Summer Olympics

International Sports Hall of Fame and Olympic Museum

THE SUMMER OLYMPICS I HAVE ATTENDED

XIV SUMMER OLYMPICS LONDON ENGLAND 29 July to 14 August 1948

To see the report for the London Olympics, go to: "MY OLYMPICS"

XV SUMMER OLYMPICS HELSINKI FINLAND 19 July to 3 August 1952

To see the report for the Helsinki Olympics, go to: "MY OLYMPICS"

XVI SUMMER OLYMPICS MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA 22 November to 8 December 1956

Although I was invited to take part in the trials for the Melbourne Olympics, it never came to it, because I literally had to flee my beloved Buenos Aires, because several years ago playing football for River Plate, out team won the "B" division championship and were invited by General and Evita Peron to a luncheon at the "Casa Rosada", the Argentine Government Palace and offered membership in the Peron Party, more as an honor as political and when he was ousted and had to flee and the Secret Police was looking for anyone that had their name in their records and when they were looking for me, I also had to leave Argentina, even so I have never been involved in politics. I went to La Paz, Bolivia and got a visa at the American Embassy and went to the United States. The best I was able to do was to call COA to send my accreditation and join the Argentine Olympic team in Melbourne and live and eat with them in the athlete's village and march with them in the ceremonies. Buenos Aires was bidding for the 1956 Summer Olympics also and almost got the games, but in the end, Melbourne won by one single point on the final CIO vote and got the games. I was again invited to enter the Olympic Trials for the 1956 Olympics for my third time to represent Argentina and had a better running time than two of the sprinters they sent, but my Olympic, as well as my wonderful Football career was over, since football, they call soccer in the USA was not at all popular at that time in 1955.

The Australian people in Melbourne and the 1956 games were real great. The Opening and Closing Ceremonies although simple and without the grand spectacles that are produced nowadays and really have nothing to do with sport, nor have anything to do with what Pierre de Coubertain had in mind, nor were part of the ancient Olympics, which were religious festivals. The Melbourne Opening Ceremonies were strictly Olympic like the Berlin, London and Helsinki games. We marched into the Melbourne Cricket Ground which was used as the Olympic Stadium. After the 3,314 athletes took their places in front of the Honor Tribune, IOC President Avery Brundage invited Prince Phillip to open the Melbourne Olympics, which he did with the same words as King George VI did at the London Games. Then the large Olympic Flag was brought in by 8 Australian Athletes and the Melbourne Symphony and Chorus performed the Olympic Hymn, while Olympian Ron Clarke, the last torchbearer came in with the flaming torch, circled the stadium and lit the Olympic Cauldron. The Athlete's Oath was taken by John Landy, a 1500 meter runner, with these words: "In the name of all competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams" followed by the Australian National Anthem. Pigeons were released, cannons sounded, red, white and blue balloons filled the air und thus ended the Opening Ceremony while we slowly left the stadium.

Athletes that stood out were Betty Cuthbert an 18 year old girl from Sydney who won the 100 and 200 meter sprints and run a great final leg of the 4X100 meter relay to win her third gold medal. Australia was also superb in swimming winning 8 gold, 4 silver and 2 bronze medals with outstanding performances by Murray Rose and Dawn Fraser. For the USA, Pat Mc Cormick and Bob Clotworthy won the men's springboard, but Gary Tobian faced bad judging and lost to Mexico. U S men dominated the track and field events, winning 15 of 24 events, sweeping four of them. Bobby J. Morrow won gold in the 100 and 200 m sprints and helped USA win the 4x100 Relay, to get his third gold medal. Vladimir Kuts of the USSR won the 5,000 and the 10,000 meter race. Laszlo Papp, HUN, won his third gold in boxing. Hungary won water polo in a very bloody fight against the USSR, winning 4:0 with Police intervention. in Football USSR Gold, Bulgaria Silver. The Decathlon was won by Milt Campbell USA and the Marathon by Alain Mimoun FRA.

The Closing Ceremony started with the athletes coming into the stadium together instead by their teams, which was a new arrangement while cannons were firing. Then Flag bearers of participating nations circled the speakers platform and the two Organizing Presidents thanked the athletes for coming to Melbourne. IOC President Brundage inviting the Mayor of Rome who will host the next Summer Olympics, to the speakers podium to give him the IOC Flag held for 4 years by Melbourne. The people attending the Closing Ceremony received a paper, with new wording of the Waltzing Matilda song into this beautiful Native-Australian-Irish song for the Athletes, called "A GOOD BY TO A LOVED ONE OR TO GOOD FRIENDS, changed for the Olympian Athletes and as we left the beautiful Cricket Grounds Stadium, a chorus, students and public was singing it, by using the Waltzing Matilda melody for it.

"HOMEWARD, HOMEWARD, SOON YOU WILL BE GOING NOW, MOMOK WORARGO ORA GO-YAI,- JOY OF OUR MEETING, PAIN OF OUR PARTING, SHINE IN OUR EYES, AS WE BID YOU GOODBYE,- GOODBYE OLYMPIANS, GOODBYE OLYMPIANS, ON COMES THE EVENING, WEST GOES THE DAY,- ROLL UP YOUR SWAGS AND PACK THEM FULL OF MEMORIES,- FAIR BE THE WIND AS YOU SPEED ON YOUR WAY. WILL YE NO' COME BACK AGAIN,- WILL YE NO' COME BACK AGAIN,- BETTER LOU'D YE CANNA BE,- WILL YE NO' COME BACK AGAIN.

In early 1955 a military revolution broke out in Argentina against the Peron Government with Peron fleeing by boat first to Central America and later to Spain. Five years earlier I and my club members were given honorary membership after an invitation to a luncheon at the presidential palace and our names were detected and secret agents were looking for me and if taken to the Police Department, my life was in danger and so I decided to leave my Football and Olympic trophies, all pictures and memorabilia with my best friend, and decided to take the train to La Paz, Bolivia, went to the American Embassy to apply for a visa to the USA. Of course I lost my status as a player for River Plate and also my chances to qualify for my third Olympics and participate in the trials of Melbourne 1956, for which I surely would have qualified, as I was in top shape from playing football and running the same times as before. All I could do is call River Plate, COA, some of my friends and my girlfriend and leave. When I became US citizen and went back after five years, my friend was not there anymore and his parents were still looking for him and walking with his picture on Plaza de Mayo with many others.

SUMMER OLYMPICS ROME ITALY 25 August to 11 September 1960

Having received my accreditation from COA again, I closed my business in San Francisco to take time off for the 1960 Olympics, I arrived in Rome on 22 of August and went with one of the athlete's buses to the Olympic Village located on Via Flaminia across the bridge over the Tiber where the Olympic Stadium was located at the Foro Italico. There were also two smaller stadiums near the Olympic Village, the Stadio Flaminio, being the official Football stadium and the Palazzetto dello Sport, which was used for indoor sports like fencing, wrestling and other sports. I stayed with the Argentine team and marched with the delegation at the ceremonies. The Olympic Village had every facility you may have wanted and was a good meeting place for boys and girls and was always a very busy place. I still knew most of the coaches and officials from before, only the athletes were not the same anymore.

The OPENING CEREMONY was nice, but not an extravagant spectacle like the ones now, beginning with music and us entering the Olympic Stadium through the Marathon gate and marching around the track and lining up in front of the honor tribune. 84 nations had 5,338 athletes, about 4,700 men and 600 women. The Argentine delegation had 91 Athletes, all men, but not a single women, something that has not happened before since 1924 and never happened again. Also the results of the Argentine Team was still very meager because of the bad political situation in Argentina and the team did not even win one gold medal, something that had not happen at any prior Olympics. Organizing President Giulio Andreotti welcomed all athletes and thanked them for coming. Then CIO President Avery Brundage did the same and asked the President of Italy Giovanni Groncho to open the games of the XVII. Summer Olympics, which he did under great ovation. After that 1000s of pigeons were released, and the large Olympic Flag was brought in by eight Olympians while the Rome Symphony Orchestra and Opera chorus was performing the original Olympic Hymn and the last torchbearer, athlete Giancarlo Peris entered the stadium and after circling the track under a big ovation, lit the Olympic Cauldron under a tremendous applause and ovation. Then the Olympic Oath was given by Olympian Athlete Adolfo Consolini, which ended the 1960 Rome Opening Ceremony and we left the stadium..

Americans did not win the 100 or 200 meter sprints and 4X100 m relay, Armin Hary GER, Livio Berrutti ITA and the relay GER. USA won the 400 m, 4X400 and 110 and 400 m hurdles. Also Long Jump Ralph Boston, Discus Al Oerter, Shot Put Bill Nieder, Pole Vault Don Bragg, Boxing Cassius Clay, Decathlon Rafer Johnson, Women: Wilma Rudolf, after having Polio, 3 Gold Medals in 100 and 200 meter and 4X100 relay. Argentina won no medals. Other outstanding performances by the USSR, 800 meter, High Jump, 20 km walk, 10,000 m. Women: 80 m hurdles, 15 of 16 medals in Gymnastics. Australia: Peter Snell 800 m, Herb Elliott 1500m, Murray Halberg 5,000 m NZL, Aladar Gerevich, 6th gold medal in fencing HUN, Abebe Bikila ETH won the Marathon barefoot, Yugoslavia won gold in football against Denmark's silver, Hungary bronze. Hockey: Pakistan gold, India silver, 50 km walk, GB gold. The CLOSING CEREMONY was in full camaraderie like in Melbourne. After the cannon shots all the athletes marched together into the stadium and we danced and frolicked until we were told to seek our teams. The flag bearers of the teams were asked to line up with their national flags in front of the speaker's podium and on the center of the three tall flag poles the Greek Flag was hoisted while the orchestra performed the Greek National Anthem in honor of the Ancient Olympics. Then the Italian flag was hoisted and the National Anthem performed while most Italians in the stadium sang the words. Last came the flag and National Anthem of Japan with the next Olympics taking place in Tokyo. Thousands colored balloons were released and was followed by a wonderful display of fireworks on the by now darkened sky. Finally Organizing Committee President Giulio Andreotti thanked the athletes for coming and a wonderful performance of sports and last CIO President Brundage thanked all the athletes for coming and inviting them for the next Olympic Games in Tokyo in 4 years. Then he declared the XVII. Olympic Games of 1960 Rome as closed and while the Olympic Flame slowly went out and among quite a few shiny eyes that wanted much more of the same, and we slowly left the beautiful stadium and Foro Romano all together.

XVIII SUMMER OLYMPICS TOKYO JAPAN, 10 to 24 OCTOBER 1964

Having received Argentine accreditation from COA President Antonio Rodriguez again, I flew to Tokyo, capital of Japan two days before the Opening Ceremony, arriving in Rome the afternoon of 8 October. Antonio Rodriguez and I were team members at the 1948 London Olympics, he in rowing and I in the sprints and we have always been friendly toward each other. I remember being very tired when I arrived at the large airport after the twelve hour flight from San Francisco and was looking for one of the buses that took arriving athletes to the Olympic Village administration building where I had to register and sign in and get directions to the Argentine team quarters. The place of the Olympic Village, which they said was in the Ariake area was actually on Tokyo Bay and was used as barracks for the American soldiers in World War II and was not as nice as in Melbourne and Rome. There was nobody there and since I had not eaten anything since the airplane, I decided to go to the cafeteria and have a snack while waiting. When I went back, a few athletes and the Chef de Mission, whom I still knew from Rome was there and welcomed me and we all had a few rounds of Mate before we went to have dinner in the large dining hall, which had a large variety of any kind of food and good Argentine beef, which I could not get in the United States anymore. Next day I went downtown with the village bus and took a sightseeing tour of Tokyo, a huge spread out city with a busy downtown area with millions of neon signs and thousands of stores. Our Chef de Mission asked me again to march with the delegation and of course i said that I would.

On October 10 the bus took us to the Olympic Stadium, actually called the National Stadium before the Olympics. This time our delegation consisted of 102 people, but only 6 women, one of which was Jeanette Campbell, a 1936 freestyle swimmer that won a silver medal in the Berlin Olympics and was chosen as our flag bearer and also her daughter Patricia Porter was part of the 6 women of our delegation, but we did not know if Patricia was going to swim for Argentina. The athletes of the 93 nations were now assembled outside the Marathon Gate. Our delegation was one of the first ones to get to go inside. The stadium was full to capacity with over 60,000 people and we marched around the stadium and took our indicated place in front of the honor tribune where Emperor Hirohito, also called Emperor Showa, acknowledged our presence with a slight bow of the head. The ceremony started with IOC President Avery Brundage accompanied by Organizing Committee President Daigoro Yasukawa as they went to the speakers podium together and President Yosukawa welcomed the athletes, thanking them for coming and wishing them success in Tokyo. IOC President Avery Brundadge also welcomed the athletes, thanking them for coming from far away places, wishing them good luck on their performances. He then asked Emperor Hirohito to open the games, which he did, receiving a standing ovation from the public. While thousands of white doves were being released, the large Olympic flag was carried into the stadium by eight participating athletes and while being hoisted, the Imperial Symphony Orchestra and Chorus performed the Olympic Anthem and the last torchbearer Yashinori Sakai who was born in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945, the day the first Atomic Bomb was dropped by the crew of the Enola Gay, a B29 bomber. He appeared in the stadium under a big applause and carried the flaming torch around the stadium track and then went up to the 57 meter high Olympic Cauldron and lifting the Olympic Torch high up, lit it under a grandiose applause and huge ovation. After that the flag bearers with the flags of all the participating nations approached the speakers podium and Olympic Athlete Takashi Ono took the Olympic Oath for all the athletes. When he finished, the Japanese National Hymn was performed by the orchestra with all the Japanese athletes and public singing. There was a lot more music and dancing going on, especially composed by Yoji Koseki for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics and there was dancing by some Japanese dance groups and there were fireworks and thousands of balloons filled the sky and finally the Opening Ceremony of the 1964 Tokyo Games were slowly coming to the end, with the teams and athletes taking their time to leave the Olympic Stadium.

The athletic events started the next day with the preliminary sprints and eliminations of the first day of sprints and other running events. The teams and athletes that stood out in Tokyo was Japan winning gold in three Judo events and also got gold in woman's Volleyball. Larissa Latynina USSR, won 2 gold medals in Gymnastics and ended her young O lympic career with 9 gold, 5 silver and 4 bonze medals. Australian swimmer Dawn Fraser won gold in 100 meter freestyle for the third time in a row, matched by Vyajeslav Ivanov USSR in single scull rowing. Don Schollander USA win 4 gold in swimming, Bob Hayes USA won gold in the 100m sprints, Henry Carr gold in 200m sprint and USA in the 4x100m relay. In Football Hungary won Gold against Czechoslovakia's Silver, the Decathlon was won by Willi Holdorf GER and women 100m Wyonia Tyas Gold USA and 200m Edith Maguire Gold USA. Peter Snell NZL won Gold in the 800 and 1500m races and Billy Mills USA, won Gold in the 10.000m race for the first and last time in US history and Bob Schul USA won Gold in the 5,000m. Joe Frazer USA heavyweight boxer and future heavyweight champion of the world won the Gold Medal. The Marathon Gold Medal was won for the first time ever, for a second time in a row by Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia, but this time running with shoes.

The Closing Ceremony in the evening of 24 October 1964 started with us marching into the stadium with the teams as one big Olympic unit, among music composed by Yuji Koseki, a local composer. After about one hour, the flag bearers of participating nations made a big circle around the speakers platform, President Daigoro Yasukawa and IOC Avery Brundage thanked the athletes for coming inviting them to the next Olympics in Montreal, Canada The large Olympic flag is removed and carried away and the flags of Greece, Japan and Canada are being raised while the Japanese National Anthem is performed. The Mayor of Montreal approaches the podium and is handed a fancy IOC flag with fringes from the Mayor of Tokyo while Fanfares are sounding followed by firing shots from four canons and thousands of balloons are released while IOC President Brundage declares the games as ended The Olympic flame is slowly disappearing at the cauldron, the teams are being gathered together and are slowly leaving the Olympic Stadium.

XIX. SUMMER OLYMPICS CIUDAD DE MEXICO, MEXICO 12 to 27 OCTOBER 1968

After I got married to a wonderful lady in 1967 I was still receiving Argentine Olympic Accreditation as before, but was not always able to march, eat and do things with the Argentine Team as before and so I will only write about the most important things and comment mainly on the sports I practiced when I participated in 1948 and 1952. .

The high altitude of Mexico City at 7,500 feet, or 3,200 meters affected many athletes and visitors at the 1968 Olympics, on the other hand it was very helpful for the jumps and sprints because of the thin air and many new world records were bettered. As always, the Olympics started with the Opening Ceremony on December 10 with the 112 NOC Teams entering the stadium and lining up in front of the Honor Tribune. Organizing President Pedro Ramirez Vazquez accompanied by IOC President Avery Brundage welcome the athletes, thanking them for coming to the Mexican Olympics, after which Avery Brundadge invited the President of Mexico Gustavo Diaz Ordaz to open the Olympic Games, he did with these words: "Declaro los Juegos de Mexico para celebrar la XIX Olympiada de la era moderna, abierto." Thousands of pigeons are released and the large Olympic Flag is brought in and is hoisted by eight Mexican athletes. While the National symphony orchestra and chorus performs the original Olympic Hymn, female Olympian Enriqueta Basilio enters the stadium with the Olympic Torch and after carrying it around the track, she goes up the long stair case and lights the Olympic Cauldron among a huge ovation. Olympic Athlete Pablo Lugo Garrido takes the athlete's oath with the following words: "Juramos tomar parte en estos Juegos Olimpicos en leal competicion, respetando las reglas que los goviernan y el deaseo de participar en ellos con verdadero espirito deportivo para el honor de nuestro pais y gloria al deporte". Orchestra and Chorus play the Mexican National Anthem and the Opening Ceremony is coming to the end.

Gold Medals Sprints:100 meters won by Jim Hines USA, 200 meters by Tommy Smith USA Gold and John Carlos USA Silver. Both raised their black gloved fists while the US National Anthem was played at the Medal Ceremony, for which they were banned for life from any Olympics forever. Also the 4X100 relay was won by the USA, the Marathon was won by Mamo Wolde ETH Gold, following Abebe Bikila's tradition. Al Oerter USA won his fourth consecutive Gold Medal in the Discus throw, Bob Beamon jumped an incredible 8.90 meters, or 55 centimeters further than the world record for Gold, a record that stood until 1991, and still stands as the Olympic record. Gymnast Vera Caslavska CZH, won 4 Gold medals, Football was played in Puebla, Jalisco, Guadalajara and Ciudad de Mexico. Hungary won 4 goals to 3 against Bulgaria, in an outstanding effort, playing a great match by both teams.

The Closing Ceremony started with the teams marching into the Olympic Stadium with the athletes from all the teams mixed, many in colorful costumes of their country. Mariachi bands were playing and singing typical Mexican folklore from the towns and regions they were originally coming. Their were professional dancing groups, as well as wonderful dancing by some of the athletes forming small groups. The flag bearers of all participating nations accompanied by the Mexican name bearers of their country were forming a great ring around the speakers platform with speeches by organizing and IOC presidents and the Mexican National Anthem performed with most Mexicans in the stadium chanting and then the large Olympic Flag lowered and carried out and the flags of Greece, Mexico and Germany, site of the next Olympics were hoisted, and the corresponding National Anthems performed, IOC President Brundage handed the Mayor of Munich the Olympic Flag and making the usual farewell speech, declared the games as closed while the Olympic Flame slowly became dark, an emotional moment for most of the athletes, officials, volunteers and public that enjoyed two wonderful weeks. A great display of Fireworks followed with a lot more music and dancing and an hour later the athletes slowly left the stadium together with their newly made friends to join their teams that were waiting for their athletes and assembling themselves outside the Marathon Gate.

XX SUMMER OLYMPIAD MUNICH GERMANY, 26 AUGUST to 11 SEPTEMBER 1972

Hopes for a nice Olympics vanished when Palestinian PLO terrorists climbed the fence of the Olympic Village on 5 September 1972 and entered the compound of the Israeli wrestling team and within 24 hours 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were murdered in the most outrageous crime of Olympics. On 26 of August 1972 after thni Olympic Teams of 121 Nations lined up in front of the Honor Tribune, Munich Organizing President Willi Daume with IOC President Avery Brundage stepping to the speakers podium and Willie Daume welcoming the athletes to Munich and thanking them for coming. Then IOC's Avery Brundage saying about the same and inviting German President Gustav Heinemann to open the Games, which he does with the following words and almost the same as Adolf Hitler in 1936: "Ich verkuende die Spiele von Berlin, zur Feier der zwanzigsten Olympiade der neuen Zeitrechnung, als eroeffnet!" The large Olympic Flag is carried in by eight Olympians and then the German Olympic Hymn was performed while the last Torchbearer, Olympian athlete Guenther Zahn entered the stadium with the torch and ran around the stadium track and lit the Olympic Cauldron with a large ovation. Then the flag bearers of the participating nations surrounded the speakers platform and Olympian Heidi Schueller took the Athletes Oath with these words: " Wir geben unseren Eid an diesn Olympischen Sommer Spielen gerechtlich teilzunehmen mit vollstem Respekt zu zeitigen Regeln, in wahrer Verpflichtung zum Sport ohne Drogen und Aufputschmittel und voelliger Hingabe zur Sportlichkeit, zum Ruhm des Sportes und zur Ehre unserer Teams und Vaterlaender", which followed for the first time by the Officials and Judges Oath with these words: "Im Namen aller Richter und Offiziellen, verspreche ich dass wir ehrenhaft und voellig unparteiisch in diesen Olympischen Spielen regeln werden und somit geben wir unseren Eid an diesen Olympischen Sommer Spielen gerechtlich teilzunehmen mit vollen Respekt zu den zeitigen Regeln und in wahrer Verpflichtung zur Ehre und Ruhmes der Sportlichkeit". Then the German National Anthem was performed by the Orchestra and a wonderful performance of Fanfares was performed with the release of thousands of pigeons and the athletes were slowly leaving the beautiful new Olympic Stadium and so the Opening Ceremony of the 1972 Munich Olympics did come to an end.

Sport activities started the next day 27 August with preliminary sprints and several other sport activities. Athletes that stood out were Mark Spitz while winning unprecedented 7 Gold Medals in swimming. In my sports, Valeri Borzov USSR won gold in the 100 and 200 meter sprints, 400 meter winners Vincent Matthews, Gold and Wayne Collins, Silver were banned for life from the Olympics for insulting the USA while the National Anthem was played. Dave Wottle won Gold in the 800 meters and Lasse Viren FIN won Gold in 5,000 and 10,000 meter run, even after falling down in the race and also won the same in 1976 Montreal. The USA also won Gold in the 4x100 m relay. Frank Shorter USA Gold won the Marathon. He was born in Munich but was raised in the US. Decathlon was won by Nicolai Avilov, USSR and Football was won by Poland Gold, against Hungary Silver.

The Closing Ceremony started with a display of old Bavarian horse carriages, some of them very elegant from old royalty, each pulled by two horses, going around the stadium several times, which they certainly could not have done when the athletes had to run their racing there. There was wonderful old style Bavarian Um Pa Pa and marching band music typical only for Bavaria and Lower Austria while the carriages kept circling the stadium track. most of them dressed in 1800 uniforms and dresses. There were two big platforms with orchestras performing more music and marches and then some of the marching bands dressed in old uniforms. were marching and playing old fashioned Bavarian and German marches. After a lot of marching and other noisy music, the name bearers walked into the stadium, followed by all the participating national flag bearers who were joined by them and lined up in front of the honor stand and speakers platform followed by the athletes that came in as one united team mixed of all 121 nations. When all athletes were settled Willi Daume and Avery Brundage came to the podium and Willi Daume asked for a 26 second silence in memory of the slain Israeli Athletes murdered by the Palestinian Terrorists, which spoiled the last days of the games. The large Olympic Flag is lowered and carried away and flags from Greece, Germany and Canada being hoisted and respectively their National Anthems performed by an Orchestra. After Willi Daume thanks the athletes and volunteers for their performances, the Mayors of Munich and Montreal come to the podium for the transfer of the traditional Olympic Flag. President Brundage thanks all the Athletes, inviting them to Montreal in four years. He makes a speech ending with the words: I'll try to extend the sportsmanship of the athletic field into other areas", which I actually could not make out what he meant by them, just like some of his other things that don't make sense to me. He then declared the Munich Olympics closed and the flame in the Olympic Cauldron got dark, which is always an emotional moment for anyone. The music and the marching went on and as the teams were finished assembling, they and the musicians slowly emptied the Olympic Stadium.

XXI SUMMER OLYMPICS MONTREAL CANADA 17 JULY to 1 AUGUST 1976

The 1976 Montreal Olympics started when 73,000 spectators cheered when Queen Elizabeth accompanied by Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Andrew and IOC President Lord Killanin entered the Olympic Stadium for the Opening ceremonies of the 21st Summer Olympics. While the Montreal Symphony Orchestra was playing the impressive "March of the Athletes", the 94 participating delegations of over 10,000 athletes entered the stadium and lined up in front of the honor tribune with Greece traditionally entering first and the host delegation last. Name boards were in French and English and so were the speeches delivered by OCOG President Roger Rousseau and Lord Killanin, who then invited Queen Elizabeth to open the games, which she did with the following words: " I declare the games of Montreal to celebrate the twenty first Olympiad of the modern era, as open "

The Olympic Anthem was performed by orchestra and chorus, while the large Olympic Flag was brought in and was hoisted by eight Olympians, while three cannons fired to honor the Olympic Salute. Then 80 young maidens released hundred of pigeons, to commemorate the 80th birthday of the first Olympics of Athens in 1896. Then the torch appeared in the stadium under great ovation, carried for the first by two torchbearers to symbolize Canada's bilingual character with runners Sandra Henderson of Toronto and Stephane Prefontain of Montreal, who lit the Olympic Cauldron that was placed for the Opening Ceremony temporarily in the center of the Olympic Stadium. The torch, since than, has as before, been carried by only one torchbearer. The Olympic Oath for Athletes was taken by weightlifter Pierre Saint-Jean and the oath for officials by one of the judges followed by the Canadian National Anthem and under a roaring applause the athletes slowly left the Olympic Stadium under roaring applause by the crowd the ceremony ended.

The Closing Ceremony of the 1976 Montreal Olympics ended on the evening of August 1st in the presence of the President of the IOC Lord Killanin and the Governor General of Canada Jules Leger. To the sound of fanfares, 500 schoolgirls formed a huge rectangle on the central lawn and performed a beautiful choreographed routine and when finished, turned their cloaks inside out which formed the colors and rings of the Olympic Flag. Then to the sound of the March of the Athletes, a group of 75 Aboriginal Canadian Indians in full festive dress gear entering in arrowhead formation chanted and dancing to the beating of their drums, gave the setting for a most wonderful impression of the first people of Canada. And to underscore the brotherly unity of the Olympics, the athletes entered the stadium again without being grouped by nationalities, accompanied by over 500 Canadian Indians in their festive costumes and entered the five rings that were erected by the 500 schoolgirls, which then erected five Aboriginal tents in the Olympic Rings.

After the wonderful entertainment, IOC President Lord Killanin of Scotland thanked the athletes for attending the games and their participation in them. The exchange of the very fancy small Olympic Flag was then given back by the Mayor of Montreal and was handed by Lord Killanin to the Mayor of Moscow where the next Summer Olympics will be in 1980. Then the large Olympic Flag was lowered and carried away by eight Olympians and four guides and while the Olympic farewell song was performed by the orchestra and chanted by a large chorus, The Olympic Flag was carried out of the Olympic Stadium, while the Olympic Flame went out very slowly and when the last few flickers changed to darkness at the Olympic Cauldron the games of Montreal 1976 were over and on the giant screen the 1980 Olympics of Moscow were announced and live from Moscow singers and dancers were performing a beautiful program of Russian dances and songs and thousands of people walked around with candles. The large crowd at the stadium in Montreal waved lighted sticks that were given to them at the entrance to be used at the ceremony as a gesture of friendship which made for a beautiful sight from the center field where we were slowly leaving the stadium with all the other athletes and so the games of the 21st Olympics came to an end.

XXII SUMMER OLYMPICS MOSCOW RUSSIA USSR 19 JULY to 3 AUGUST 1980

Although I received my Argentine accreditation for the XXIInd Olympics in Moscow, I like most Americans did not go

XXIII SUMMER OLYMPICS LOS ANGELES CALIFORNIA USA 18 JULY to12 AUGUST 1984

THEY SHALL DIVE AND THEY SHALL RUN AND HURL THEIR LANCES IN THE SUN,

IN THE SUN THAT IS YOUNG ONCE ONLY, TIME LET ME PLAY AND BE GOLDEN. Dylan Thomas

The XXIIIrd Olympiad was staged around the greater Los Angeles area, Orange County and as far south as San Diego. The Opening and the Closing Ceremonies were at the L A Coliseum, site of the 1932 Olympics and were staged by Bud Greenspan. Organizers Paul Ziffren, Peter Ueberroth and Harry Usher welcomed President Ronald Reagan and IOC President J. Antonio Samaranch, who after saying a few words, presented the Olympic Flag to Mayor Tom Bradley, which marked the beginning of the Opening Ceremony. After playing the National Anthem, the Teams started entering the Stadium with Greece leading and the large US Team last and taking their places in front of the Honor Tribune of the Coliseum, which was filled with all the IOC Officials, the Diplomatic Corp, the high Military and Government Officials, the Media and in a completely filled Stadium, IOC President Antonio Samaranch greeted the Athletes, reminding them of Fair Play. Organizing President Peter Ueberroth then also welcomed the Athletes, Officials and the Spectators and asked President Ronald Reagan to open the Olympic Games and he does it with these words: " Celebrating the XXIIIrd Olympiad of the modern era, I declare open the Olympic Games of Los Angeles." Fanfares sound, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Los Angeles Opera chorus perform the chorale of the 9th Symphony by Ludwig Van Bethoven and the Olympic Hymn, as the Olympic Flame is carried by Rafer Johnson and Jesse Owens' Granddaughter Gina Hamphill and after they circle the track, Rafer Johnson the 1960 ROME Decathlon Gold Medalist, carries the Flame up the steps to the cauldron and lights the Olympic Flame among a loud ovation and to the sounds of Handel's Royal Fireworks Music. Olympic Hurdle champion Edwin Moses takes the Athletes Oath and Gymnast Sharon Weber, the Official Olympic Oath. Music and all kind of entertainment is being performed and thousands of balloons and Pigeons are being released and the opening Ceremony of the Los Angeles 1984 Olympics come to an end. Some of the best US Athletes of the 1984 games were Carl Lewis with four Gold, equaling Jesse Owens record in Berlin, Joan Benoit Gold in the Woman Marathon, Connie Carpenter Gold in Cycling, Mary Meagher 2 Gold in Butterfly Swim, Edwin Moses Gold in 400m Hurdles, Greg Louganis Gold in Diving, Mary Lou Retton Gold in Gymnastics, Ekatarina Szabo RUM 4 Gold in Gymnastics, Carlos Lopes POR, Gold for Marathon, Sebastian Cole GB 2 consecutive Gold in 1500m, Steffi Graf GER Gold for Tennis, Other GOLD: USA for 4x100 m Relay, USA for Basketball, USA for Volleyball, PAK for Men's Field Hockey, NET for Women's Hockey, YUG for Men's Handball YUG for Women's Handball YUG for Waterpolo, The Football, Final was between France 2, Brazil 0, France won the Gold, Brazil Silver and Yugoslavia Bronze, The Closing Ceremonies the evening of 12 August were nicely staged by Bud Greenspan with teams of all the nations mingling together, the Officials thanking the Athletes for participating, the IOC flag lowered and the Flame was extinguished. A Spaceman landed in middle of the Stadium and there were fireworks, music, dancing, a colorful pageantry and so the Closing Ceremony of the XXIIrd Olympic Games of Los Angeles came to an end.

email: