1984 Olympics

The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the XXIII Games, was an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984 in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was the second time the Olympics took place in Los Angeles, the preceding one in 1932. California's home state was then — U.S. President Ronald Reagan who has formally opened the Games. The 1984 Games logo, known as "Flags in Motion," featured horizontally aligned red, green, and blue flags that overlapped with stripes. Sam the Olympic Eagle became the official mascot for the games. These were the first summer Olympic Games under IOC leadership of Juan Antonio Samaranch. In response to the US-led boycott of the preceding 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow to protest the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a total of fourteen Eastern Bloc countries, including the Soviet Union and East Germany, boycotted the 1984 Games; Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country that opted to attend the Games. For unknown causes, Iran and Libya have all opted to boycott the Games. Thanks to the exclusion at some games, the competition was reduced, and 140 National Olympic Committees participated, which was a achievement at the time. The USA won the most gold and silver medals, followed by Romania and West Germany. The 1984 Summer Olympics is commonly regarded as the most financially successful modern Olympics, and served as an example of how the idea of the Olympic Games could be applied. Due to low labour costs combined with a reliance on private sector support, the 1984 Olympic Games created a profit of over $250 million. A celebration of the 25th anniversary was held at the central Olympic Stadium on 18 July 2009. The ceremony included a address by the president of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee Peter Ueberroth, and a re-creation of the cauldron lighting. In 2028 Los Angeles will host for the sixth time the Summer Olympics. Following Palestinian militant assassination of Israeli athletes in Munich, huge financial debts in Montreal, and boycotts, by the late 1970s, few cities had been able to qualify for the Summer Olympics. Only two cities made significant offers for the 1984 Summer Games but, as a result of post-Iranian democratic economic changes and a change in the country's political system, Tehran's bid was withdrawn prior to the final selection of a "good" city in 1978. The 1984 Summer Olympics selection process then consisted of a single, completed Los Angeles bid, which was accepted by the International Olympic Committee. The selection was officially made at the 80th IOC Session held in Athens on 18 May 1978. The Olympic Torch Relay began in New York City in 1984 and ended in Los Angeles, spanning 33 states and the district of Columbia. Unlike later torch relays, the athletes went on foot carrying the torch continuously. The trail spanned more than 9,320 mi and featured 3,636 athletes. Noted player O.J. Simpson was among those taking part, carrying the torch up the California Incline of Santa Monica. Gina Hemphill, Jesse Owens ' niece, carried the torch into the Coliseum, completed a lap around the track and handed it over to the next athlete, Rafer Johnson, decathlon winner of the 1960 Summer Olympics. With the torch he set off the flame, which went though a specially made flammable Olympic symbol, and engulfed all five rings. The flame then passed over the peristyle to the cauldron and stayed flame for the remainder of the Match. For the Olympiad John Williams wrote "Olympic Fanfare and song." This song won a Grammy for Williams and was one of the most well-known musical pieces of the Olympic Games, along with Leo Arnaud's "Bugler's Dream;" the latter is also applied to the Olympic Fanfare and Theme release. Composer Bill Conti also wrote a "Power" song to inspire the weightlifters