Editing 1996 Summer Olympics (section)

==Games==

===Opening ceremony===
{{main|1996 Summer Olympics opening ceremony}}
The ceremony began with a 60-second countdown, which included footage from all of the previous Olympic Games at twenty-two seconds. There was then a flashback to the closing ceremony of the [[1992 Summer Olympics|1992 Olympics in Barcelona]], showing the then [[President of the International Olympic Committee|president of the IOC]], [[Juan Antonio Samaranch]], inviting the athletes to compete in Atlanta in 1996. Then, spirits ascended in the northwest corner of the stadium, each representing one of the colors in the Olympic rings. The spirits called the tribes of the world which, after mixed percussion, formed the Olympic rings while the youth of Atlanta formed the number 100. Famed film score composer [[John Williams]] wrote the official overture for the 1996 Olympics, called "[[Summon the Heroes]]"; this was his second overture for Olympic games, the first being "[[Olympic symbols#Anthems|Olympic Fanfare and Theme]]" written for the [[1984 Summer Olympics]]. [[Céline Dion]] performed [[David Foster]]'s official 1996 Olympics song "[[The Power of the Dream]]", accompanied by Foster on the piano, the [[Atlanta Symphony Orchestra]] and the Centennial Choir (comprising [[Morehouse College Glee Club]], [[Spelman College|Spelman College Glee Club]] and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Chorus). [[Gladys Knight]] sang Georgia's official [[List of U.S. state songs|state song]], "[[Georgia on My Mind]]".

There was a showcase entitled "Welcome To The World", featuring [[cheerleading|cheerleaders]], [[Chevrolet]] [[Pickup truck|pick-up trucks]], [[marching band]]s, and [[Stepping (African-American)|steppers]], which highlighted the American youth and a typical Saturday college football game in the South, including the [[Wave (audience)|wave]] commonly produced by spectators in sporting events around the world. There was another showcase entitled "Summertime" which focused on Atlanta and the [[Old South]], emphasizing its beauty, spirit, music, history, culture, and rebirth after the [[American Civil War]]. The ceremony also featured a memorable dance tribute to the athletes and to the goddesses of victory of the ancient Greek Olympics, using silhouette imagery. The accompanying music, "The Tradition of the Games", was composed by [[Basil Poledouris]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.basil-poledouris.com/basil/biography.html|title=Basil Poledouris Biography|access-date=February 19, 2008|work=Basil Poledouris website|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080220223313/http://www.basil-poledouris.com/basil/biography.html|archive-date=February 20, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Muhammad Ali]] lit the [[Olympic cauldron]] and later received a replacement gold medal for his boxing victory in the [[1960 Summer Olympics]]. For the torch ceremony, more than 10,000 [[Olympic flame|Olympic torches]] were manufactured by the American Meter Company and electroplated by [[Erie Plating Company]]. Each torch weighed about {{convert|3.5|lb|kg}} and was made primarily of aluminum, with a Georgia [[pecan]] wood handle and gold ornamentation.<ref>[[Erie Times-News]], "Erie Company's Olympic Work Shines", June 10, 1996, by Greg Lavine</ref><ref>Plating and Surface Finishing Magazine, August 1996 Issue</ref>

The city of [[Savannah, Georgia]], host of the yachting events, also held your own Opening Ceremonies,held at the first day of their competions.The event was headlined by a performance by country musician [[Trisha Yearwood]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.savannahga.gov/1900/1996-Olympics-in-Savannah|title=Remembering the Centennial Olympic Games in Savannah|publisher=City of Savannah|access-date=June 3, 2019}}</ref>

===Closing ceremony===
{{main|1996 Summer Olympics closing ceremony}}

===Sports===
[[File:1996 Summer Olympics medals, Atlanta History Center.jpg|thumb|400x400px|Medal designs for the 1996 Olympics]]
The 1996 Summer Olympic program featured 271 events in 26 sports. [[Softball]], [[beach volleyball]] and [[mountain biking]] debuted on the Olympic program, together with women's [[Association football|football]], lightweight [[Rowing (sport)|rowing]], women's [[Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's 4 × 200 metre freestyle relay|swimming]], women's [[fencing]], and a team [[rhythmic gymnastics]] event.

{|class="wikitable"
|-
!1996 Summer Olympics Sports Program
|-
|
{{col-begin}}
{{Col-1-of-4}}
*Aquatics
**{{GamesSport|Diving|Events=4|Format=d}}
**{{GamesSport|Swimming|Events=32|Format=d}}
**{{GamesSport|Synchronized swimming|Events=1|Format=d}}
**{{GamesSport|Water polo|Events=1|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Archery|Events=4|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Athletics|Events=44|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Badminton|Events=5|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Baseball|Events=1|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Basketball|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Boxing|Events=12|Format=d}}
{{Col-2-of-4}}
*{{GamesSport|Canoeing|Format=d}}
**Sprint <small>(12)</small>
**Slalom <small>(4)</small>
*{{GamesSport|Cycling|Format=d}}
**Road <small>(4)</small>
**Track <small>(8)</small>
**Mountain biking <small>(2)</small>
*{{GamesSport|Equestrian|Format=d}}
**Dressage <small>(2)</small>
**Eventing <small>(2)</small>
**Show jumping <small>(2)</small>
{{Col-3-of-4}}
*{{GamesSport|Fencing|Events=10|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Field hockey|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Football|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Gymnastics|Format=d}}
**Artistic <small>(14)</small>
**Rhythmic <small>(2)</small>
*{{GamesSport|Handball|Events=2|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Judo|Events=14|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Modern pentathlon|Events=1|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Rowing|Events=14|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Sailing|Events=10|Format=d}}
{{Col-4-of-4}}
*{{GamesSport|Shooting|Events=15|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Softball|Events=1|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Table tennis|Events=4|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Tennis|Events=4|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Volleyball|Format=d}}
**Volleyball <small>(2)</small>
**Beach volleyball <small>(2)</small>
*{{GamesSport|Weightlifting|Events=10|Format=d}}
*{{GamesSport|Wrestling|Format=d}}
**Freestyle <small>(10)</small>
**Greco-Roman <small>(10)</small>
{{col-end}}
|}

In women's gymnastics, Ukrainian [[Lilia Podkopayeva]] became the all-around Olympic champion. Podkopayeva also won a second gold medal in the floor exercise final and a silver on the beam – becoming the only female gymnast since [[Nadia Comăneci]] to win an individual event gold after winning the all-around title in the same Olympics. [[Kerri Strug]] of the United States women's gymnastics team vaulted with an injured ankle and landed on one foot, winning the first women's team gold medal for the US. [[Shannon Miller]] won the gold medal on the balance beam event, the first time an American gymnast had won an individual gold medal in non-boycotted Olympic games. The Spanish team won the first gold medal in the new competition of [[Gymnastics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Women's rhythmic group all-around|women's rhythmic group all-around]]. The team was formed by [[Estela Giménez]], [[Marta Baldó]], [[Nuria Cabanillas]], [[Lorena Guréndez]], [[Estíbaliz Martínez]] and [[Tania Lamarca]].

[[Amy Van Dyken]] won four gold medals in the Olympic [[swimming (sport)|swimming]] pool, the first American woman to win four titles in a single Olympiad. [[Penny Heyns]], swimmer of South Africa, won the gold medals in both the 100-meter and 200-meter breaststroke events. [[Michelle Smith]] of Ireland won three gold medals and a bronze in swimming. She remains her nation's most decorated Olympian. However, her victories were overshadowed by [[doping (sport)|doping]] allegations even though she did not test positive in 1996. She received a four-year suspension in 1998 for tampering with a urine sample, though her medals and records were allowed to stand.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/the-con-of-michelle-smith-how-the-irish-lass-cheated-the-swimming-world/ |title=The Con of Michelle Smith: How the Irish Lass Cheated the Swimming World |work=Swimming World Magazine |last=Lohn |first=John |date=July 10, 2021 |access-date=August 25, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518132732/https://www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/the-con-of-michelle-smith-how-the-irish-lass-cheated-the-swimming-world/ |archive-date=May 18, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/sporting-controversies-irish-mist-descends-upon-michelle-smith-s-fairytale-1.4246400?mode=amp |title=Sporting Controversies: Irish mist descends upon Michelle Smith's fairytale |newspaper=The Irish Times |last=Watterson |first=John |date=May 7, 2020 |access-date=August 25, 2021 |url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200507220138/https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/sporting-controversies-irish-mist-descends-upon-michelle-smith-s-fairytale-1.4246400?mode=amp |archive-date=May 7, 2020 }}</ref>

[[File:JO Atlanta 1996 - Stade.jpg|thumb|left|Women's 100 m hurdles at the Olympic stadium]]
In track and field, [[Donovan Bailey]] of Canada won the men's 100 m, setting a new world record of 9.84&nbsp;seconds at that time.<ref>{{cite news|last=Zurowski|first=Monica|title=From the Archives: Sprinter Donovan Bailey dazzled in Olympics 25 years ago|work=Calgary Herald|date=July 27, 2021|url=https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/from-the-archives-sprinter-donovan-bailey-dazzled-in-olympics-25-years-ago|access-date=March 31, 2024}}</ref> He also anchored his team's gold in the [[Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]].
[[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]] won gold in both the 200&nbsp;m and 400 m, setting a new world record of 19.32&nbsp;seconds in the 200 m. [[Marie-José Pérec]] equaled Johnson's performance, although without a world record, by winning the rare 200 m/400&nbsp;m double. [[Carl Lewis]] won his 4th long jump gold medal at the age of 35.

[[File:Ocoee River 1996 Olympics.jpg|thumb|Whitewater slalom events at the [[Ocoee Whitewater Center]]]]

In tennis, [[Andre Agassi]] won the gold medal, which would eventually make him the first man and second singles player overall (after his eventual wife, [[Steffi Graf]]) to win the career [[Golden Slam]], which consists of an Olympic gold medal and victories in the singles tournaments held at professional tennis' four major events ([[Australian Open]], [[French Open]], [[The Championships Wimbledon|Wimbledon]], and [[US Open (tennis)|US Open]]).
[[File:JO Atlanta 1996 - Drapeau.jpg|thumb|The Olympic flag waves at the 1996 Games]]
There were a series of national firsts realized during the Games. [[Deon Hemmings]] became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal for [[Jamaica]] and the English-speaking [[West Indies]]. [[Lee Lai Shan]] won a gold medal in sailing, the only Olympic medal that [[Hong Kong]] ever won as a British colony (1842–1997). This meant that for the only time, the colonial flag of Hong Kong was raised to the accompaniment of the British national anthem "[[God Save the King|God Save the Queen]]", as Hong Kong's [[Transfer of sovereignty over Hong Kong|sovereignty]] was later transferred to China in 1997. The U.S. women's soccer team won the gold medal in the first-ever women's football event. For the first time, Olympic medals were won by athletes from [[Armenia]], [[Azerbaijan]], [[Belarus]], [[Burundi]], [[Czech Republic]], [[Ecuador]], [[Georgia (country)|Georgia]], [[Hong Kong]], [[Kazakhstan]], [[Moldova]], [[Mozambique]], [[Slovakia]], [[Tonga]], [[Ukraine]], and [[Uzbekistan]]. Another first in Atlanta was that this was the first Summer Olympics ever that not a single nation swept all three medals in a single event.{{cn|date=August 2024}}