Blank Olympic Gold Medal from the 1984 Summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, California

Object Details

associated institution

Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee

Description (Brief)

Blank Olympic gold medal representing the 1984 Summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, California. The medal has an embossed image of an athlete being hoisted on the shoulders of other athletes on one side and a woman draped in a toga holding a wreath on the reverse. Loop on top with two chain links, suspended by silk ribbon of pink, gold, and light blue/green stripes. Valvet blue container for gold medal, with blue velvet and white silk inside. This was not awarded at the Games but is a representation of what the athletes were given.

The 1984 Summer Olympics, also known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in Los Angeles, California with 140 countries, 5,263 men and 1,566 women athletes participating. These Games were boycotted by fourteen countries, including the Soviet Union because of America’s boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics due to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. American Carl Lewis won four gold medals in track and field while Joan Benoit won gold for the U.S. in the first women’s marathon. Mary Lou Retton dominated women’s gymnastics becoming the first American to win the gymnastics all-around competition and the American men won the gold in the gymnastics team competition. With the addition of women’s only events of rhythmic gymnastics and synchronized swimming and the addition of women’s events in track and field, shooting and cycling, women athletes were just beginning to see results from Title IX legislation of twelve years prior. The United States won the medal count with 174.

Location

Currently not on view

Credit Line

Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (through Carol Daniels)

1984

ID Number

1985.0297.05

accession number

1985.0297

catalog number

1985.0297.05

Object Name

medal, olympic

medal, summer olympics

Physical Description

velvet (box material)

silk (box material)

silk (metal material)

metal, gold (metal material)

Measurements

overall: 1/4 in x 2 1/4 in; .635 cm x 5.715 cm

associated place

United States: California, Los Angeles

See more items in

Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure

National Museum of American History

web subject

Sports

name of sport

Olympics

level of sport

Amateur

related event

Olympic Summer Games: Los Angeles, 1984

Record ID

nmah_681421

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0

GUID (Link to Original Record)

https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746af-82d8-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa