Object Details
- Description (Brief)
- Blank Olympic silver medal representing the 1984 Summer Olympic Games held in Los Angeles, California. The medal has an embossed image of an athlete being hoisted in 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. Velvet blue container 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
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
- associated institution
- Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee
- date made
- 1984
- Credit Line
- Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee (through Carol Daniels)
- Physical Description
- silk (ribbon material)
- metal, silver (medal material)
- Measurements
- overall: 1/4 in x 2 1/4 in; .635 cm x 5.715 cm
- Object Name
- medal, olympic
- medal, summer olympics
