1988 Summer Olympics
The Games of the XXIV Olympiad were held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. The host was chosen in a 1981 vote, ahead of the Japanese city of Nagoya.
Highlights - South Korea's government became a democracy under the pressure of organising the Olympics.
- After boycotts of the Olympics in 1976, 1980 and 1984, the Games were again boycotted, but only by four nations: North Korea, Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua.
- Canadian Ben Johnson wins the 100 m in a new World Record, but is then disqualified after he has been found guilty of doping.
- Swimmer Kristin Otto of East Germany wins six gold medals. Other multi-medalists in the pool are Matt Biondi (five) and Janet Evans (3).
- Anthony Nesty of Suriname wins his country's first Olympic medal by winning the 100 m butterfly, scoring an upset victory.
- Soviet Vladimir Artemov wins four gold medals in gymnastics, Daniela Silivas of Romania wins three.
- US Sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner wins three gold medals and a silver on the track.
- Christa Rothenburger becomes the first (and last) athlete to win Olympic medals at the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics in the same year. She adds a cycling silver to the speed skating gold she won earlier in the year in Calgary.
- US diver Greg Louganis wins back-to-back titles on both diving events, but only after hitting the springboard with his head in the 3-m event final.
- Tennis returns to the Olympics after a 64-year absence. Steffi Graf adds to her four Grand Slam victories in the year by also winning the Olympic title.
- Table tennis is introduced at the Olympics, with China and the host nation both winning two titles.
- Two Bulgarian weightlifters are stripped of their gold medals after testing positive for doping. The Bulgarian weightlifting team withdraws after this event.
- Baseball and Taekwondo are demo sports
- Women's Judo
- The last amateur US men's basketball team fails to win the gold, for only the third time in Olympic history.
Medals awarded
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
Medal count
Top medal-collecting nations:
(for the full table, see 1988 Summer Olympics medal count)
See also
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