1998 Goodwill Games
Official logo of the games.
Host cityNew York City, New York
CountryUSA
Nations60
Athletes1500
Opening19 July 1998 (1998-07-19)
Closing2 August 1998 (1998-08-02)

The 1998 Goodwill Games was the fourth edition of the international sports competition the Goodwill Games, which were created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The competition was held in and around New York City in the United States from July 19 to August 2, 1998. Approximately 1,500 athletes from more of 60 countries participated, competing in 15 sports.[1]

The United States won the games with 41 gold medals and 132 medals in total. In second place was Russia, with 35 gold medals and 94 medals in total. Cuba finished in third place, with 8 gold medals and 17 medals in total.

Athletes who won gold medals at the 1998 Goodwill Games include Michelle Kwan, Dominique Moceanu, Michael Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Dan O'Brien, Félix Savón, Jenny Thompson and Alexander Popov.[2] Approximately 1,500 athletes from more of 60 countries participated, competing in 15 sports.[1]

Two world records were broken at these Games, one by the American relay in the 4×400 meters in athletics, and the other by South African swimmer Penny Heyns in the 50 meters breaststroke.[3][4] The event is also notable for a training accident involving Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, which injured her spinal cord and left her partially paralyzed.[2]

Sports

Venues

Some events were held in New York City, while many were held in nearby suburbs in Long Island, including Uniondale.[2][4][5]

Participating nations

The following nations were invited to the games:[6]

Medal table

Place Nation 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
1  United States 41 49 42 132
2  Russia 35 29 30 94
3  Cuba 8 5 4 17
4  China 7 7 6 20
5  Kenya 5 4 4 13
6  Germany 3 3 10 16
7  Australia 2 6 2 10
8  Belarus 2 5 2 9
9  Jamaica 2 2 5 9
10  Iran 2 1 1 4
11  Brazil 2 0 1 3
12  Kazakhstan 2 0 1 3
13  United Kingdom 2 0 0 2
14  Ukraine 1 5 4 10
15  Romania 1 3 5 9
16  Trinidad and Tobago 1 1 0 2
17  Czech Republic 1 0 1 2
 Italy 1 0 1 2
 Uzbekistan 1 0 1 2
20  Algeria 1 0 0 1
 Mozambique 1 0 0 1
 Nigeria 1 0 0 1
23  Bulgaria 0 2 2 4
24  France 0 2 1 3
25  Mexico 0 2 0 2
26  Turkey 0 1 5 6
27  Morocco 0 1 1 2
 Poland 0 1 1 2
 Japan 0 1 1 2
30  Bahamas 0 1 0 1
 Canada 0 1 0 1
 Nigeria 0 1 0 1
 Spain 0 1 0 1
World All-Stars (Cycling) 0 1 0 1
35  Argentina 0 0 1 1
 Armenia 0 0 1 1
 Ecuador 0 0 1 1
 Greece 0 0 1 1
 Hungary 0 0 1 1
 Iceland 0 0 1 1
 Lithuania 0 0 1 1
 Norway 0 0 1 1
 Philippines 0 0 1 1

References

  1. ^ a b "Goodwill Games Fact Sheet". Goodwill Games. Archived from the original on 18 December 2000. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c Moving on: Despite red ink, Games head to Brisbane and maybe Lake Placid Archived 2012-11-14 at the Wayback Machine, CNN/Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1998
  3. ^ Therin, Frederic (August 29, 2001). "Enfants de la guerre froide, les Goodwill Games cherchent encore leur public". Le Monde (in French). Paris: Groupe Le Monde. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Bell, Daniel (2003). Encyclopedia of International Games (pgs. 164–168). McFarland and Company, Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 0-7864-1026-4.
  5. ^ "Goodwill Games 1998: Sports and Venues". Archived from the original on 2012-08-16.
  6. ^ "Potential Participating Countries". Goodwill Games. June 4, 1998. Archived from the original on 12 January 2001. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
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