Los Angeles 1984. The Olympic Games of Carl Lewisher Ekaterina Samboof the first marathon of women, but also of the boycotting of the Eastern Bloc (except Romania) and others. An event that, then, had lost its glamor because the ideals it embraced, peace and unity were always. The city of Angels, however ‘Loaned’ her shine In the departed institution and, thanks to innovative sponsors’ deals, it turned into a springboard and led the largest athletic celebration in the new era.
Members of the International Olympic Committee who met in Athens on May 18, 1978 (80th session) to choose the host city of the 1984 Games did not face any dilemma in the choice. The only city he had nominated was Los Angeles, as Tehran had left because of the Islamic Revolution, and no other country wanted to host the Olympics.
New rules of coexistence were applied to the Olympic Village.
For the first time athletes and athletes stayed together.
Synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and Wind Surf.
The cost of the event was prohibitive and the memories of the terrorist attack on Munich fresh. The Olympic movement was considered dying, but the city of angels, despite the boycott, gave him the … kiss of life and turned the Olympics into an attractive commercial product.
The boycott retaliation
The Western countries, with the exception of a few exceptions, refused to send their athletes and athletes to the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, due to the invasion of the Soviet army in Afghanistan. Four years later the turn arrived for… return. The allies of the Eastern Bloc (with the exception of Romania, whose organizers paid the expenses) claimed that the Americans could not guarantee the safety of their athletes, they denounced the organizers for commercialization of the institution and their missions did not go through the Atlantic.
China and Yugoslavia also defied the policy of Moscow. The countries that did not participate organized the Friendship Games, which were held in nine states. However, the non -participation in the top sports celebration of the planet was traveled by great USSR athletes.
“It’s a shame, Erl, that we will not be able to confront. Perhaps the competition could push one of the two to exceed the six -meter barrier. But that is how things came and my country will not participate. You understand my sadness, but it could not be done otherwise, “the inviteor said Sergei Bubka In a letter sent to the American athlete and opponent of Erl Bell.
The Olympic movement was considered dying, but the city of angels, despite the boycott of the Eastern Bloc and not only, gave it the kiss of life and turned the struggles into an attractive commercial product.
Head of the 1986 Olympic Games Organizing Committee was Peter Umberot. The American businessman introduced the sponsorship and the 23rd event became the first to be privately funded. The surplus reached $ 250,000,000 and the matches were a role model for the next. Umberoth was born on the day the Pierre de Cubertensomething that was considered by many … karmic.
The racing logo consisted of three stars with the colors of the flag of the United States of America and the mascot was “Sam the Eagle” designed by Robert Moore and Disney studios. The Olympic torch had the words “Games of the XXIII Olympiad Los Angeles 1984” (23rd Olympics, Los Angeles) and “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (faster, higher, louder).
Starting Ceremony with… Hollywood fragrance
The opening ceremony was held at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on July 28 and brought the title ‘Music of America’. Rome’s “gold” Olympician in the Decate Louis Johnson Raer He became the first black athlete to light the Olympic altar as the last torchbearer. The composer of the basic theme of the event was the award -winning John Williams And “Olympic Fanfare” is considered one of the most recognizable pieces of Olympic Games. The Brazilian Sergeo wrote “Olympia” and ETA James He interpreted “When the Saints Go Marching in”, in an impressive artistic ceremony aimed at promoting US culture.
The parade of 140 missions opened with the Greek team. The flagship was the “golden” Olympian Stelios Mygiakis. This is the first event where an artistic program was presented, which has been presented in all the opening ceremonies of the top sports celebration since then.
The Los Angeles Olympics also added their own… tracks to the puzzle of Olympic innovations. New rules of coexistence were applied to the Olympic Village. For the first time, athletes and athletes were all together, instead of being separated by gender. The People’s Republic of China returned to the Olympics after 1952. “Debut” in the Olympics were made by synchronized swimming, rhythmic gymnastics and Wind Surf.
The birth of two “stars” and a “prince”
The Olympic Games of Los Angeles “raised” his “star” at Olympic level Carl Lewis. The American won four gold medals (100 m, 200 m, 4×100 m and relay) and equalized Jesse Owens’ record. THE Edin Mouzesafter the gold of 1976, he added another to his 400m trophy.
The American had been chosen at the opening ceremony to recite the Olympic oath, but from his stress he forgot the words. But when he found himself in the coal he did what he knew well and went up for the second time in the podium. The American Mary Lu Rethon He became the first athlete outside Eastern Europe to win a gold medal in her individual instrumental composite but triumphant was the triumphant Ekaterina Sambo with four gold and one silver. In total, the athletes and athletes of the United States of America won 83 gold medals.
At the 23rd Olympic event, many renowned athletes competed, while the races were the… springboard of a brilliant career for many young people. OR Naoual El Mutawakil He became the first 400m Olympic Muslim with obstacles and the American woman Joan Benoi The first Olympic Marathoner. The British Sebastian He won his second gold medal at 1,500 m and the second silver in the 800m and his compatriot Dale Thompson The second consecutive gold in the tenth. In the city of Angels he shone for the first time his “star” Steve Rentgreyb. The rower won the first of a total of six Olympic medals (five gold and one bronze).
Six medals and a… prince title was collected by Lee Ning, athlete of the People’s Republic of China. The Chinese athlete of gymnastics triumphed in the ground exercises, the side horse and the rings, came second in the team and the jump and third in the individual composite. The distinctions gave him the nickname “Prince of Gymnastics”.
Dimitris Thanopoulos won the silver medal in the 82rd of the Greco -Roman struggle. Near the medal, Yiannis Tsintsaris (4th in +110 kg of Weightlifting) and George Stefanopoulos (5th in the 91st Boxing) arrived.
On the podium is the Greek struggle
The wrestling lifted the Greek flag high at the Los Angeles Olympics. Dimitris Thanopoulos won the silver medal in the 82nd category of the Greco -Roman struggle. In the semifinal of 57 m. Babis Cholidis was defeated by fatigue and not by the Mask. The Japanese had qualified without a race, while the Greek to get the ticket for the “4” made a superhuman effort against Swedish Lungbeck.
The semifinals were ahead 6-0 but the fatigue did not let him finish as he would like the match and Maskaki was tied and qualified for the final. Cholidis fought in the small final, dominated by Romanian Nikolase Zamphir and went up to the 3rd place on the podium.
Near the medal arrived Giannis Tsintsaris (4th in +110 ml of weightlifting) and the George Stefanopoulos (5th in the 91st Boxing). The negatives of the Greek mission were the exclusions due to the use of banned substances of the athlete Anna Verouli and of the sterilist Seraphim Grammatikou.
Curated by: Evanthis Hatzivasiliou
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Central Photo: 28.7.1984. The opening ceremony at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This is the first event where an art program was presented. Rome’s “golden” Olympic champion on the deconstruce Rouis Johnson became the first black athlete to light the Olympic altar. [ASSOCIATED PRESS]
