DESCRIPTION

The Atlanta medal is perhaps the most common (and least expensive) of all OPM’s. The Atlanta emblem rests in the middle while the legend GAMES OF THE XXVI OLYMPIAD lies along the obverse periphery. The reverse depicts a stylized quilt of leaves within the legend CENTENNIAL OLYMPIC GAMES inscribed along the periphery. The medal came in a green velvet pouch housed in a green cardboard box with gold lettering.

THE GAMES

The 1996 games were given a dramatic start when the cauldron was lit by Muhammad Ali. A terrorist bomb killed one person and injured a further 110 people, but the Atlanta Games are best remembered for their sporting achievements. A record-setting 79 nations won medals and 53 won gold. Carl Lewis became only the fourth person to win the same individual event four times and the fourth person to earn a ninth gold medal. Naim Süleymanoglu became the first weightlifter to win a third gold medal. Michael Johnson's (USA-athletics) double success over 200 and 400m was the first for a man in Olympic history. His victory over 200m in 19.32 seconds established a new world record which, in terms of quality, came close to the 8.90m in the long jump with which Bob Beamon astonished the world in Mexico in 1968.