Vii Olympiad
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VII Olympiad
In the immediate aftermath of World War I, Europe was devastated and exhausted from years of destruction and death. The VII Olympiad, the seventh volume in The Olympic Century series, begins with the story of how the Antwerp Games of 1920 used sport to bind the wounds war and restore hope for the future of mankind.Belgium suffered more than most countries during World War I, which ended in 1918, and the devastation was still clearly evident by 1920. But the book recounts how the determined Belgians came together to overcome the massive challenge of staging the Games, constructing a new Olympic stadium in less than a year. The heroes of Antwerp are featured: Paavo Nurmi, the Flying Finn, who staked his claim as the greatest distance runner of the age with three golds; the marksman Oscar Swahn of Sweden who became, and remains, the oldest gold medal winner at age 72; and the great swordsman Nedo Nadi of Italy, the only athlete to win gold in all three fencing disciplines at one Olympics.The book then turns its attention to the French resort town of Chamonix and the first Winter Olympic Games in 1924. It tells the story of a charming 11-year-old figure skater from Sweden named Sonja Henie who, while finishing last in Chamonix, would go on to win three successive Olympic golds.Juan Antonio Samaranch, former President of the International Olympic Committee, called The Olympic Century, "e;The most comprehensive history of the Olympic games ever published"e;.
XV Olympiad
XV Olympiad, the thirteenth volume in The Olympic Century series, tells the story of 1952 Summer Olympic Games of Helsinki, Finland. The Helsinki Games were the first for the Peoples' Republic of China, Israel and the USSR, and set a record for most world records broken at a single Olympics that would stand until 2008.The book profiles heroes of Helsinki like Bob Mathias of the U.S., who defended his decathlon title from the 1948 London Games; the distance runner Emil Zatopek of Czechoslovakia, who claimed three golds including the marathon; and Josy Barthel, who became the first and only gold medal winner from Luxembourg with his triumph in the 1500 metres. In team sports, the legendary "e;Magic Magyars"e; of Hungary claimed gold in soccer.The second part of the book focuses on the Winter Olympics of 1956, held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, which boasted the most events ever held at a Winter Games. With televisions now common in homes in most advanced countries, Cortina d'Ampezzo was also the first Olympics viewed by a wide global audience, boosting the popularity of the Games to a new level. Heroes of Cortina like the Austrian skier Toni Sailer, who swept all three alpine events, became household names, and the world got its first glimpse of the mighty Soviet hockey team, which went on to win five of the next six Olympic gold medals. Juan Antonio Samaranch, former President of the International Olympic Committee, called The Olympic Century, "e;The most comprehensive history of the Olympic games ever published"e;.
XIV Olympiad
In the terrible years leading up to and encompassing World War II, the Olympic movement endured a forced hiatus that lasted 12 long years. The London Games of 1948 marked the end of that dark period, and signaled the beginning of a whole new Olympic era.The XIV Olympiad, the twelfth volume in The Olympic Century series, begins with what were known as the Austerity Games due to post-war rationing. In spite of the banishment of Germany and Japan and the absence of the USSR, the 1948 Games played host to a then-record 59 nations, and were the first Games broadcast on television. The book shines a light on Olympic heroes like Fanny Blankers-Koen of the Netherlands; dubbed "e;The Flying Housewife"e;, the 30-year-old mother of two won an incredible four golds in track in London. On the men's side, the star was Veikko Huhtanen, leader of the dominant Finnish gymnastics team, who claimed three golds, one silver, and one bronze.In the second part of the book, the focus shifts to Oslo, Norway and the 1952 Winter Olympics, where the star attraction was a local truck driver named Hjalmar Andersen who took three of four gold medals in speed-skating. The West Germans also returned to the Olympic fold, winning both the two- and four-man bobsleigh events, and a diminutive American figure skater named Dick Button performed the first triple jump in international competition to take gold.Juan Antonio Samaranch, former President of the International Olympic Committee, called The Olympic Century, "e;The most comprehensive history of the Olympic games ever published"e;.