Summer Games Index: Previous Summer Games ▪ Next Summer Games
Host City: Seoul, South Korea (September 17, 1988 to October 2, 1988)
Opening Ceremony: September 17, 1988 (opened by President Roh Tae-Woo)
Lighter of the Olympic Flame: Won-Tak Kim
Taker of the Olympic Oath: Heo Jae, Son Mi-Na (athlete)
Closing Ceremony: October 2, 1988
Events: 237 in 27 sports
Participants: 8,453 (6,249 men and 2,202 women) from 159 countries
Youngest Participant: Nádia Cruz (13 years, 74 days)
Oldest Participant: Durward Knowles (70 years, 323 days)
Most Medals (Athlete): Matt Biondi (7 medals)
Most Medals (Country): Soviet Union (132 medals)
In late September 1981, when the IOC awarded the 1988 Olympics to Seoul, the Olympic world was stunned. The choice was highly controversial as many prominent nations in the Olympic Movement, notably the Soviet Bloc nations, did not have diplomatic relations with the Seoul government. After the political problems that had marred the last few Olympics, there was widespread concern that another boycott would ensue because of this.
» Click to show/hide rest of overview
Rk | Country | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Soviet Union | 55 | 31 | 46 | 132 |
2 | East Germany | 37 | 35 | 30 | 102 |
3 | United States | 36 | 31 | 27 | 94 |
4 | West Germany | 11 | 14 | 15 | 40 |
5 | Bulgaria | 10 | 12 | 13 | 35 |
6 | South Korea | 12 | 10 | 11 | 33 |
7 | China | 5 | 11 | 12 | 28 |
8 | Romania | 7 | 11 | 6 | 24 |
9 | Great Britain | 5 | 10 | 9 | 24 |
10 | Hungary | 11 | 6 | 6 | 23 |
11 | France | 6 | 4 | 6 | 16 |
12 | Poland | 2 | 5 | 9 | 16 |
13 | Italy | 6 | 4 | 4 | 14 |
14 | Japan | 4 | 3 | 7 | 14 |
15 | Australia | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 |
16 | New Zealand | 3 | 2 | 8 | 13 |
17 | Yugoslavia | 3 | 4 | 5 | 12 |
18 | Sweden | 0 | 4 | 7 | 11 |
19 | Canada | 3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
20 | Kenya | 5 | 2 | 2 | 9 |
21 | Netherlands | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 |
22 | Czechoslovakia | 3 | 3 | 2 | 8 |
23 | Brazil | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 |
24 | Norway | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
25 | Denmark | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
26 | Spain | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
27 | Finland | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
28 | Switzerland | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
29 | Morocco | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
30 | Turkey | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
31 | Jamaica | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
32 | Argentina | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
33 | Belgium | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
34 | Mexico | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
35 | Suriname | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
36 | Austria | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
37 | Portugal | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
38 | Chile | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
39 | Iran | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
40 | Costa Rica | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
41 | United States Virgin Islands | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
42 | Netherlands Antilles | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
43 | Peru | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
44 | Indonesia | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
45 | Senegal | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
46 | Philippines | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
47 | Colombia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
48 | Thailand | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
49 | Mongolia | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
50 | Pakistan | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
51 | Djibouti | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
52 | Greece | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Rk | Athlete | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Matt Biondi (USA) | 5 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
2 | Kristin Otto (GDR) | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
3 | Daniela Silivaş (ROU) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 6 |
4 | Vladimir Artyomov (URS) | 4 | 1 | 0 | 5 |
5 | Florence Griffith Joyner (USA) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 |
6 | Dmitry Bilozerchev (URS) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 |
7 | Valery Lyukin (URS) | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
8 | Svetlana Boginskaya (URS) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
9 | Yelena Shushunova (URS) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
10 | Janet Evans (USA) | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
11 | Birgit Fischer-Schmidt (GDR) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
12 | Heike Friedrich (GDR) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
13 | Chris Jacobs (USA) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
14 | Tom Jager (USA) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
15 | Carl Lewis (USA) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
16 | Silke Hörner (GDR) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
17 | Katrin Meißner (GDR) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
18 | Daniela Hunger (GDR) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
19 | Manuela Stellmach (GDR) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
20 | Birte Weigang (GDR) | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
21 | Vanya Gesheva (BUL) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
22 | Paul MacDonald (NZL) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
23 | Holger Behrendt (GDR) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
24 | Uwe Daßler (GDR) | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
25 | Cornelia Sirch (GDR) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
26 | Igor Polyansky (URS) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 |
27 | Gabriela Potorac (ROU) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
28 | Sven Tippelt (GDR) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
29 | Gennady Prigoda (URS) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |
30 | Heike Drechsler (GDR) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 |