Multi-sport event in Rome, Italy
The 1960 Summer Olympics (Italian: Giochi Olimpici estivi del 1960), officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad (Italian: Giochi della XVII Olimpiade) and commonly known as Rome 1960 (Italian: Roma 1960), were an international multi-sport event held from 25 August to 11 September 1960 in Rome, Italy. Rome had previously been awarded the administration of the 1908 Summer Olympics, but following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1906, the city had no choice but to decline and pass the honour to London. The Soviet Union won the most gold and overall medals at the 1960 Games.
The 1st Paralympic Games were held in Rome in conjunction with the 1960 Summer Olympics, marking the first time such events coincided.
Host city selection
On 15 June 1955, at the 50th IOC Session in Paris, France, Rome won the rights to host the 1960 Games, having beaten Brussels, Mexico City, Tokyo, Detroit, Budapest and finally Lausanne. Tokyo and Mexico City would subsequently host the proceeding 1964 and 1968 Summer Olympics respectively.[2]
Toronto was initially interested in the bidding, but appears to have dropped out during the final phase of the bid process.[3] This was the first of five unsuccessful attempts by Toronto to secure the Summer Olympics from then until the 2008 Games.
Highlights
The Olympic Torch of Rome 1960
- Swedish sprint canoeist Gert Fredriksson won his sixth Olympic title.
- Fencer Aladár Gerevich of Hungary won his sixth consecutive gold medal in the team sabre event.
- The Japanese men's gymnastics team won the first of five successive golds (see 1976 Summer Olympics).
- The United States men's national basketball team—led by promising college players Walt Bellamy, Jerry Lucas, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West—captured its fifth straight Olympic gold medal.
- Danish sailor Paul Elvstrøm won his fourth straight gold medal in the Finn class. Others to emulate his performance in an individual event are Al Oerter, Carl Lewis, Michael Phelps, Kaori Icho, Mijaín López and, if the Intercalated (Interspaced) Games of 1906 are included, Ray Ewry.
- German Armin Hary won the 100 metres in an Olympic record time of 10.2 seconds.
- Wilma Rudolph, a former polio patient, won three gold medals in sprint events on the track. She was acclaimed as "the fastest woman in the world".
- Jeff Farrell won two gold medals in swimming. He underwent an emergency appendectomy six days before the Olympic Trials.[5]
- Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia won the marathon barefooted to become the first black African Olympic champion.
- 18-year-old Cassius Clay, later known as Muhammad Ali, won boxing's light-heavyweight gold medal. Ramon "Buddy" Carr was his coach.[6]
- Herb Elliott of Australia won the men's 1500 meters in one of the most dominating performances in Olympic history.
- Rafer Johnson defeated his rival, fellow U.C.L.A. Bruin and friend C.K. Yang in one of the greatest Decathlon events in Olympic history.[7]
- Lance Larson of the United States was controversially denied a 100 metres freestyle swimming gold, despite showing the best time.
- 16-years-old phenom Chris von Saltza won four medals in women's swimming, three of them gold.
- The future Constantine II, last King of Greece (abdicated and ended hybrid monarchy, 1973) won his country a gold in sailing: dragon class.
- The Pakistani Men's Field Hockey team broke a run of Indian team victories since 1928, defeating India in the final and winning Pakistan's first Olympic gold medal.
- Wrestlers Shelby Wilson, and Doug Blubaugh, who wrestled together growing up, won gold medals in their respective weight classes.
Lowlights
- Danish cyclist Knud Jensen collapsed during the 100km team race because of heat stroke and later died in the hospital. It was suspected that he had been under the influence of Roniacol, a blood circulation stimulant.[8] The International Olympic Committee stated on its website that "drugs were implicated, although that was never proven."[9] It was the second time (and as of 2021, the most recent) an athlete died in competition at the Olympics, after the death of Portuguese marathon runner Francisco Lázaro at the 1912 Summer Olympics.[10]
Historical landmarks
- South Africa appeared in the Olympic arena for the last time under its apartheid regime. It would not be allowed to return until 1992, by when apartheid in sport was being abolished.
- Singapore competed for the first time under its own flag, which was to become its national flag after independence, as the British had granted it self-government a year earlier. Tan Howe Liang won silver in the Weightlifting lightweight category, which was the first time (and the only time until 2008) that an athlete from Singapore won an Olympic medal.
Non-medal winners
Venues
- Olympic Stadium2 (Stadio Olimpico) – opening/closing ceremonies, athletics, equestrian events
- Flaminio Stadium1 (Stadio Flaminio) – football finals
- Swimming Stadium1 – swimming, diving, water polo, modern pentathlon (swimming)
- Sports Palace1 (Palazzo dello sport) – basketball, boxing
- Olympic Velodrome1 – cycling (track), field hockey
- Small Sports Palace1 (Palazzetto dello Sport) – basketball, weightlifting
- Marble Stadium2 (Stadio dei Marmi) – field hockey preliminaries
- Baths of Caracalla – gymnastics
- Basilica of Maxentius – wrestling
- Palazzo dei Congressi – fencing
- Umberto I Shooting Range1 – modern pentathlon (shooting), shooting (pistol/ rifle)
- Roses Swimming Pool1 (Piscina delle Rose) – water polo
- Lake Albano, Castelgandolfo – rowing, canoeing
- Piazza di Siena, Villa Borghese gardens – equestrian (dressage, eventing – jumping, jumping – individual)
- Pratoni del Vivaro, Rocca di Papa – equestrian (eventing)
- Gulf of Naples, Naples – yachting
- Communal Stadium, Florence – football/soccer preliminaries
- Communal Stadium, Grosseto – football/soccer preliminaries
- Communal Stadium, L'Aquila – football/soccer preliminaries
- Ardenza Stadium, Livorno – football/soccer preliminaries
- Adriatico Stadium, Pescara – football/soccer preliminaries
- Saint Paul's Stadium, Naples – football/soccer preliminaries
- Campo Tre Fontane – field hockey preliminaries
- Acqua Santa Golf Club Course – modern pentathlon (running)
- Arch of Constantine – athletics (marathon finish)
- Cesano Infantry School Range – shooting (300 m free rifle)
- Lazio Pigeon Shooting Stand – shooting (trap shotgun)
- Passo Corese – modern pentathlon (riding)
- Grande Raccordo Anulare – athletics (marathon)
- Via Appian Antica – athletics (marathon)
- Via Cassia – cycling (individual road race)
- Via Flaminia – cycling (individual road race)
- Via Cristoforo Colombo – athletics (marathon), cycling (road team time trial)
- Via di Grottarossa – cycling (individual road race)
1 New facilities constructed in preparation for the Olympic Games. 2 Existing facilities modified or refurbished in preparation for the Olympic Games.
Ceremonies
