The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXIV Olympiad and officially branded as Seoul 1988, were an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. 159 nations were represented at the games by a total of 8,391 athletes. 237 events were held and 27,221 volunteers helped to prepare the Olympics.
The 1988 Summer Paralympics were the first Paralympics in 24 years to take place in the same city as the Olympic Games. They took place in Seoul, South Korea. This was the first time the term "Paralympic" was used officially.
The 1992 Summer Paralympics were the ninth Paralympic Games to be held. They were held in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. In addition, the 1992 Paralympic Games for Persons with mental handicap were held immediately after the regular Paralympics in the Spanish capital, Madrid.
Indonesia first participated in the Olympic Games in 1952 and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for two; in 1964 due to controversy around the 1962 Asian Games when they banned Israel and the then-internationally recognized Republic of China which resulted in a ban for their track and field team, and in 1980, when they participated in the U.S.-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics. The National Olympic Committee for Indonesia was created in 1946 and recognized in 1952. The country has never participated in the Winter Olympic Games, which can be explained by the lack of sporting facilities for winter sports on its territory.
Georgia first participated at the Olympic Games as an independent nation in 1994 and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games since then.
Albania first participated at the Summer Olympic Games in 1972. After that, Albania boycotted the next four games for political reasons, as part of the 1980 Summer Olympics boycott, 1984 Summer Olympics boycott and the isolationist stance of Albania at the time. They returned for the Barcelona 1992 Summer Olympics and have appeared in all games since then. Albania made their Winter Olympic Games debut in 2006. Albania normally competes in events that include swimming, athletics, weightlifting, shooting, and wrestling. They have been represented by the Albanian National Olympic Committee since 1972.
Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Paralympics consisted of seven events for men.
Paralympic powerlifting, also known as para powerlifting and para-lifting, is an adaptation of the sport of powerlifting for athletes with disabilities. The only discipline in Paralympic powerlifting is the bench press. The sport is governed by the International Paralympic Committee and is open to anyone with a minimum level of disability who can extend their arms within 20° of full extension during a lift. Powerlifting has been competed at the Summer Paralympics since 1984.
Guatemala have been irregular participants in the Paralympic Games. The country made its début at the 1976 Summer Paralympics in Toronto, with a delegation of eleven athletes to compete in archery, dartchery, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting. It was then absent in 1980, and returned in 1984, with a delegation of two swimmers and two weightlifters. It sent a single weightlifter to the 1988 Games, then was absent for sixteen years, before returning for the 2004 Paralympics, represented by two runners. Visually impaired 5,000m runner César López was the sole Guatemalan competitor in 2008. Guatemala has never taken part in the Winter Paralympics.
Malaysia made its Paralympic Games début at the 1972 Summer Paralympics in Heidelberg, with a delegation of three athletes, all of whom competed in both track and field and weightlifting. The country was then absent for three consecutive editions of the Summer Paralympics, before making its return at the 1988 Games in Seoul. Malaysia has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but has never entered the Winter Paralympics.
Oman made its Paralympic Games début at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul, with competitors taking part in track and field, table tennis, weightlifting and wheelchair fencing. The country has participated in every subsequent edition of the Summer Paralympics, but has never entered the Winter Paralympics. Oman's largest delegation was in 1988 with seven athletes. Only male athletes competed until 2016 when Raya Al’Abri competed in women's javelin. Oman won its first medal at the 2020 Summer Paralympics when Mohammed al-Mashaykhi won bronze in the Men's shot put F32.
The Philippines made its Paralympic Games debut at the 1988 Summer Paralympics in Seoul and has been fielding athletes up to the 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo. Its athletes has won two bronze medals; Adeline Dumapong in powerlifting (2000), and Josephine Medina in table tennis (2016). The country has never won a Paralympic gold medal.
John Harris is a former Paralympic athlete from Wales competing mainly in category 5 throwing events. In 1984 he became the world record holder in the discus winning gold at the Summer Paralympics, following this with silver in the discus and bronze in the Pentathlon four years later.
Malaysia competed at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona, Spain from 3 September to 14 September. The country sent 10 competitors and won a total of 3 medals, 1 silver and 2 bronze, finishing joint 51st in the medal table along with Jamaica.
Sara Samir Elsayed Mohamed Ahmed is an Egyptian weightlifter who won a bronze medal in the women's 69 kg event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and the silver medal in the women's 81kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She won the gold medal in the women's 76 kg event at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships.
Mitko Todorov Grablev is a Bulgarian weightlifter who competed for Bulgaria. He is a twice European champion and a world record holder. He originally claimed the gold medal in Weightlifting at the 1988 Summer Olympics – Men's 56 kg but was disqualified after he tested positive for furosemide. It became a scandal after another Bulgarian weightlifter Angel Guenchev, who also originally claimed a gold medal in weightlifting, was disqualified for failing a drug test and resulting to a positive result for the doping agent furosemide. The Bulgarian weightlifting team was forced to withdraw midway from the weightlifting competition.
David Andrew Liti is a New Zealand weightlifter, who won the gold medal in the +105 kg event at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. His total lift of 403 kg was a Commonwealth Games record.
Mohamad Aniq bin Kasdan is a Malaysian weightlifter. He won the silver medal in the Clean & Jerk men's 55 kg event at the 2021 World Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. He was the first Malaysian weightlifter to win a medal in the World Weightlifting Championships.
Shmuel Haimovitz was an Israeli weightlifter who won five Paralympic medals and set several world records. From 2001 to his death in 2017 was the commissioner for equal rights for people with disabilities in Israel.
Amos Ginosar is a former Israeli weightlifter who won two Paralympic medals and set several world records.
