LONDON OLYMPIC GAMES 1948

Karoliina Grentsmann

C. R. Jakobson Gymnasium

Form 9c

Supervisor: Tiia Pukk

2012

FACTS ABOUT THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Was held in London, England, United Kingdom

A record 59 nations were represented 4,104 athletes, 3,714 men, 390 women The host nation won 23 medals Officially opened by King George VI Opening ceremony 29 July Closing ceremony 14 August Was held in Wembley Stadium

ELECTION AS HOST CITY

IOC awarded the 1944 Olympic Summer Games to London

World War II stopped the plans London again stood as a candidate for 1948 Britain almost handed the 1948 games to the

USA London became the second city to host the

Olympics twice

ORGANIZATION

Lord Burghley was named Chairman of the Organising and Executive Committees

Olympic pictograms were introduced for the first time

Three separate pictograms for the arts competition, the opening ceremony and the closing ceremony

Athletes were given increased rations They ate 5,467 calories a day, instead of the

normal 2,600

ORGANIZATION

Male competitors stayed at RAF camps in Uxbridge, West Drayton and Richmond

Female competitors stayed in London colleges

The first games to be held following the death of Pierre de Coubertin

The last to feature an arts competition

OPENING CEREMONY

Army bands began playing at 2 pm in Wembley Stadium

The Royal Family arrived at 2:45 pm At 3 pm the competitors entered the stadium

in a procession that took 50 minutes At 4 pm the King declared the Games open 2,500 pigeons were set free Olympic Flag raised to its 35 ft flagpole at the

end of the stadium The National Anthem was sung, the athletes

marched out of the stadium, led by Greece, tailed by Britain.

SPORTS

Athletics Basketball Boxing Canoeing Cycling Diving Equestrian Fencing Field Hockey Football

SPORTS

Gymnastics Lacrosse Modern pentathlon Rowing Sailing Shooting Swimming Water polo Weightlifting Wrestling

VENUES

No new venues were built for the Games Swimming events were held undercover In 2010 the last remaining venue from the

Games was saved when a new 15 year lease was agreed

Campaigners and users of the track had feared that it would be forced to close

PARTICIPATING NATIONS

A total of 59 nations sent athletes The first time that the Philippines, India and

Pakistan competed as independent nations Germany and Japan were not allowed to send

athletes to the games Italy was allowed to send athletes The Soviet Union was invited but they chose

not to send any athletes

MEDALS

US won 84 medals Sweden won 44 medals France won 29 medals Hungary won 27 medals Italy won 27 medals Finland won 20 medals Turkey won 12 medals Czechoslovakia won 11 medals Switzerland won 20 medals Denmark won 20 medals The host nation was 12th, with 23 medals,

including three golds

REFERENCES

http://shrt.st/2cg7 http://shrt.st/2cg8 http://shrt.st/2cg9 http://shrt.st/2cga http://shrt.st/2cgb http://shrt.st/2chw http://shrt.st/2chx http://shrt.st/2chy http://shrt.st/2chz http://shrt.st/2cjf