The 1996 Summer Olympics, known officially as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, was held in Atlanta, Georgia from July 19th to August 4th. There were one hundred ninety-seven nations participating, and 10,318 athletes participating.
In the 1996 Summer Olympics, there were many new events or memorable things that happened for the first time or rarely at all. It was the first time in Olympic history, where all 197 recognized National Olympic Committees were represented at the Games. This set the record-breaking number, of 79 countries winning medals and 53 countries winning gold medals. This was also the first time, where lightweight rowing, mountain biking, beach volleyball and women's football made
their first appearance as an event. Another one of these new events was softball, which was the first women-only sport.
There has also been tragic events as well. Labeled as a domestic terrorism, Eric Robert Rudolph set off a bomb, in Centennial Olympic Park, which injured 111 people, and killing one woman. (You can find more information about this topic under the tab "Memorable Events" and "Centennial Olympic Park Bombing".) |