1996 Summer Olympics

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, United States. Atlanta was selected in 1990 above Athens, Belgrade, Manchester, Melbourne and Toronto. Athens had hoped to organise the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games. The IOC's vote for Atlanta was therefore slightly surprising; however, the reasoning 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.

The 1996 Summer Olympics have been regarded by many as being relatively unsuccessful. Problems of traffic congestion sometimes made travel between venues difficult. Though the Games made a financial profit, this was accomplished through a major advertising presence, particularly from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola, which caused numerous observers to consider the Games "over commercialized". 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 being the "best ever."

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

Contents

Highlights

(to be expanded to a day-by-day article)

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, but her victories are overshadowed by doping allegations, which are later reinforced as she is banned after failing a test in 1999.
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 also includes 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.
Kurt Angle of the United States won the gold medal in 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 as one of the company's top villians.

Medals awarded

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

Nations

Articles about Atlanta Summer Olympics by nation:

Medal count

Top medal-collecting nations at the 1996 Summer Olympics:
(for the full table, see 1996 Summer Olympics medal count)

(Host nation in bold.)

Pos	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1996 Summer Olympics medal count
1	United States	44	32	25	101
2	Russia	26	21	16	63
3	Germany	20	18	27	65
4	Missing image PRC_flag_large.png China	16	22	12	50
5	France	15	7	15	37
6	Missing image Flag_of_Italy.png Italy	13	10	12	35
7	Australia	9	9	23	41
8	Cuba	9	8	8	25
9	Ukraine	9	2	12	23
10	South Korea	7	15	5	27