1984 Summer Olympics

The Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in 1984 in Los Angeles, 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.

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 does not boycott and wins a national-record 53 medals.
• 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 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 8798, 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.
• 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 Olymic Flame.