1984 Olympics Los Angeles History

[VansTripp]

For the third consecutive Olympiad, a boycott prevented all member nations from attending the Summer Games. This time, the Soviet Union and 13 Communist allies stayed home in an obvious payback for the West's snub of Moscow in 1980. Romania was the only Warsaw Pact country to come to L.A.

While a record 140 nations did show up, the level of competition was hardly what it might have been had the Soviets and East Germans made the trip. As a result, the United States won a record 83 gold medals in the most lopsided Summer Games since St. Louis 80 years before.

The American gold rush was led by 23-year-old Carl Lewis, who duplicated Jesse Owens' 1936 track and field grand slam by winning the 100 and 200 meters and the long jump, and anchoring the 4x100 meter relay. Teammate Valerie Brisco-Hooks won three times, taking the 200, 400 and 4x100 relay.

Sebastian Coe of Britain became the first repeat winner of the 1,500 meters since Jim Lightbody of the U.S. in 1906. Other repeaters were Briton Daley Thompson in the decathlon and U.S. hurdler Edwin Moses, who won in 1976 but was not allowed to defend his title in '80.

Romanian gymnast Ecaterina Szabó matched Lewis' four gold medals and added a silver, but the darling of the Games was little (4-foot-83/4), 16-year-old Mary Lou Retton, who won the women's All-Around with a pair of 10s in her last two events.

The L.A. Olympics were the first privately financed Games ever and made an unheard of profit of $215 million. Time magazine was so impressed it named organizing president Peter Ueberroth its Man of the Year.

Screenshot:
http://p.vtourist.com/1000820.jpg
Olympic Parade on Hawthorne Blvd.

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Proud of Olympic 1984.

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Olympic 1984 Uncle Sam

http://virginislandspace.com/nhodge2.jpg
Best Olympic in World

http://www.nordhammer.com/port/1984_olympics.jpg
1984 Olympics

http://www.mindspring.com/~jbeven/lacol.jpg
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

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Los Angeles Beach 1980s

Los Angeles Skyline in 1980:
http://www.volker-pratsch.de/usa1980/la/USA-Bilder-1980-LA-005-downtown.jpg
http://www.volker-pratsch.de/usa1980/la/USA-Bilder-1980-LA-006-abc_tower.jpg
http://www.volker-pratsch.de/usa1980/la/USA-Bilder-1980-LA-007-skyline.jpg
http://www.volker-pratsch.de/usa1980/la/USA-Bilder-1980-LA-008-nacht.jpg

Have enjoy life in Los Angeles since 1980. :nocrook:

Tetimator movie was in part of Los Angeles since 1984 before Olympic start.

[VansTripp]

Fact about Los Angeles in 1980s:
1. Los Angeles have more white people (American+US Citizen) than Hispanic. Black population was 17% or 500,000. In 1960s, Los Angeles have more black people than Hispanic. Classic American City (Both was loss population this year but more Hispanic now.) Not know if both increase again soon in year.

2. There is no light rail or subway system. (Traffic Jam maybe more worse)

3. More gangs related come late in 1980s than this year.

4. Become highest murder rate since 1988 or 1989.

5. Ambassbor Hotel have been end service and closing the door in 1988.

6. House price was more less.

[benji45]

All those Pics are making me so Excited to live there!! I love LA, who cares about pollution and traffic, murders, and gangs :D

[savvysearch]

This pictures are so bizzare! I don't even recognize the city. It's amazing how things in LA change so quickly.

[Imperfect Ending]

Downtown was so white and full of empty lots

[VansTripp]

Downtown was so white and full of empty lots

It has been huge project in Los Angeles Downtown since early or mid-1980s. It was full complete about in 1992 or 1993. Skyline looking much better this year.

[Tazmaniadevil]

I lived in SoCal for 33 years, and attended two of the Track and Field sessions.
I always felt that the Soviet boycott backfired because it allowed the USA to win so many Gold Medals. It really was like a constant victory party. That would not have happened had the Soviet bloc attended.
It truly was a wonderful two weeks, and the games even made money for LA. A great time.

[soup or man]

Man..downtown is naked. I mean look at all the empty lots near the freeways.

[Nick]

All those Pics are making me so Excited to live there!! I love LA, who cares about pollution and traffic, murders, and gangs :D

Hahahahaahah.

Funny comment.I guess you have to love your city.Fair play to you :)

[zafiris]

Is it true that the city is split into two areas? Do the rich and middle class occupy the 50% of the city and poverty, gangs and misery for the other 50%? Is that correct?

[SChristopher]

Good thread, those skyline shots were awesome, LA really grew upward in the last 15-20 years! the 1980 skyline looks alot like a previous era of Atlanta.

[HoustonTexas]

OMG I LOVE THE SKYLINE1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D :D :D

AON TOWER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:creams pants:

[yamota]

the first time I saw the Bonaventure was in the TV show "It's a Living" in the early 80s, this was before I ever came to LA and when I saw it for real a few years later I was like "wow! There's the building from 'It's a Living'!"

[jumping jupiter]

I attended a few track and field games. And synch swimming and volleyball. I can not tell you how great it was to be here for the games. It was exciting and heady .... you would walk into a restaurant and there would be an entire country represented... I remember there was one sushi restaurant I went that the New Zealand and Aussie players were at every night.

Great Britain was all over Santa Monica restaurants.. and I recall a lot of places loaded with Germans. It was like every nation found its niche.

and there was NO traffic.

it was great.

[redspork02]

CHECK this website out! Theres even a video of the Opening Ceramonies!
Totally awesome!!!!:banana:

http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/index_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1984#

[milquetoast]

Heady times, indeed! I still remember the public addressor pleading with the athletes on the field to exit the field. They kept dancing even when the music stopped, linked together, dancing in huge circles. No one wants to leave L. A., and looking at that video, everything seemed more colorful back then. More warm and fuzzy. Maybe because I was 22. :cheers:

[Barcelona60]

I still remember where I was when the Olympics came to town. Working at a Big Ben's Record Store on Lincoln Blvd over in Venice. This is when VHS and Beta formats were very popular. We used to rent them like crazy. I recall we sold 84 Olympic T-Shirts and lots of other related items.

That was a very fun and carefree time of my life! I miss LA!:banana:

[yamota]

Too bad the Russkies didn't come, they would have cleaned up! :eek:

[Barcelona60]

the first time I saw the Bonaventure was in the TV show "It's a Living" in the early 80s, this was before I ever came to LA and when I saw it for real a few years later I was like "wow! There's the building from 'It's a Living'!"

I was trying to remember that name and here it is! Was Ann Jillian that was the star.

That's the same reaction I had when I first came to LA as a teen in 76". Especially when we rode the city bus to Hollywood, Chinatown, etc.

Like Randy Newman sang...."I love LA":banana:

[redspork02]

CNN Reporting....
http://edition.cnn.com/resources/video.almanac/1984/index.html.

[Fern~Fern*]

:omg: for a minute I thought Blinky was back.... :nuts:

[milquetoast]

The only thing that suffered at those games (an unmitigated success) was Mary Decker. I saw that live and it was just as painful to watch.:cheers:

[PotatoGuy]

:omg: for a minute I thought Blinky was back.... :nuts:

haha me too, then I looked at the date... whooo haha

[LAX 777]

There's a video of the opening ceremony and I think also the closing ceremony although I'm not 100% sure, in a time capsule buried in the courtyard of a downtown tower. I don't recall if it's to be opened in 2034 (50 yrs) or 2084 (100 yrs). Bonus points to whoever can tell me which tower it is. :)

[milquetoast]

I can't seem to find any video from ABC or anything on these olympics!

[redspork02]

edit

[The Baz]

84 Olympic Weightlifting was held @ LMU in Gersten Pavilion.

http://www.lasports.org/uploads/facilities/arena/12_photo.jpg

[milquetoast]

I feel pity, actual pity for you young guys on this site. You'll never really know how great it felt to have a successful two weeks like that in this city. It was very rare, and everyone felt it. Probably the city at its very best, representing the world. Everyone was scared because someone ran their car through a crowd in Westwood the night before the opening, and everyone thought "Here we go!!" But, it turned out greater than could be imagined, and no traffic or smog ( well..not too much smog anyway):)

[Barcelona60]

There's a video of the opening ceremony and I think also the closing ceremony although I'm not 100% sure, in a time capsule buried in the courtyard of a downtown tower. I don't recall if it's to be opened in 2034 (50 yrs) or 2084 (100 yrs). Bonus points to whoever can tell me which tower it is. :)

Hopefully its not buried above any fault lines? Hee hee!:lol: