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25th Olympic Games: Barcelona 1992

2004-03-27 11:46 COC

Date: 25 July - 09 August 1992
NOCs (Nations): 169
Athletes: 9,356 (2,704 women, 6,652 men)
Sports: 28
Events: 257
Volunteers: 34,548
Media: 13,082 (5,131 written press, 7,951 broadcasters)

    For the first time in 20 years, every nation with a National Olympic Committee was represented. Men's basketball was open to all professionals, and the US sent a "Dream Team" that included Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. Gymnast Vitaly Scherbo won six gold medals, including a record four in one day. Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia won the 10,000m run to become the first female black African Olympic champion. Her victory lap with silver medallist Meyer, a white South African, symbolised hope for the future of the Olympic Movement.

    The 25th Olympic Games was held in Barcelona in 1992 on a larger scale than ever before - with the participation of 10,251 athletes from 172 countries and areas. The Chinese sports delegation, composed of 128 sportsmen and 133 sportswomen, placed fourth in medal standing with 16 golds, 22 silvers and 16 bronzes - an achievement that was indicative of China's new progress in many sports. Take swimming for example. While none of the Chinese contestants managed to reach the top eight in this sport at the Seoul Olympics, as many as seven gold medals were won in Barcelona - in the women's events by Zhuang Yong in the 100m freestyle with 54.64 as a new Olympic record; Qian Hong in the 100m butterfly with 58.62; 

    Lin li in the 200m individual medley with 2:11.65 as a new world record; Yang Wenyi in the 50m freestyle with 24.79 to improve her own world record; Fu Mingxia in the platform and Gao Min in the springboard diving; and in the men's events by Sun Shuwei in the platform diving. In table tennis, the men's doubles, women's doubles and women's singles were won by Wang Tao/Lu Lin, Deng Yaping/Qiao Hong and Deng Yaping respectively. As had been promised, IOC President J. A. Samaranch awarded the women's singles prize to Deng personally. In addition, gold medals were won by Chinese athletes in shooting, gymnastics, race walking and judo, and silver medals in athletics, weightlifting, badminton and women's basketball.

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