Barcelona, 1992 Olympic Games
The 1992 Olympic Games were held in Barcelona, Spain. It was a rare Olympic Games in 1992 with no boycotts.
For the first time in decades, every single nation with an Olympic Committee showed up, even Cuba, North Korea, and South Africa. The Soviet Union had broken up, and the new Russian republics competed under one banner. The Berlin Wall had been torn down - so East and West Germany competed together as a united country. South Africa returned to the Games after the end of apartheid and 32 years of sporting isolation. A record 172 nations participated, represented by 10,563 athletes.
Trivia
- With the door open to professional athletes, the U.S. sent a Basketball Dream Team including Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and Karl Malone. As expected, they went undefeated throughout the tournament.
- World Cup athletes were allowed to compete in soccer for the first time, but only three players over the age of 23 were allowed on each team, effectively making the Olympic event the under-23 championship.
- Cuba won seven gold medals in boxing, and the first one ever awarded in baseball.
- Barcelona's Olympic Stadium was built in 1927 as part of the bidding process for the 1936 Games, which were everntually awarded to Munich. 65 years later it eventually hosted the Games.
- In the end, the Unified Team won 112 medals, the United States has 108, and Germany 82. A total of 64 nations won at least one medal, the highest number yet.
Olympic Park Tower in BarcelonaAthletes
- Gymnast Vitaly Scherbo of the Unified Team won six gold medals in gymnastics.
- Carl Lewis won two more gold medals, bringing his total to eight.
- Andreas Keller won a gold medal as part of the German field hockey team, and became the third generation of his family to win a medal in the event. His grandfather, Erwin, earned a silver medal in 1936 and his father, Carsten, a gold in 1972.
- 13-year-old Fu Mingxia of China won the platform diving event, making her the second-youngest person to win an individual gold medal.
- Spain's coxswain in the eights, 11-year-old Carlos Front, was the youngest competitor in the Olympic Games since 1900.
Related Pages
- List of sports at the 1992 Olympic Games
- Demonstration Sports at the 1992 Olympics
- Barcelona 1992 Paralympic Games
- Complete list of Olympic host cities
- About Spain at the Olympic Games.
- Videos from the 1992 Olympics
- 1992: The Year in Sport
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