Kalev - Olympic Champions

OLYMPIC GAMES

It's not known when the first of the ancient Olympic Games were held, but the first written record mentions the champion (of the only event: running) in 776 B.C. The Olympics grew, included more sports and continued to be held every four years. They were abolished (as "pagan"!) in the year 393 A.D.

The modern Olympic Games began in 1896. The IOC had been created two years earlier by Pierre de Coubertin. Gymnastics was included from the start, but because of strong resistance from Coubertin and the Vatican, women were not allowed to compete at the Olympics until 1920 when they participated in lawn tennis and golf. They first competed in gymnastics in 1928, when "Optional Team Drill" became part of the "Team - Combined Exercise" score in women's gymnastics. As of 1948, this section of the team score was called "Group exercise with hand apparatus" and it was given separate medal standing in the Olympics 1952 and 1956.

Women's gymnastics continued to be part of the Olympic Games but there was no further mention of hand apparatus. Rhythmic Gymnasts was introduced at the 1984 Games, now as an individuals only event. Team = group competitions re-appeared in 1996.

The Czechoslovak women's team during the team exercise of the artistic
gymnastics competition at the Games of the XI Olympiad. They won silver.

(Information from IOC and FIG)

Listed here are the winners and (within brackets) any Canadian participants.
#1 - 1896 Athens	Gymnastics was one of the sports included. Men only.	From the 1936 Games
#2 - 1900 Paris	Men only.
#3 - 1904 St. Louis	Men only. "Club swinging" was one event, but the clubs never left the hands.
1906 - Athens - "Unofficial"	... since it was an "extra" event, held only to celebrate 10 years of modern Olympics. Men only.	Two members of the Swedish Olympic gold team 1952, Ann-Sofie Pettersson (left) and Eva Berg, with their pianist, before touring the USA, after winning gold at the Games.
#4 - 1908 London	Men only.
#5 - 1912 Stockholm	Men only.
#6 - 1916	Not held because of World War I.
#7 - 1920 Antwerp	Men only.
#8 - 1924 Paris	Men only.	The silver medallists from the 1952 Olympics: Russia
#9 - 1928 Amsterdam	"Women's Team combined Exercise - Drill, Apparatus, and Jumps": 1) Netherlands, 2) Italy, 3) Great Britain (not known if hand apparatus other than ball - pictured above) - were included).
#10 - 1932 Los Angeles	11 events were contested, all for men only. Swinging of "Indian clubs" was one event.
#11 - 1936 Berlin	In "Women's Team combined Exercise" was were two optional events: one free-hand and one with hand hand apparatus, e.g. ball: 1) Germany, 2) Czechoslovakia, 3) Hungary	Lori Fung and Adrianne Dunnett in Los Angeles 1984
#12 - 1940	Not held because of World War II.
#13 - 1944	Not held because of World War II.
#14 - 1948 London	"Women's Group Exercise with hand apparatus": 1) Czechoslovakia, 2) Hungary, 3) USA
#15 - 1952 Helsinki	"Women's Team Exercise with portable apparatus": 1) Sweden, 2) Russia, 3) Hungary, 4) Finland
#16 - 1956 Melbourne	"Women's Team Exercise with portable apparatus" (ball, rope. ribbon, clubs and hoop were used): 1) Hungary, 2) Sweden, 3) Poland & Soviet Union
#17 - #22	There were "Women's Team Combined Exercises" at these Games but no mention of portable apparatus.
#23 - 1984 Los Angeles	Fung, CAN (and one more Canadian: Adrianne Dunnett - 17th)
#24 - 1988 Seoul	Lobach, USSR (Mary Fuzesi - 10th, Lise Gautreau - 32nd)	Emilie Livingston in Sydney 2000
#25 - 1992 Barcelona	Timoshenko, CIS/EUN (Madonna Gimotea - 20th, Susan Cushman - 29th)
#26 - 1996 Atlanta	Serebrianskaya, Ukraine (Camille Martens - 33rd) Group: Spain (no Canadians)
#27 - 2000 Sydney	Barsoukova, Russia (Emilie Livingston - 18th) Group: Russia (no Canadians)
#28 - 2004 Athens	Kabaeva, Russia (no Canadian) Groups: Russia (no Canadians)	Canada's group 2012
#29 - 2008 Beijing	Kanaeva, Russia (Alexandra Orlando - 18th) Groups: Russia (no Canadians)
#30 - 2012 London	(no Canadian individual gymnast) Groups: (Canada - )

back