See also:
1988 Summer Paralympics
The
Games of the XXIV Olympiad were held in
1988 in
Seoul,
South Korea. The host was chosen in a
1981 vote, defeating the
Japanese town of
Nagoya
- South Korea's government became a democracy under the pressure of organising the Olympics.
- After boycotts of the Olympics in 1976, 1980 and 1984, the Games were again boycotted, but only by four nations: North Korea, Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua.
- Canadian Ben Johnson wins the 100 m in a new World Record, but is then disqualified after he has been found guilty of using doping.
- Swimmer Kristin Otto[?] of East Germany wins six gold medals. Other multi-medalists in the pool are Matt Biondi[?] (five) and Janet Evans (3).
- Anthony Nesty[?] of Suriname wins his country's first Olympic medal by winning the 100 m butterfly, scoring an upset victory.
- Sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner wins three gold medals and a silver on the track.
- Christa Rothenburger[?] becomes the first (and last) athlete to win Olympic medals at the Winter Olympics and Summer Olympics in the same year. She adds a cycling silver to the speed skating gold she won earlier in the year in Calgary.
- Greg Louganis wins back-to-back titles on both diving events, but not after hitting the springboard with his head in the 3-m event final.
- Tennis returns to the Olympics after a 64-year absence. Steffi Graf adds to her four Grand Slam victories in the year by also winning the Olympic title.
- Table tennis is introduced at the Olympics, with China and the host nation both winning two titles.
- Daniela Silivas[?] of Romania wins three gold medals in gymnastics, Soviet Vladimir Artemov[?] wins four.
- Two Bulgarian weightlifters are stripped of their gold medals after testing positive for doping. The Bulgarian weightlifting team withdraws after this event.
See the medal winners, ordered by sport:
Pos | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
Summer Olympics
1896 | 1900 | 1904 | 1906 | 1908 | 1912 | 1920 | 1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1996 | 2000 | 2004 | 2008 | 2012
Winter Olympics
1924 | 1928 | 1932 | 1936 | 1948 | 1952 | 1956 | 1960 | 1964 | 1968 | 1972 | 1976 | 1980 | 1984 | 1988 | 1992 | 1994 | 1998 | 2002 | 2006 | 2010