The Modern Olympics
1976 -- Montreal, Canada
6,085 athletes, 92 nations
For the first time in Olympic History the Games were held in Canada. But serious financial and administrative problems put a damper on the Montreal Olympics. Montreal mayor Jean Drapeau had promised the Games would not cost taxpayers anything. Initially he said they would have a price tag of $124 million. When the organizing committee started to study the budget they realized it would cost at least $310 million. In the end the figure was closer to $1.5 billion.
Click for Olympic posters
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There were also some political problems surrounding the Games. Tawain withdrew from the Games because of disputes with China and some African nations boycotted the Games because they were angered by New Zealand's rugby tours in apartheid South Africa.
The Olympic hero of the Games was Nadia Comaneci, the 14-year-old Romanian gymnast who recorded the first perfect "10" and won two gold medals. East German women dominated the swimming events at the Games and Bruce Jenner won the decathlon.
Canadian Highlights: Canada became the first host country not to win a gold medal at their own Games. Canadians won silver medals in high jump, canoeing, and swimming. Canadian swimmers also took home several bronze medals.
Medal Count: Gold 0, Silver 5, Bronze 6
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PREVIOUS OLYMPICS - 1976 PHOTOS |
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