1984 Summer Olympics: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

The Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in 1984 in Los Angeles, United States. Los Angeles was the only city to bid to host the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Highlights

• After the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, the Eastern Bloc, including the Soviet Union, East Germany and Cuba boycotts these Olympics (the USSR announced their intention not to participate on May 8, 1984). Notably, Romania is represented in LA and wins several medals. The boycott influenced a large number of events that were normally dominated by the absent countries.
• The organisers of the Los Angeles Olympics are able to produce a profit of over $ 200 million.
• Carl Lewis equals the performance of Jesse Owens of 1936 and wins four gold medals.
• 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.
• A marathon for women is held for the first time at the Olympics, won by Joan Benoit. The event is also noted because of Swiss runner Gabi Andersen-Schiess, who - suffering from heat exhaustion - stumbled through the last lap, providing dramatic images.
• Synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics debut in Los Angeles as Olympic events, as does wind surfing.
• The People's Republic of China returns to the Olympics after a long absence and wins 15 gold medals. In weightlifting, athletes from Chinese Taipei (Taiwan) and PRC win a medal in the same event.
• Tennis and Baseball are demo sports.
• Steffi Graf wins her first Olympic title.
• Daley Thompson apparently misses a new world record in winning his second consecutive gold medal in the decathlon; the next year his score is retrospectively raised to 8847, giving him the record.
• Victor Davis sets a new world record in winning the gold medal in the 200-metre breaststroke in swimming.
• Mary Lou Retton becomes the first gymnast outside Eastern Europe to win the gymnastics all-around competition.

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

• Archery
• Athletics
• Baseball
• Basketball
• Boxing
• Canoeing
• Cycling
• Diving
• Equestrianism
• Fencing
• Football
• Gymnastics
• Handball

Top medal-collecting nations:
(for the full table, see 1984 Summer Olympics medal count)

1984 Summer Olympics medal count
Pos	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	83	61	30	174
2	Romania	20	16	17	53
3	West Germany (FRG)	17	19	23	59
4	China	15	8	9	32
5	Italy	14	6	12	32
6	Canada	10	18	16	44
7	Japan	10	8	14	32
8	New Zealand	8	1	2	11
9	Yugoslavia	7	4	7	18
10	South Korea	6	6	7	19