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Summer Olympic Logos
BCBusiness
| February 3, 2010
1924 Summer Olympic Games – Paris, France
At the 1924 Games, the Olympic motto, “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (Faster, Higher, Stronger) was introduced, as was the Closing Ceremony ritual of raising three flags: the flag of the International Olympic Committee, the flag of the host nation and the flag of the next host nation. It was also the first time that the athletes were accommodated in a sort of Olympic Village, a group of wood cabins.Canada came up empty-handed in gold medals for the first time in Olympic history, but the lining was silver and bronze. The rowing team captured silver in men's eights and coxless fours, and shooters won the silver medal in clay pigeon team. Rounding out the total medal tally of four was 67 kg boxer Douglas Lewis with a bronze. Seventy-three athletes represented Canada at these Games.
Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Los Angeles 1932
Because the 1932 Olympic Games were held in the middle of the Great Depression and in the comparatively remote city of Los Angeles, half as many athletes took part as had in 1928. Nevertheless, the level of competition was extremely high and 18 world records were either broken or equalled. The crowds set records too, starting with the 100,000 people who attended the Opening Ceremony. The 1932 Games were the first to last 16 days. The duration of the Games has remained between 15 and 18 days ever since. At the victory ceremonies, the medal winners stood on a victory stand. The flag of the winner was raised and the national anthem played for the first time. Duncan McNaughton's high jump gold on the first day in Los Angeles would be the last gold medal won by a Canadian in an athletics event for the next 60 years. Canada's other gold at these Games came from bantamweight boxer Horace "Lefty" Gwynne. The sailors picked up their first-ever Olympic medals with silver in the Team 8m class and bronze in the Team 6m. Wrestler Dan McDonald took silver in the 72kg freestyle, and rowing bronze medals came in the men's eights and double sculls. Hilda Strike won silver in the 100m and added another silver as part of the 4x100m relay team. Alex Wilson was also a double-medallist, with silver in the 800m and bronze in the 400m. Phil Edwards earned bronze in all three events in which he was entered - 800m, 1500m and 4x400m relay. With his bronze from 1928, this brought his Olympic medal total to four. High jumper Eva Dawes rounded out the athletics medals with a bronze.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Berlin 1936
The 1936 Olympic Games saw the introduction of the torch relay, in which a lighted torch is carried from Olympia to the site of the current Games. The 1936 Games were also the first to be broadcast on a form of television. Basketball, canoeing and team handball made their first appearances, while polo was included in the Olympic program for the last time. Francis Amyot won the only gold medal for Canada at these Games (C-1 1000m). Canoeists also brought home two more medals - C-2 10,000m silver and C-2 1000m bronze. Canada won the silver medal in the men's basketball Olympic debut, losing 19-8 to the U.S. in the gold medal game. Phil Edwards continued his medal haul with a bronze in the 800m. When added to his four bronze from the previous two Olympic Games, Edwards had won more Summer Olympic Games medals than any other Canadian athlete. His teammates claimed three more medals - John Loaring with a silver in the 400m hurdles, Betty Taylor with a bronze photo finish in the 80m hurdles and bronze by the women's 4x100m relay team. Wrestler Joseph Schleimer completed the medal tally with bronze in the 72kg freestyle.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – London 1948
The 1948 Games were the first to be shown on home television. These Games were marked by the first participation of Communist countries and first boycotts. Many countries, including Burma, Ceylon, Colombia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Panama, Puerto Rico, Syria and Venezuela, were represented for the first time. On the other hand, there were no athletes from Japan, Germany or the USSR. Canada won only three medals at the 1948 Olympic Games. Canoeists Douglas Bennett won silver in the C-1 1000m and Norman Lane won bronze in the C-1 10,000m. The women's 4x100m relay team gave Canada its second bronze medal.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Helsinki 1952
The Soviet Union and Israel entered the Olympic Games for the first time. Although the Soviet Union athletes were housed in a separate “village”, warnings that Cold War rivalries would lead to clashes proved unfounded. Particularly impressive were the Soviet women gymnasts who won the team competition easily, beginning a streak that would continue for 40 years until the Soviet Union broke up into separate republics. Canada's lone gold medal of the 1952 Games was awarded to shooter George Genereux in the clay pigeon event. Weightlifter Gerald Gratton (75kg) and canoeists Don Hawgood and Ken Lane (C-2 10,000m) won silver medals.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Melbourne 1956
It was the first time that the Games were held in Oceania. Melbourne won the right to host the 1956 Olympic Games by one vote over Buenos Aires. Australian quarantine laws were too severe to allow the entry of foreign horses, so the equestrian events were held separately in Stockholm in June. For Canada, the UBC fours - Don Arnold, Walt d'Hondt, Lorne Loomer and Archie McKinnon - came from behind and pulled away to win the gold medal by five lengths in the final heat of their rowing competition. The men's eight rowing team took silver. Two Canadians were on the podium for the prone rifle event - Gerard Ouellette was awarded gold and Gilmour Boa, silver. These Games saw Canada win its first Olympic diving and equestrian medals - Irene MacDonald on 3m springboard and Jim Elder, Brian Herbinson and John Rumble in the 3-day team event.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Rome 1960
This was Canada's least productive performance at a Summer Games, bringing home only one medal - a silver for the men's eight rowing team. One of the members of the men's eight was former federal Environment Minister David Anderson. Swimmer Richard Pound, current COC board member and IOC member, finished in sixth place in the swimming 100m freestyle event, which ended in a tie for gold. A legend was born during the 1960 Rome Olympic Games. Cassius Marcellus Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali (USA-boxing), first gained international prominence by winning the light-heavyweight gold medal. He would later turn professional and embark on a phenomenal career.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Tokyo 1964
The 1964 Games were the first to be held in Asia. The Japanese expressed their successful reconstruction after World War II by choosing as the final torchbearer Yoshinori Sakai, who was born in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 the day that that city was destroyed by an atomic bomb. Coxless pairs rowers George Hungerford and Roger Jackson won Canada's lone gold medal in Tokyo. Judo's Olympic debut was good news for Canada, as Doug Rogers won silver in the +80kg event. Athletics contributed the other two Canadian medals, with Bill Crothers winning silver in the 800m, and Harry Jerome taking bronze in the 100m.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Mexico 1968
Canadians won a total of five medals, and one athlete came home with three of them - Elaine "Mighty Mouse" Tanner. Tanner won silver medals in the 100m and 200m backstroke, and teamed with Angela Coughlan, Marilyn Corson and Marion Lay to win bronze in the 4x100m freestyle relay. This was Canada's Olympic debut of its equestrian jumping team of Jim Day, Jim Elder and Tom Gayford. After the first round they were in second place, but came from behind to win Canada's only gold medal on the last day of the Games. Canada's fifth medal of the Games belonged to swimmer Ralph Hutton, who won silver in the 400m freestyle.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Munich 1972
The 1972 Games were the largest yet, setting records in all categories, with 195 events and 7,173 athletes from 121 nations. In the early morning of September 5, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village, killed two members of the Israeli team and took nine more hostages. In an ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. The Games were suspended for 34 hours and a memorial service was held in the main stadium. The flags of all the countries were flown at half-mast. But the Games continued at the insistence of the IOC President Avery Brundage, who famously said, “The Games must go on!” Canada was unable to garner any gold in Munich. The swimmers accounted for four of Canada's five medals: silver went to Leslie Cliff in the 400m IM and Bruce Robertson in the 100m butterly, bronze was won by Donna-Marie Gurr in the 200m backstroke, and Erik Fish, Robert Kasting, William Mahoney and Bruce Robertson in the 4x100m medley relay. The only non-swimming medal was a bronze by sailors Paul Côté, John Ekels and David Miller in the Soling class.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Montreal 1976
Our national pride in hosting the world, and in winning more medals than in the previous two Olympic Games combined (11), was tempered by the fact that Canada did not win a gold medal. Swimmers claimed eight of Canada's medals, with athletics, canoeing and equestrian boasting the other three. Greg Joy won a silver medal in the high jump event. Women’s events were included for the first time in basketball, rowing and team handball. Field hockey was played on an artificial pitch for the first time. There was an innovation in the transport of the flame with the 1976 Games. The Olympic flame arrived by air, sent in the form of an electronic signal by a telephone cable towards a transmitter in the direction of a satellite from the Intelsat network. It was then forwarded to a receiver where the stored energy activated a laser beam which gave it back its original appearance. Nadia Comaneci was the star of the Games. The 14-year-old Romanian gymnast caused a sensation when, for her performance on the uneven bars, she was awarded the first-ever perfect score of 10.0. She eventually earned seven 10.0s.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Moscow 1980
Canada joined the United States and 35 other countries boycotting the Games in protest of the Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan. Canadian athletes had already been chosen when the boycott decision was announced. Some governments, like those of Great Britain and Australia, supported the boycott but allowed the athletes to decide for themselves whether to go to Moscow. The U.S.-led boycott reduced the number of participating nations to 80, the lowest number since 1956.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Los Angeles 1984
Although a boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in certain sports, a record 140 nations took part, with China sending a team for the first time since 1952. Canada fielded its largest team ever in Los Angeles, 273 men and 163 women, second in size only to the U.S. team. Canadians won an unprecedented 44 medals: 10 gold, 18 silver and 16 bronze. Led by the swimming team which amassed 10 of the medals, (including four gold), Canada had medallists in 14 sports and Olympic champions in six. Canada shone in and on the water, with six medals in canoeing, six more in rowing, three in yachting and a gold in diving to add to the swimming total. Shooter Linda Thom set the target with Canada's first gold medal of the games. Alex Baumann set two world records in winning two gold medals in swimming. Victor Davis set another in his goldmedal performance and also won a silver. Anne Ottenbrite won the fourth gold medal in the pool. Lori Fung won the first Olympic gold in rhythmic gymnastics, a feat repeated by Sylvie Bernier in diving. Larry Cain and the team of Alwyn Morris and Hugh Fisher brought home canoeing gold medals, and the men's eight crew rowed its way to gold.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Seoul 1988
The Olympic Games went to Korea for the first time. Table tennis made its first appearance in the Olympic program. In Seoul, 354 Canadian athletes competed against athletes from 159 other countries. Synchronized swimmer Carolyn Waldo won gold in the solo event, then added another in duet with partner Michelle Cameron. Canadian boxers won one medal of each colour: Lennox Lewis took gold in the super-heavyweight class, Egerton Marcus won silver in the 75kg class, and Ray Downey earned bronze in the 71kg class. In the 4x100m medley relay events, the men's team (Victor Davis, Sandy Goss, Sean Murphy and Tom Ponting) and the women's team (Allison Higson, Jane Kerr, Andrea Nugent and Lori Melien) swam to silver and bronze medals respectively. At the equestrian park, the dressage team of Cynthia Ishoy, Ashley Nicoll, Eva-Maria Pracht and Gina Smith rode to bronze. In yachting, Frank McLaughlin and John Millen earned bronze in the Flying Dutchman. For some, the toughest moment of the Games came when Ben Johnson was disqualified for using anabolic steroids after setting a world record in the 100m sprint. A few days later, Dave Steen earned a bronze in the decathlon with a gut-wrenching effort in the final event, the 1,500m run.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Barcelona 1992
For the first time in 20 years, every nation with a National Olympic Committee was represented. For the first time since 1972, the Olympic Games were boycott-free. The Olympic Truce was proclaimed for the first time. The 314-member Canadian team lived up to its pre-Game promise by winning the most medals ever with the exception of the boycotted 1984 Games. Team members had placed in the top three in 16 events at the previous year's world championships, and repeated the feat by winning 18 Olympic medals. Nicolas Gill won the first medal of the Games – a bronze in the 86kg judo event. Mark Tewksbury electrified the world with a come-from-behind victory in the 100m backstroke and then added a bronze as part of the 4x100m medley relay team. Cyclist Curt Harnett added a bronze in the sprint to the silver he had won in the 1,000m in 1984. The athletics contingent contributed three medals: Mark McKoy gave Canada its first athletics gold medal since 1932 when he won the 110m hurdles, Guillaume Leblanc sped to silver in the 20km walk, while Angela Chalmers won bronze in the women's 3,000m. The women's rowing team dominated the competition, winning gold in the coxless pairs, the coxless fours and the eights. In one of the most dramatic stories of the Games, Silken Laumann came back from a devastating injury 10 weeks before the Games to win bronze in the single sculls. The men's eight rowing team rounded out Canada's medal spree with another gold. Back in the pool, a judging error forced Sylvie Fréchette to settle for silver in the synchronized swimming solo; the error is corrected months later and she is awarded a gold medal. Twins Penny and Vicky Vilagos also won silver. This time on the water instead of in the water, Ross MacDonald and Eric Jesperson earned a bronze in Star class yachting. Rounding out the medals were three more in combative sports: boxers Marc Leduc (63.5kg) and Chris Johnson (75kg) earned silver and bronze respectively, while Jeff Thue wrestled his way to silver in the 130kg class. Canadians competing in the demonstration sport of taekwondo brought home five more medals - three silver and two bronze.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Atlanta 1996
For the first time ever, the Canadian team of 307 athletes was comprised of more women than men - 154 women to 153 men. Canada's 21 medals (3 gold, 10 silver, 8 bronze) in nine sports was a best-ever medal total in a non-boycotted Olympic Games. Reigning world champion Donovan Bailey captured the title of world's fastest man when he took the gold medal in world-record time over a formidable field in the 100m race. Bailey added a second gold when he teamed up with Carlton Chambers, Robert Esmie, Glenroy Gilbert and Bruny Surin in the 4x100m relay, the Canadians recording the second fastest time ever in the event. Bailey became only the second Canadian ever in the history of athletics to win two Olympic gold medals, the other being Percy Williams in the 100m and 200m in 1928. Canada won medals in five new events on the program: synchro team, women's mountain bike, men's beach volleyball, men's lightweight coxless fours in rowing and the women's cycling individual road time trial. Rowing continued its Olympic success with six medals (one gold, four silver, one bronze), and Marnie McBean and Kathleen Heddle became the first-ever triple gold medallists for Canada in a Summer Olympic Games (two each in 1992, one each in 1996). Four-time Olympians Silken Laumann (rowing) and Curt Harnett (cycling) won their third Olympic medal: Laumann took silver in single sculls to add to her 1984 and 1992 bronze medals, and Harnett won bronze in the sprint to add to his 1984 silver and 1992 bronze medals. Cycling's five medal performances added to their sport’s all-time Olympic medal tally of four. Clara Hughes' bronze in the women's road race was the first-ever Olympic medal for Canada in women's cycling. She captured another bronze in the inaugural women's individual road time trial. Brian Walton was awarded the silver medal in the men's individual points race. Marianne Limpert's silver in the 200m individual medley was Canada's first women’s individual medal since the Games in 1984. Curtis Myden was a double bronze medallist in the 200m and 400m individual medley. Boxing, diving and wrestling each captured a medal: David Defiagbon, silver in 91kg heavyweight; Annie Pelletier, bronze in 3m springboard; and Gia Sissaouri, silver in 57kg freestyle. Joanne Abbott was the first female sailor to compete in the Soling class at an Olympic Games.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Sydney 2000
Canada qualified to participate in 28 of the 32 Olympic sports, and its 309 athletes brought home 14 medals - three gold, three silver, eight bronze - in 11 sports. Canada's first medal of the Games was golden courtesy of triathlete Simon Whitfield. His was one of five medals Canada claimed in inaugural Olympic events; the others were bronze by Dominique Bosshart in women's +67kg taekwondo, Mathieu Turgeon and Karen Cockburn in men's and women's trampoline, and silver in 10m synchronized diving by Anne Montminy and Émilie Heymans. Montminy was Canada's only double medallist at the Games, having won another bronze in the 10m platform event. Synchronized swimming continued its medal streak with a bronze in the team event - Canada has won a medal at every Games since the sport was added to the Olympic program in 1984. Daniel Nestor and Sébastien Lareau defeated the Woodies (Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge of Australia), the most famous doubles team in the world, to win Canada's first-ever Olympic tennis gold medal. Rower Lesley Thompson, competing in her fifth Olympic Games, collected her fourth Olympic medal, a bronze in eight with cox, to add to her silver medals from 1984 and 1996 and gold from 1992. In one of the greatest games in Canadian basketball history, the men's team upset world champion Yugoslavia 83 - 75 to finish atop Pool B. Visions of Canada's first Olympic basketball medal since 1936 disappeared three days later when Canada fell to France 63 - 68 in quarterfinal play. Wrestler Daniel Igali won a gold medal in the 69kg freestyle and swimmer Curtis Myden defended his bronze medal from Atlanta by finishing third in the 400m individual medley.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Athens 2004
The Olympic Games returned home to Greece as Canada sent a contingent of 265 athletes to compete in 27 of 32 sports. Canada sent a total of 133 women and 132 men, making it and China the only countries with more female athletes than male in the past three Olympic Games. Canadian athletes captured 12 medals in eight sports – three gold, six silver and three bronze medals. In gymnastics, Kyle Shewfelt won the country’s first-ever medal in artistic gymnastics. His gold was the first such medal won by Canada in Athens. Fellow gymnast Karen Cockburn won a silver medal in trampoline, her second straight medal in the event (bronze in 2000). One of the most impressive recent Olympic performances came courtesy of kayaker Adam van Koeverden. He captured gold in the men’s K-1 500m and bronze in the K-1 1,000m – Canada’s first medals in either event. As well, kayaker Caroline Brunet reached the podium in her third consecutive Olympic Games, winning a bronze in the women’s K-1 500m. Her Olympic medal streak matches a Canadian record (with Lesley Thompson, rowing, and Phil Edwards, athletics). Cyclist Lori-Ann Muenzer became the first Canadian woman to win a medal in track, and it was a gold medal. Marié-Hélène Prémont added a silver medal in women’s mountain bike. Canada had a strong women’s wrestling team, participating in four new freestyle events added in 2004. Tonya Verbeek won silver in the women’s 55kg freestyle. Canada continued its success in synchronized diving, as Émilie Heymans and Blythe Hartley to win bronze on the 10m platform. Alexandre Despatie won silver in men’s 3m springboard, Canada’s first men’s diver to ever reach the podium. In rowing, the men’s coxless four team – Cameron Baerg, Tom Herschmiller, Jake Wetzel, Barney Williams – captured silver. And in sailing, Ross MacDonald and Mike Wolfs won silver in the Star class.Source: olympic.ca
Summer Olympic Games – Beijing 2008
The Games of the XXIX Olympiad were China’s first as Olympic Games host and they featured a stunning Opening Ceremony and venues of unique, awe-inspiring design. They were also very successful for Canada. Flag bearer Adam van Koeverden, a world and Olympic champion kayaker, led a Canadian Olympic Team of 334 athletes into one of the most unique Olympic Games in recent history. The goal, put forth by the COC, was for the Canadian Olympic Team to place in the top 16 countries by total medals. Thanks to a powerful surge in the second half of the Games, that mark was not only met but surpassed. The Canadian Olympic Team finished tied for 13th overall on the strength of 18 medals – three gold, nine silver and six bronze. This equals the total from the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, matching the 2nd best non-boycotted Games ever (Canada won 22 medals in Atlanta in 1996). It marks a distinct improvement from 19th place (12 medals) in Athens four years ago.Source: olympic.ca
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