Games of the XXVI Olympiad
Nations participating	197
Athletes participating	10,320 (6,797 men, 3,523 women)
Events	271 in 26 sports
Opening ceremony	July 19, 1996
Closing ceremony	August 4, 1996
Officially opened by	President Bill Clinton
Athlete's Oath	Teresa Edwards
Judge's Oath	Hobie Billingsley
Olympic Torch	Muhammad Ali
Stadium	Centennial Olympic Stadium

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 September 1990 in Tokyo Japan, above Athens, Belgrade, Manchester, Melbourne and Toronto. Athens was the sentimental favorite around the world and for this reason hoped to organise the games conmemoring 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 have since been similarly scrutinized. For this reason Greek Olympic Commitee announcing boycott to any event celebrating the Olympic Centennial, but its Olympic Team goes to the Games. In 1997 Athens won the right to host the 2004 Summer Olympics 1996 Summer Olympics logo from Atlanta This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... July 19 is the 200th day (201st in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 165 days remaining. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... August 4 is the 216th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (217th in leap years), with 149 days remaining. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... The President of the United States (often abbreviated POTUS) is the head of state of the United States. ... William Jefferson Bill Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe, III on August 19, 1946) was the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. ... The Olympic Oath is taken by an athlete and a judge at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. ... Teresa Edwards (b. ... The Olympic Oath is taken by an athlete and a judge at the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. ... Hobie Billingsley is an American diving champion and honoree of the International Swimming Hall of Fame. ... The Olympic Flame at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics The Olympic Flame or Olympic Fire is a symbol of the Olympic Games. ... For other people with similar names, see Muhammad Ali (disambiguation). ... The Olympic Stadium is the name usually given to the big centrepiece sports arena of the Summer Olympic Games. ... Centennial Olympic Stadium, looking due north Centennial Olympic Stadium was the 85,000-seat main stadium of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Atlanta is the capital and largest city of Georgia, a state of the United States of America. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with 30 days. ... For the Temptations album, see 1990 (Temptations album) MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Kokyo Imperial Palace. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... Belgrade (Serbian: Београд, Beograd listen ▶(?)), is the capital of Serbia since 1404, Serbia and Montenegro (2003–Present) and Yugoslavia (1918–2003). ... Manchester is a city in the North West of England. ... City of Melbourne Local Government Area State Victoria Lord Mayor John So (since 2001) Area 36 km² Population (2001) 57,960 Density 1,601/km² (1999) Greater Melbourne Subdivisions Local Government Areas Area 7,694 km² (1999) Population 2001 census (2nd in Australia) 3,555,321 Density 462. ... {{Hide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Unhide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada location. ... The Olympic Games, or Olympics, is an international multi-sport event taking place every two years and alternating between Summer and Winter Games. ... The International Olympic Committee is an organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organise this sports event every four years. ... 1997 (MCMXCVII) is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The 2004 Summer Olympics are officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (the 28th Summer Olympic Games). ...

The 1996 Summer Olympics have been regarded by many elites and Olympic observers 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 the best ever. The wave shape (known as the dynamic ribbon device) present on all Coca-Cola cans throughout the world derives from the contour of the original Coca-Cola bottles. ... Shrapnel mark on Olympic Park sculpture. ... July 27 is the 208th day (209th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 157 days remaining. ... 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Juan Antonio Samaranch, Marquess of Samaranch (born July 17, 1920 in Barcelona) is a Spanish sports official and was president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) from 1980 to 2001. ...

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 former Olympic village, which became the new Georgia State University dormitory, the new Turner Field which was a modification of the original Olympic stadium, as well as various social changes which impacted the fabric of the city's social life. This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... Turner Field is the major outdoor stadium of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The stadium was originally constructed as the 85,000-seat Centennial Olympic Stadium and used for the Centennial 1996 Summer Olympics. ...

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. Summon the Heroes is an Olympic theme written by John Williams for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Williams conducting the London Symphony Orchestra during the recording of the score for Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. ... Kenneth Babyface Edmonds (born April 10, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana) is an R&B and pop singer, songwriter, keyboardist, record producer, film producer, and entreprenuer. ... David Foster, OC, OBC , LL.D. born 1950 in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is a multi Grammy Award winning musician, producer, and composer. ... This article is about the American actress and songwriter. ... Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion OC, OQ (born March 30, 1968 in Québec, Canada) is a Grammy, Juno and Oscar award-winning popular singer. ... The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia. ...

The closing ceremony featured Gloria Estefan singing "Reach", the official theme song of the 1996 Olympics. Gloria, Live & Re-wrapped Tour Promo Poster Gloria Estefan (birth name Gloria María Milagrosa Fajardo, born September 1, 1957 in Havana, Cuba), is a five-time Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter-author, who began her career as lead vocalist for the then exclusively Spanish-language band, Miami Sound Machine...

Highlights

• Atlanta was chosen as the host city by the International Olympic Committee on September 18, 1990. The final round vote was 51-35. Atlanta beat out other host candidates Athens, Toronto, Melbourne, Australia, Manchester, and Belgrade.
• 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, 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.
• 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 as one of the company's top villains.

This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... The International Olympic Committee is an organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organise this sports event every four years. ... September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). ... For the Temptations album, see 1990 (Temptations album) MCMXC redirects here; for the Enigma album, see MCMXC a. ... This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ... The Acropolis in central Athens, one of the most important landmarks in world history. ... {{Hide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Motto: {{Unhide = {{{Disable Motto Link}}}}} Diversity Our Strength {{Canadian City/Location Image is:{{{Location Image Type}}}|[[Image:{{{Location Image}}}|thumbnail|center|250px|City of Toronto, Ontario, Canada location. ... The City of Melbournes coat of arms The central business district of Melbourne, viewed from the north Alternate meanings: Melbourne (disambiguation) Melbourne is the capital and largest city of the state of Victoria, and the second largest city in Australia, with a population of 52,117 in the Central... Manchester is a city in the North West of England. ... Belgrade (Serbian: Београд, Beograd listen â–¶(?)), is the capital of Serbia since 1404, Serbia and Montenegro (2003–Present) and Yugoslavia (1918–2003). ... Gymnasts are people who participate in the sports of either artistic gymnastics or rhythmic gymnastics. ... Leon Å tukelj listen â–¶(?) (November 12, 1898 - November 8, 1999) was a Slovene gymnast, Olympic gold medalist and athlete. ... Naim Süleymanoğlu. ... Weightlifting is a sport where competitors attempt to lift heavy weights mounted on steel bars. ... Michael Johnson at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. ... Donovan Bailey with one of his Olympic gold medals. ... Marie-José Perec (born May 9, 1968) is a French athlete, specialised in the 200 and 400 m, and triple Olympic champion. ... A softball batter, catcher and umpire wait to receive a pitch Softball is a team sport in which a ball, eleven to twelve inches in circumference, is thrown by a player called a pitcher and hit by an offensive player called a batter with a round, smooth stick called a... A beach volleyball game in progress Beach volleyball in Vancouver Beach volleyball has evolved from the popular social games of volleyball played on many beaches around the world. ... A rider during a Cross Country race Mountain biking (Mountain bicycling) is a form of cycling which uses very sturdy bicycles with (usually) straight handlebars and wide tires. ... Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Confederation of African Football (CAF) Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) The Current Laws of the Game (LOTG) The Rec. ... A coxless pair, sweep-oar rowing to the left of the photo; the bowside rower (or the starboard one, although the British term applied on this occasion) is further towards the bow of the boat. ... Cycling is a recreation, a sport, and a means of transport across land. ... The Tour de France (French for Tour of France), often referred to as La Grande Boucle, Le Tour or The Tour, is an epic long distance road bicycle racing competition for professionals held over three weeks in July in and around France. ... Miguel Ángel Induráin Larraya (born July 16, 1964, Villava, Navarre) is a retired Spanish cyclist. ... An Individual Time Trial (ITT) is a road bicycle race in which cyclists race alone against the clock (in French: contre la montre - literally against the watch). There are also track-based time trials where riders compete in velodromes, and team time trials (TTT). ... For the Canadian Author see Michelle Smith (author) Michelle Smith (born in December 16, 1969, Rathcoole County Dublin, now more commonly referred to by her married name, Michelle de Bruin) is an Irish swimmer. ... Doping drugs on display at The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland In sports, doping refers to the use of performance-enhancing drugs, such as anabolic steroids, particularly those that are forbidden by the organizations that regulate competitions. ... 1999 (MCMXCIX) is a common year starting on Friday, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... Amy Van Dyken (born February 17, 1973) is an American swimmer who has six career Olympic gold medals. ... Swimming is the method by which living creatures move themselves through water in a method not involving simply walking on the bottom. ... The International Olympic Committee is an organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organise this sports event every four years. ... Kerri Strug (born November 19, 1977) is an American gymnast from Tucson, Arizona. ... Gymnastics is a sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, and kinesthetic awareness, such as handsprings and handstands. ... The Magnificent Seven may mean: The Magnificent Seven, London are seven cemeteries used by the citizens of ninteenth century London The Magnificent Seven is the title of a classic western film of 1960. ... Shannon Lee Miller (b. ... Amy Chow (周婉儀; pinyin: Zhōu WÇŽnyí; born May 15, 1978 in San Jose, California) is an American gymnast. ... Jaycie Lynn Phelps (b. ... Amanda Kathleen Borden (b. ... Dominique Margaux Dawes (born November 20, 1976, in Silver Spring, Maryland) is a United States gymnast. ... Dominique Helena Moceanu (born September 30, 1981 in Hollywood, California) is an American gymnast who was a member of the Olympic Gold medal winning 1996 U.S. Womens Gymnastics team in Atlanta. ... Country: United States Residence: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Height: 5 ft 11. ... A Grand Slam is a term in tennis used to denote winning all four of the following championship titles in the same year: Australian Open French Open Wimbledon U.S. Open These tournaments are therefore also known as the Grand Slam tournaments, and rank as the most important tennis tournaments... Kurt Steven Angle (born in December 9, 1968 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American 1996 Olympic gold medalist in freestyle wrestling and now a professional wrestler performing for World Wrestling Entertainment on its RAW brand. ... Vince McMahon Vincent Kennedy McMahon (born August 24, 1945 in Pinehurst, North Carolina), is an American professional wrestling promoter. ... World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE, is a professional wrestling promotion, currently the largest in North America. ... In professional wrestling, a heel is a character who is portrayed as behaving in an immoral manner; sometimes they are humourously referred to as evil. ...

Medals awarded

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

There were 4 Archery contests held at the 1996 Summer Olympics held in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Athletics Medal Winners at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics See also Olympic Games Summer Olympic Games 1996 Summer Olympics Categories: 1996 Summer Olympics events | Athletics at the Olympics | 1996 Summer Olympics ... The United States Olympics in Atlanta baseball team won a bronze medal. ... Final results for the Basketball competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics: Results Categories: 1996 Summer Olympics events | Basketball at the Olympics ... Badminton at the 1996 Summer Olympics included the four events held at the previous Games (mens and womens singles, mens and womens doubles) as well as a fifth event: mixed doubles. ... Final results for the Boxing competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics // Medals Results Light-flyweight (-48kg) Flyweight (-51kg) Bantamweight (-54kg) Featherweight (-57kg) Lightweight (-60kg) Light welterweight (-63. ... Final results for the Canoeing competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Final results for the Cycling competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Final results for the Diving competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Medals Medallists ... At the 1996 Summer Olympics, ten fencing events were contested. ... Final results for the Football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics: Results Categories: Olympic football competitions | 1996 Summer Olympics events | Football at the Olympics ... At the 1996 Summer Olympics, two different gymnastics disciplines were contested: Artistic gymnastics and Rhythmic gymnastics. ... Final results for the Handball competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Final results for the Hockey competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics: Mens Tournament Womens Tournament Categories: Field hockey | 1996 Summer Olympics ... 132 Pounds Class, Men 143 Pounds Class, Men 157 Pounds Class, Men 172 Pounds Class, Men 190 Pounds Class, Men 209 Pounds Class, Men Heavyweight Class, Men 106 Pounds Class, Women 115 Pounds Class, Women 123 Pounds Class, Women Categories: Olympic Judo | 1996 Summer Olympics events ... Modern Pentathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Final results for the Rowing competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Shooting at the 1996 Summer Olympics took place at the Wolf Creek Shooting Complex near Atlanta, Georgia. ... Final results for the Football competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics: Results Categories: Olympic football competitions | 1996 Summer Olympics events | Football at the Olympics ... At the 1996 Summer Olympics, 32 swimming events were contested. ... Final results for the Synchronized Swimming competition at the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, the United States won 3 of the 4 gold medals offered. ... At the 1996 Summer Olympics, four volleyball events were contested. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ...

Nations

Articles about Atlanta Summer Olympics by nation:

Flag of the Peoples Republic of China The Peoples Republic of China competed as China at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Flag of South Korea South Korea competed as Korea at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. ... Flag of Trinidad and Tobago In Atlanta Trinidad and Tobago entered the Summer Olympics for the 12th time in history. ... Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia under the IOC country code YUG. // Medals Gold Aleksandra Ivosev — Shooting, womens small-bore rifle, three positions Silver Vlade Divac, Zarko Paspalj, Dejan Tomasevic, Miroslav Beric, Dejan Bodiroga, Zeljko Rebraca, Predrag Danilovic, Aleksandar Djordjevic, Sasa Obradovic...

Medal count

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

(Host nation in bold.)

1996 Summer Olympics medal count
Pos	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	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

See also: This is the full table of the medal count of the 1996 Summer Olympics. ... Subject: The Olympic Rings. ... Download high resolution version (1520x800, 18 KB) Subject: Flag of the United States. ... File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... {{JESUS TOOK THE FLAG}} He stole it and sold it to some asian drug dealers from the atlantic, hmm? File links The following pages link to this file: Arsenal F.C. Berlin Brandenburg Chelsea F.C. European Peoples Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats Fulham F.C. Football World... Large flag of the Peoples Republic of China. ... Image File history File links France_flag_large. ... Download high resolution version (1200x800, 1 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Austria Arsenal F.C. A.S. Roma A.C. Milan ACF Fiorentina Belgium Czech Republic Cyprus Economy of the Czech Republic Chievo Verona Chelsea F.C. European Union Estonia European Parliament Talk:European Union... Image File history File links Australia_flag_large. ... Image File history File links Cuba_flag_large. ... Large flag of Ukraine Image originally derived from the public domain flags of the CIA World Factbook. ... Taegeukgi: National Flag of Republic of Korea For more information, see Cheong Wa Dae, Office of the President, Republic of Korea. ...

• 1996 Summer Olympics medals per capita
• For a list of medals per capita and similar statistics, see http://simon.forsyth.net/olympics1996.html .

This article compares the number of medals won by a nation in the 1996 Summer Olympics with that nations population. ... Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head. ...

See also

• 1996 Summer Paralympics
• Coca-Cola Olympic City
• International Olympic Committee
• IOC country codes
• WikiProject Sports Olympics

See also: 1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Paralympic Games in Atlanta, USA were the first Paralympics to get mass media sponsorship. ... The International Olympic Committee is an organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 to reinstate the Ancient Olympic Games held in Greece, and organise this sports event every four years. ... The International Olympic Committee (IOC) allocates three-letter country codes to all National Olympic Committees and other groups competing in the Olympic Games. ... First, an important note for everyone to remember: A few Wikipedians have gotten together to make some suggestions about how we might organize data in articles about sports olympics. ...

External links

• IOC Site on 1996 Summer Olympics