Olympic Games

Atlanta, 1996

Muhammad Ali lit the cauldron at the start of the Centennial Games.
Beach Volleyball was a new addition to the Olympic Games in 1996. This sport began as a fun activity at Santa Monica, California in the 1920s, and developed into a competitive sport in the 1950s and 60s before really taking off in the late 1970s after becoming professional.
179 nations participateed, with 79 winning medals.
A pipe bomb in Centennial Olympic Park killed one person and injured 111, but the Games went on.
America's Michael Johnson wins both the 200m and 400m races; France's Marie-José Perec does the same.
Carl Lewis gets his ninth gold medal by winning the long jump.
Amy Van Dyken of the U.S. wins four gold medals in swimming, while Ireland's Michelle Smith wins three golds and a bronze. Smith is accused of using performance-enhancing drugs; this remains unproven, but she is suspended in 1998 for tampering with a urine sample.
The American women's teams win the first-ever softball and women's soccer events. They also won gymnastics, with the help of Kerri Strug, who nailed her second vault despite a sprained ankle.
The United States returned to the top of the standings, followed by Russia and Germany.