Olympic Series

Olympics – 1996 Atlanta

To celebrate the Centennial Games, something more than a show choreographed by Americans, for Americans – even a faultlessly organized show – was needed. However, this was anything but...

The selection of Atlanta to host the 1996 Games was met with scepticism and disapproval: the United States again, and barely twelve years after Los Angeles. There was logic in the choice: the American chain CBS alone provided US $ 456 million of the US $ 898 million dollars in rights revenues. Atlanta is also the seat of Coca – Cola, faithful partner of the Games. However, the logic of the decision was seen by many to be deeply flawed.

But there were other symbols at play. Atlanta is the native city of Martin Luther King, the Baptist pastor with a dream who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964. And in this Southern city, it was a black man, Muhammad Ali, who lit the Olympic cauldron. He was crowned world champion in Rome, under the name of Cassius Clay, and then went on to win the world over with his talent and charisma. And it was two black athletes, Michael Johnson and Marie – Jose Peree, who pulled off the most magnificent feats of the fortnight.

Yet for all the jostling imagery, the Atlanta Games will be remembered for overcrowded and chaotic transport, a defective computer system, poorly – prepared and often incompetent on – site volunteers, a disturbingly biased crowd and an extremely mercenary attitude, especially around the Olympic Park. This was the site of a bomb explosion early on 27 July, which left one person dead and more than one hundred injured. It was as if Atlanta had to pay the price for its original sin: being chosen for the Centennial Games, ahead of Athens.

Michael Johnson: ‘I Wanted to Go Down in History’

Thanks to his incredible 19.32, Michael Johnson won the Olympic Gold and broke his own world record – all just three days after winning the 400 meters. Having been knocked out of the competition in the semi finals in Barcelona, owing to food poisoning, his Atlanta double represented revenge and relief. Michael had bettered his world record of 19.65 by .33 seconds, a huge improvement by any yardstick. The track was fast and he ran real fast after a less than ideal start, in fact he nearly fell over when he came off the blocks.  Michael, who idolised Jesse Owens, received a letter from his widow Ruth, after the American trials; and from the first round of the 400 meters to the final of the 200 meters that letter never left him. He was under enormous pressure and that is what brought the best from him. Winning the double of 200 and 400 meters in the Olympics and beating the world and Games record was deserving of a place in history.

Perec Becomes a Legend

Even before completing her fabulous 200 and 400 meters double, Marie – Jose became the first athlete to retain her 400 meter title. It all started in 1991, when she won the 400 meters in the World Championships in Tokyo. In Barcelona she was the favourite, a role which she assumed perfectly. The 1993 World Championships in Stuttgart gave her the opportunity to satisfy her appetite for challenge. She ran the 200 meters, but finished fourth. In 1994 she moved from Paris to Los Angeles and joined the stable of legendary sprint coach John Smith. With this champion maker, she learnt self management, discipline and relaxation. Normally so tense before each race, so anxious she made herself ill, Perec learned to control her nerves. With the help of John Smith’s relaxation techniques, Perec became a different woman. On 29 July, by retaining her Olympic title in a race she dominated, Marie Jose Perec became a legend. A legend of a little girl with long, thin legs, who became the best athlete in the world in her discipline.

The Legend of King Lewis

Carl Lewis at the age of thirty five, took home his fourth long jump Gold medal, and his ninth in all, making him truly the athlete of the century. If someone wrote a novel based on his life, it would have all the ingredients of a bestseller. A career inspiring hate and respect. Blood, sweat and tears, often of happiness, sometimes of despair. Nothing would be missing. He has even left posterity a stunning photographic record. Fredrick Carleton McKinley Lewis, born July 1 1961, Birmingham, Alabama gave the world a new image, one of almost childlike emotion, on the podium where he received his Ninth Gold Medal of his phenomenal career. After jumping 8.50 meters, he became the quadruple Olympic champion, a feat which only discus thrower Al Oerter had achieved.

Me Sacha – Not Tarzan

As he did in Barcelona, Aleksandr Popov completed the 50 and 100 meters double, a feat achieved before him only by Johnny Weismuller, Tarzan. Beating the Americans on their home turf became an obsession, which he did by taking on Gary Hall of USA and winning the 100 meters. If ever one day one wanted to convert somebody to swimming, he should have shown them Aleksandr ‘Sacha’ Popov in action. Popov has all the qualities of the perfect swimmer, from the physique, the formidable strength in his arms and legs, the giant arm span, and perfect technique, described by Mark Spitz as ‘the genius of action’. Popov has two further qualities without which even the most talented swimmer will never become a champion: intelligence, and the dogged determination that allowed him to push an excellent Gary Hall, his American rival, out of the way, just as he had Matt Biondi four years ago.

The End of a Mighty Reign

Miguel Indurain bowed out with Gold against the clock. Modern sport is fertile ground for icons and myth - making, and especially cycling – that gruelling, grinding, solitary effort that attracts the obsessed and the bloody minded. After Chris Boardman in the Barcelona Games, four years later, an even greater cycling icon was brought to the Atlanta Games, carefully packaged inside the ribcage of that Spanish colossus, Miguel Indurain. At rest, Indurain’s massive heart was said to beat 28 times per minute. At peak performance it multiplied its spasms by more than seven times to 210 beats per minute. This remarkable organ, fuelled by great, flotation - tank lungs with a capacity of eight litres, lay at the centre of one of the most extraordinary physiques in sporting history. As if this incredible engine was not enough, Indurain was impervious to stress. The voracious hunger that brought him five consecutive Tour de France wins between 1991 and 1995 was disguised beneath an exterior that was reminiscent of nothing so much as a huge, friendly whale. In the summer of 1996 he had relinquished his Tour de France crown and finished eleventh, exhausted. Only a personal appeal from his Spanish compatriot Juan Antonio Samaranch, president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) persuaded him to travel to Atlanta.

Karelin Saves Russia’s Pride

Even in front of his home crowd, Siamek ‘Matt’ Ghaffari, USA was powerless to stop Aleksandr Karelin, undefeated since 1989. Karelin lived up to his reputation, bringing back his third Olympic Gold medal in a row. Nothing less was expected of him, although a lot more was expected his Russian team – mates, far less dominant than envisaged. On the last day of the Greco – Roman wrestling, Matt Ghaffari the American born in Teheran, Iran, faced the Russian ogre Karelin. Ghaffari entered the mat to the strains of the theme from ‘Rocky’. Karelin walked undaunted by the wildly pro – Ghaffari crowd. Neither 130 kg super – heavyweight held back, and colossal blow followed colossal blow. ‘To beat Karelin, you’d have to be King – Kong’, explained Ghaffari after his defeat, with humour and respect in equal measure.  

The Games In Brief

Opening Date                                                19 July 1996

Closing Date                                                   4 August 1996

Host Nation                                                    USA

Nations Represented                                    197

Athletes                                                           10,320 (3,523 women, 6,797 men)

Sports                                                               27 (21 open to women)

Events                                                               271 (108 open to women)

Games Opened By                                          Bill Clinton, President USA

Olympic Flame Lit By                                      Muhammad Ali (boxing)

Olympic Oath Read By                                   Teresa Edwards (basketball)

IOC President                                                   Juan Antonio Samaranch (Esp)

Yachtsman Hubert Raudaschi of Austria became the first athlete to compete in nine Olympics, having first taken part in the Tokyo Games in 1964.

PS -: Matter researched from the archives of the Olympic Games museum in Lausanne.

Brigadier (retd) S D Dangwal