The 1984 Summer Olympics were an international multi-sport event held from July 28 to August 12, 1984, mainly in Los Angeles, California, United States. It marked the second time that Los Angeles had hosted the Games, the first being in 1932. California was the home state of the incumbent U.S. President Ronald Reagan, who officially opened the Games. These were the first Summer Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Juan Antonio Samaranch.
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad and commonly known as Rome 1960, were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awarded the administration of the 1908 Summer Olympics, but following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, the city had no choice but to decline and pass the honour to London. The Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals at the 1960 Games.
Rafer Lewis Johnson was an American decathlete and film actor. He was the 1960 Olympic gold medalist in the decathlon, having won silver in 1956. He had previously won a gold in the 1955 Pan American Games. He was the USA team's flag bearer at the 1960 Olympics and lit the Olympic cauldron at the Los Angeles Games in 1984.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich for the last time as the "Republic of China". The ROC would not return to the Olympics until 1984 and under the name "Chinese Taipei" due to objections by the People's Republic of China over the political status of Taiwan.
The Republic of China (ROC) competed as Chinese Taipei at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California for the first time. The change in name was a result of the Nagoya Resolution, adopted by the International Olympic Committee in 1979 after the objections raised in the 1970s by the People's Republic of China (PRC) over the political status of Taiwan. The IOC restrictions over the ROC name led to the ROC boycott of the Summer Games of 1976 and 1980; the PRC boycotted the Olympic Games prior to the adoption of the resolution. The 1984 Summer Games Chinese Taipei team included 31 men and 7 women, taking part in 40 events in 12 sports. In weightlifting, athletes both from Chinese Taipei and the People's Republic of China won medals.
The People's Republic of China competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. 294 competitors, 111 men and 183 women, took part in 155 events in 25 sports.
The decathlon was a men's event and part of the Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics program in Tokyo. It was held on 19 October and 20 October 1964. 23 athletes from 15 nations entered and 22 started the first event.
Yang Chuan-kwang, or C.K. Yang, was an Olympic decathlete from Taiwan. Yang attended college at UCLA where he trained and competed with team mate and Olympian Rafer Johnson and was coached by Elvin C. Drake.
The United States competed at the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, Italy. It was the first Summer Olympics in which the athletes marched under the present flag. 292 competitors, 241 men and 51 women, took part in 147 events in 17 sports. The 1960 Summer Olympics was the first Olympics in history that was being covered by a television provider. American network CBS became the first official broadcaster of the games, by purchasing the rights to cover the Rome Olympics. The 1960 Summer Olympics also brought one of the first appearances of one of the greatest heavyweight boxers ever, Muhammad Ali. Since these Olympic Games occurred before his conversion to Islam, he fought under the name Cassius Clay.
The Republic of China (Taiwan) competed at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. Twenty competitors, all men, took part in thirteen events in five sports.
Taiwan competed at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. 40 competitors, 37 men and 3 women, took part in 46 events in 7 sports.
Taiwan competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City, Mexico. 43 competitors, 35 men and 8 women, took part in 57 events in 8 sports.
Originally having participated in Olympics as the delegation of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1924 to 1976, China competed at the Olympic Games under the name of the People's Republic of China (PRC) for the first time in 1952, at the Summer Games in Helsinki, Finland, although they only arrived in time to participate in one event. That year, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) allowed both the PRC and ROC to compete, although the latter withdrew in protest. Due to the dispute over the political status of China, the PRC did not participate in the Olympics again until the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, United States. Their first appearance at the Summer Olympic Games after 1952 was the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, United States. The nation has participated in every Games of the Olympiad, boycott the Games of the XVI Olympiad in Melbourne Australia, Games of the XVII Olympiad in Rome Italy, Games of the XVIII Olympiad in Tokyo Japan, Games of the XIX Olympiad in Mexico City Mexico, Games of the XX Olympiad in Munich Germany, and Games of the XXI Olympiad in Montreal Canada. China also boycott the Games of the XXII Olympiad in Moscow USSR due to the American-led boycott and the ongoing Sino-Soviet split, together with the other countries.
In Taiwan, some of the most prominent sports include badminton, baseball, basketball, football, softball, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. Martial arts such as t'ai chi ch'uan and taekwondo are also practiced by many people. International-known athletes include Yang Chuan-kwang, Chi Cheng, and Yani Tseng among others.
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), currently competes as "Chinese Taipei" at the Olympic Games. The ROC first participated at the Summer Olympic Games in 1932. After the Chinese Civil War the ROC retreated to the island of Taiwan and only Taiwan-based athletes have competed in its team since then. The ROC boycotted the Olympics starting from the 1976 Summer Games until it returned to the 1984 Winter Games, and started participating as Chinese Taipei.
Taiwan competed as Chinese Taipei at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, where it sent 80 competitors in a record 15 sports. Since 1984, athletes from Taiwan have competed at the Olympics as "Chinese Taipei", not as the "Republic of China (ROC)", due to opposition from the People's Republic of China.
The men's decathlon at the 1960 Summer Olympics took place between 5 September and 6 September at the Stadio Olimpico.
Kwan Sung-sing was a Chinese construction engineer, architect, entrepreneur, founder of the architectural firm “Kwan, Chu and Yang Architects” and a member of Hongmen. He was also an activist who promoted track and field sports in the Republic of China during the 1950s, and was thus hailed as "the father of track and field in Taiwan." He was born in Weihai, Shandong, Qing China.
China (1952-)
Chinese Taipei (1956-)
