Summer Olympiad (1984)

The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, celebrated in Los Angeles, California, United States. Although a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in certain sports, a record 140 nations took part. Boycotting countries organized another major event in July-August 1984, called the Friendship Games. The host state of California was the home state of U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who opened the games. The official mascot specially designed for the games was Sam the Olympic Eagle. Joan Benoit won the inaugural women's marathon and Connie Carpenter-Phinney the first women's cycling road race. Carl Lewis won both sprints and the long jump and earned a fourth gold in the 4x100m relay. Pertti Karppinen won single sculls rowing for the third time. Sebastian Coe became the first repeat winner of the men's 1,500m. Archer Neroli Fairhall was the first paraplegic athlete to take part in a medal event. She competed in a wheelchair.

Opening date: 28 July 1984

Closing date: 12 August 1984

Ceremonies

Official opening of the Games by: President of the United States of America Ronald Reagan

Lighting the Olympic Flame by: Rafer Johnson (decathlete)

Olympic Oath by: Edwin Moses (athletics)

Official Oath by: Sharon Weber (gymnastics)

Participations

140 NOCs (Nations)
6,829 athletes (1,566 women, 5,263 men)
221 events
28,742 volunteers

9,190 media (4,327 written press, 4,863 broadcasters)

Country of the host city: United States of America (USA)

Sports

• Aquatics
• Archery
• Athletics
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Canoe / Kayak
• Cycling
• Equestrian
• Fencing
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Handball
• Hockey
• Judo
• Modern Pentathlon
• Rowing
• Sailing
• Shooting
• Volleyball
• Weightlifting
• Wrestling

Demonstration sports

• Baseball
• Tennis

Venues

Los Angeles venues

• Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum - opening/closing ceremonies, athletics
• Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena - boxing
• Dodger Stadium - baseball
• Pauley Pavilion, University of California, Los Angeles - gymnastics
• Eagles Nest Arena, California State University, Los Angeles - judo
• Olympic (McDonald's) Swim Stadium, University of Southern California - swimming, diving, synchronized swimming
• Olympic Village (athlete housing), University of Southern California
• Los Angeles Tennis Center, University of California, Los Angeles - tennis
• Athletes Village, University of California, Los Angeles
• Albert Gersten Pavilion, Loyola Mary mount University, Westchester, California - weightlifting

Southern California venues

• El Dorado Park, Long Beach, California - archery
• The Forum, Inglewood, California - basketball
• Lake Casitas, Ventura County, California - canoeing, rowing
• Olympic Velodrome, California State University, Dominguez Hills, Carson, California - cycling
• Mission Viejo, Orange County, California - road course cycling
• Santa Anita Park, Arcadia, California - equestrian sports
• Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, California - fencing
• Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California - football/soccer
• Titan Gymnasium, California State University, Fullerton, Fullerton, California - handball
• Weingart Stadium, East Los Angeles College, Monterey Park, California - field hockey
• Coto de Caza, Orange County, California - modern pentathlon
• Olympic Shooting Range, Prado Recreational Area, Chino, California - shooting
• Long Beach Arena, Long Beach, California - volleyball
• Raleigh Rummels Memorial Pool, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California - water polo
• Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California - wrestling
• Long Beach Shoreline Marina and Harbor, Long Beach, California - yachting

Other venues

• Harvard Stadium, Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts - football/soccer preliminaries
• Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, United States Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland - football/soccer preliminaries
• Stanford Stadium, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California - football/soccer preliminaries

Highlights

• Carl Lewis (USA-athletics) entered into the history books. He matched the achievement of fellow countryman Jesse Owens (Berlin 1936), winning four gold medals in the same events: 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump.

• In the women's 400m hurdles final, Nawal El Moutawakel (MAR-athletics) ran the race of her life, leading from start to finish. She was the first woman from an Islamic nation to win an Olympic medal and the first Moroccan athlete of either sex to win a gold medal.

• For his third Olympics, Daley Thompson (GBR-athletics) faced Jürgen Hingsen (GER) in the decathlon. It was a close battle over the first seven events, but then Thompson pulled away with strong performances in the pole vault and the javelin throw. He won his second consecutive gold medal.

• George Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" was played at the opening ceremony, featuring 88 Baby Grand Pianos aligned around a portion of the perimeter of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

• The Olympic Marching Band, composed of members of the USC Band, the UCLA Band, and members of many other college marching bands, performed during the opening ceremonies. Band members played at different venues afterwards.

• The first gold medal to be awarded at the Los Angeles Olympics was also the first-ever medal to be won by an athlete from China when Xu Haifeng won the 50 m Pistol event

• Nawal El Moutawakel of Morocco becomes the first female Olympic champion of an Islamic nation, and the first of her country in the 400 m hurdles.

• Mary Lou Retton becomes the first gymnast outside Eastern Europe to win the gymnastics all-around competition.

• The opening ceremony featured the arrival of Bill Suitor by means of the Bell Aerosystems rocket pack (also known as a Jet Pack).

Facts

• After the terrorist attack in 1972 and the financial disaster of 1976, only Los Angeles bid for the right to host the 1984 Olympic Games. As the Los Angeles Games were the first since 1896 to be staged without government financing, the organisers depended heavily on existing facilities and corporate sponsors. Although criticised at the time, the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games became the model for future Games, particularly after it was revealed that they had produced a profit of US$ 223 million.

• With the Olympics being held in the United States only four years after the U.S.- led boycott of the Moscow Games, it was not surprising that the Soviet Union organised a revenge boycott in 1984. This time only 14 nations stayed away - but those nations accounted for 58% of the gold medals at the 1976 Olympics.

• Despite the boycott, a record 140 nations took part. Good feelings prevailed to such an extent that at the Opening Ceremony the athletes broke ranks to join in spontaneous dancing, such celebration usually being reserved for the Closing Ceremony.

• Fifty-six years after doctors declared that women who ran 800m would “become old too soon,” a women’s marathon was added to the Olympic programme.

• Rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming also made their first appearance, as did the women’s cycling road race.

• Professionals were allowed to participate in the football tournament - as long as they had not yet taken part in the World Cup. This led to a spirited final -viewed by 101,799 spectators - in which France defeated Brazil 2-0.