1984 Summer Olympics

The Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in 1984 in Los Angeles, California, United States. Los Angeles was selected on May 18 1978 on the 80th IOC session without voting, because it was the only city to bid to host the 1984 Summer Olympics.

In the wake of the American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, 14 Eastern Bloc countries including the Soviet Union, East Germany and Cuba, boycotted these Olympics (the USSR announced its intention not to participate on May 8, 1984). The boycott influenced a large number of events that were normally dominated by the absent countries.

Highlights

The organizers of the Los Angeles Olympics are able to produce a profit of over $200 million. It is the first Olympiad ever to make a profit.
Though an Eastern Bloc country, Romania did not boycott the Games and won a national-record 53 medals.
The olympics marked the first time an American president opened an Olympic games held in the U.S., as they were opened by Ronald Reagan, himself a California native.
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 - stumbles through the last lap, providing dramatic images.
Synchronized swimming and rhythmic gymnastics debut in Los Angeles as Olympic events, as does wind surfing.
Following the IOC agreement to designate the Republic of China (Taiwan) "Chinese Taipei", the People's Republic of China appears in the Olympics as "China" and wins 15 gold medals. In weightlifting, athletes from the Chinese Taipei and China teams win medals at the same event.
Tennis and Baseball are included for the first time (as demonstration sports).
Steve Redgrave wins his first title in rowing of the record five he would go on to win in five Olympic competitions.
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 retroactively 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.
France wins the Olympic soccer tournament, defeating Brazil 2-0 in the final. Olympic soccer was unexpectedly played before massive crowds throughout America, with several sell-outs at the 100,000+ seat Rose Bowl. This tournament is widely credited with planting the seed for World Cup 1994 and the rise of American soccer.
John Williams composes the theme for the Olympiad, Olympic Fanfare and Theme. It goes on to win a Grammy Award for Williams and becomes the commonly known musical theme for the Olympic Games.
The opening ceremony featured the arrival of Bill Suitor by means of the Bell Aerosystems rocket pack (also known as a Jet Pack) who flew in from the roof of the main stadium to the ___location of the Olympic Flame.

Medals awarded

See the medal winners, ordered by sport:

Medal count

Top medal-collecting nations:

(host nation in bold.)

1984 Summer Olympics medal count					File:Olympic-rings.png
Pos	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	83	61	30	174
2	File:Steagul Republicii Socialiste Romania.png Romania	20	16	17	53
3	West Germany (FRG)	17	19	23	59
4	File:PRC flag large.png 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	File:South korea flag large.png South Korea	6	6	7	19