – the first of only two athletesnote to win four golds in the same event.
- XVII — 1960: Rome, Italy
Duration: August 25 — September 11
Participating Athletes: 5,338 (4,727 men, 611 women) from 83 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 17
Olympic Oath: Adolfo Consolininote
Lighter of the Flame: Giancarlo PerisThe Games featured American runner and polio survivor Wilma Rudolph winning three sprint medals. The Games also marks the debut of nineteen-year-old Cassius Clay — the boy who would become Muhammad Ali — through a gold medal at light-heavyweight boxing. Other highlights included Crown Prince Constantine of Greece, the country's flagbearer and future king, winning Greece's first gold medal since 1912 (in dragon-class sailing), Ethiopian marathoner Abebe Bikila running barefootnote to become the first black African gold medalist, Australian runner Herb Elliott dominating the 1500m event, and American decathlete Rafer Johnson defeating his Taiwanese friend Yang Chuan-kwang in perhaps one of the most dramatic finals in Olympic history, as well as Larisa Latynina adding three golds, two silvers and a bronze to her collection. - XVIII — 1964: Tokyo, Japan
Duration: October 10-24
Participating Athletes: 5,151 (4,473 men, 678 women) from 93 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 19
Olympic Oath: Takashi Ononote
Lighter of the Flame: Yoshinori SakainoteFirst Games in Asia, the first broadcast live via satellite, and also the first in color for viewers in Japan and America. To emphasize Japan's message of postwar recovery, the Flame was lit by 19-year-old runner Yoshinori Sakai, who was born in 6 August 1945 — the day the atomic bomb destroyed his native Hiroshima. The Games featured Larisa Latynina capping her career with two each of gold, silver and bronze, making her one of the most successful Olympians ever with 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bronze, for a total of 19 medals total — a record that stood until Michael Phelps broke it in 2012. Other highlights include Dawn Fraser's final gold at the 100m freestyle swimming (capping a 3-peat), Abebe Bikila becoming the first marathoner to successfully defend his Olympic gold (this time wearing shoes), and Native American runner Billy Mills' (Oglala Lakotah) astonishing win at the 10km event — the only American to do so. First Games to represent the various events with simple pictograms, as a way to help with the language barrier; which became a standard feature. - XIX — 1968: Mexico City, Mexico
Duration: October 12-27
Participating Athletes: 5,516 (4,735 men, 781 women) from 112 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 18
Olympic Oath: Pablo Garridonote
Lighter of the Flame: Enriqueta BasilionoteThe first Olympics celebrated in Latin America, and one in which many notable events happened. American runners Tommie Smith and John Carlos, gold and bronze winners at the 200m race, respectively, did a Black Power salute and got banned for life, while somebody got banned for drug use for the first time. The Games were also marred by student protests against the corrupt and almost dictatorial government, which ended with the army being sent in to massacre protesters and civilians, ten days before the opening ceremony. On a lighter note, the Games feature the first woman to light the Olympic Flame, hurdler Enriqueta Basilio. American long jumper Bob Beamon also set a record at the long jump with 8.90m – a world record until 1991, and an Olympic record to this day. Other highlights included Tanzanian marathoner John Stephen Akhwari finishing last at the marathon, trudging on despite a dislocated knee, as well as a boxing gold for future American heavyweight star George Foreman. Mexico, the host nation, won the biggest amount of medals of any Olympics here, winning nine medals, which is the smallest amount of medals won by a host nation in the summer edition. Felipe Muñoz became the most known Mexican athlete of the games.
- XX — 1972: Munich (aka "München"), West Germany (now Germany)
Duration: August 26 — September 10
Participating Athletes: 7,134 (6,075 men, 1,059 women) from 121 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 21
Mascot: Waldi the dachshundnote
Olympic Oaths: Heidi Schüllernote (Athletes) / Heinz Pollaynote (Judges)
Lighter of the Flame: Gunter ZahnTragically and permanently overshadowed by a poorly-handled and horrific hostage crisis on September 5 and 6 involving eleven members of the Israeli delegation and Palestinian terrorists, that ended with all eleven and most of their captors dead. Particularly jarring since the Games were meant to be a Lighter and Softer counterpoint to Berlin 1936's Nazi leanings, with its basic aesthetics designed with extreme care and precisionnote to be as colorful and joyful as possible. The wish for peace and harmony, however, may have led the games' organizers to ignore warnings of potential terrorism and provide poor security overallnote , as well as prove completely unable to handle the situation once it occurred. Competition was suspended for 24 hours, then resumed, although some athletes chose to leave. Highlights include a controversial win of the Soviet basketball team against the USA, as well as Jewish-American swimmer Mark Spitz setting a record for most medals in one Games (seven), which stood until Michael Phelps surpassed it in 2008, and Belarussian Soviet gymnast Olga Korbut winning three gold and one silver. Also the first summer edition to include the judges' oath of impartiality.
- XXI — 1976: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Duration: July 17 — August 1
Participating Athletes: 6,084 (4,824 men, 1,260 women) from 92 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 21
Mascot: Amik the beavernote
Olympic Oaths: Pierre Saint-Jeannote (Athletes) / Maurice Fauget (Judges)
Lighters of the Flame: Stéphane Préfontaine and Sandra HendersonnoteMontreal 1976 saw a 24-nation African boycott over New Zealand's national rugby team touring South Africa (then banned from the Olympics due to apartheid), a guy win a gymnastics medal with a broken knee and the first perfect score in a gymnastics event by fourteen-year-old Nadia Comăneci from Romania. The scoreboards couldn't handle it. The Games were also notorious for Canada not winning a gold medal on its home Games, a streak that continued in Calgary 1988 but finally broken come Vancouver 2010. The Games also put Montreal in debt for the next three decades. Other highlights include Georgian Soviet triple jumper Viktor Saneyev complete a rare three-peat, Cuban Alberto Juantorena winning track's so-called "impossible double" of the 400 and 800 m, American decathlete Caitlyn (then Bruce) Jenner setting a world record with 8,634 points, and American boxers Sugar Ray Leonard, Leon Spinks his brother Michael Spinks, and Leo Randolph winning gold medals before launching successful professional careers. Also among the Olympians was Thomas Bach, member of the gold-winning West German fencing team, who in 2013 would become the very first Olympic medalist to become IOC President. Lowlights included the ramp-up of East Germany's infamous government-mandated note and extensively-documented doping program, particularly then noticeable amongst its female athletes — when the US women's swimming team complained, they were called "sore losers" in the media. For one reason or another, authorities and media decided to look the other way, while steroid use had terrible lifelong physical and mental health consequences; additionally, despite possessing all the evidence and admission of cheating for decades as of The New '20s (and from a country and regime that no longer exists, to boot), the IOC refuses to revise or annotate the official standings or award medals to athletes who rightly earned them. A small highlight was the maligned American women's swimming team managing to take gold from East Germany in the 4x100 freestyle relay anyway; both the race and the doping are covered in the documentary film The Last Gold.
- XXII — 1980: Moscow, USSR (now Russia)
Duration: July 19 — August 3
Participating Athletes: 5,179 (4,064 men, 1,115 women) from 80 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 21
Mascot: Misha (Mikhail Potapych Toptygin) the bearnote
Olympic Oaths: Nikolai Andrianovnote [Athletes] / Aleksandr Medvednote [Judges]
Carrier of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Viktor Saneyevnote / Sergei BelovnoteThe Soviet invasion of Afghanistan a year earlier saw a large-scale (65 nations) USA-led boycott of these Games, with some nations only parading under the Olympic Flag, so these Games were dominated by the USSR and East Germany. A lot of world records got broken, though. Other standouts include British decathlete Daley Thompson breaking Jenner's record en route to gold (and later repeating four years later) and Cuban boxer Teófilo Stevenson becoming the only heavyweight to win three consecutive golds. Even though the boycott was made on its behalf, Afghanistan ironically participated and later joined the 1984 boycott (it had a pro-Soviet regime at the time, after all). These were also the first games in which the opening and closing ceremonies became the expensive, full-blown, almost theatrical events we know today (the animated crowd mosaic of Misha shedding a tear at the closing ceremonies became an enduring image of the Olympics). - XXIII — 1984: Los Angeles, California, United States
Motto: "Play a Part in History"
Duration: July 28 — August 12
Participating Athletes: 6,829 (5,263 men, 1,566 women) from 140 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 21
Mascot: Sam the eaglenote
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jennernote , Wyomia Tyusnote , Parry O'Briennote , John Nabernote , Al Oerternote , Mack Robinsonnote , Billy Millsnote and Bill Thorpe Jr.note , accompanied by Sammy Leenote , Pat McCormicknote and Richie Sandovalnote
Olympic Oath: Edwin Mosesnote
Carrier of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Gina Hemphillnote / Rafer JohnsonnoteThis marked the second time the Games were held in Los Angeles, and the first to turn a profit since 1932. After the financial disaster of Montreal 1976, there were no other bidders and as the only game in town (or rather, the only town in the game) LA was able to dictate terms to the IOC that allowed them to host a Diet Lite Olympics that used mainly already-existing facilities. A smaller, USSR-led Eastern boycott for this one in retaliation for the USA-led one four years prior. This allowed America to earn its most medals since Saint Louis 1904.note Also had a theme by John Williams that is still played by NBC to this day and a guy fly a jet-pack during the opening ceremonies, and the appearance of a fake UFO during the closing ceremonies. Widely considered the most financially successful Games, according to The Other Wiki. Many of the Games' notable events come from athletics, with USA's Carl Lewis matching Owens' feat in winning the 100m, 200m, 4×100m and long jump (in the first of his four appearances), Morocco's Nawal El Moutawakel becoming the first woman from an Islamic nation to win a gold medal (in the 400m hurdles), and Great Britain's Sebastian Coe the first back-to-back 1500m winner. Other notables include British rower Steve Redgrave winning the first of his five consecutive gold medals, Chinese gymnast Li Ning winning 3 gold, 2 silver and 1 bronze — the most of any Chinese athlete — presaging his country's ascendancy in future editions, and the first appearance of future Dream Team players Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing and Chris Mullin, then amateurs, as the US basketball team wins gold. These are the last Summer Games to date to be telecast in the United States on a network other than NBC (in this case, ABC). They were also the last Summer Games, and the first since 1960, held in a city without rail transit.note - XXIV — 1988: Seoul, South Korea
Motto: "Harmony and Progress"
Duration: September 17 — October 2
Participating Athletes: 8,391 (6,197 men, 2,194 women) from 160 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 23
Mascots: Hodori the tiger and Hosuni the tigressnote
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Yang Jung-monote , You In-taknote , Kim Weon-keenote , Shin Joon-supnote , Jo Hea-jungnote , Choi Aei-young, Yoon Soo-kyungnote and Seo Hyang-soonnote
Olympic Oaths: Hur Jaenote and Son Mi-nanote [Athletes] / Lee Hak-raenote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighters of the Flame: Sohn Kee-chungnote / Im Chun-aenote / Kim Won-tak, Chung Sun-man and Sohn Mi-cheungnoteThe attention the Games brought helped make South Korea a democracy: the last dictator of the country, president Chun Doo-hwan, had been voted out of office earlier that year in the country's first peaceful transition of power, and his successor, Roh Tae-woo, instituted sweeping pro-democracy reforms in the leadup to the games, thus making the 1988 Olympics an icon of freedom from dictatorship and an uncanny prelude to the downfall of the Soviet Union over the course of the next three years. During most opening ceremonies, doves of peace were released after the lighting of the Flame. In Seoul, they let the doves out before the torch came in, a number of confused doves perched on the rim of the Olympic Cauldron just before it was lit, and were burned to death on worldwide television; that's why this was the last Games at which live doves were released (future editions of the Games would use allusions). On a side note, one gymnast who was infamously snubbed when participants were selected for this games despite winning the National Championship in her home country went on to become an action star in the James Bond parody Spitfire. Canadian Ben Johnson won a gold medal and a new record at the 100 metre dash, only to be promptly stripped of both when he was caught using banned steroids. There was an event that saw a very controversial boxing judgment. There was a boycott by North Korea, which had demanded that the Games be co-hosted by both Koreas. Albania and Cuba joined the North Korean boycott, but the less hardline communist countries (including glasnost-era USSR) competed. Tennis returned as a medal sport for the first time since 1924, after having been a demonstration sport at the Games in 1968 and 1984. The men's singles Gold was won by Czechoslovakia's Miroslav Mečíř, his signature achievement. The #1 seed in the men's field, Sweden's Stefan Edberg, lost to Mečíř in the semis, meaning he shared Bronze with American Brad Gilbert, who lost an all-American semi to eventual Silver Medalist Tim Mayotte, as there was no Bronze Medal Match between the two semifinal losers at the time. Meanwhile, the women's Gold was won by West Germany's Steffi Graf, the best player in the world. Having already completed the Calendar Year Grand Slam weeks earlier at the US Open, that achievement combined with the Olympic Gold was dubbed a Calendar Golden Slam for Graf. The United States swept the doubles Golds: the men's title went to the successful team of Ken Flach and Robert Seguso, who had repeated as Wimbledon men's doubles champions earlier that summer, in addition to winning the 1985 US Open. The women's Gold was won by Pam Shriver and Zina Garrison, making Garrison the first black Olympic Gold Medalist in tennis history.note
- XXV — 1992: Barcelona, Spain
Motto: "Friends for Life"
Duration: July 25 — August 9
Participating Athletes: 9,356 (6,652 men, 2,704 women) from 169 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 25
Mascots: Cobi the sheepdognote / Petra the armless girl (Paralympics)note
Olympic Oaths: Luis Dorestenote [Athletes] / Eugeni Asensionote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Herminio Menéndeznote / Juan Antonio San Epifanio "Epi"note / Antonio RebollonoteTwelve of the states of the recently defunct USSR competed as a unified team and Yugoslav athletes competed as individuals. As the first Games where NBA players were allowed to compete in men's basketballnote , the USA exploited the opportunity by sending a "Dream Team" composed of NBA superstars such as Michael Jordan, which steamrolled their way to gold. Also best-known for having probably the most memorable lighting of the Olympic Flame in history, featuring Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo firing a flaming arrow into the cauldron note . Also featured the Olympics theme song "Barcelona", sung by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballénote . First Games since 1960 to feature South Africa, which had previously been banned as punishment for apartheid. Other notables include Fermín Cacho becoming the surprise winner of the 1500m run and the first Spanish running champion; 13-year-old Chinese diver Fu Mingxia the youngest Olympic gold medalist of all time; and Belarusian gymnast Vitaly Scherbo (as part of the Unified Team) winning six golds (four on one day alone), and also tying Eric Heiden's record from the 1980 Winter Games with five golds in individual events. NBC's coverage of these Games in the US were supplemented by the infamous Olympic Triplecast, a rather costly pay-per-view package offering three channels with expanded coverage of other Olympic events not seen on NBC itself; while a decent idea, the Triplecast was plagued with issues and NBC (along with partner Cablevision) took a financial bath on it. (NBC would eventually return to the idea of using cable channels for extra Olympics coverage beginning in 1998, albeit using various cable networks owned by NBC itself rather than by way of pay-per-view.)
- XXVI — 1996: Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Motto: "Celebration of the Century"
Duration: July 19 — August 4
Participating Athletes: 10,320 (6,797 men, 3,523 women) from 197 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 26
Mascot: Izzy the "Whatizit"note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Edwin Moses, Steve Lundquistnote , Katrina McClainnote , Geoff Gaberinonote , Mary T. Meaghernote , Ralph Bostonnote , Dave Maggardnote and Benita Fitzgerald-Brownnote
Olympic Oaths: Teresa Edwardsnote [Athletes] / Hobie Billingsleynote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Al Oerter [Outside] / Evander Holyfieldnote and Voula Patoulidounote / Janet Evansnote / Muhammad AlinoteTouted as a commemoration of the centennial of the Games, though overshadowed by a bomb attack in the Olympic Park. Ruined the career and ultimately prematurely ended the life of the security guard who called in the threat. The selection of the venue also caused the Greeks to switch to Pepsi given Atlanta is Coca-Cola's headquarters. On the brighter side, the Games featured the lighting of the Flame by one of Atlanta's most famous locals: Muhammad Ali, then a 54-year-old with Parkinson's disease. Also notable for being the first Opening Ceremonies scripted with a flowing, cohesive storyline, a concept since used in every subsequent Summer Games' opening ceremonies. Also the first Opening Ceremonies to have an opera written to symbolize the spirit of the Games, and also noted for featuring marching-bands and cheerleaders, both of which are traditions somewhat unique to the United States (and to a lesser extent, Canada). Other notable events include the USA women's gymnastics team winning its first gold, Canadian runner Donovan Bailey setting a world record at the 100m note , American runner Michael Johnson doing the same for the 200m and 400m, France's Marie-José Pérec winning the same two events as Johnson (but without the world records), Carl Lewis matching Al Oerter with his fourth long jump gold, Kurt Angle winning the gold medal in men's freestyle wrestling 100 kg with a literal broken neck, and USA winning gold for the very first women's football/soccer tournament. Also notable for being the only recent Olympics in which no nation swept the podium (in other words, in no event did all 3 medals go to the same nation). Swimmer Amy Van Dyken became the first American woman to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, Winter or Summer, capturing gold in the 50m freestyle, 100m butterfly, and 4x100m freestyle and medley relays. Four years later in Sydney, Van Dyken would pick up two more golds in the latter events, ending her Olympic career with six medals, all of them gold. In June of 2014, Van Dyken was severely injured in an ATV accident that left her paralyzed from the waist down. And don't forget Karch Kiraly winning gold for the USA in the debut of beach volleyball, becoming the first (and still only) individual to have won gold medals (or, for that matter, medals of any color) in both indoor and beach volleyball.note Also, for some reason, the ads that aired during NBC's coverage of the games seemed to be better fit for the Super Bowl than the Olympics; Platypus Comix has more info on that.
- XXVII — 2000: Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Motto: "Share the Spirit, Dare to Dream"
Duration: September 15 — October 1
Participating Athletes: 10,651 (6,582 men, 4,069 women) from 199 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 28
Mascots: Olly the kookaburra, Syd the platypus, and Millie the echidna (Olympics)note / Lizzie the lizard (Paralympics)note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Bill Roycroftnote , Murray Rosenote , Liane Toothnote , Gillian Roltonnote , Marjorie Jacksonnote , Lorraine Crappnote , Michael Wendennote and Nick Greennote
Olympic Oaths: Rechelle Hawksnote [Athletes] / Peter Kerrnote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Herb Elliottnote [Outside] / Female Australian Olympic medalists, celebrating the centenary of women's participation in the Games: Betty Cuthbertnote (on wheelchair) and Raelene Boylenote / Dawn Frasernote / Shirley Stricklandnote / Shane Gouldnote / Debbie Flintoff-Kingnote / Cathy FreemannoteBasketball fans probably remember that dunk by Vince Carter. Sydney 2000 was also dubbed the "Women's Games", celebrating 100 years of female participation (it was also the first Games to have women's weightlifting, and saw increased female participation, albeit then at 25% the number of men). The final torch relay was done entirely by women medalists from past Games, culminating with aboriginal runner Cathy Freeman, silver medalist from Atlanta 1996, who would win her event, the 400m run. Michael Phelps, then 15, made his Olympic debut here, finishing fifth in the men's 200m butterfly final, while fellow American Tom Malchow won the event, the only Olympic gold of Malchow's career. These Games are infamous in the US for the fact that everything that NBC and the cable channels they used to supplement their coveragenote aired was taped, thanks to the 14-hour time difference between Sydney and the US's Eastern Time Zone. The only event NBC aired live was the men's basketball gold medal game between the US and France, since it fit into the primetime slot on their penultimate night of coverage, and even then, they only showed it live because US lost almost their semifinal to Lithuania, with Šarūnas Jasikevičius missing a three-point shot that he didn't get off in time anyway, as the ball was still in his hands when the clock hit zero.note Many American print outlets talked about the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's commitment to showing the Games live, no matter what time they were going on, and also pointed out the fact that some northern US cities - Seattle, Detroit, and Buffalo, in particular - got CBC on cable packages, giving viewers in those cities a choice between NBC and CBC. Then-NBC Olympics executive producer Dick Ebersol angrily pointed out that those same print outlets didn't mention the fact that CBC's ratings for live coverage weren't very good, meaning people chose sleep over the Olympics. Sure enough, in those northern US cities where people had a choice between broadcasters, NBC's taped coverage crushed CBC's in the ratings. - XXVIII — 2004: Athens, Greece
Motto: "Welcome Home"
Duration: August 13-29
Participating Athletes: 10,625 (6,296 men, 4,329 women) from 201 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 28
Mascots: Athena and Phevos, ancient Greek dollsnote / Proteas the seahorse (Paralympics)note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Petros Galaktopoulosnote , Ilias Hatzipavlisnote , Niki Bakoyianninote , Angelos Basinasnote , Leonidas Kokasnote , Michail Mouroutsosnote , Valerios Leonidisnote and Dimosthenis Tampakosnote
Olympic Oaths: Zoe Dimoschakinote [Athletes] / Lazaros Voreadisnote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Nikos Galisnote / Mimis Domazosnote / Voula Patoulidou / Kakhi Kakhiashvilinote / Ioannis Melissanidisnote / Nikolaos KaklamanakisnoteThis marked the second time the Games were held in Athens. The torch relay for this Olympics notably spanned every continent. Touted as the "Homecoming Games", this marks Greece's best performance since the inception of the games. However, these games were notable by the low number of attendance at the events, and eventually being one of the contributors to putting Greece into a crippling default later in the decade. These Games also served as the introduction to 19-year-old American swimmer Michael Phelps, who showed much promise with six golds and two bronzes. Other notable events include Brazilian runner Vanderlei de Lima defying a last-minute crasher to win bronze, hurdler Liu Xiang winning China's first gold in men's athletics, Moroccan runner and world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj finally winning the 1500m (following a last-minute stumble in 1996 and being outpaced by Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge in 2000) as well as the 5000m, and a shock defeat by the US men's basketball team, which had to settle for bronze.note - XXIX — 2008: Beijing, China
Motto: "One World, One Dream"
Duration: August 8-24
Participating Athletes: 10,942 (6,305 men, 4,637 women) from 204 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 28
Mascots: The Fuwa (good-luck dolls)—Beibei the fish, Jingjing the panda, Huanhuan the flame, Yingying the antelope, and Nini the swallownote
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Zhang Xielinnote , Pan Duonote , Zheng Fengrongnote , Yang Yang (A)note , Yang Lingnote , Mu Xiangxiongnote , Xiong Ninote and Li Lingweinote
Olympic Oaths: Zhang Yiningnote [Athletes] / Huang Lipingnote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Xu Haifengnote / Gao Minnote / Li Xiaoshuangnote / Zhan Xugangnote / Zhang Junnote / Chen Zhongnote / Sun Jinfangnote / Li NingnoteA controversial Games, where the torch relay became a source of protests by anti-Chinese government demonstrators, including more than one Torch runner getting attacked by pro-Tibet protesters and the Flame actually being deliberately put out three times in Paris by security. (Torch relay teams carry a backup lamp, also lit in Athens, for incidents like these.) This got so bad that it's pretty much killed off any chances of another worldwide torch relay. The main event, though, passed without incident. Phelps set the record for the most medals in one Games at eight golds on all his events, also tying Heiden and Scherbo for most golds in individual events in a single Games at five. This also marked the debut of 21-year-old Jamaican runner Usain Bolt, who set a 100m sprint record while showboating for the last 20 meters. Live but Delayed. The dazzling ceremonies of these Games will possibly not be beaten for a long, long time. The opening culminated with Li Ning, 1984 six-time medal-winning gymnast (3 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze) and China's most successful Olympian, literally running through the sky with the Torch in hand across a giant scroll which unrolled to reveal the stylized cauldron as he lit the Flame.
- XXX — 2012: London, England, United Kingdom
Motto: "Inspire a Generation"
Duration: July 27 — August 12
Participating Athletes: 10,768 (5,992 men, 4,776 women) from 204 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 26
Mascots: Wenlock (Olympics) and Mandeville (Paralympics) the steel blobsnote
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Doreen Lawrence, Baroness Lawrence of Clarendonnote , Haile Gebrselassienote , Sally Beckernote , Ban Ki-Moonnote , Leymah Gboweenote , Shami Chakrabartinote , Daniel Barenboimnote , and Marina Silvanote ; brief cameo by Muhammad Ali
Olympic Oaths: Sarah Stevensonnote [Athletes] / Mik Basi (boxing) [Judges] / Eric Farrell [Coaches]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighters of the Flame: David Beckhamnote [by motorboat] / Steve Redgravenote / Seven teenage athletes nominated by seven legendary British Olympians, in the spirit of the Games' theme of "inspiring a generation": Callum Airlie (Shirley Robertsonnote ), Jordan Duckitt (Duncan Goodhewnote ), Desiree Henry (Daley Thompsonnote ), Katie Kirk (Mary Petersnote ), Cameron MacRitchie (Steve Redgrave), Aidan Reynolds (Lynn Daviesnote ) and Adelle Tracey (Kelly Holmesnote )This made London the first city to host the Games thrice, as well as the first Games where all 204 participating nations, including individual athletes from recently-dissolved Netherlands Antilles and newly-independent South Sudan, had female athletes. These Games boast Great Britain's best medal haul since 1908 (ending with a respectable third-place finish behind perennial board-leaders USA and China), Usain Bolt's continued domination of sprint events, and Michael Phelps surpassing Latynina's record with four golds and two silvers, marking a new world record of 22 medals (eighteen gold and two each of silver and bronze). The Opening Ceremonies, directed by Danny Boyle, will probably also go down in history as "the one where Elizabeth II parachuted into the arena with James Bond" and "the one where Paul McCartney performed◊." These ceremonies were so hugely complex they inspired their own Oxford Companion guide. Mention should also be made of the original cauldron design, comprising a loose assembly of 204 copper "petals" (one carried in by a member of each participating nation's team) with thin copper gas pipes as "stalks". Once lit these rose up to form a tight cluster so that the flames merged◊, symbolizing unity.
- XXXI — 2016: Rio de Janeiro, Brazilnote
Motto: "A New World"
Duration: August 5-21
Participating Athletes: 11,544 from 207 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 28
Mascots: Vinicius (Olympics) and Tom (Paralympics), representatives of Brazilian fauna and flora, respectivelynote
Olympic Laurel: Kipchoge Keinonote
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Emanuel Regonote , Rosa Celia Pimentel Barbosanote , Sandra Piresnote , Torben Graelnote , Joaquim Cruznote , Martanote , Ellen Gracie Northfleet note and Oscar Schmidtnote
Olympic Oaths: Robert Scheidtnote (athletes) / Martinho Nobre (judges)
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Gustavo "Guga" Kuertennote / Hortência Marcarinote / Vanderlei Cordeiro de LimanoteThe first Games in South America, held two years after Brazil hosted the 2014 FIFA World Cup. Despite concerns over the Zika virus, alarming pollution on the city waters, infrastructure problems, inadequate security and some pre-Games violence, and a massive doping scandal that shaved off almost the entire Russian athletics teamnote , the Games are best remembered for an environmentally-themed opening ceremony, featuring athletes marching in carrying seedlings which will be planted after the Games and culminating in a small, low-emission cauldron accented by a wind-powered kinetic sculpture, the final performances of Michael Phelps, who finished with five gold and one silver, and Usain Bolt, who completed a "triple-triple" (gold at the 100m, 200m and 4×100m on all three Games he attendednote , American gymnast Simone Biles adding four gold and one silver to her ten gold and two each of silver and bronze from the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, Somali-born British runner Mo Farah becoming the second athlete to successfully defend his 5,000m and 10,000m gold medals after Finland's Lasse Virén in 1972 and 1976, and hosts Brazil finally winning its first football gold, in some ways gaining both redemption for its fourth-place disappointment at said World Cup, as well as some measure of vengeance for its 1-7 semifinals humiliation from Cup winner Germany through penalty kicks (5-4, 1-1 after 120 minutes). Kuwait's Fehaid Al-Deehani won the Men's Double Trap shooting event, becoming the first Independent Olympic Athlete to win a gold medal. The record for oldest individual Olympic gold medalist in swimming history was broken twice during these Games: On August 9, Michael Phelps won the Men's 200-Meter Butterfly at age 31; three days later, American Anthony Ervin shattered that record, winning the Men's 50 Free at 35. Ervin won the same event at the Sydney Games, 16 years prior, in a tie for gold with fellow American and former training partner Gary Hall Jr. American Simone Manuel became the first African-American to win an individual gold medal in swimming, tying for gold with Canada's Penny Oleksiak in the Women's 100 Free. Oleksiak made her own history in the process: while it was the third tie for gold in Olympic swimming history, Oleksiak was the first non-American to tie for gold in an individual Olympic swimming event. After a century away, golf returned to the Olympics. Many of the big names in the men's game opted to skip the Olympics, some citing the Zika virusnote Fortunately for the sport's Olympic future, the men's podium had recognizable names: claming Gold was Britain's Justin Rose (finishing at 16-under par), the 2013 US Open champion, who would go on to become the World No. 1 later in his career; the Silver went to Sweden's Henrik Stenson (14-under), who won the Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland just a month before the Games; and Bronze went to American Matt Kuchar (13-under), considered one of the best players of his generation to not win a major. The women's tournament had many of its big names come down to Rio, and thus, they were rewarded with a podium they could be proud of: South Korea's Inbee Park, a winner of seven majors, won Gold, shooting 16-under, and having three rounds of 66 in the tournament; Silver went to New Zealand youngster Lydia Ko (11-under), at the time the top-ranked player in the women's game; and Bronze was won by China's Shanshan Feng (10-under), the 2012 LPGA Championship (now Women's PGA Championship) winner. These Olympics were Bob Costas' last as primetime host of NBC's US coverage; on February 9, 2017, Costas announced that he would stand down from the role. Mike Tirico, a longtime ESPN personality who joined NBC Sports in July 2016, replaced Costas beginning with the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. - XXXII — 2020: Tokyo, Japannote
Motto: "United by Emotion"
Duration: July 23 - August 8, 2021 (originally scheduled for July 24 - August 9, 2020)
Participating Athletes: 11,646 from 206 NOCsnote
Number of sports: 33
Mascots: Miraitowa (Olympics) and Someity (Paralympics), Cartoon Creatures with checkered patternsnote
Bearers of the Japanese Flag: Yoshinobu Miyakenote , Naoko Takahashinote , Momoha Tabatanote , Hibiki Sakainote , Keita Dohinote , and Mizuki Asanonote
Olympic Oath: Kasumi Ishikawa for the athletes; Asumi Tsuzaki for the judges.
Olympic Laurel: Muhammad Yunusnote
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Six athletes representing the five continents and the Refugee Olympic Team who served as community workers during the pandemic: Kento Momotanote (Asia), Elena Galiabovitchnote (Oceania), Paula Paretonote (Americas), Mehdi Essadiqnote (Africa), Paola Egonunote (Europe), and Cyrille Tchatchetnote (Refugee Olympic Team) / Eight Japanese first responders
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Tadahiro Nomuranote and Saori Yoshidanote / Shigeo Nagashima, Sadaharu Oh, and Hideki Matsui, baseball legendsnote / Hiroki Ōhashi and Junko Kitagawa, medical first responders / Wakako Tsuchidanote / Six schoolchildren born in Fukushima, Iwate, and Miyagi, the three most affected prefectures during the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami / Naomi OsakanoteThis marks the second time the Games have been held in Tokyo, the first time an Asian city hosted the Games twice, and the fifth in a list of such repeats overall, after Athens (1896, 2004), Paris (1900, 1924), London (1908, 1948, 2012), and Los Angeles (1932, 1984). These Olympics mark the return of baseball and softball to the sports program for the first time since 2008. Four sports also made their Olympic debut in Tokyo: karate (yet another hand-to-hand combat sport at the Olympics), surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing.note On June 9, 2017, 15 new events were announced, including 3-on-3 basketball, the addition of a 4x100-meter mixed medley relay in swimming (along with the long-awaited installation of the 800-meter freestyle for men, and the 1,500-meter freestyle for women), and a 4x400-meter mixed relay for track. After mounting pressure to postpone the Games - including indications that Australia and Canada would not send a team - due to the COVID-19 Pandemic (and calls for equality, inclusion, and diversity), they were postponed until 2021 on 24 March 2020; despite this, they were still referred to as "Tokyo 2020". In order to limit the further spread of the virus, the games were held without an audience, and the opening and closing ceremonies were significantly reduced in scalenote and largely composed of pre-recorded segments; a highlight was the lighting of the cauldron, revealed by a high-tech sphere that disclosed like a flower and set atop a structure resembling Mount Fuji, at the hand of tennis superstar and activist Naomi Osaka. This however did not stop a majority of the Japanese population to protest and demand the definitive cancellation of the event in a country still in the middle of the health crisis. This Games also marked the debut of a new corporate imagery for the IOC and also announced a change to the Olympic motto, expanding "Faster, Higher, Stronger" to add "Together" to emphasize unity. - XXXIII — 2024: Paris, France
Motto: "Games Wide Open"
Duration: August 2-18
Mascots: The Phryges (phrygian caps) are shared for both Olympic and Paralympic games (Paralympic Phryge is differentiated by having a prosthetic leg.)noteThese Games make Paris the second three-time host after London, as well as the city's first in exactly a century. After three failed bids for 1992, 2008 and 2012, there were fears within the IOC that Paris, the birthplace of Pierre de Coubertin, may never put forth a bid again if fourth time is still unlucky, and with competitors Rome, Hamburg and Budapest all withdrawing due to lack of popular support and/or opposition, leaving only Los Angeles, a wild scenario popped up: the 2028 Summer Games could be a consolation prize to whoever lost the rights for 2024. Despite initial opposition, both parties eventually warmed up to the idea, though Paris lobbied harder to earn 2024 due to development of proposed venues being earmarked for no later than that date. With Los Angeles conceding for 2028, Paris easily won its bid virtually unopposed. Apart from being the first Games to debut breakdancing, Paris 2024 will be a groundbreaker for taking the opening and closing ceremonies out of the stadium (which had a precedent in the Buenos Aires 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games) and onto the streets, in particular along the banks of the Seine River and finishing at Trocadéro, across the river from the iconic Eiffel Tower and for the first time ever, the athletes would be a part of the opening ceremony. These Games will see the debut of breaking (aka breakdancing) as an Olympic sport. The surfing events will set a new Olympic record for greatest distance between a host city and an event venue; the venue of Teahupo'o in the French overseas territory of Tahiti is 15,716 km from Paris (about 130 km farther than the 1956 equestrian venue of Stockholm was from the host city of Melbourne). On May 11, 2023, NBCUniversal announced that, for the first time ever at a European Olympics, all major event finals would be televised live for the United States audience instead of being held for primetime, with NBC broadcasting nine hours of live coverage each day during the daytime hours. Also, their streaming service Peacock will have every single event (all 329 competitions) broadcast live on their Olympics section. - XXXIV — 2028: Los Angeles, California, United Statesnote
Motto: "Together We Create the Future"
Duration: July 14 - 30
Number of sports: 35 (as of 2024)These Games make the city the third three-time host after London and Paris, as well as the first Summer Games in the USA after 32 years (Atlanta 1996). Boston was originally the USA's candidate for 2024, but withdrew due to lack of support, causing the USOC to turn to experienced Los Angeles. Withdrawals of other candidate cities forced the IOC to simultaneously award the 2024 and 2028 Games to the two remaining candidates, and with Los Angeles eventually conceding the 2024 Games to Paris, it was nevertheless rewarded with the 2028 Games, with its eleven-year preparation period the longest to date. Once again as in 1984, heavy use of already-existing facilities with what new infrastructure is built to be planned with the city's long-term needs in mind (such as finally connecting the Metro to LAX and building much-needed housing). - XXXV — 2032: Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Motto: TBADuration: July 23 - August 8These Games make Australia just the second country, after the USA, to host the Summer Games in three different cities, as well as the first to win its bid unopposed since Los Angeles 1984, and the first to win under a new host selection format wherein the IOC will directly enter into discussions with interested host cities without the need to pit them against each other.
Winter Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games consist of multiple winter sport events — officially defined as sports practiced on snow or ice — and are held every four years, also excepting 1940 and 1944. The first Winter Games were held in 1924. As with the Summer Games, various sports have been added and/or removed over the years, but six events — figure skating, speed skating, ice hockey, cross-country skiing, ski jumping, and Nordic combined — have been featured in every Winter Olympics since 1924. Today's games also feature snowboarding and luge, just to name a couple.
The Winter Games were initially held during the same year as the Summer Games. While there still tend to be fewer countries participating than in the Summer Games, the Winter Olympics have grown in popularity, and in 1986 the IOC decided to offset the Winter Games from the Summer ones by two years starting in 1994.
The Winter Games
Unlike the Summer Olympics, which count the Olympiad whether the games occurred in them or not, the Roman numerals of the Winter Olympics count only the games.
- I — 1924: Chamonix, France
Duration: January 25 — February 5
Participating Athletes: 258 from 16 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Paul Camille MandrillonnoteOriginally called the "International Winter Sports Week" (and a part of Paris 1924), these Games were successful enough that the IOC decided to make the Winter Olympics more or less regular. - II — 1928: Saint Moritz, Switzerland
Duration: February 11-19
Participating Athletes: 464 (438 men, 26 women) from 25 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Hans EidenbenznoteThe first true Winter Olympics. The Games were also notorious for fluctuating weather — a blizzard at the opening ceremony, followed by warm weather for the rest of the tournament. - III — 1932: Lake Placid, New York, United States
Duration: February 4-15
Participating Athletes: 252 (231 men, 21 women) from 17 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Jack SheanoteThe first Winter Games outside Europe, and the first time the host team beat perennial Winter Games board-leader Norway. - IV — 1936: Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Duration: February 6-16
Participating Athletes: 646 (566 men, 80 women) from 28 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Willy Bogner, Sr.noteNot as Nazi-ridden as the summer version, held in Berlin later that year, but the Germans still managed to come behind Norway in the medals table. These Games featured the debut of alpine skiing, and featured Britain's upset of Canada in men's ice hockey (a sport traditionally associated with the latter). - 1940: Sapporo, Japan
Supposed to be the first Winter Games in Asia, only for Japan to resign from hosting duties due to the Second Sino-Japanese War, and ultimately cancelled due to World War II. The same city would later be awarded the 1972 edition.
- 1944: Cortina D'Ampezzo, Italy
Also cancelled due to World War II. The same town would later be awarded the 1956 edition by itself and the 2026 edition alongside Milan.
- V — 1948: Saint Moritz, Switzerland
Duration: January 30 — February 8
Participating Athletes: 669 (592 men, 77 women) from 28 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Bibi TorrianinoteThe first Winter Games to be held in a previous host city. These Games featured Barbara Ann Scott, the only Canadian woman to win gold in figure skating, as well as Dick Button, American figure skater and the first to successfully pull off a double axel en route to a gold, and Henri Oreiller, French alpine skier and first to win a downhill event by a wide margin (4 seconds). Like London 1948, Japan and Germany, losers of World War II, were not invited. - VI — 1952: Oslo, Norway
Duration: February 14-25
Participating Athletes: 694 (585 men, 109 women) from 30 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Torbjørn Falkangernote
Lighter of the Flame: Eigil NansennoteAs expected, Norway dominated these Games, among which is its most decorated athlete, trucker and speed skater Hjalmar Andersen, who won three of his four events. Emulating the summer versions, these Winter Games also introduced the passing of an Olympic flag from the mayor of the current host to that of the next host through the IOC president at the closing ceremonies (though recent Winter Games use replicas of the "Oslo flag"). These Games also featured the first Winter Olympic torch relay. - VII — 1956: Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
Duration: January 26 — February 5
Participating Athletes: 821 (687 men, 134 women) from 32 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Giuliana Minuzzonote
Lighter of the Flame: Guido CarolinoteRegaining hosting rights to the Games after the town lost the 1944 Games to World War II, these games were the first televised Winter Games, as well as the first to rely on corporate sponsorship. These Games marked the debut of Soviet winter athletes, who would tear through the medals table, particularly men's ice hockey, which they would dominate for the next three decades. Austrian alpine skier Toni Sailer also became the first athlete to sweep all three skiing events — downhill, slalom and giant slalom. - VIII — 1960: Squaw (now Olympic) Valley, California, United States
Duration: February 18-28
Participating Athletes: 665 (521 men, 144 women) from 30 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Carol Heissnote
Lighter of the Flame: Ken HenrynoteThe "austerity games" of the Winter Olympics, bobsledding and luge were omitted as it was considered too expensive to build a track. The opening ceremonies was directed by Walt Disney himself. Predating the "Miracle on Ice" 20 years later, the American ice hockey team win their first ice hockey gold medal at the expense of Canada and the Soviet Union, breaking the latter's dominion over the sport for the first time in many years. Soviet speed skater Lidiya Skoblikova also debuted with two gold medals, making her the most successful athlete of the Games, together with compatriot Yevgeny Grishin, who also won two golds in 1956. - IX — 1964: Innsbruck, Austria
Duration: January 29 — February 9
Participating Athletes: 1,091 (892 men, 199 women) from 36 NOCsnote
Olympic Oath: Paul Astenote
Lighter of the Flame: Josef RiedernoteDue to a dry spell earlier that year, the Austrian Army had to literally carve out the ice from high up the Alps. These Games marked the first time East and West Germany marched as one, and featured Lidiya Skoblikova adding four more golds (on all her events) to her collection. - X — 1968: Grenoble, France
Duration: February 6-18
Participating Athletes: 1,158 (947 men, 211 women) from 37 NOCsnote
Mascot: Schuss, an abstract skiernote
Olympic Oath: Léo Lacroixnote
Lighter of the Flame: Alain CalmatnoteThe edition that made the Winter Olympics a household word in American media, not the least because of extensive coverage from ABC and the popularity of such figures as French alpine skier Jean-Claude Killy, who won all three of his events, and figure skater Peggy Fleming, the only American gold medalist in these Games (who also heralded the renaissance of the sport in the USA following a plane crash seven years earlier that killed the entire US team en route to the World Championships in Prague). These Games were also the first time the IOC ordered drug and gender testing for athletes. - XI — 1972: Sapporo, Japan
Duration: February 3-13
Participating Athletes: 1,006 (801 men, 205 women) from 35 NOCsnote
Olympic Oaths: Keiichi Suzukinote [Athletes] / Fumio Asakinote [Judges]
Lighter of the Flame: Hideki TakadaLike Cortina d'Ampezzo, Sapporo regained hosting rights after surrendering the 1940 edition due to the Sino-Japanese War (which was ultimately cancelled). These Games were the first in Asia, as well as the first time Japan had ever won gold in any Winter Games, with a podium sweep by Yukio Kasaya (gold), Akitsugu Konno (silver) and Seiji Aochi (bronze) on the 70m ski jump as their only medals. - XII — 1976: Innsbruck, Austria
Duration: February 4-15
Participating Athletes: 1,123 (892 men, 231 women) from 37 NOCsnote
Mascot: Schneeman the snowmannote
Olympic Oaths: Werner Delle Karthnote [Athletes] / Willy Köstingernote [Judges]
Lighters of the Flame: Christl Haasnote and Josef FeistmantlnoteThe Games were originally awarded to Denver, Colorado, but locals voted down a bond issue to fund necessary construction, and the IOC turned initially to runner-up candidate (and eventual host-city come 2010) Vancouver, BC, which declined due to short notice, and then to the hosts of twelve years earlier. To this day, Denver remains the only city to decline hosting the Games. Given the financial effect of the Games being hosted in Montreal that same year, one could hardly blame them. The main highlight of these Games was the dramatic victory of Austrian alpine skier Franz Klammer over his Swiss rival Bernhard Russi. - XIII — 1980: Lake Placid, New York, United States
Duration: February 14-23
Participating Athletes: 1,072 (840 men, 232 women) from 37 NOCsnote
Mascot: Roni the raccoonnote
Olympic Oaths: Eric Heidennote [Athletes] / Terry McDermottnote [Judges]
Lighter of the Flame: Charles GuginoFamous for the "Miracle on Ice", in which the motley American ice hockey team defeated the heavily favored Soviet team (which had beaten them 10-3 two weeks prior), 4-3, en route to a gold medal finish against Finland. Other highlights include Swedish skier Ingemar Stenmark winning two gold medals on the slalom and giant slalom and American speed skater Eric Heiden winning all five events, making him the most successful Olympian in both these Games and perhaps in the history of the Winter Olympics. - XIV — 1984: Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina)
Duration: February 8-19
Participating Athletes: 1,272 (998 men, 274 women) from 49 NOCsnote
Mascot: Vučko the wolfnote
Olympic Oaths: Bojan Križajnote (Athletes) / Dragan Perovićnote (Judges)
Lighter of the Flame: Sanda DubravčićnoteBritish ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean skated to Bolero and promptly earned the only perfect set of marks ever given to anyone in the sport, and featured the first black African winter Olympian in the form of Senegalese skier Lamine Guèye. These Games had a tragic postscript years later when Yugoslavia broke up violently, and images of tanks parked in the rink where Torvill and Dean danced became iconic images of the conflict. - XV — 1988: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Motto: "Come Together in Calgary"
Duration: February 13-28
Participating Athletes: 1,423 (1,122 men, 301 women) from 57 NOCsnote
Mascots: Hidy and Howdy the polar bearsnote
Olympic Oaths: Pierre Harveynote (Athletes) / Suzanne Morrownote (Judges)
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Cathy Priestnernote and Ken Readnote (with cameo by Rick Hansennote ) / Robyn PerrynoteCanadian figure skater Elizabeth Manley is best remembered for her silver-winning performance in the long program. Also famous for Jamaica participating in the bobsled, where it was seen as unusual for a tropical country to be competing in a winter sport (the theory was that having sprinters on the team would get the sled off to a fast start, providing a competitive edge down the rest of the track). The highlights of the Games, though, were the triple-gold performances of Finnish ski jumper Matti Nykänen and Dutch speed-skater Yvonne van Gennip, as well as two from Italian alpine skier Alberto Tomba, en route to becoming the first in his sport to win medals on three consecutive Winter Games, and one from American speed skater Bonnie Blair. While Canada remained without (official) gold on its home Games (other than two on demonstration sports, including that by short-track speed-skater Sylvie Daigle), surplus revenue from viewers and sponsors, which more than compensated for these Games being the costliest to run (at C$829 million) at the time, helped turn Calgary into Canada's premier winter sports center — and helped break its dry spell come Vancouver 2010. These are the last Winter Olympics - and Olympics, period - to be telecast in the United States by ABC. CBS - in partnership with Turner Sports - would televise the next three Winter Games. - XVI — 1992: Albertville, France
Motto: "At the Peak of Performance"
Duration: February 8-23
Participating Athletes: 1,801 (1,313 men, 488 women) from 64 NOCsnote
Mascot: Magique the star-shaped imp
Olympic Oaths: Surya Bonalynote [Athletes] / Pierre Bornatnote
Lighters of the Flame: Michel Platininote and François-Cyrille GrangenoteLast Winter Games held at the same year as the Summer Games. Most of the venues for these Games, including the ceremonies stadium, were temporary. The Games featured the Norwegians' domination of male cross-country skiing events, Alberto Tomba's second giant slalom gold, Bonnie Blair's two-gold-medal performance, and breakthrough medal finishes of the USA's Kristi Yamaguchi (gold), Japan's Midori Ito (silver), and New Zealand's Annelise Coberger (silver). Yamaguchi and Ito became the first figure skaters of Asian descent to win medals, while alpine skier Coberger became the first medalist from the Southern Hemisphere. The ceremonies were choreographed by Philip Decouffle and were very similar to that of Cirque du Soleil, with acrobats performing on a very tall central mast along with many other dazzling feats. TBS and TNT supplemented CBS's coverage of these Games, making them the first American cable networks to broadcast Olympic events. - XVII — 1994: Lillehammer, Norway
Motto: "From The Heart — Together With Love"
Duration: February 12-27
Participating Athletes: 1,737 (1,215 men, 522 women) from 67 NOCsnote
Mascots: Hakon and Kristin, dolls of children dressed in Viking costumes
Olympic Oaths: Vegard Ulvangnote [Athletes] / Kari Kåringnote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Reidar Liaklevnote / Brit Pettersen Tofte note / Stein Grubennote / Catherine Nottingnesnote / Haakon, Crown Prince of NorwaynoteFirst Winter Games held in a different year from the Summer Games. Widely considered the best Winter Games, featuring an opening ceremony on a ski jump venue, whose climax was skier Stein Gruben going downhill with the Torch before the Cauldron was lit by Crown Prince Haakon, whose father, King Harald V, and grandfather, Olav V, were themselves Olympians. The Games featured the domination of women's cross-country events by Italy's Manuela Di Centa and Russia's Lyubov Yegorova, with 5 and 4 medals, respectively, a heartstopping victory of Italy over Norway in the men's 4×10km cross-country event by just 0.4 second, and American speed skater Dan Jansen, long considered a favorite but beleaguered by failure ever since 1988, when he had to compete even as he was mourning his older sister Jane, who died of leukemia hours before his first event, finally winning the 1000m event. A tabloid-friendly scandal involving rival American figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding provided fodder for comedians and sketch comedy shows for months; Harding never lived it down. A Norwegian-English mockumentary can be seen here, even though it has a "For all ages" rating in Norway is it NSFW.
- XVIII — 1998: Nagano, Japan
Motto: "Coexistence with Nature"
Duration: February 7-22
Participating Athletes: 2,176 (1,389 men, 787 women) from 72 NOCsnote
Mascots: The Snowlets (snowy owls)—Sukki, Nokki, Likki, and Tsukkinote
Olympic Oaths: Kenji Ogiwaranote [Athletes] / Junko Hiramatsunote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Chris Moonnote , accompanied by children representing the participating nations / Masako Chibanote / Reiichi Mikata, Takanori Kono and Kenji Ogiwaranote / Hiromi Suzukinote / Midori ItonoteThe first Winter Games featuring women's ice hockey, curling and snowboarding. It was also the first time NHL players were allowed to play in men's ice hockey. The bobsled track used for these games was notable for having a portion that sloped uphill. The Games featured 15-year-old American figure skater Tara Lipinski beating compatriot Michelle Kwan to become the youngest individual champion in the history of the Winter Olympics and Austrian skier Hermann Maier, who survived a hard fall days before the Games, winning the Super-G and giant slalom events. These are, to date, the last Winter Olympics - as well as Olympics, period - to be televised in the United States by a network other than NBC (in this case, CBS, in partnership with Turner Sports). - XIX — 2002: Salt Lake City, Utah, United Statesnote
Motto: "Light the Fire Within"
Duration: February 8-24
Participating Athletes: 2,399 (1,513 men, 886 women) from 78 NOCsnote
Mascots: Powder the hare, Copper the coyote, and Coal the black bear (Olympics)note / Otto the otter (Paralympics)note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: John Glennnote (Americas), Desmond Tutunote (Africa), Kazuyoshi Funakinote (Asia), Lech Wałęsanote (Europe), Cathy Freeman (Oceania), Jean-Claude Killynote (Sport), Steven Spielberg (Culture) and Jean-Michel Cousteaunote (Environment)
Olympic Oaths: Jimmy Sheanote [Athletes] / Allen Churchnote
Carriers of the Torch and Lighters of the Flame: Dick Buttonnote and Dorothy Hamillnote (Outside) / Peggy Flemingnote and Scott Hamiltonnote / Phil Mahrenote and Bill Johnsonnote / Bonnie Blairnote and Dan Jansennote / Jimmy Shea and his father Jim Sr., in honor of Jack Shea, who died days earlier / Picabo Streetnote and Cammi Granatonote / The gold-winning 1980 US Olympic ice hockey team, led by team captain Mike EruzioneNotable for a bribery controversy, the disclosure of which forced several IOC members to resign; the same scandal led to the appointment of a certain Boston-based financier named Mitt Romney to head the Organizing Committee, which he leveraged into his run for Governor of Massachusetts and later the Presidency. The scores of a figure-skating judge were also thrown out, resulting in two couples being awarded gold medals for pairs skating. And American short track speed skater Apolo Ohno's first gold was awarded after South Korea's Kim Dong-sung was disqualified, resulting in over 16,000 threatening emails to the IOC's website, which shut the site down for almost nine hours (it also didn't help that Ohno is half-Japanese). Nevertheless, from a financial and sporting perspective, these Games were one of the most successful. These Games featured Canada's first men's ice hockey gold since 1952, Norwegian biathlete Ole Einar Bjørndalen winning all four men's events, and short track speed skating providing the first gold medals for China, courtesy of Yang Yang (A) in women's competitions, and Australia (and, for that matter, the entire southern hemisphere), courtesy of Steven Bradbury's unlikely come-from-dead-last finish after everybody else crashed out on the final turn Also noteworthy for being the first games (outside of St. Moritz) to feature Skeleton, a sliding sport described as being "Like luge, but face-down and head-first". Also the first ever Olympics to feature Skeleton competing on the same track as bobsled and luge (St. Moritz had a separate skeleton track) US Men's Skeleton athlete Jimmy Shea took gold, being America's first ever third-generation Olympian. The opening ceremonies were notable for their inclusion of the American flag that flew at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, during the national anthem, in order to honor the victims of the attack which occurred just six months before. - XX — 2006: Turin (aka "Torino"), Italy
Motto: "Passion Lives Here"
Duration: February 10-26
Participating Athletes: 2,508 (1,548 men, 960 women) from 80 NOCsnote
Mascots: Neve the snowball and Gliz the ice cube (Olympics)note / Aster the snowflake (Paralympics)note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Sophia Lorennote , Isabel Allendenote , Nawal el Moutawakelnote , Susan Sarandonnote , Wangari Maathainote , Manuela Di Centanote , Maria Mutolanote and Somaly Mamnote
Olympic Oaths: Giorgio Roccanote [Athletes] / Fabio Bianchettinote [Judges]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighter of the Flame: Alberto Tombanote / Marco Albarello, Giorgio Vanzetta, Maurilio De Zolt and Silvio Faunernote / Piero Grosnote / Deborah Compagnoninote / Stefania BelmondonoteThe Games featured Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko setting a world record for the largest margin of victory in his event (10 points), Apollo Ohno winning his second short track speed skating event (and this time without much controversy), and Italian cross-country skier Giorgio Di Centa, younger brother of Manuela, winning both the 4×10km and 50km events (the latter which held its medals ceremony at the closing ceremony, in the presence of his sister). The opening ceremony is notable for beginning with 1996 gymnastics gold medalist Yuri Chechi playing the role of a "shaman" striking at a fire-breathing anvil, a live F1 race car demonstration, and the final public performance of legendary tenor Luciano Pavarotti, who performed "Nessun Dorma" at the end of the opening ceremony, less than a year before he died of pancreatic cancer. - XXI — 2010: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Motto: "With Glowing Hearts / Des plus brillants exploits"
Duration: February 12-28
Participating Athletes: 2,566 (1,522 men, 1,044 women) from 82 NOCsnote
Mascots: Miga the mythical orca/kermode bear hybrid, Quatchi the sasquatch (Olympics), Sumi the thunderbird/bear hybrid (Paralympics), and Mukmuk the Vancouver Island marmot (sidekick)note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Betty Foxnote , Donald Sutherlandnote , Jacques Villeneuvenote , Barbara Ann Scottnote , Anne Murraynote , Roméo Dallairenote , Bobby Orrnote and Julie Payettenote
Olympic Oaths: Hayley Wickenheisernote [Athletes] / Michel Verraultnote [Judges]
Carrier of the Torch and Lighters of the Flame: Rick Hansen / Catriona LeMay Doannote , Steve Nashnote , Nancy Greenenote and Wayne Gretzkynote Added noteThe Winter Games that ended Canada's dry spell when it comes to gold medals on Games it hosts, starting with Alexandre Bilodeau in men's moguls, followed by thirteen others, culminating in a heart-stopping overtime victory of the Canadian men's ice hockey team over the USA. This broke the record for most golds at a single games, which had been previously shared by Norway and the Soviet Union. Other notable events include USA winning its first bobsled gold since 1948, American skier Lindsey Vonn shrugging off injury to win gold at the women's downhill, and another American, Evan Lysacek, pipping out Plushenko for the men's figure skating gold. The Games, however, began with tragedy after Georgian luger Nodar Kumaritashvili was killed in a training accident mere hours before the opening ceremony. - XXII — 2014: Sochi, Russia
Motto: "Hot. Cool. Yours."
Duration: February 7-23
Participating Athletes: 2,873 from 88 NOCsnote
Mascots: Leopard, Hare (Zaika) and Polar Bear (Bely Mishka) (Olympics); Snowflake (Luchik) and Ray of Light (Snezhinka) (Paralympics)note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Chulpan Kamapovanote , Lidiya Skoblikovanote , Anastasia Popovanote , Valentina Tereshkovanote , Viacheslav Fetisovnote , Valery Gergievnote , Alan Enileevnote and Nikita Mikhalkovnote
Olympic Oaths: Ruslan Zakharovnote [Athletes] / Vyacheslav Vedeninnote [Judges] / Anastasia Popkova [Coaches]
Carriers of the Torch and Lighters of the Flame: Maria Sharapovanote / Yelena Isinbayevanote / Aleksandr Karelinnote / Alina Kabaevanote / Irina Rodninanote and Vladislav TretiaknoteAn unusual choice for Winter Olympic host city, being both a winter and summer resort town. Also the first Games under current IOC president, 1976 fencing gold medalist Thomas Bach. While the runoff was fraught with controversy, due to allegations of corruption, outrage over anti-gay laws, and a staggering $51B cost (far surpassing Beijing 2008's $44B, which, as a summer edition, had more events and, all things said, is not terribly over-expensive), the main event itself went without a hitch. The Games featured a near-total domination of speed skating events by the Dutch, the Canadian men's ice hockey team making the first successful gold medal defense since the Soviet Union, promising American skier Mikaela Shiffrin becoming the youngest alpine skiing gold medalist at eighteen years old, childhood friends Meryl Davis and Charlie White winning the USA's first ice dancing gold, and Ole Einar Bjørndalen winning the 10km sprint and mixed relay, setting a record for most decorated Winter Olympian with eight golds, four silvers and one bronze. Years after these Games, host Russia has been mired in a massive scandal over allegations of state-sponsored doping and deliberately tampering with any incriminatory evidence, extending even onto Summer Games sports, resulting in thirteen medals revoked (though nine were ultimately returned after an appeal), the Russian track team for the 2016 Summer Games at Rio de Janeiro being almost entirely banned, and the outright suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee in 2017, resulting in athletes who can prove themselves clean having to compete as neutrals come the next Winter Games at Pyeongchang and the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo. - XXIII — 2018: PyeongChang, South Korea
Motto: "Passion. Connected."
Duration: February 9-25
Participating Athletes: 2,922 (1,680 men, 1,242 women) from 94 NOCsnote
Mascots: Soohorang the white tiger (Olympics) and Bandabi the black bear (Paralympics)note
Bearers of the South Korean Flag: Kang Kwang-baenote , Jin Sun-yunote , Seri Paknote , Lee Seung-yuopnote , Hwang Young-chonote , Seo Hyang-soonnote , Lim O-kyeongnote and Ha Hyung-joonote
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Four veteran and four aspiring Olympians, in alternating order—Kang Chan-yongnote , You Youngnote , Shin Hye-sooknote , Lee Jun-seonote , Kim Yoon-mannote , Jang Yu-jinnote , Kim Kui-jinnote and Jung Seung-ginote
Olympic Oath: Mo Tae-bumnote — starting with this Games, the previously separate oaths for athletes, judges, and coaches have been combined into one, with one representative from each group reciting one line, and the athlete completing the oath
Carriers of the Torch and Lighters of the Flame: Chun Lee-kyungnote / Inbee Park note / Ahn Jung-hwannote / Jong Su-hyon and Park Jong-ahnote / Yuna KimnoteThe first Winter Olympics in Asia outside Japan. In the US, these Games were also the first to be hosted in primetime by Mike Tirico, who replaced long-time host Bob Costas. In light of the aforementioned doping scandal, Russia's NOC is suspended, while athletes proven clean participated as the neutral "Olympic Athletes from Russia" under the Olympic Flag. Also, for the first time since Torino 2006 the two Koreas marched under the Unification Flag at the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as fielded a unified women's ice hockey team. For the first time since Salt Lake 2002, winter powerhouse Norway dominated the medals board, with cross-country skier Marit Bjørgen winning five medals (two golds, one silver, and two bronzes) on her fifth and final Games to surpass her compatriot Ole Einar Bjørndalen from four years ago for most decorated Winter Olympian with eight golds, four silvers and three bronzes. These Games are famous for the American women's ice hockey team stunning four-time defending gold medalists Canada in the first Olympic hockey final game to go to penalty shots to win their first gold medals since the inaugural tournament in Nagano 1998, Nigeria and Jamaica fielding their very first women's bobsled teams (the former also a first for Africa), Canadian figure skating pair Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir becoming becoming the most decorated Olympians in their sport (three golds and two silvers each), the Czech Republic's Ester Ledecká making history as the first Winter Olympian to win gold in two different disciplines in a single Games (alpine skiingnote and snowboarding), Mikaela Shiffrin adding another alpine skiing gold to tie Ted Ligety and Andrea Mead Lawrence for most decorated American alpine skier,note Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu making the first successful gold medal defense in men's figure skating since the USA's Dick Button in 1952, a moment of peace between East Asian geopolitical rivals in the women's 500m speed skating final with gold medalist Nao Kodaira of Japan and silver medalist Lee Sang-hwa of South Korea sharing a lap of friendship after the former narrowly edged out the erstwhile two-time defending champion, the ragtag American men's curling team stunning world #1 Sweden to win their very first gold, with defending men's and women's champions Canada leaving almost empty-handed (the former lost to the USA in the semis, then missed out on a bronze to Switzerland, while the women fared worse, falling away as early as the group stage, even as the hosts managed a surprise silver behind Sweden) save for a gold at the newly-introduced mixed doubles event, and Jessie Diggins (paired with Kikkan Randall) blasting Stina Nilsson of Sweden (with Charlotte Kalla) and Maiken Caspersen Falla of defending champions Norway (with the aforementioned Bjørgen) to win the women's team sprint, claiming the USA's first-ever cross-country skiing gold, with Chad Salmela's Suddenly Shouting call on NBCSNnote getting as much attention as the finish itself. - XXIV — 2022: Beijing, China
Motto: "Together for a Shared Future"
Duration: February 4-20
Participating Athletes: 2,861 (1,581 men, 1,290 women) from 91 NOCsnote
Mascots: Bing Dwen Dwen the panda (Olympics) and Shuey Rhon Rhon the lantern (Paralympics)note
Bearers of the Olympic Flag: Luo Zhihuannote , Li Jiajunnote , Shen Xuenote , Han Xiaopengnote , Zhang Huinote , and Zhang Hongnote
Olympic Oath: Wang Qiangnote and Liu Jiayunote (Athletes) / Tao Yongchunnote (Judges) / Ji Xiao'ounote (Coaches)
Carriers of the Torch and Lighters of the Flame: Representatives of different decades in modern Chinese history: Zhao Weichangnote (1950s) / Li Yannote (1960s) / Yang Yang (A)note (1970s) / Su Bingtiannote (1980s) / Zhou Yangnote (1990s) / Dinigeer Yilamujiangnote and Zhao Jiawennote (2000s)Beijing becomes the very first Olympic city to host both summer and winter editions (at least, on ice events, with Yanqing County suburb and the winter resort city of Zhangjiakou in Hebei province to host snow events), after a two-horse race with Almaty, Kazakhstan. Already nicknamed "the Olympics nobody wants" because every candidate city in a democracy withdrew after voters demanded, and got, a referendum (Oslo, Norway made it the farthest) leaving only the two above. This led to the IOC creating a list of reforms called Olympic Agenda 2020 around Christmas 2014. It will also be the third Asian city in a row to host an Olympic Games, following PyeongChang in 2018 and Tokyo in 2020. In July 2018, the IOC announced that the following seven events would be added to the program: mixed team events for freestyle skiing aerials, ski jumping, and snowboard cross; a mixed relay for short track speed skating; freestyle skiing big air for both men and women; and women's monobobnote . Due to backlash over the Chinese government's human rights abuses, especially the Uyghur Concentration camps, many nations have opted for a diplomatic boycott of these games. Like the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Beijing has opted to hold the Winter Games without an audience to avoid a greater spread of COVID-19 and its significant variants. Since Super Bowl LVI (which NBC got the rights to that edition in 2019 thanks to a swap, which led to CBS getting LV) occurred during the start of the Games' final week, NBC decided to market their primetime coverage of the Games and the Super Bowl as Super Gold Sunday with NBC continuing their Games' coverage for the day after the Super Bowl ended instead of any of their entertainment offerings as a lead-out program. Despite this, the NFL signed new broadcasting agreements (2023-33) with all of the Big Four television networks which led to NBC having to air the Super Bowl during Winter Olympic years.
- XXV — 2026: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo (aka "Milano Cortina"), Italy
Motto: Dreaming Together
Duration: 6-22 February
Mascots: Tina (Olympics) and Milo (Paralympics) the stoat siblings, plus a group of six snowdrops collectively called the Flo (sidekicks).note First Winter Games hosted in Western Europe and Italy after 20 years, as well as first for 1956 host Cortina d'Ampezzo after 70 years, the very first for Milan, the second-largest city in Italy and the first Olympic Games to officially bill two separate host cities. The candidature was originally supposed to be a triple one with 2006 host city Turin returning as well, but withdrew before the bid could be officially presented. These will be the first Winter Games where ski mountaineering - a skiing discipline where competitors must climb a mountain either on skis or carrying them, then descend on skis - will be contested. Ski mountaineering was a part of the now-defunct winter sport of military patrol - seen as a predecessor to biathlon - when it was contested at the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix in 1924.
Summer Youth Olympic Games
Instituted in 2010 for athletes aged between 14 and 18 years old; besides featuring the usual Olympic sports (with a few variations),note these Games are unique for the inclusion of mixed-nation as well as educational events. Some Youth Olympians, such as Welsh taekwondo star Jade Jones, have gone on to win gold at the major Olympics after winning at the Youth Games. It's even happened in reverse; at the 2012 London Games, Lithuanian swimmer Rūta Meilutytė won gold in the women's 100-meter breaststroke in an upset. She was only 15. Two years later, at the second Summer Youth Games in Nanjing, China, Meilutytė won both the girls 50- and 100-meter breaststroke golds, having firmly established herself in the breaststroke discipline. The Summer Youth Olympic Games
- I — 2010: Singapore
Motto: Blazing the Trail
Duration: August 14-26
Participating Athletes: 3,524 from 204 NOCsThe very first Youth Games and the first Olympic event held in Southeast Asia. - II — 2014: Nanjing, China
Motto: Share the Games, Share Our Dreams
Duration: August 16-28
Participating Athletes: 3,579 from 203 NOCs - III — 2018: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Motto: Feel the Future
Duration: October 6-18
Participating Athletes: 3,997 from 206 NOCs - IV — 2026: Dakar, Senegal
The very first Olympic event hosted in Africa. Originally scheduled for 2022, but was pushed back by an entire Olympiad cycle due to the economic costs of postponing the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo to 2021 due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Winter Youth Olympic Games
Similar to its Summer editions, the Winter Youth Olympic Games also feature traditional winter sports as well as educational events for athletes aged 14-18. The Winter Youth Olympic Games
- I — 2012: Innsbruck, Austria
Motto: Be Part of It
Duration: January 13-22
Participating Athletes: 1,059 from 69 NOCsThe first Winter Youth Games, and thus making Innsbruck the first three-time Winter host city. - II — 2016: Lillehammer, Norway
Motto: Go Beyond. Create Tomorrow.
Duration: February 12-21
Participating Athletes: Around 1,100 from 71 NOCs - III — 2020: Lausanne, Switzerland
Motto: Start NowDuration: January 9-22Participating Athletes: 1,788 from 79 NOCsThe first Winter Youth Games not held in a past Winter Olympic host city, as well as the first held at the very home city of the International Olympic Committee.
- IV — 2024: Gangwon, South Korea
Motto: Let's Make It TogetherDuration: January 19-February 2This marks a return to PyeongChang, the host of the 2018 Winter Games. Most of the venues from those Games will be used. Should circumstances allow, Wonsan, North Korea, could host some alpine skiing events. A significant change is the scrapping of mixed team events, where competitors from different National Olympic Committees would team up against other such teams.
Continental and Regional Games indirectly under the IOC
Though more local in scope, these Games are nevertheless under the indirect supervision of the International Olympic Committee by way of localized Olympic Committees. Pan American Games — Panam Sport
The oldest of the five continental multi-sport events in the Olympic tradition.
- I — 1951: Buenos Aires, Argentina
Duration: 25 February — 9 MarchThe inaugural Pan American Games, and in whose honor Argentina always leads the athletes' parade in subsequent editions. So far also the southernmost host city.
- II — 1955: Mexico City, Mexico
Duration: 12-26 MarchFirst Games in North America.
- III — 1959: Chicago, Illinois, United States
Duration: 27 August — 7 SeptemberFirst Games in the United States, first outside a national capital, and first outside the Spanish-speaking countries.
- IV — 1963: São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
Duration: 20 April — 5 May
- V — 1967: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Duration: 23 July — 6 AugustFirst Games in Canada as well the northernmost host city.
- VI — 1971: Cali, Colombia
Duration: 30 July — 13 August
- VII — 1975: Mexico City, Mexico
Duration: 12-26 OctoberFirst Games held in a prior host city.
- VIII — 1979: San Juan, Puerto Rico
Duration: 1-15 JulyFirst Games on the Caribbean islands.
- IX — 1983: Caracas, Venezuela
Duration: 14-29 August
- X — 1987: Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
Duration: 7-23 August
- XI — 1991: Havana, Cuba
Duration: 2-18 August
- XII — 1995: Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Province, Argentinanote
Duration: 12-26 March
- XIII — 1999: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Duration: 23 July — 8 August
- XIV — 2003: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Duration: 1-17 August
- XV — 2007: Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Slogan: Live This Energy!
Duration: 13-29 July - XVI — 2011: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
Slogan: The Party of the Americas
Duration: 14-30 OctoberFirst Games in Mexico held outside Mexico City. - XVII — 2015: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Slogan: United We Play
Duration: 10-26 JulyFirst Games in Canada outside Winnipeg. - XVIII — 2019: Lima, Peru
Slogan: Let's All Play
Duration: 26 July — 11 August - XIX — 2023: Santiago, Chile
Slogan: Our Meeting Point
Duration: 6-22 October - XX — 2027: Lima, Perunote
Duration: 10–26 September
Asian Games — Olympic Council of Asia
The largest and most prestigious of the five continental multi-sport events in the Olympic tradition, the Asian Games are also the second-largest after the Olympic Games themselves. As of 2018 the Asian Games also boast of having more events than even the Summer Olympics, due to the abundance of more local sports. In contrast to the other continental Games, the Asian Games are typically held on even-numbered, non-leap years, thus lying midway between Summer Games and coinciding with both the Winter Games and the FIFA World Cup.
- I — 1951: Delhi, India
Duration: March 4-11
Participaitng Athletes: 489 from 11 NOCs - II — 1954: Manila, Philippines
Duration: May 1-9
Participating Athletes: 970 from 18 NOCs - III — 1958: Tokyo, Japan
Duration: May 24 - June 16
Participating Athletes: 1,820 from 16 NOCs - IV — 1962: Jakarta, Indonesia
Duration: August 24 - September 4
Participating Athletes: 1,460 from 12 NOCs - V — 1966: Bangkok, Thailand
Duration: December 9-20
Participating Athletes: 1,945 from 16 NOCs - VI — 1970: Bangkok, Thailand
Duration: December 9-20
Participating Athletes: 2,400 from 16 NOCs - VII — 1974: Tehran, Iran
Duration: September 1-16
Participating Athletes: 3,010 from 19 NOCs - VIII — 1978: Bangkok, Thailand
Duration: December 9-20
Participating Athletes: 3,842 from 19 NOCs - IX — 1982: New Delhi, India
Duration: November 19 - December 4
Participating Athletes: 3,411 from 23 NOCs - X — 1986: Seoul, South Korea
Duration: September 20 - October 5
Participating Athletes: 4,839 from 22 NOCs - XI — 1990: Beijing, China
Duration: September 22 - October 7
Participating Athletes: 6,122 from 36 NOCs - XII — 1994: Hiroshima, Japan
Slogan: Asian Harmony
Duration: October 2-16
Participating Athletes: 6,828 from 42 NOCsFirst Asian Games held outside a national capital, and appropriately so, in Hiroshima, on the eve of the fiftieth anniversary of its atomic bombing at the end of World War II. - XIII — 1998: Bangkok, Thailand
Slogan: Friendship Beyond Frontiers
Duration: December 6-20
Participating Athletes: 6,554 from 41 NOCs - XIV — 2002: Busan, South Korea
Slogan: New Vision, New Asia
Duration: September 29 - October 14
Participating Athletes: 7,711 from 44 NOCsFirst Asian Games where the two Koreas marched into the opening ceremony under the Unification flag. - XV — 2006: Doha, Qatar
Slogan: The Games of Your Life
Duration: December 1-15
Participating Athletes: 9,520 from 45 NOCsFirst Asian Games held in the Arab world. - XVI — 2010: Guangzhou, China
Slogan: Thrilling Games, Harmonious Asia
Duration: November 12-27
Participating Athletes: 9,704 from 45 NOCs - XVII — 2014: Incheon, South Korea
Slogan: Diversity Shines Here
Duration: September 19 - October 4
Participating Athletes: 9,501 from 45 NOCs - XVIII — 2018: Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia
Slogan: Energy of Asia
Duration: August 18 - September 2
Participating Athletes: 11,300 from 45 NOCsFirst Asian Games primarily staged in two different geographic regions—Jakarta in western Java and Palembang in southern Sumatra, 417 kilometers (259 miles) apart. - XIX — 2022: Hangzhou, China
Slogan: Heart to Heart, @Future
Duration: September 10-25 - XX — 2026: Nagoya, Japan
Duration: September 19 - October 4
- XXI — 2030: Doha, Qatar
- XXII — 2034: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Pacific Games — Oceania National Olympic Committees
- I — 1963: Suva, Fiji
Duration: 29 August — 8 September
- II — 1966: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Duration: 8-18 September
- III — 1969: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Duration: 13-23 August
- IV — 1971: Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Duration: 25 August — 5 September
- V — 1975: Tumon, Guam
Duration: 1-10 August
- VI — 1979: Suva, Fiji
Duration: 28 August — 8 September
- VII — 1983: Apia, Western Samoa (now Samoa)
Duration: 5-16 September
- VIII — 1987: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Duration: 8-20 December
- IX — 1991: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Duration: 7-21 September
- X — 1995: Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Duration: 25 August — 5 September
- XI — 1999: Santa Rita, Guam
Duration: 29 May — 12 June
- XII — 2003: Suva, Fiji
Duration: 28 June — 12 JulySuva becomes the first three-time host city.
- XIII — 2007: Apia, Samoa
Slogan: Live the Dream!
Duration: 25 August — 8 September - XIV — 2011: Nouméa, New Caledonia
Slogan: Pacifique Attitude
Duration: 27 August — 10 September - XV — 2015: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
Duration: 4-18 July
- XVI — 2019: Apia, Samoa
Slogan: One in Spirit
Duration: 8-20 July - XVII — 2023: Honiara, Solomon Islands
- XVIII — 2027: Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia
Africa Games — Association of National Olympic Committees of Africa
- I — 1965: Brazzaville, Congo
Duration: 18-25 July
- 1969: Bamako, Mali
Canceled due to a military coup.
- II — 1973: Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
Duration: 7-18 January
- III — 1978: Algiers, Algeria
Duration: 13-28 July
- IV — 1987: Nairobi, Kenya
Duration: 1-12 AugustFirst African Games whose schedule was adjusted so as to precede the Summer Olympic Games.
- V — 1991: Cairo, Egypt
Duration: 20 September — 1 October
- VI — 1995: Harare, Zimbabwe
Duration: 13-23 September
- VII — 1999: Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa
Duration: 10-19 September
- VIII — 2003: Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Nigeria
Duration: 5-17 October
- IX — 2007: Algiers, Algeria
Duration: 11-23 July
- X — 2011: Maputo, Mozambique
Duration: 3-18 September
- XI — 2015: Brazzaville, Congo
Duration: 4-19 September
- XII — 2019: Casablanca and Rabat, Morocco
Duration: 23 August — 3 September
- XIII — 2023: Accra, Ghana
Duration: 8–23 March 2024note
- XIV — 2027: Cairo, Egypt
European Games — European Olympic Committees
The youngest of the five continental multi-sport events in the Olympic tradition, these Games were actually predated by the European Olympic Youth Festival, itself one of the precursors to the Youth Olympic Games.
- I — 2015: Baku, Azerbaijan
Duration: 12-28 June note
Participating Athletes: 5,898 from 50 NOCs - II — 2019: Minsk, Belarus
Slogan: "Bright Year, Bright You!"
Duration: 21-30 June - III — 2023: Kraków, Poland
Slogan: "We are unity"
Duration: 21 June–2 July - !V — 2027: Istanbul, Turkey
The Paralympic Games
"Mind, Body, Spirit" / "Spirit In Motion"
Mottos
Like the Olympics, but for athletes with disabilities. Held after the Olympics, in the same venues. It is not, however, organized by the IOC but by the International Paralympic committee, founded 1989, and has its own logo - three arcs rather than five rings. The name means that they run parallel to the Olympic Games, not that it's for the paralysed. Do not confuse them with the Special Olympics, which is a competition for mentally handicapped athletes that's styled after the Olympics but unaffiliated. Also does not include either parachuting or paragliding which are events in the World Games, which tries to be like the Olympics for non-Olympic sports.* Most of the sports are about the same as the Olympics but there are a few that are exclusive to the Paralympics, such as boccia, wheelchair rugby, and goalball. Now has its own page!
Presidents of the International Olympic Committee
- Demetrius Vikelas (1835-1908; presided 1894-1896), Greek businessman appointed by De Coubertin to preside over the revival of the Games.
- Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937; presided 1896-1925), French teacher and founder of the modern Olympic Games.
- Godefroy de Blonay (1869-1937; presided 1916-1919), Swiss nobleman who presided over the IOC in lieu of De Coubertin, who was away on conscription during World War I.
- Henri de Baillet-Latour (1876-1942; presided 1925-1942), Belgian aristocrat.
- Sigfrid Edström (1870-1964; presided 1942-1952), Swedish industrialist who helped the IOC weather through World War II, which saw the 1940 and 1944 Games cancelled.
- Avery Brundage (1887-1975; presided 1952-1972), American engineer and the only non-European to become IOC president, known for his advocacy of amateurism. And much more controversially, for his overt racism.
- Michael Morris, 3rd Baron Killanin (1914-1999; presided 1972-1980), British journalist and nobleman.
- Juan Antonio Samaranch (1920-2010; presided 1980-2001), Spanish businessman under whose administration the Games saw increased commercial funding.
- Jacques Rogge (1942-2021; presided 2001-2013), Belgian opthalmologist and former Olympic rower from 1968 to 1976, becoming the first actual Olympian to hold the post. His administration featured stricter anti-doping regulations and increased closeness to the athletes.
- Thomas Bach (b. 1953; presided 2013-present), German lawyer, former Olympic fencer and member of the gold-winning 1976 men's foil team, and head of the German Olympic Committee until his election to this post, making him the first Olympic medalist (and a gold medalist) to hold this position.
The Olympics in Fiction
- Features the Ancient Olympics:
- Asterix at the Olympic Games (film adaptation included)
- An episode of Hercules: The Legendary Journeys has him invent the Greek Olympics, with the usual Anachronism Stew including a modern Olympic torch.
- Features fictional or nonspecific installments of the Modern Olympics:
- Downhill Racer features Robert Redford as a skier determined to win at a non-specific Winter Olympics.
- The Judas Goat (published in 1978), has a decent chunk of the last third set at the Olympics in Canada. (Mostly because of "terrorists" that want to make a statement — similar to the 1936 events — that 'whites are better', and the Olympics involve a large gathering.)
- Pierre et Isa, a French animated series about Winter Olympics.
- Laff-A-Lympics, a '70s Saturday-Morning Cartoon show pitting three teams of Hanna-Barbera characters in mock-Olympic events.
- Animalympics a 1980 animation originally broadcast its Winter Games segment on NBC TV, but the summer edition was canceled after the boycott. Later reorganized into a film, but the summer half still suffered from the lack of completed animation.
- QWOP has you playing as an athlete for a small nation striving to compete in the Olympics. "Ideally you will run 100 metres... but our training program was under-funded." By "under-funded", the game means that the titular athlete struggles with basic walking.
- The Simpsons episode "The Old Man And The 'C' Student" had an episode where Springfield is awarded the Olympic Games, until an offensive comedy act by Bart sees the town stripped of them. Years later a sign gag read "SPRINGFIELD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Built For the Olympics We Didn't Get".
- AKIRA takes place during the run-up to the then-far-future 2020 Neo-Tokyo Olympic Games, with the Olympic Stadium built directly above the site where Akira was stored as a Human Popsicle. (By coincidence, Tokyo was later selected as the site of the 2020 Games in real life.)
- Nononono features a woman trying to become an Olympic ski-jumper... back before 2014, when the event was still males-only.
- An episode of Totally Spies! had the main characters investigating a very unusual cheating scandal at the Winter Olympics, where one nation's athletes had unknowingly been given cybernetic brain implants that enhanced their performance.
- Also see Pseudolympics for when works make references to silly Olympic-like events.
- Features the 1896 Athens Games:
- 1962's It Happened in Athens is a completely fictional (but filmed entirely in Greece) depiction of Spyridon Louis' 1896 victory, complete with Jayne Mansfield offering herself in marriage to whomever wins, and an adorable Canine Companion.
- The 1984 Mini Series The First Olympics: Athens 1896
- Features the 1904 St. Louis Games:
- Notably, not featured in Meet Me in St. Louis, despite it taking place in St. Louis in 1903-04. Instead, the movie is centered around the 1904 World's Fair, which overshadowed the 1904 Olympics in Real Life as well.
- There's an episode in season 2 of Puppet History on the 1904 Olympics, "The Disastrous 1904 Olympic Marathon".
- Features the 1912 Stockholm Games:
- Depicted in the 1951 biopic Jim Thorpe — All-American starring Burt Lancaster. The opening ceremony is actually Stock Footage of the 1948 London Games.
- Features the 1924 Paris Games:
- Chariots of Fire, about British runners Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell (technically not fiction, but they did take a few liberties ...).
- Features the 1932 Los Angeles Games:
- Million Dollar Legs, a largely forgotten W.C. Fields classic, is all about getting Ruritanian citizens to participate in the 1932 Olympics.
- Features the 1936 Berlin Games:
- The 1937 Charlie Chan film Charlie Chan at the Olympics
- Ace of Aces, a 1982 French-German comedy in which the trainer of the French olympic boxing team (Jean-Paul Belmondo) helps a Jewish family that's tormented by The Gestapo.
- Race, a 2016 biopic about Jesse Owens.
- Champions, a 2008 Hong Kong film about China's first Olympic team.
- The fan-made Portal 2 game Portal Stories: Mel, whose eponymous protagonist was a competitor (though in this universe the 1936 games were apparently held in Nuremberg).
- Olympia, a documentary of the Berlin games by Leni Riefenstahl, a filmmaker best known for the Nazi propaganda flick Triumph of the Will. Olympia is largely free of Nazi propaganda except for some bits in the intro. It's still considered to be a Trope Maker as far as documenting sporting events go.
- Unbroken focuses on Louie Zamperini, who competed for the U.S. at these Olympics and was later captured by the Japanese during World War II.
- Wunschkonzert: This 1940 Nazi propaganda film features the Star-Crossed Lovers meeting at the opening ceremonies of the Olympics. Stock Footage of Adolf Hitler at the games is included.
- Timeline-191 features the 1936 games held in Richmond, Virginia. In this Alternate History the Confederate States become A Nazi by Any Other Name.
- Reds!: A Revolutionary Timeline features the UASR sending Jesse Owens and the Jewish athletes Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller (who were controversially excluded from the games in OTL) to compete as a massive middle finger to Nazi Germany.
- The Boys in the Boat, a 2023 film (based on a 2013 book) about the University of Washington rowing team as they make their way to the Olympics.
- Features the 1948 London Games:
- The Rivers of London short story "Home Crowd Advantage" is set during London 2012, with an extended flashback to London 1948.
- The 2018 Bollywood film Gold is about India winning its first gold medal as an independent nation during these Olympics.
- Features the 1952 Helsinki Games:
- A sixth-season M*A*S*H episode has the 4077th staff celebrating the '52 Helsinki Games (and getting in shape) by holding their own "Olympics" competition.
- Features the 1960 Rome Games:
- The 1977 Made-for-TV movie Wilma, a biopic on track star Wilma Rudolph, chronicling her life as she overcame polio to win three golds in Rome.
- Features the 1964 Tokyo Games:
- Tokyo Olympiad, an acclaimed documentary of the 1964 Tokyo games by Kon Ichikawa.
- The 1966 comedy film Walk, Don't Run is set at the '64 Tokyo Games and features Cary Grant in his last film role.
- Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020 features a retro throwback mode where the characters are reverted to their 2D 8-bit and 16-bit selves and the Olympic setting is returned to the last time the Games were in Tokyo.
- Running Brave, Canadian film featuring Sioux runner Billy Mills' path to winning the gold medal for the 10,000m race at the 1964 Olympics.
- Features the 1972 Munich Games:
- Steven Spielberg's Munich depicts the Munich 1972 massacre and the retaliation by the Israeli secret services.
- Robot Chicken: One skit parodied Munich and the Laff-A-Lympics. In it, the Really Rottens kidnap and kill the rival team. This is followed by the heroic Hanna-Barbera characters hunting them down and killing them.
- Features the 1980 Moscow Games:
- An episode of the popular Soviet cartoon series Nu, Pogodi! finds the Wolf and the Hare, a Tom and Jerry-style chaser-and-chasee duo, at the Olympics engaging in their usual antics. It opens with the Wolf, a smoker, blowing the Olympic Rings with cigarette smoke.
- The 1979 sci-fi flick Goldengirl is about a genetically-enhanced woman who competes for the U.S. at the then-future 1980 Moscow games. Of course, the whole movie later became dated as a result of the U.S. boycotting the Moscow games in Real Life.
- Features the 1980 Lake Placid Games:
- Miracle, about the US hockey team and the "Miracle on Ice".
- Going for the Gold by Emma Lathen is set at the Lake Placid Winter Olympics.
- Features the 1984 Sarajevo Games:
- The sequels for The Cutting Edge Retcon its ending as taking place here (yes, even before the opening of the original story), ignoring the near-identical similarities between the French Alps and Communist Sarajevo, thus moving the beginning to 1980 Lake Placid... which would mean Doug would already have received a gold medal in hockey and be a national legend. Best not to think about it much.
- Features the 1984 Los Angeles Games:
- The Simpsons episode "Lisa's First Word" features Krusty Burger running a promotion with a scratchcard game which sees the customer win a free burger if the USA wins a gold medal in that event. It had been rigged to feature only sports that "Communists never lose" - before learning that they were boycotting the games (based on the real McDonald's "When the USA Wins, You Win" promo game).
- The original Track & Field and its followup Hyper Sports take place during the 1984 Olympics. In Japan, both games were officially licensed and used the games' logo in advertising.
- Features the 1988 Calgary Games:
- Cool Runnings: A highly fictionalized account of the first Jamaican bobsled team.
- Eddie the Eagle: A Biopic bout the eponymous British ski jumper.
- The Goldbergs has an episode where Barry is inspired by Eddie the Eagle to try and become a champion athlete. (It's probably not a coincidence that it aired at about the same time as the above-listed biopic.)
- The opening scenes of The Cutting Edge take place here.
- Features the 1988 Seoul Games:
- Konami 88, the sequel to Track & Field, uses the 1988 Olympics as its main setting. The same would carry over to Track and Field II on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
- The 1994 Direct to Video film Pentathlon stars Dolph Lundgren as an East German gold-medal-winning pentathlete who defects to the US and is pursued by his Drill Sergeant Nasty ex-coach.
- Features the 1992 Albertville Games:
- Although I, Tonya mostly concerns the 1994 Games, it also includes some events from 1992.
- The Cutting Edge: A Romantic Comedy about a pairs skater teaming up with a former hockey player switching to figure skating as each other's last shot for Olympic gold. It made use of a decent chunk of Artistic License – Sports, to say the least; no US pairs team was in contention for the gold—or any medal—at the '92 Games (no US pair has won a medal at the Games since 1988), spotlight lighting is not used in competition, and the move that they perform to win is not only impossible, it's illegal in competition. Also, having been filmed in 1991 for a 1992 release, the movie fell victim to Failed Future Forecast and inaccurately portrays the Soviet Union as still being intact (and in competition) as of the '92 Olympics.
- Features the 1992 Barcelona Games:
- The Final Game (2022), a dramatization of the Spanish water polo team's run in the Olympic games of Barcelona.
- Features the 1994 Lillehammer Games:
- I, Tonya, a dramedy biopic about figure skater Tonya Harding and the scandal she was involved in.
- Features the 1996 Atlanta Games:
- The 2019 film Richard Jewell concerns the Centennial Olympic Park bombing.
- Izzy's Quest For The Olympic Rings: A platform video game starring the 1996 Mascot "Izzy" on a quest to recover the Olympic flame before the Atlanta games are cancelled.
- Features the 1998 Nagano Games:
- It's right in the title of the Dharma & Greg episode "The Official Dharma & Greg Episode of the 1998 Winter Olympics".
- Features the 2000 Sydney Games:
- Rainbow Six involves a plot to start a global plague via the air conditioning at the Sydney opening ceremony. Clancy failed to realize the games actually took place in the late winter/early spring of Australia.
- Miranda Frost in Die Another Day won a gold medal at Sydney by default when her opponent died of a steroids overdose arranged by Gustav Graves.
- A Young Justice storyline was set at the "Sydney World Games". The story involved the former Arrowette entering the archery competition, and Zandia (an island nation whose population consists entirely of supervillains taking advantage of its lack of extradition laws) entering, so Cassie was competing against Merlyn and Artemis.
- Features the 2002 Salt Lake Games:
- The 2002 Direct to Video film Getting There involves Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen trying to get to Salt Lake City to watch the Olympics.
- Features the 2004 Athens Games:
- Features the 2006 Torino Games:
- The Cutting Edge: Going for the Gold. An ABC Family film that's essentially a remake of its 1992 parent film, right down to the impossible winning move the team pulls off. Additionally, the female protagonist is the daughter of the couple from the first film, but is at least five years older than she could possibly be (a retcon sets the ending of the first film in 1984 instead of 1992).
- Ginban Kaleidoscope is about a Japanese figure skater whose Olympic journey hits a snag when she finds herself possessed by the ghost of a Canadian stunt pilot.
- 2005's Ice Princess ends with newbie figure skater Casey Carlyle coming from behind to win silver at the junior sectionals competition, to which commentator Michelle Kwan wonders if she could make the then-upcoming 2006 Olympics.
- Features the 2008 Beijing Games:
- Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games
- The second-season finale of 30 Rock included a storyline in which Kenneth tries to become a page at the Beijing Olympics. In the second episode of the third season, it's revealed that NBC's coverage of the same Olympics invented some fictional events, including "synchronized running" and "octuples tennis", so that Americans could win more medals.
- Features the 2010 Vancouver Games:
- Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
- The Simpsons: "Boy Meets Curl" involves Homer and Marge teaming up with Principal Skinner and his mom to represent Team USA in curling.
- Features the 2012 London Games:
- The Doctor Who episode "Fear Her" is set around the (then-future) 2012 Opening Ceremonies. (In real life, David Tennant was not involved, but a different doctor did carry the torch for a leg.)
- Mario & Sonic at the London 2012 Olympic Games
- The Rivers of London short story "Home Crowd Advantage" is set during London 2012, with an extended flashback to London 1948.
- Spooks: Code 9 starts with a nuclear attack during the Opening Ceremony.
- The sixth episode of 2031-set mockumentary Time Trumpet briefly discusses what happened at the (then future) 2012 Olympics. Apparently, the UK getting the rights to it would have turned out to be a big prank by Justin Lee Collins, with the actual rights having gone to Paris instead. Thankfully, this did not happen in real life.
- The Doctor Who episode "Fear Her" is set around the (then-future) 2012 Opening Ceremonies. (In real life, David Tennant was not involved
- Features the 2014 Sochi Games:
- Features the 2016 Rio Games:
- Mario & Sonic at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games
- A storyline in the comic Safe Havens involves Dave competing for Team USA on the basketball team-which causes him some consternation as he made his career in Italy, and Team Italy is made of his former teammates who are familiar with his unusual play style. It was a close match, but thanks to Dave making more...let's go with mundane passes, Team USA beat team Italy, and went on to win gold. Dave did rub it in that this is one achievement his wife Samantha would never be able to get (she gave up playing sports when she started concentrating on her genetics career).
- Superstore had an Olympic-themed episode that aired during the Rio Games.
- Overwatch had an event that was obviously themed around the Olympics, but used the more lawyer-friendly "Summer Games" term as well as a logo of red, green, and blue fireworks. Players could earn and buy special Summer Games Loot Boxes that could potentially drop appropriately-themed skins, voice lines, victory poses, and the like. The associated special Brawl had Lucio, the game's resident Brazilian charcacter, as the focus of the mode, with teams of three Lucios each playing what was basically Association Football but with blasters.
- White Blessing: A young Mongolian woman becomes a judoka and wins silver in Rio.
- Features the 2018 Pyeongchang Games:
- Olympic Dreams (2019), filmed in the actual Olympic village in Pyeongchang.
- Features the 2020 Tokyo Games:
- While the Google Doodle game Doodle Champion Island Games doesn't feature the Olympics per se, it is themed around a combination of Olympic sports and Japanese mythology from the host city, and was featured on the site while the Games were running.
- Haikyuu!!: The final two chapters show a glimpse of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (taking place in 2021), with many of the characters — including protagonists Hinata and Kageyama— being a part of Japan's volleyball team and Oikawa being a part of the opposing Argentina team.
- Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games: Tokyo 2020
- Idol Manager: In story mode, Fujimoto's brothel was preventatively shut down in response to a crackdown on illegal activities, which was itself caused by Tokyo being chosen to host the 2020 Summer Games. An event later in the game proper has the Player Character apply to have their Idol Singer group sing at the closing ceremony of rescheduled Tokyo Summer Games, as they didn't happen in 2020 due to "world events".
- Cyclic National Fascination: It's a long-running joke with deep roots in fact that, every Winter Olympic Games, Americans rediscover and fall in love with the strange, regional sport of curling all over again, then immediately forget it until the next Winter Olympics.
