The Summer Olympics

Paris 1900

The first woman to win an Olympic gold medal:	Name		Hélène de Pourtalès
	Nationality		Switzerland
	Sport		Sailing (1–2 ton)
The first ever individual women's Olympic champion:	Name		Charlotte Cooper
	Nationality		GBR
	Sport		Tennis

St. Louis 1904

US marathon runner, finished first but was disqualified after admitting that he rode 11 miles of the course in a car

Fred Lorz

London 1908

Stadium built for the 1908 Olympics: also hosted greyhound racing, swimming, speedway and one match of the 1966 World Cup, before being demolished in 1985		White City
Italian marathon runner, finished first but was disqualified for receiving assistance as he staggered the last few yards around the stadium		Dorando Pietri
A City of London Police team (captained by H. Duke) won the first of Great Britain's two gold medals in		Tug of War

Stockholm 1912

Native American athlete who won two gold medals, but was disqualified because he was found to have accepted money for playing baseball three years earlier, which made him a professional (they were restored in 1983, thirty years after his death)

Jim Thorpe

Antwerp 1920

Carried the flag for Great Britain, and won a silver medal in the 1500m; went on to be a politician, was Commonwealth Secretary, later Minister for Fuel and Power, in Atlee's government; won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1959 for his advocacy of multilateral nuclear disarmament – the only person to win an Olympic medal and a Nobel prize

Philip Noel–Baker

Paris 1924

Won Rugby gold when contested for the last time before Sevens in 2016		USA (Harvard University)
Ran in the 400m instead of the 100m to avoid the Sunday final – as told in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire		Eric Liddell
Fifth in the 1924 Modern Pentathlon		(General) George Patton
Gold medal in rowing (eight–oared shell with coxswain)		Benjamin Spock
As well as 3 swimming golds (and 2 in 1928), Johnny Weissmuller won Bronze in		Water polo
British career soldier (eventually a Lieutenant General) who won gold in the Running Deer (shooting) – the only person to win an Olympic gold medal and the Victoria Cross		Philip Neame

Amsterdam 1928

Not the original 'Flying Finn', but probably the most successful and the most famous: won a record 9 Olympic golds (3 in 1920, 5 in 1924, 1 in 1928)

Paavo Nurmi

Berlin 1936

US athlete who won four gold medals in 1936 (100m, 200m, long jump, 4 x 100m relay)		Jesse Owens
Son of a famous explorer, better known as a naturalist: won a bronze medal in sailing (O–Jolle class solo dinghy)		Peter Scott

London 1948

Dutch mother of two, won four gold medals (three individual and one relay)		Fanny Blankers–Koen
Manager of Great Britain's football team		Matt Busby

Helsinki 1952

Czech runner: winner of the 5,000m, 10,000m and marathon; also won gold in the 10,000m, and silver in the 5,000m, in London 1948; died in 2000, aged 78

Emil Zatopek

Melbourne 1956

Carried the Olympic torch on part of its journey to Melbourne – played Aussie rules football and cricket to a high standard; also a boxer and a champion surfer; but best known as a snooker player		Eddie Charlton
Soviet (Ukrainian) 5,000m and 10,000m champion in 1956		Vladimir Kuts
Because of Australian quarantine laws, the equestrian events were held in		Stockholm
Won six consecutive men's hockey golds, 1924–56; also won in 1964 and 1980		India
Paul Anderson (USA), who won gold at Melbourne (his only Olympic medal), is a legendary figure in		Weightlifting
Beat the USSR 4–0 in the so–called 'Blood in the Water' water polo match, when one of its team was punched in the eye by a Soviet player		Hungary

Rome 1960

Broke India's domination of Hockey by winning gold in 1960; also won in 1968 and 1984		Pakistan
Britain won Silver at every Summer Olympics between 1936 and 60 (inclusive), in Women's		High jump
Light Heavyweight boxing gold medallist		Cassius Clay
First person to win gold medals at four consecutive Olympiads (Danish yachtsman, 1948–60)		Paul Elvstrom
British winner of the women's 200m breaststroke – the last British woman to win Olympic swimming gold until Rebecca Adlington at Beijing, 48 years later		Anita Lonsbrough

Tokyo 1964

Tokyo was the first Asian city to host the Summer Olympics.

First British woman athlete (track & field) to win Olympic gold (long jump)		Mary Rand
Second British woman athlete (track & field) to win Olympic gold (800m); also won silver in the 400m		Ann Packer
First Welsh athlete to win a track & field gold medal (also long jump)		Lynn Davies
Men's marathon champion, 1960 and 1964 (Ethiopian)		Abebe Bikila
First swimmer to win the same Olympic event three times (100m freestyle – Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964; Australian woman)		Dawn Fraser

Mexico City 1968

US long jumper: set a world record that lasted for 24 years		Bob Beamon
Bronze medallist in the men's 200m – also gave the Black Power salute		John Carlos
British middleweight gold medallist (boxing)		Chris Finnegan
British athlete: won gold in the 400m hurdles, then knocked all the hurdles down on his lap of honour		David Hemery
Australian silver medallist in the men's 200m – showed solidarity with Smith and Carlos by wearing the badge of the Olympic Project for Human Rights		Peter Norman
Men's 200m gold medallist – gave the Black Power salute on the winners' rostrum		Tommie Smith
The only pony ever to compete at the Olympics: won a silver medal (a pony is simply a small horse)		Stroller
Rider of the above – they later appeared in a Monty Python sketch (she married in 1969 and took the surname Mould)		Marion Coakes

Munich 1972

Broke Indian/Pakistani domination of Hockey (see 1956 and 1960) by winning in 1972		West Germany
Ugandan 400m hurdles champion		John Akii–Bua
Men's 100m and 200m champion – Soviet (Ukrainian)		Valeriy Borzov
US swimmer, won 7 golds – a record for the most medals at one Olympiad, broken by Michael Phelps (another US swimmer) in 2008		Mark Spitz
Men's 5,000m and 10,000m champion (in 1972, and also in 1976) – Finnish		Lasse Viren

Montreal 1976

Canada in 1976 was the only host nation not to win a single gold medal.

Cuban winner of the 400m and 800m – the only man to achieve this 'double'		Alberto Juantorena
Britain's only track & field medal winner (bronze in the 10,000m)		Brendan Foster
De facto leader of Britain's gold–medal–winning modern pentathlon team (10 times British champion; competing in his 4th Olympiad)		Captain Jim Fox
Romanian gymnast, scored the first ever perfect 10 (seven altogether)		Nadia Comaneci
Soviet gymnast (born in Tajikistan, moved in childhood to Kazakhstan), scored three perfect 10s		Nellie Kim
Soviet (Ukrainian) modern pentathlete, disqualified for cheating in the fencing event – using a modified sword that would allow him to score points without making a legal hit		Boris Onishenko
Britain's first men's swimming gold medal for 68 years (200m breast stroke)		David Wilkie
The only woman competitor not given a sex test at the 1976 Olympics		Princess Anne
Princess Anne's horse in the 1976 Olympics		Goodwill
Planted in sterilised soil and presented to all athletes and officials		Maple trees

Moscow 1980

Countries that boycotted the Moscow games		Kenya
		USA
		West Germany
Mascot (a bear)		Misha

Los Angeles 1984

Competed in 1984 for the first time since 1952		China
Winner of the first women's marathon (USA)		Joan Benoit
Won both 100m and 200m, also the long jump and the 4 x 100m relay – 4 golds in total		Carl Lewis
US athlete, collided with Britain's Zola Budd (tripped over her heel) in the 3000m final		Mary Decker
British discus thrower, and formerly Europe's Strongest Man, who carried the above from the track after the incident referred to (they married on New Year's Day, 1985)		Richard Slaney
Steve Redgrave won his first gold medal in the		Coxed fours
Jamaica–born athlete, competed for Great Britain in 6 Olympiads, 1976–96; won gold in 1984; the first black woman to win Olympic gold for Britain		Tessa Sanderson
British athlete (born London 1961): finished third behind Tessa Sanderson (and Tiina Lillack of Finland) to win bronze in the javelin		Fatima Whitbread
British athlete: finished second behind Sebastian Coe to win silver in the 800m		Steve Cram

Seoul 1988

Captain of Britain's winning men's hockey team		Richard Leman
Steve Redgrave's partner in the coxless pairs		Andrew Holmes
Canadian winner of the men's 100m, disqualified after testing positive for drugs		Ben Johnson
Finished second behind the above, but awarded the gold medal after the disqualification		Carl Lewis
Canada's super heavyweight boxing gold medallist		Lennox Lewis
US boxer, super heavyweight silver medallist – defeated in the final by Lewis		Riddick Bowe
British gold medallist in the men's 100 metres breast stroke		Adrian Moorhouse
East German swimmer, won four gold medals		Kristin Otto
US swimmer, won five golds (including three in relays)		Matt Biondi
Winner of the women's singles tennis (first time since 1924)		Steffi Graf
Czech winner of the men's singles tennis		Miloslav Mecir
British athlete, finished second behind Petra Felke of East Germany to win silver in the javelin (see also 1984)		Fatima Whitbread
Yoo Nam–kyo of South Korea and Chen Jing of China won the first gold medals in the men's and women's singles, in		Table tennis

Barcelona 1992

British gold medallist in the 4,000m individual pursuit (cycling)		Chris Boardman
Prestige car manufacturer that made Chris Boardman's gold medal winning carbon fibre bike		Lotus
1988 pole vault champion – widely regarded as the best pole vaulter ever – failed to clear his opening height in Barcelona 1992		Sergey Bubka
Baseball gold – the first ever – won by		Cuba

Atlanta 1996

Lit the flame at the opening ceremony; presented with a gold medal to replace the one he threw away (or lost)			Muhammad Ali
American athlete: first to win the men's 200 metres and 400 metres at the same Olympics			Michael Johnson
Guadeloupe–born French sprinter: won the women's 200m and 400m; also won the 400m in 1992			Marie–José Pérec
British athlete, finished second to Michael Johnson in the men's 400m			Roger Black
Britain's triple jump world record holder, finished second			Jonathan Edwards
Britain's only gold medal at Atlanta in 1996	Sport		Rowing
	Event		Coxless pairs
	Competitors		Steve Redgrave
			Matthew Pinsent
US winner of the men's 100m			Donovan Bailey
Irish swimmer: won three gold medals, but was banned from competition for 4 years after being found to have "manipulated" urine samples			Michelle Smith
Carl Lewis' only gold medal in 1996 – his 9th and last – was in the			Long jump
Association Football gold			Nigeria

Sydney 2000

Britain's first gold medal at Sydney 2000: 1km time trial (cycling)		Jason Queally
Sailing: British gold medallist in the Laser class		Ben Ainslie
Australian Aboriginal competitor: lit the flame, and went on to win gold in the 400 metres		Cathy Freeman
First British superheavyweight gold medallist		Audley Harrison
US female athlete: gold medallist in the women's 100m, 200m, and 4 x 400m relay; also won bronze in the long jump and 4 x 100m relay; later disqualified, and forfeited the medals, after admitting taking performance–enhancing drugs		Marion Jones
British decathlete, finished 4th		Dean Macey
British gold medallist in the inaugural women's modern pentathlon		Stephanie Cook
Equatorial Guinea's only competitor, nicknamed "Eric the Eel" – finished last in the 100m freestyle, with a time of 1:52.72 (over twice as long as the winner)		Eric Moussambani
Jamaican sprinter: the oldest female track and field medallist (winning silver in the women's 4 x 100m); later awarded bronze in the individual 100m after Marion Jones was disqualified		Merlene Ottey
Romanian gymnast, stripped of his gold medal after taking a cold remedy		Andrea Raducan
Blind US athlete who reached the 1500m final		Marla Renyan

Athens 2004

Horse, ridden by Cian O'Connor, that failed a drugs test – leading to the loss of the Republic of Ireland's only gold medal of these games and the disqualification of its entire show jumping team		Waterford Crystal
British gold medallist in the Finn class (sailing)		Ben Ainslie
US sprinter: 100m gold, 200m bronze, 100m relay silver; later banned after testing positive for a banned substance (believed to be testosterone)		Justin Gatlin
Double gold medallist in the women's 800 metres and 1500 metres		Kelly Holmes
British bronze medallist in the heptathlon		Kelly Sotherton
British cyclist (born in Belgium with an Australian father): won Gold, silver and Bronze medals		Bradley Wiggins
Leon Taylor and Peter Waterfield won Britain's first medal since 1960, in (sport)		Diving

Beijing 2008

Start date and time

20:08:08 on 08/08/2008

8 is considered a lucky number in China.

Popular nickname for the Beijing National Stadium, built for the 2008 Summer Olympics		Bird's Nest
Winner of the 400m and 800m freestyle – the first British swimmer since 1908 to win two Olympic golds		Rebecca Adlington
Jamaican sprinter, won gold medals in the 100m, 200m and 4 x 100m relay – all in world record times		Usain Bolt
Won silver for Britain in the triple jump – having been favourite for gold		Phillips Idowu
US swimmer: won 8 gold medals – beating Mark Spitz's record for the most golds at one Olympiad; see also London 2012		Michael Phelps
Won silver for Britain in rowing, Athens 2004, and gold in cycling, Beijing 2008		Rebecca Romero
The first British gymnast to win an Olympic medal since 1928 – bronze on the pommel horse – went on to win silver at London 2012, only narrowly missing out on gold		Louis Smith
Team GB's "three blondes in a boat" (sailing gold medallists) and the class in which they won		Sarah Ayton
		Sarah Webb
		Pippa Wilson
		Yngling

London 2012

Mascot of the 2012 Summer Olympics: named after the town in Shropshire where the first Olympian Games were held in 1850		Wenlock
Mascot of the 2012 Paralympics: named after the hospital in Buckinghamshire that first held a competition for disabled World War II veterans in 1948		Mandeville
First person to carry the Olympic torch in Britain on its way to London (picking it up at Land's End)		Ben Ainslie
Artistic Director of the opening ceremony		Danny Boyle
Title of the opening ceremony – also used for the subsequent soundtrack album		Isles of Wonder
Iran attended under protest, because they claimed that the logo resembled the word		Zion
Venue for the sailing events (Dorset seaside town)		Weymouth
Venue for archery		Lord's Cricket Ground
Venue for beach volleyball		Horse Guards Parade
Held at Hadleigh Farm in Essex		Mountain biking
British flyweight: the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing; also won in 2016		Nicola Adams
GB's individual dressage gold medallist (also a member of the gold–medal–winning dressage team; and also won individual gold and team silver in 2016; shares her surname with an award–winning French actor)		Charlotte Dujardin
Her horse (also in 2016)		Valegro
Won gold for Great Britain in Taekwondo, in both 2012 and 2016		Jade Jones
US swimmer: won 4 golds and 2 silvers, making him the most–decorated Olympian of all time (18 gold, 2 silver, 2 bronze – total 22 – beating the record set in 1964 by Soviet gymnast Larisa Latynina; went on to win a further 5 golds and 1 silver in 2016)		Michael Phelps

Venues for football

	Wembley Stadium (London)		Old Trafford (Manchester)
	Hampden Park (Glasgow)		Millennium Stadium (Cardiff)
	Sports Direct Arena, Newcastle (St. James' Park)		City of Coventry Stadium (Ricoh Arena)

Rio de Janeiro 2016

Sport included for the first time since 1904 (men) and 1900 (women)		Golf
Included for the first time ever		Rugby sevens

American gymnast, hailed as the greatest of all time when taking four golds and a bronze at Rio in 2016 (in 2019 she became the most decorated gymnast in World Championships history, with 19 career golds)		Simone Biles
Defeated Great Britain 43–7 in the final of the men's rugby (sevens); also won in 2020 (2021), defeating New Zealand 27–12 in the final; its women's team won bronze in 2020 (2021), and these are its only three Olympic medals to date		Fiji
Inbee Park of South Korea was the first women's champion since 1900, in		Golf
Goalkeeper in Great Britain's gold–medal–winning women's hockey team: saved all four penalties in the final shoot–out against the Netherlands		Maddie Hinch
Majlinda Kelmendi, gold medallist in the women's 52 kg judo, was the first ever Olympic medallist from (partially–recognised state, declared independence in 2008)		Kosovo
Member of the USA's 4 x 200m swimming relay team: claimed that he and his team–mates had been held up by armed robbers posing as policemen; it later emerged that the 'armed robbers' were security guards from a petrol station where the US swimmers had caused minor damage while drunk		Ryan Lochte
Represented Great Britain in the women's 10,000 metres, aged 42 (her fifth Olympiad; finished 15th; European champion in 2006 and 2014)		Jo Pavey
Great Britain's first medallist, and first gold medallist (100m breaststroke); broke the world record twice – once in the heat and again in the final; GB's first men's swimming gold since 1988 (Adrian Moorhouse in the same event)		Adam Peaty
The first Olympic men's golf champion since 1904		Justin Rose
Winner of the individual show jumping gold (after a six–way jump–off): aged 58, Britain's second–oldest Olympic gold medallist (after Joshua Millner – shooting gold in 1908 aged 61); GB's first individual show jumping medal since Anne Moore's silver in 1972		Nick Skelton
His horse (also in 2012 when they won team gold)		Big Star
Britain's Lutalo Muhammad was denied a gold medal in the very last second, in (sport)		Taekwondo
Jamaican winner of the women's 100m and 200m		Elaine Thompson
Bryony Page's silver was Britain's first ever medal in		Trampolining
Became the first British gymnast to win an individual Olympic gold, when he won the individual floor exercise at Rio; two hours later, won a second gold in the individual pommel horse		Max Whitlock
Gold medallists in the synchronised 3 metre springboard – Britain's first ever diving gold(s)		Jack Laugher
		Chris Mears
Captain of Britain's gold medal–winning women's hockey team (their first ever Olympic gold) – carried the GB flag at the closing ceremony		Kate Richardson–Walsh

Tokyo 2020

The games of the XXXII Olympiad were held in July and August 2021.

Italian winner of the men's 100 metres: born in Texas, with an Italian mother and an American father		Lamont Marcell Jacobs
Japanese–born Sky Brown, aged 13 years and 28 days, became Britain's youngest ever medallist, winning bronze in (sport)		Skateboarding

Paris 2024

New Olympic 'sport' at Paris 2024

Breaking (breakdancing)

© Haydn Thompson 2017–24