1996 Summer Olympics

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Template:Olympics infobox The 1996 Summer Olympics, formally known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and informally known as the Centennial Olympics, were held in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia. Atlanta was selected in September 1990 in Tokyo Japan, above Athens, Belgrade, Manchester, Melbourne and Toronto. Some people felt Athens should have had the right to host the games because it marked the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic games. The IOC's vote for Atlanta was therefore slightly surprising; however, the reasoning behind this decision was that Athens' infrastructure could not be improved enough in time to successfully host the Games. It was later claimed (but never substantiated) that several of the IOC's key voters had been bribed by Atlanta executives in order to quash the other candidate cities' chances for the hosting bid. Other winning bids from Nagano, Sydney, and Salt Lake City have since been similarly scrutinized. The sentimental favorite, Athens, would eventually win the right to host the 2004 Summer Olympics in 1997.

Though the Games made a financial profit, it was not without issues. Numerous observers considered the Games "over commercialized". Problems of traffic congestion sometimes made travel between venues difficult. More seriously, the Centennial Olympic Park bombing of July 27, 1996, killed spectator Alice Hawthorne and wounded 111 others, and elicited the death of Melih Uzunyol by heart attack. In his closing speech, Juan Antonio Samaranch, head of the IOC, for the first time did not describe the games as the best ever.

The games had a profound impact on the city of Atlanta and many in the Atlanta metro area consider the games to be instrumental in transforming Atlanta into the more modern city it has become since. Examples of this are the mid-rise dormitories built for the Olympic village which became the first residential housing for Georgia State University and Turner Field which was a modification of the original Centennial Olympic Stadium.

The Olympiad's official theme, Summon the Heroes, was written by John Williams, making it the third Olympiad for which he has composed. The song "The Power of the Dream", composed by Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds and David Foster, with words by Linda Thompson was performed in the opening ceremony by Céline Dion accompanied by Foster and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Centennial Choir.

The closing ceremony featured Gloria Estefan singing "Reach", the official theme song of the 1996 Olympics.

1 Highlights
2 Medals awarded
3 Nations
4 Medal count
5 Leading Medal Winners
6 See also
- 6.1 Olympics with significant criminal incidents
7 External links

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Highlights

Slovene gymnast Leon Štukelj arises at the open ceremony as one of the oldest living sportsmen in the world.
Naim Süleymanoğlu becomes the first weightlifter to win three gold medals.
Michael Johnson wins gold in both the 200 m and 400 m, setting an amazing new World Record of 19.32 seconds in the 200 m.
Donovan Bailey of Canada wins the men's 100 m, setting a new World Record of 9.84 seconds at that time.
Marie-José Perec equals Johnson's performance, although without a world record, by winning the rare 200 m/400 m double.
Softball, beach volleyball and mountainbiking debut on the Olympic programme, together with women's football (soccer) and lightweight rowing.
Cycling professionals were admitted to the Olympics, with five-time Tour de France winner Miguel Induráin winning the inaugural individual time trial event.
Michelle Smith of Ireland wins three gold medals and a bronze in swimming, but her victories are overshadowed by doping allegations, which are later reinforced as she is banned after failing a test in 1998.
Amy Van Dyken wins four gold medals in the Olympic swimming pool, the first American woman to win four titles in a single Olympics.
A record 197 nations, all current IOC member nations, take part, with a record 79 of them winning at least one medal.
Five athletes were disqualified for using banned drugs. A few more were reinstated since the drug they took had been declared illegal only a week before the Olympics.
Kerri Strug becomes an American heroine after bringing victory to the American female gymnastics team in spite of having to perform with an injury in the final event. Her gymnastics team, popularly known as the "Magnificent Seven", also includes Shannon Miller, Amy Chow, Jaycie Phelps, Amanda Borden, Dominique Dawes and Dominique Moceanu.
Andre Agassi wins the gold medal in the tennis event. This helps him become the first male player to ever win the career Golden Slam. (completes his Career Grand Slam in 1999 when he wins the French Open singles title).
Kurt Angle of the United States won the gold medal in 100 kg (220 lb) freestyle wrestling while suffering from a neck injury. Angle would later go on to fame in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment, winning the WWE Championship on four different occasions and the World Heavyweight Championship on one occasion as one of the company's top heels.

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Medals awarded

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

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Nations

Articles about Atlanta Summer Olympics by nation:

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Medal count

(Host nation in bold.)

Pos	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1996 Summer Olympics medal count					Image:Olympische Ringe.svg
1	Image:Flag of the United States.svg United States	44	32	25	101
2	Image:Flag of Russia.svg Russia	26	21	16	63
3	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Germany	20	18	27	65
4	Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg China	16	22	12	50
5	Image:Flag of France.svg France	15	7	15	37
6	Image:Flag of Italy.svg Italy	13	10	12	35
7	Image:Flag of Australia.svg Australia	9	9	23	41
8	Image:Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba	9	8	8	25
9	Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine	9	2	12	23
10	Image:Flag of South Korea.svg Korea	7	15	5	27
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Leading Medal Winners

MEN'S LEADING MEDAL WINNERS AT THE ATLANTA GAMES

POS	ATHLETE'S NAME	SPORT / DISCIPLINE	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE	TOTAL
1	Image:Flag of Russia.svg Alexei Nemov	Gymnastics	2	1	3	6
2	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Gary Hall Jr.	Swimming	2	2	0	4
	Image:Flag of Russia.svg Aleksandr Popov	Swimming	2	2	0	4
4	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Josh Davis	Swimming	3	0	0	3
5	Image:Flag of Russia.svg Denis Pankratov	Swimming	2	1	0	3
6	Image:Flag of Australia.svg Daniel Kowalski	Swimming	0	1	2	3
7	Image:Flag of Belarus.svg Vitaly Scherbo	Gymnastics	0	0	3	3

WOMEN'S LEADING MEDAL WINNERS AT THE ATLANTA GAMES

POS	ATHLETE'S NAME	SPORT / DISCIPLINE	GOLD	SILVER	BRONZE	TOTAL
1	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Amy Van Dyken	Swimming	4	0	0	4
2	Image:Flag of Ireland.svg Michelle Smith	Swimming	3	0	1	4
3	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Angel Martino	Swimming	2	0	2	4
4	Image:Flag of Romania.svg Simona Amanar	Gymnastics	1	1	2	4
5	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Dagmar Hase	Swimming	0	3	1	4
6	Image:Flag of Romania.svg Gina Gogean	Gymnastics	0	1	3	4
7	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Jenny Thompson	Swimming	3	0	0	3
8	Image:Flag of Ukraine.svg Lilia Podkopayeva	Gymnastics	2	1	0	3
9	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Amanda Beard	Swimming	1	2	0	3
	Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg Jingyi Le	Swimming	1	2	0	3
	Image:Flag of the United States.svg Wendy Hedgepeth	Swimming	1	2	0	3
12	Image:Flag of Australia.svg Susan O'Neill	Swimming	1	1	1	3
13	Image:Flag of Jamaica.svg Merlene Ottey	Athletics	0	2	1	3
	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Franziska van Almsick	Swimming	0	2	1	3
15	Image:Flag of Germany.svg Sandra Völker	Swimming	0	1	2	3