1992 Summer Olympics

The Games of the XXV Olympiad were held in 1992 in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. The hometown of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch was selected over Amsterdam, Belgrade, Birmingham, Brisbane and Paris in Lausanne, Switzerland in October 1986

Highlights

• All the IOC countries participated in the Games.
• Paralympic archer Antonio Rebollo lights the Olympic Flame by shooting an arrow into the cauldron.
• In basketball, the admittance of professional players leads to the American Dream Team - probably the best team ever, with players like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. They win the gold medal with great ease.
• For the first time since 1960, South Africa is allowed to participate in the Olympics. White South African runner Elana Meyer and black Ethiopian runner Derartu Tulu fight out a great battle in the 10,000 m (won by Tulu) and then run their lap of honour hand in hand.
• As the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991, the Baltic nations of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania participate with their own teams for the first time since 1936. The other Soviet republics take part in the Unified Team.
• The break up of Yugoslavia leads to the debuts of Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Yugoslav athletes are not allowed to participate with their own team, but may compete under the Olympic flag as Independent Olympic Participants.
• In gymnastics, Vitaly Scherbo from Belarus wins six gold medals, including four on a single day. Five of the six golds were in individual events, tying Eric Heiden's record for individual gold medals at a single Olympics.
• In the diving competitions, held in the view of the Sagrada Familia, Fu Mingxia wins the high dive event, being only 13 years old.
• Russian swimmers dominate the freestyle events, with Aleksandr Popov and Yevgeni Sadovyi both winning two events (Sadovyi won a third with in the relays).
• The young Krisztina Egerszegi of Hungary wins three swimming medals.
• After being demonstrated six times, baseball becomes an Olympic sport. Cuba wins the title easily.
• Badminton and women's judo become part of the Olympic programme, while slalom canoeing returns to the Games after a 20-year absence.
• Basque pelote, Roller Hockey and Taekwondo are the demo sports