1996 Summer Olympics

Games of the XXVI Olympiad

Host city	Atlanta, United States
Motto	The Celebration of the Century
Nations	197
Athletes	10,320 (6,797 men, 3,523 women)
Events	271 in 26 sports (37 disciplines)
Opening	19 July
Closing	4 August
Opened by	President Bill Clinton
Cauldron	Muhammad Ali
Stadium	Centennial Olympic Stadium
Summer
← Barcelona 1992 Sydney 2000 →
Winter
← Lillehammer 1994 Nagano 1998 →

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1996 Summer Olympics Bid process (bid details) Venues Marketing (mascots) Broadcasters Torch relay Opening ceremony (flag bearers) Medal table (medalists) Closing ceremony Event calendar World and Olympic records IOC USOC ACOC v t e

The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games, was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. A record 197 nations, all current IOC member nations, took part in the Games, fielding a total of 10,318 athletes. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) had voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Olympics (which had been held in the same year, every four years, since 1924) and to place them in alternating even-numbered years, beginning with the Winter Olympics in 1994. Thus, the 1996 Summer Games were the first to be staged in a different year from the Winter Games. Atlanta became the fifth American city to host the Olympic Games and the third to host the Summer Olympics. It was also the fourth time the Summer Olympics were hosted in the United States.

Organization[edit]

Bid[edit]

Atlanta was selected on September 18, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan, over Athens, Belgrade, Manchester, Melbourne, and Toronto at the 96th IOC Session. Atlanta's bid to host the Summer Games that began in 1987 was considered a long-shot, since the U.S. had hosted the Summer Olympics 12 years earlier in Los Angeles. Atlanta's main rivals were Toronto, whose front-running bid that began in 1986 seemed almost sure to succeed after Canada had held a successful 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, and Melbourne, Australia, who hosted the 1956 Summer Olympics and after Brisbane, Australia's failed bid for the 1992 games (which were awarded to Barcelona) and prior to Sydney, Australia's successful 2000 Summer Olympics bid, they felt that the Olympic Games should return to Australia. If Melbourne was awarded the games, 1996 would mark the 40th anniversary of the 1956 Summer Olympics, which were held in the same city. This would be Toronto's fourth failed attempt since 1960 (tried in 1960, 1964, and 1976, but defeated by Rome, Tokyo and Montreal).^[1] The Athens bid stemmed from the fact that 1996 marked 100 years since the first Summer Games in Athens in 1896, though Athens would eventually host the 2004 Summer Olympics. The initial push for 1996 coming to Atlanta originated from Billy Payne and then Atlanta mayor Andrew Young; their main push for the Olympics to come to Atlanta was a motivation to showcase a changed and resurgent American South which was overcoming racial tensions from the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s and featured a robust and growing Southern economy to help offset international stereotypes that the region was still plagued with poverty.^[2]

1996 Summer Olympics bidding results[3]
City	NOC Name	Round 1	Round 2	Round 3	Round 4	Round 5
Atlanta	United States	19	20	26	34	51
Athens	Greece	23	23	26	30	35
Toronto	Canada	14	17	18	22	—
Melbourne	Australia	12	21	16	—	—
Manchester	Great Britain	11	5	—	—	—
Belgrade	FR Yugoslavia	7	—	—	—	—

Costs[edit]

The Oxford Olympics Study 2016 estimates the outturn cost of the Atlanta 1996 Summer Olympics at US$ 4.1 billion in 2015-dollars and cost overrun at 151% in real terms.^[4] This includes sports-related costs only, that is, (i) operational costs incurred by the organizing committee for the purpose of staging the Games, e.g., expenditures for technology, transportation, workforce, administration, security, catering, ceremonies, and medical services, and (ii) direct capital costs incurred by the host city and country or private investors to build, e.g., the competition venues, the Olympic village, international broadcast center, and media and press center, which are required to host the Games. Indirect capital costs are not included, such as for road, rail, or airport infrastructure, or for hotel upgrades or other business investment incurred in preparation for the Games but not directly related to staging the Games. The cost for Atlanta 1996 compares with costs of USD 4.6 billion for Rio 2016, US$ 40-44 billion for Beijing 2008 and US$ 51 billion for Sochi 2014, the most expensive Olympics in history. Average cost for the Summer Games since 1960 is USD 5.2 billion, average cost overrun is 176%.

The 1996 Olympics was predicated on the financial model established by the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. The cost to stage the Games was US$1.8 billion. U.S. Government funds were used for security, and around $500 million of taxpayer money was used on the physical infrastructure including streetscaping, road improvements, Centennial Olympic Park, expansion of airport, improvements in public transportation, and redevelopment of public housing projects^[5] but neither paid for the actual Games nor the new Venues themselves.^[6] To pay for the games, Atlanta relied on commercial sponsorship and ticket sales, resulting in a profit of $19 million.^{[7][better source needed]}

Venues[edit]

The Centennial Olympic Stadium

The Georgia Dome

The Alexander Memorial Coliseum

Events of the 1996 Games were held in a variety of areas. A number were held within the Olympic Ring, a 3 mi (4.8 km) circle from the center of Atlanta. Others were held at Stone Mountain, about 20 miles (32 km) outside of the city. To broaden ticket sales, other events, such as Association football (soccer), were staged in various cities in the Southeast.^[8][9]

• Alexander Memorial Coliseum – Boxing
• Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium – Baseball
• Centennial Olympic Stadium – Opening/Closing Ceremonies, Athletics
• Clayton County International Park (Jonesboro, Georgia) – Beach Volleyball
• Forbes Arena – Basketball
• Georgia Dome – Basketball (final), Gymnastics (artistic), Handball (men's final)
• Georgia International Horse Park (Conyers, Georgia) – Cycling (mountain), Equestrian, Modern pentathlon (riding, running)
• Georgia State University Sports Arena – Badminton
• Georgia Tech Aquatic Center – Diving, Modern pentathlon (swimming), Swimming, Synchronized Swimming, Water Polo
• Georgia World Congress Center – Fencing, Handball, Judo, Modern pentathlon (fencing, shooting), Table Tennis, Weightlifting, Wrestling
• Golden Park (Columbus, Georgia) – Softball
• Herndon Stadium – Field hockey (final)
• Lake Lanier (Gainesville, Georgia) – Canoeing (sprint), Rowing
• Legion Field (Birmingham, Alabama) – Football
• Miami Orange Bowl (Miami, Florida) – Football
• Omni Coliseum – Volleyball (indoor final)
• Ocoee Whitewater Center (Polk County, Tennessee) – Canoeing (slalom)
• Panther Stadium – Field hockey
• RFK Stadium (Washington, D.C.) – Football
• Stone Mountain Tennis Center (Stone Mountain, Georgia) – Tennis
• Stone Mountain Park Archery Center (Stone Mountain, Georgia) – Archery
• Stone Mountain Park Velodrome (Stone Mountain, Georgia) – Cycling (track)
• Sanford Stadium (Athens, Georgia) at the University of Georgia – Football (final)
• Stegeman Coliseum (Athens, Georgia) at the University of Georgia – Gymnastics (rhythmic), Volleyball (indoor)
• Wassaw Sound (Savannah, Georgia) – Sailing
• Wolf Creek Shooting Complex – Shooting

Marketing[edit]

The Olympiad's official theme, "Summon the Heroes", was written by John Williams, making it the third Olympiad at that point for which he had composed (official composer 1984; NBC's coverage composer 1988). The opening ceremony featured Céline Dion singing "The Power of the Dream", the official theme song of the 1996 Olympics. The mascot for the Olympiad was an abstract, animated character named Izzy. In contrast to the standing tradition of mascots of national or regional significance in the city hosting the Olympiad, Izzy was an amorphous, fantasy figure. The 1996 Olympics were the first to have two separate opening ceremony events. Savannah, because of its geographical separation from Atlanta, had its own opening ceremonies on July 18, 1996. The event featured "Worldwide Connection", a song composed by Savannah native Jeffrey Reed and a concert by Trisha Yearwood, a Georgia native.

Atlanta's Olympic slogan "Come Celebrate Our Dream" was written by Jack Arogeti, a Managing Director at McCann-Erickson in Atlanta at the time. The slogan was selected from more than 5,000^[10] submitted by the public to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau. Billy Payne noted that Jack "captured the spirit and our true motivation for the Olympic games."^[11]

Calendar[edit]

All times are in Eastern Daylight Time (UTC-4); the other, Birmingham, Alabama uses Central Daylight Time (UTC-5)

Games[edit]

Opening ceremony[edit]

The ceremony began with a 60-second countdown, which included footage from all of the previous Olympic Games. There was then a flashback to the closing ceremony of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, showing the then president of the IOC, Juan Antonio Samaranch, inviting the athletes to compete in Atlanta in 1996. Then, spirits ascended in the northwest corner of the stadium, each representing one of the colors in the Olympic rings. The spirits called the tribes of the world which, after mixed percussion, formed the Olympic rings while the youth of Atlanta formed the number 100. Famed film score composer John Williams wrote the official overture for the 1996 Olympics, called "Summon the Heroes"; this was his second overture for an Olympic games, the first being "Olympic Fanfare and Theme" written for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Céline Dion performed David Foster's official 1996 Olympics song "The Power of the Dream", accompanied by Foster on the piano, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Centennial Choir (comprising Morehouse College Glee Club, Spelman College Glee Club and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus). Gladys Knight sang Georgia's official state song "Georgia on My Mind".

There was a showcase entitled "Welcome To The World", featuring cheerleaders, Chevrolet pick-up trucks, marching bands, and steppers, which highlighted the American youth and a typical Saturday college football game in the South, including the wave commonly produced by spectators in sporting events around the world. There was another showcase entitled "Summertime" which focused on Atlanta and the Old South, emphasizing its beauty, spirit, music, history, culture, and rebirth after the American Civil War. The ceremony also featured a memorable dance tribute to the athletes and to the goddesses of victory of the ancient Greek Olympics, using silhouette imagery. The accompanying music, "The Tradition of the Games", was composed by Basil Poledouris.^[12]

Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic cauldron and later received a replacement gold medal for his boxing victory in the 1960 Summer Olympics. For the torch ceremony, more than 10,000 Olympic torches were manufactured by the American Meter Company and electroplated by Erie Plating Company. Each torch weighed about 3.5 pounds (1.6 kg) and was made primarily of aluminum, with a Georgia pecan wood handle and gold ornamentation.^[13][14]

Closing ceremony[edit]

Sports[edit]

The 1996 Summer Olympic programme featured 271 events in 26 sports. Softball, beach volleyball and mountain biking debuted on the Olympic program, together with women's football and lightweight rowing.

Gold medal from the 1996 Summer Games

In women's gymnastics, Lilia Podkopayeva became the all-around Olympic champion. Podkopayeva also won a second gold medal in the floor exercise final and a silver on the beam – becoming the only female gymnast since Nadia Comăneci to win an individual event gold after winning the all-round title in the same Olympics. Kerri Strug of the United States women's gymnastics team vaulted with an injured ankle and landed on one foot. The US women's gymnastics team won its first gold medal. Shannon Miller of the United States won the gold medal on the balance beam event, the first time an American gymnast had won an individual gold medal in a non-boycotted Olympic games. The Spanish team won the first gold medal in the new competition of women's rhythmic group all-around. The team was formed by Estela Giménez, Marta Baldó, Nuria Cabanillas, Lorena Guréndez, Estíbaliz Martínez and Tania Lamarca.

Amy Van Dyken won four gold medals in the Olympic swimming pool, the first American woman to win four titles in a single Olympiad. Penny Heyns, swimmer of South Africa, won the gold medals in both the 100 metres and 200 metres breaststroke events. Michelle Smith of Ireland won three gold medals and a bronze in swimming. She remains her nation's most decorated Olympian. However, her victories were overshadowed by doping allegations even though she did not test positive in 1996. She received a four-year suspension in 1998 for tampering with a urine sample, though her medals and records were allowed to stand.

Women's 100 m hurdles at the Olympic stadium

In track and field, Donovan Bailey of Canada won the men's 100 m, setting a new world record of 9.84 seconds at that time. He also anchored his team's gold in the 4 × 100 m relay. Michael Johnson won gold in both the 200 m and 400 m, setting a new world record of 19.32 seconds in the 200 m. Johnson afterward began disputing Bailey's unofficial title as the "world's fastest man", which later culminated in a 150-metre race between the two to settle the issue. Marie-José Pérec equaled Johnson's performance, although without a world record, by winning the rare 200 m/400 m double. Carl Lewis won his 4th long jump gold medal at the age of 35.

In tennis, Andre Agassi won the gold medal, which would eventually make him the first man and second singles player overall (after his eventual wife, Steffi Graf) to win the career Golden Slam, which consists of an Olympic gold medal and victories in the singles tournaments held at professional tennis' four major events (Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open).

The Olympic flag waves at the 1996 games

There were a series of national firsts realized during the Games. Deon Hemmings became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal for Jamaica and the English-speaking West Indies. Lee Lai Shan won a gold medal in sailing, the only Olympic medal that Hong Kong ever won as a British colony (1842–1997). This meant that for the only time, the colonial flag of Hong Kong was raised to the accompaniment of the British national anthem "God Save the Queen", as Hong Kong's sovereignty was later transferred to China in 1997. The US women's football team won the gold medal in the first ever women's football event. For the first time, Olympic medals were won by athletes from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Burundi, Ecuador, Georgia, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Mozambique, Slovakia, Tonga, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan. Another first in Atlanta was that this was the first Olympics ever that not a single nation swept all three medals in a single event.

Records[edit]

Medal count[edit]

These are the top ten nations that won medals at the 1996 Games.

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States (host nation)	44	32	25	101
2	Russia	26	21	16	63
3	Germany	20	18	27	65
4	China	16	22	12	50
5	France	15	7	15	37
6	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

Participating National Olympic Committees[edit]

Participants at Summer olympics 1996
Blue = Participating for the first time. Green = Have previously participated. Yellow square is host city (Atlanta)

Number of athletes

A total of 197 nations were represented at the 1996 Games, and the combined total of athletes was about 10,318.^[15] Twenty-four countries made their Olympic debut this year, including eleven of the ex-Soviet countries that competed as part of the Unified Team in 1992. Russia competed independently for the first time since 1912, when it was the Russian Empire. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia competed as Yugoslavia.

The 14 countries making their Olympic debut were: Azerbaijan, Burundi, Cape Verde, Comoros, Dominica, Guinea-Bissau, Macedonia, Nauru, Palestinian Authority, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, São Tomé and Príncipe, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan. The ten countries making their Summer Olympic debut (after competing at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer) were: Armenia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Slovakia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. The Czech Republic and Slovakia attended the games as independent nations for the first time since the breakup of Czechoslovakia, while the rest of the nations that made their Summer Olympic debut were formerly part of the Soviet Union.

Appraisal[edit]

Atlanta's heavy reliance on corporate sponsorship caused European Olympic officials to consider the Games to be overly commercialized. Coca-Cola, whose corporate headquarters is in Atlanta, received criticism for being the exclusive provider of soft drinks at Olympics venues.^[16] In addition, the city of Atlanta was found to have been competing with the IOC for advertising and sponsorship dollars. The city licensed street vendors who sold certain products over others, and therefore provided a presence for companies who were not official Olympic sponsors.^[17][18]

A report prepared by European Olympic officials after the Games was critical of Atlanta's performance in several key issues, including the level of crowding in the Olympic Village, the quality of available food, the accessibility and convenience of transportation, and the Games' general atmosphere of commercialism.^[19] At the closing ceremony, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch said in his closing speech, "Well done, Atlanta" and simply called the Games "most exceptional." This broke precedent for Samaranch, who had traditionally labeled each Games "the best Olympics ever" at each closing ceremony, a practice he resumed at the subsequent Games in Sydney in 2000.^[20]

Centennial Olympic Park bombing[edit]

The marker at the entrance to Centennial Park in downtown Atlanta

The 1996 Olympics were marred by the Centennial Olympic Park bombing on July 27. Security guard Richard Jewell discovered the pipe bomb and immediately notified law enforcement and helped evacuate as many people as possible from the area before it exploded. Although Jewell's quick actions are credited for saving many lives, the bombing killed spectator Alice Hawthorne, wounded 111 others, and caused the death of Melih Uzunyol by heart attack. Jewell was later considered a suspect in the bombing but was never charged, and he was exonerated in October 1996. In 2003, Eric Robert Rudolph was charged with and confessed to this bombing as well as the bombings of two abortion clinics and a gay bar. He stated "the purpose of the attack on July 27th was to confound, anger and embarrass the Washington government in the eyes of the world for its abominable sanctioning of abortion on demand."^[21] He was sentenced to a life sentence at ADX Florence prison in Florence, Colorado.

Legacy[edit]

The 1996 Olympic cauldron in 2011

The Flair Monument, erected in remembrance of the games

Preparations for the Olympics lasted more than six years and had an economic impact of at least $5.14 billion. Over two million visitors came to Atlanta, and approximately 3.5 billion people around the world watched at least part of the games on television. Although marred by the tragedy of the Centennial Olympic Park bombing, they were a financial success, due in part to TV rights contracts and sponsorships at record levels.^[22] William Porter Payne and Steve Spinner led the U.S. marketing program which became a model for future Games.

Beyond international recognition, the Games resulted in many modern infrastructure improvements. The mid-rise dormitories built for the Olympic Village, which became the first residential housing for Georgia State University (Georgia State Village), are now used by the Georgia Institute of Technology (North Avenue Apartments). As designed, Centennial Olympic Stadium was converted into Turner Field, which became the home of the Atlanta Braves baseball team from 1997 to 2016. The Braves' former home, Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium, was demolished in 1997 and the site became a parking lot for Turner Field; the Omni Coliseum was demolished the same year to make way for Philips Arena. The city's permanent memorial to the 1996 Olympics is Centennial Olympic Park, which was built as a focal point for the Games. The park initiated a revitalization of the surrounding area, and now serves as the hub for Atlanta's tourism district.^[22]

After the Braves' departure from Turner Field, Georgia State University acquired the former Olympic Stadium and surrounding parking lots and reconfigured the stadium for a second time into Georgia State Stadium for its college football team.

The 1996 Olympics are the most recent edition of the Summer Olympics to be held in the United States. Los Angeles will host the 2028 Summer Olympics, 32 years after the games were held in Atlanta.^[23]

Broadcast rights[edit]

The 1996 Games were covered by the following broadcasters:^[9]

•  Argentina: Channel 4, Channel 10, El Trece, Telefe, América TV, Canal 9 Libertad, ATC, Telered Sports 24 (now TyC Sports), Video Cable Sport (now Cable Sport), CV Sports (now América Sports), 365 Sports, DeporTV and TeleRed Sports; Multicanal, VCC, Cablevisión, Buenos Aires Cable (BAC), Telecentro, Supercanal and Cablehogar
•  Australia: Seven Network, $30 million
•  Belgium: BRTN and RTBF
•  Brazil: Rede Globo, Rede Manchete, Rede Bandeirantes, Rede Record, SBT, SporTV and ESPN Brasil
•  Brunei: RTB and Astro
•  Bulgaria: BNT 1
•  Canada: CBC and Radio-Canada, $20.75 million
•  Chile: TVN, Universidad Católica de Chile Televisión, Megavisión and Chilevisión
•  China: CCTV
•  Colombia: Inravisión
•  Croatia: HRT
•  Czech Republic: ČT
•  Ecuador: Ecuavisa, SíTV
•  France: TF1 and FTV, EuroSports
•  FR Yugoslavia: RTS, RTCG
•  Germany: ARD and ZDF
•  Hong Kong: RTHK, ATV and TVB, $5 million
•  Hungary: Magyar Televízió
•  India: Doordarshan
•  Indonesia: RCTI, SCTV, TPI, ANTeve and Indosiar
•  Ireland: RTÉ
•  Italy: RAI
•  Japan: Atlanta Japan Pool, consortium of four Japanese broadcasters including NHK, $99.5 million
•  Macau: TDM
•  Macedonia (11) MKRTV
•  Malaysia: RTM, STMB, Mega TV and Philips ASTRO
•  Mexico: Televisa, TV Azteca
•  Netherlands: NPO
•  New Zealand: TVNZ
•  Norway: NRK
•  Paraguay: Paravisión, Latele, Telefuturo, SNT, Red Guaraní, Canal 13 RPC, PTC, Tigo Sports, Movistar Deportes, Personal Sports, CMM Sports, Antelco Sports and CVC Sports 1; Multicanal, VCC, Cablevisión, CMM, Telecentro, Supercanal and Fram Cable Television
•  Peru: América TV, Andina de Televisión, Latina, Panamericana TV, TNP, Red TV and RBC Televisión
•  Philippines: People's Television Network, and SkyCable
•  Poland: TVP
•  Portugal: RTP
•  Russia: Public Russian Television, VGTRK Olympiade
•  Singapore: Singapore Television Twelve (STV12) Prime 12 and Premiere 12^[24]
•  South Korea: KBS, MBC and SBS, $9.75 million
•  Spain: TVE
•  Sweden: SVT
•   Switzerland: SRG SSR idee suisse
•  Taiwan: TTV, CTV and CTS, $1.9 million
•  Thailand: National Sports, $465 million
•  United Kingdom: BBC
•  United States: NBC (English), Telemundo (Spanish)
•  Uruguay: TVEO, Monte Carlo TV, Canal 10, Teledoce, Tenfield and TCC Sports; Cablevisión, Multicanal, Montecable, TCC, Nuevo Siglo Cable TV, Multiseñal and Equital Cable Television System.
•  Venezuela: Venevision

See also[edit]

• 1996 Summer Paralympics
• Olympic Games celebrated in the United States
  • 1904 Summer Olympics – St. Louis
  • 1932 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles
  • 1932 Winter Olympics – Lake Placid
  • 1960 Winter Olympics – Squaw Valley
  • 1980 Winter Olympics – Lake Placid
  • 1984 Summer Olympics – Los Angeles
  • 1996 Summer Olympics – Atlanta
  • 2002 Winter Olympics – Salt Lake City

• Summer Olympic Games
• Olympic Games
• International Olympic Committee
• List of IOC country codes
• Use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Olympic Games – 1996 Atlanta

Notes[edit]

External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1996 Summer Olympics.

• "Atlanta 1996". Olympic.org. International Olympic Committee. 
• "Results and Medalists — 1996 Summer Olympics". Olympic.org. International Olympic Committee. 
• Official Report Vol. 1 Digital Archive from the LA84 Foundation of Los Angeles
• Official Report Vol. 2 Digital Archive from the LA84 Foundation of Los Angeles
• Official Report Vol. 3 Digital Archive from the LA84 Foundation of Los Angeles
• Time article
• New York Times article
• S. Zebulon Baker. "Whatwuzit?: The 1996 Atlanta Summer Olympics Reconsidered", Southern Spaces, March 21, 2006.