Olympic history: A look back at the times the US has hosted the games
By Christopher Adams,
21 hours agoAUSTIN (KXAN) — Olympic fans in the United States have a lot to look forward to over the next few years. Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics in 2028, and on Wednesday, Salt Lake City was awarded the 2034 Winter Olympics .
The announcement means that by 2034, the U.S. will have hosted the Olympics 10 times — more than any other nation.
Here’s a look back in history at the previous times the Olympics came to American soil.
1904 Summer Olympics: St. Louis, Missouri
The 1904 Olympics weren’t just the first hosted by the United States — they were the first at which gold, silver and bronze medals were awarded, according to the International Olympic Committee (IOC). In total, 651 athletes from 12 teams competed across 95 events, including boxing, freestyle wrestling, decathlon and a dumbbells event, all of which made their Olympic debut.
The U.S. dominated the medal count, winning 76 gold medals, 78 silver medals and 77 bronze medals — a total of 231. Germany was in a very distant second, with 15 medals, ahead of Canada with six.
American gymnast George Eyser won six medals, even though his left leg was made of wood. Meanwhile, American Fred Lorz was disqualified from the marathon after it was discovered he drove a large part of the 40 km in a car and got out just before the finish line.
This image provided by the Library of Congress, shows Myer Prinstein competing at the 1904 Olympic games in St. Louis. (Library of Congress, Meeting of Frontiers via AP) This image provided by the Library of Congress, shows competitors in the marathon at the 1904 Olympic games in St. Louis. The marathon may be the single most memorable event from the 1904 Games. The race took place in 90-degree heat on dusty roads with only a single water break, and 18 of the 32 athletes withdrew from exhaustion. . (Library of Congress, Meeting of Frontiers via AP) This image provided by the Library of Congress, shows James Lightbody winning the 1,500 meter race at the 1904 Olympic games in St. Louis. The marathon may be the single most memorable event from the 1904 Games. The St. Louis Games were the first at which gold medals were awarded to winners, and they remain the only medals made entirely of gold. That proved lucrative for a trio of Americans — gymnast George Eyser, swimmer Charles Daniels and aptly named track star James Lightbody — that each won three gold medals. (Library of Congress, Meeting of Frontiers via AP)
1932 Winter Olympics: Lake Placid, New York
The third edition of the Winter Olympics took place in a small town in upstate New York. According to the IOC, organizers ran into major funding obstacles during the Depression, so the president of the organizing committee, Godfrey Dewy, donated a plot of family land for construction of the bobsleigh track.
In total, 252 athletes from 17 teams competed across 14 events. The U.S. topped the medal table, winning six gold, four silver and two bronze medals — 12 in total. Norway won 10 medals, while Canada won seven.
The 1932 Winter Olympics was the first to feature a female flag-bearer. Figure skater Mollie Phillips carried the flag for Great Britain during the Opening Ceremony. Meanwhile, American Eddie Eagan became the first Olympian to win gold in both the Summer and Winter Olympics. He won a boxing gold in 1920 and took home a gold in bobsleigh at the 1932 Olympics.
The Olympic Stadium at Lake Placid, N.Y., where the opening of the third Winter Olympic Games will be held, is shown in 1932. (AP Photo) Driven by Hubert Stevens of Lake Placid, the US two-man Olympic bobsled team photographed at Shady Corner on the two-man events at Lake Placid, NY, February 9, 1932, when the U.S. team established a new world record of 2 minutes 5.88 seconds. Led by Stevens again February 10, the team twice smashed the world record for two-man bobsled to catch Reto Capadrutt, sensational Swiss, in the final two heats of the Olympic competition, and pass him to win a final victory and gold medal for the United States.(AP Photo) Winners of the 5,000-meter speed skating event stand on the podium at the III Winter Olympic Games at Lake Placid, N.Y., on Feb. 4, 1932. Irving Jaffee, center, of United States won the gold medal, Edward Murphy, left, of the United States, won the silver medal, and Bill Logan of Canada won the bronze medal. (AP Photo) Norwegian contingent as they paraded past the reviewing stand at Lake Placid, New York, February 4, 1932 at the opening exercises of the winter Olympics. They are led by Sonja Henie, World champion figure skater in her class. (AP Photo)
1932 Summer Olympics: Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles welcomed athletes and spectators in the middle of the Great Depression. Participation dropped to its lowest level since 1904, with only half as many athletes participating compared to 1928, according to the IOC. Still, more than 100,000 people attended the Opening Ceremony. The Olympics were also much shorter — only 16 days in total. Between 1900 and 1928, the shortest Olympics had been 79 days.
In total, 1,334 athletes from 37 teams competed across 117 events. The United States lead the medal count, with 44 gold, 36 silver and 30 bronze medals — 110 in total. Italy was second with 36 medals, 12 of which were gold. France took home 11 gold medals.
This 1932 Los Angeles Olympics were the first to feature time medal winners standing on a podium while their flag was raised. It was also the first time all male athletes were housed in a single Olympic Village. Female athletes, meanwhile, stayed at a luxury hotel.
In this July 30, 1932, file photo, doves are released during the opening ceremony for the Tenth Olympiad at Los Angeles. The athletes of various countries are shown on the field while the Olympic beacon and the entrance to the stadium is shown in the background. (AP Photo/File) In this Aug. 10, 1932, file photo, Olympic competitors dive into the pool at the start of the 400-meter freestyle men’s swimming race at the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Buster Crabbe, of the United States, shown nearest the camera, won the gold medal, setting an Olympic record with a time of 4:48.4. (AP Photo/File) In this Aug. 3, 1932, file photo, Mildred “Babe” Didrikson, right, of Dallas, clears the first hurdle on her way winning the first heat of the 80-meter hurdles in 11.8 seconds, breaking the Olympic record of 12.2 second, at the Olympics in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/File) In this Aug. 4, 1932, file photo, Italian cyclist Attilio Pavesias pedals down the home stretch, lined by a cheering throng, to win the Olympic 10-kilometer road race near Los Angeles. The course was over the California State Highway from Moorpark to Castellemar, a distance of 62.14 miles. Pavesi’s time for the distance was 2 hours, 28 minutes, 5 3/5 seconds. (AP Photo/File) In this Aug,. 7, 1932, file photo, competitors circle the track before starting their grueling run through the streets of Los Angeles, during the marathon at the Olympics. Juan Carlos Zabala, Argentine, leads and won the event. (AP Photo/File) In this Aug. 7, 1932, file photo, American athlete Jean Shiley, from Philadelphia and captain of the U.S. Women’s track and field team, clears the bar at 5 feet, 5 ¼ inches to break the Olympic and world record during at Olympic Stadium in Los Angeles, during the Summer Olympic Games. (AP Photo/File)
1960 Winter Olympics: Squaw Valley, California
The community near Lake Tahoe, now known as Olympic Valley, hosted the first Olympics to be televised live in the United States. The IOC said officials in the men’s slalom were unsure whether a skier had missed a gate, so they asked CBS to review their footage of the race, giving rise to the “instant replay.”
In total, 665 athletes from 30 teams competed across 27 events, including men’s biathlon and women’s speed skating which debuted in 1960. The Soviet Union topped the medal table, with seven gold medals and 21 overall. The United Team of Germany, which featured athletes from both East and West Germany, was second with four gold medals and eight overall. The U.S. came third, with three gold medals and 10 total medals.
The 1960 Winter Olympics were the only to not feature a bobsleigh event. According to the IOC, only nine teams indicated they wanted to take part, so the Organizing Committee refused to build a bobsleigh run.
Helmut Recknagel of East Germany shows the form that won him the Winter Olympics ski jumping gold medal, Feb. 28, 1960, Squaw Valley, Calif. Note how perfectly aligned are his skis as he leaps 84½ meter (277 feet) on his second jump. (AP Photo) A crowd estimated at 35,000 jams the athletic complex on the floor of Squaw Valley, Calif. on Feb. 21, 1960 during Winter Olympics program. Most of them are gathered around the foot of the 60-meter ski jump hill where the first half of the Nordic combined competition is underway. At right is the Ice Arena where a hockey game is in progress and in front of it the speed skating rink. (AP Photo) Speed skater Ken Henry circles the ice rink in front of the Ice Arena carrying the flame with which he lit to Olympic torch in front of the Tower of Nations at the formal opening of the Winter Olympic Games, Feb. 18, 1960, Squaw Valley, Calif. (AP Photo) Russian figure skaters Oleg Protopopov and Ludmilla Belousova practice before the start of the VIII Winter Olympic Games Pairs Figure Skating competition in Squaw Valley, Calif., on Feb. 15, 1960. (AP Photo) Torstein Seiersten (51) of Norway and Arnold Uhrlass of the U.S.A. battle each other in the 5,000-meter speed skating competition of the Winter Olympic Games in Squaw Valley, Calif., Feb. 25, 1960. Seiersten was timed in 8:05.3, while Uhrlass was clocked in 8:18.0. Uhrlass is from Yonkers, N.Y. (AP Photo/Dick Strobel)
1980 Winter Olympics: Lake Placid, New York
The Olympics came back to Lake Placid in 1980 and featured snow machines to create artificial snow for the first time ever at the Olympic Games, according to the IOC. American speed skater Eric Heiden made Olympic history, winning five gold medals, the first person to do so in individual events at the same Olympics.
In total, 1,072 athletes from 37 teams competed across 38 events. The Soviet Union lead the medal table, with 10 gold medals and 22 overall. East Germany took home nine gold medals and 23 overall. The United States came third, with six gold medals and 12 medals in total.
The 1980 Winter Olympics featured the “Miracle on Ice” game, in which the U.S. men’s hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 4-3, just days after the Soviet team defeated Team USA 10-3 at Madison Square Garden, before the Olympics.
In this Feb. 22, 1980, file photo, the U.S. hockey team pounces on goalie Jim Craig after a 4-3 victory against the Soviet Union in a medal round match at the the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y. The United States upset the mighty Soviets in a breathtaking moment freighted with the tension of the Cold War. After four decades, nobody is willing to stop talking about perhaps the greatest David over Goliath moment in the history of sports. (AP Photo/File) U.S. speedskater Eric Heiden competes in the 1500 meter event at the Olympics in Lake Placid, N.Y., Feb. 21, 1980. Heiden still marvels at what he accomplished during those nine days in Lake Placid. (AP Photo/File) Opening ceremony of XIII Winter Olympics on Feb. 13, 1980 in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo) Opening ceremony (MISC) of XIII Winter Olympics on Feb. 13, 1980 in Lake Placid, N.Y. (AP Photo)
1984 Summer Olympics: Los Angeles, California
Four years after the U.S. boycotted the 1980 Moscow Olympics, the Soviet Union returned the favor, along with 13 other Eastern Bloc countries, including East Germany. Despite this, a record 140 teams participated in the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles.
In total, 6,829 athletes from 140 teams competed across 221 events, including the debuts of the women’s marathon, rhythmic gymnastics, synchronized swimming and women’s cycling road race. The U.S. dominated the medal count, winning 83 gold, 61 silver and 30 bronze medals, for a total of 174. Romania was second, with 20 gold medals and 53 overall, ahead of West Germany which took home 17 gold medals and 59 overall.
American Mary Lou Retton became the first gymnast outside of Eastern Europe to win the gold medal in the all-around competition, despite having undergone a knee operation five weeks prior to the Olympics. Meanwhile, Neroli Fairhall, an archer from New Zealand, made Olympic history becoming the first paraplegic athlete to take part in a medal event, competing in a wheelchair, according to the IOC.
In this July 28, 1984, file photo, some 1,200 helium balloons are released into the air from the field of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum as part of the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Dave Tenenbaum, FIle) Mary Lou Retton performing on the beam at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, July 31, 1984. (AP Photo) The American team, who won the men’s 4 x 100 meter relay finals, run together around the track after their victory at the summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Aug. 11, 1984. (AP Photo) In this July 28, 1984 file photo Bill Suiter “Rocket Man” soars with the help of a jet pack during the welcoming of nations at the Opening ceremonies of the 1984 Summer Olympics in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. (AP Photo/Rusty Kennedy, file)
1996 Summer Olympics: Atlanta, Georgia
The 1996 Olympics were the first time all recognized National Olympic Committees were represented — 197 teams in total, according to the IOC. The Olympics were marred by a terrorist bombing in Centennial Olympic Park, which resulted in the deaths of two people. More than 100 others were injured.
In total, 10,318 athletes from 197 teams competed across 271 events, including beach volleyball, mountain biking, lightweight rowing, women’s football and softball, all of which debuted. Athletes from 79 teams won medals, a new record. The U.S. topped the medal count, winning 44 gold medals and 101 overall. Russia claimed 26 gold medals, ahead of Germany with 20.
American Michael Johnson became the first man in Olympic history to win both the 200m and 400m, setting a new world record in the 200m. The 1996 Olympics also saw the ‘Magnificent Seven’ — who won the United States’ first-ever gold medal in the women’s artistic gymnastics team all-around event, in a tight race with both Russia and Romania.
Michael Johnson, of the United States, celebrates after he won the men’s 200-meter final in a world record time of 19.32 at the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Aug. 1, 1996. (AP Photo/Doug Mills, File) Dominique Moceanu, left, Kerri Strug, center, and Shannon Miller, sing the national anthem after they were awarded the gold in the women’s team gymnastics competition at the Centennial Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta on Tuesday, July 23, 1996. Strug injured her left leg following her landing in the vault competition. (AP Photo/Susan Ragan) The performers are seen forming the Olympic rings and the 100 symbol to mark the Centennial Olympics during the opening ceremony of the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Friday, July 19, 1996. (AP Photo/Michel Lipchitz) American swimmer Janet Evans looks on as Muhammed Ali lights the Olympic flame during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games opening ceremony in Atlanta Friday, July 19, 1996. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
2002 Winter Olympics: Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City welcomed the Winter Olympics to the United States just five months after the 9/11 attacks. The Opening Ceremony included a tattered American flag that was recovered from the wreckage at the World Trade Center. Athletes carried the flag into the stadium, along with New York police officers and firefighters.
In total, 2,399 athletes from 77 teams competed across 78 events, including women’s bobsleigh which featured for the first time. Norway took home 13 gold medals and 25 overall. Germany placed second, with 12 gold medals. The U.S. won 10 gold medals and 35 medals in total. Athletes from 18 teams won a gold medal, a new record. That included Australia, which became the first country in the Southern Hemisphere to win gold at a Winter Olympics. The 2002 Olympics were also the first to feature instant video replay in figure skating.
German Georg Hackl made Olympic history in the singles luge, becoming the first person to medal in the same event five times in a row. Meanwhile, American Vonetta Flowers became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics. Canadian ice hockey player Jarome Iginla later became the first Black man to win a gold medal.
Olympians carry the tattered American flag from the World Trade Center during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City Friday, Feb. 8, 2002. (AP Photo/Roberto Borea) The U.S. Olympic team marches into Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium during the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City Friday, Feb. 8, 2002. (AP Photo/Laura Rauch) Vonetta Flowers, right, cries as she hugs her teammate Jill Bakken of the United States after their final and gold medal winning run in the Two Woman Bobsled inaugural event at Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah, Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2002. Flowers, 28, is the first black athlete to win a medal at any Winter Games. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip) In this Feb. 9, 2002, file photo, Georg Hackl, of Germany, speeds past an Olympic logo during a practice run for the men’s singles luge at the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in Park City, Utah. Salt Lake City got the green light to bid for an upcoming Winter Olympics most likely for 2030 in an attempt to bring the Games back to the city that hosted in 2002 and provided the backdrop for the U.S. winter team’s ascendance into an international powerhouse. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola, File) Michelle Kwan of the United States performs during the 2002 Winter Olympic figure skating exhibition at the Salt Lake Ice Center in Salt Lake City, Friday, Feb. 22, 2002.(AP Photo/Roberto Borea)
Olympics return to the U.S.
Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics from July 14-30, 2028. Cricket, flag football, baseball-softball, lacrosse and squash were all added to the list of events by the IOC.
The Winter Olympics will return to Salt Lake City from Feb. 10-26, 2034.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KXAN Austin.
Most PopularWelcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0