Great Britain at the
1996 Summer Olympics
Flag of the United Kingdom
IOC codeGBR
NOCBritish Olympic Association
in Atlanta
Competitors300 (184 men and 116 women) in 22 sports
Flag bearers Steve Redgrave (opening)
Roger Black (closing)
Medals
Ranked 36th
Gold
1
Silver
8
Bronze
6
Total
15
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games

Great Britain, represented by the British Olympic Association (BOA), competed at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. British athletes have competed in every single Summer Olympic Games. 300 competitors, 184 men and 116 women, took part in 175 events in 22 sports.[1] The Atlanta games saw Great Britain's worst performance at a Summer Olympics since 1952, finishing in 36th position – below nations such as Belgium, Algeria and Kazakhstan[2] – winning a single gold medal, and 15 medals overall.

The "rock bottom" British performance at the Atlanta Olympics led to a period of soul searching about the state of British sport, which the following year led to the creation of UK Sport, a public body which distributes National Lottery funding for elite sports,[2][3] Previously, due to a lack of funding, cyclist Chris Boardman had acclimatised to the humidity of Atlanta by practicing in his home bathroom with the shower turned on,[4] and divers Bob Morgan and Tony Ally sold their Olympic kits while in Atlanta in order to raise funds.[2][5] Nevertheless, the single gold medal won by rowers Matthew Pinsent and Steve Redgrave ensured that Great Britain maintained its record of winning at least one gold medal at every Summer Olympics.

Medallists

Medals by sport
Sport Total
Rowing 1 0 1 2
Athletics 0 4 2 6
Sailing 0 2 0 2
Swimming 0 1 1 2
Tennis 0 1 0 1
Cycling 0 0 2 2
Total 1 8 6 15

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Medals by day

Medals by date
Day Date 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) Total
1 20 July 0 0 0 0
2 21 July 0 0 0 0
3 22 July 0 1 0 1
4 23 July 0 0 0 0
5 24 July 0 0 0 0
6 25 July 0 0 1 1
7 26 July 0 0 0 0
8 27 July 1 1 1 3
9 28 July 0 0 2 2
10 29 July 0 1 0 1
11 30 July 0 1 0 1
12 31 July 0 1 1 2
13 1 Aug 0 1 0 1
14 2 Aug 0 0 0 0
15 3 Aug 0 2 1 3
16 4 Aug 0 0 0 0
Total 1 8 6 15

Archery

Main article: Archery at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Athlete Event Qualifying R64 R32 R16 Quarter Final Semi Final Final Rank
Score Rank Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result
Steven Hallard Men's Individual 664 17 Q  Tuovila (FIN)
Lost 150-151 		Did not advance
Gary Hardinges 658 24 Q  Cho S-L (TPE)
Won 158-158 (10-9) 		 Huish (USA)
Lost 155-166 		Did not advance
Alison Williamson Women's Individual 648 15 Q  Bridger (AUS)
Won 156-141 		 Zabugina (BLR)
Won 152-147 		 He Ying (CHN)
Lost 159-165 		Did not advance

Athletics

Main article: Athletics at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Men's 100 metres


Men's 200 metres


Men's 400 metres


Men's 800 metres


Men's 1500 metres


Men's 5,000 metres


Men's 10,000 metres


Men's Marathon


Men's 110m Hurdles


Men's 400m Hurdles

Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase


Men's 50 km Walk


Men's 4 × 100m Relay


Men's 4 × 400m Relay


Men's High Jump


Men's Pole Vault


Men's Triple Jump


Men's Shot Put


Men's Discus Throw

Men's Hammer Throw


Men's Javelin Throw


Men's Decathlon


Women's 100 metres


Women's 200 metres


Women's 400 metres


Women's 800 metres


Women's 1500 metres


Women's 5,000 metres


Women's Marathon


Women's 110 m Hurdles


Women's 400 m Hurdles


Women's 10km Walk


Women's 4×100 metres Relay


Women's 4×400 metres Relay


Women's Long Jump

Women's Triple Jump

Women's High Jump


Women's Shot Put


Women's Discus Throw


Women's Javelin Throw

Women's Heptathlon

Badminton

Main article: Badminton at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Beach volleyball

Main article: Beach volleyball at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Athlete Event Round 1 Round 2 Round 3 Round 4 Round 5 Semi Final Final / BM Rank
Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result 		Opponent
Result
Audrey Cooper
Amanda Glover 		Women's tournament Bye  Cook &
Pottharst (AUS)
Lost 4-15 		 Schoon-Kadijk &
van de Ven (NED)
Won 15-12 		 Fenwick &
Spring (AUS)
Lost 12-15 		Did not advance

Boxing

Athlete Event Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semi-finals Final
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
David Burke Featherweight  Huste (GER)
L 9–13 		Did not advance
Fola Okesola Heavyweight Bye  Jones (USA)
L RSCI 		Did not advance

Canoeing

Main article: Canoeing at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Cycling

Main article: Cycling at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Road competition

Men's Individual Time Trial

  • Final – 1:04:36 (→ Bronze Medal)

Women's Individual Road Race

  • Final – 02:37:06 (→ 11th place)
  • Final – 02:37:06 (→ 19th place)
  • Final – 02:53:47 (→ 43rd place)

Women's Individual Time Trial

  • Final – 39:09 (→ 14th place)
  • Final – 41:16 (→ 21st place)

Track competition

Men's Team Pursuit

Mountain Bike

Men's Cross Country

  • Final – 2:29:10 (→ 12th place)
  • Final – 2:32:30 (→ 15th place)

Women's Cross Country

  • Final – 2:04.44 (→ 22nd place)

Diving

Main article: Diving at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Men's 3m Springboard

  • Preliminary heat – 345.33
  • Semi-final – 203.46 (→ did not advance, 18th place)
  • Preliminary heat – 318.69 (→ did not advance, 24th place)

Women's 10m Platform

  • Preliminary heat – 251.73
  • Semi-final – 158.43
  • Final – 259.68 (→ 9th place)

Equestrian

Main article: Equestrian at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Fencing

Main article: Fencing at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Two fencers, one man and one woman, represented Great Britain in 1996.

Men's sabre
Women's foil

Gymnastics

Main article: Gymnastics at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Hockey

Main article: Field hockey at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Men's team competition

Women's Team Competition

  • Great Britain – Netherlands 0–0 (The Netherlands wins after penalty strokes, 3–4) → Fourth place

Judo

Main article: Judo at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Modern pentathlon

Main article: Modern pentathlon at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Men's Individual Competition:

Rowing

Main article: Rowing at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Men
Athlete Event Heats Repechage Semi-finals Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Peter Haining Single sculls 7:42.65 4 R 7:45.95 2 SA/B 7:30.47 6 FB 6:55.06 11
Matthew Pinsent
Steve Redgrave 		Pair 6:50.04 1 Q — 6:50.30 1 FA 6:20.09 1st place, gold medalist(s)
James Cracknell
Bob Thatcher
Guy Pooley* 		Double sculls 7:00.74 5 R 7:00.81 1 SC/D 6:51.22 2 FC 6:51.41 17
Nicholas Strange
Andrew Sinton 		Lightweight double sculls 6:56.86 5 R 6:22.27 2 SA/B 6:39.20 5 FB 6:31.15 12
Tim Foster
Rupert Obholzer
Greg Searle
Jonny Searle 		Four 6:14.74 1 Q — 6:10.78 1 FA 6:07.28 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Ben Helm
Tom Kay
David Lemon
James McNiven 		Lightweight four 6:35.95 5 R 6:02.65 2 SA/B 6:19.07 5 FB 6:05.13 10
Peter Bridge
Roger Brown
Richard Hamilton
Ben Hunt-Davis
Matthew Parish
Graham Smith
Alex Story
James Walker
Garry Herbert (cox) 		Eight 5:49.37 4 R 5:33.22 3 FB — 5:40.23 8
Women
Athlete Event Heats Repechage Semi-finals Final
Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank Time Rank
Guin Batten Single sculls 8:16.75 4 R 8:44.73 2 SA/B 7:56.61 3 FA 7:45.08 7
Philippa Cross
Kate MacKenzie 		Pair 8:03.53 4 R 8:15.26 3 SA/B 7:59.57 6 FB 7:34.68 12
Miriam Batten
Cath Bishop
Dot Blackie
Lisa Eyre
Alison Gill
Kate Pollitt
Annamarie Stapleton
Joanne Turvey
Suzie Ellis (cox) 		Eight 6:39.34 4 R 6:12.28 6 FB — 6:15.21 7

Sailing

Main article: Sailing at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Shooting

Main article: Shooting at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Swimming

Main article: Swimming at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Men's 50 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 22.73
  • B-Final – 23.01 (→ 16th place)

Men's 100 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 51.03 (→ did not advance, 28th place)

Men's 200 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 1:49.05
  • Swim-off – 1:48.89
  • Final – 1:49.39 (→ 8th place)
  • Heat – 1:51.06
  • B-Final – 1:50.59 (→ 15th place)

Men's 400 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 3:51.98
  • Final – 3:49.00 (→ Silver Medal)

Men's 1500 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 15.14.81
  • Final – 15:02.48 (→ Bronze Medal)
  • Heat – 15:22.65 (→ did not advance, 10th place)

Men's 100 m Backstroke

  • Heat – 56.27
  • B-Final – 56.07 (→ 10th place)
  • Heat – 57.17 (→ did not advance, 28th place)

Men's 200 m Backstroke

  • Heat – 2:01.35
  • B-Final – 2:02.40 (→ 13th place)
  • Heat – 2:07.75 (→ did not advance, 32nd place)

Men's 100 m Breaststroke

  • Heat – 1:02.78
  • B-Final – 1:02.51 (→ 11th place)

Men's 200 m Breaststroke

  • Heat – 2:14.96
  • Final – 2:14.37 (→ 4th place)

Men's 100 m Butterfly

  • Heat – 53.73
  • B-Final – 53.23 (→ 9th place)

Men's 200 m Butterfly

  • Heat – 1:58.16
  • Final – 1:58.47 (→ 7th place)

Men's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay

  • Heat – 3:21.34
  • Final – 3:21.52 (→ 8th place)

Men's 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay

  • Heat – 7:21.92
  • Final – 7:18.74 (→ 5th place)

Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay

  • Heat – DSQ (→ did not advance)


Women's 50 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 26.39 (→ did not advance, 23rd place)

Women's 100 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 56.40
  • B-Final – 56.32 (→ 14th place)
  • Heat – 56.62
  • B-Final – 56.58 (→ 16th place)

Women's 200 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 2:01.46
  • B-Final – 2:02.58 (→ 13th place)

Women's 400 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 4:14.50
  • B-Final – 4:14.13 (→ 9th place)

Women's 800 m Freestyle

  • Heat – 8:37.54
  • Final – 8:41.75 (→ 8th place)

Women's 100 m Backstroke

  • Heat – 1:03.89
  • B-Final – 1:03.61 (→ 13th place)

Women's 200 m Backstroke

  • Heat – 2:15.12
  • B-Final – 2:14.50 (→ 12th place)

Women's 100 m Breaststroke

  • Heat – 1:10.83 (→ did not advance, 17th place)

Women's 200 m Breaststroke

  • Heat – 2:31.12
  • B-Final – 2:31.39 (→ 14th place)

Women's 200 m Individual Medley

  • Heat – 2:18.81 (→ did not advance, 21st place)

Women's 400 m Individual Medley

  • Heat – 4:54.64 (→ did not advance, 19th place)

Women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay

  • Heat – 3:48.26 (→ did not advance, 9th place)

Women's 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay

  • Heat – 8:14.92 (→ did not advance, 10th place)

Women's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay

  • Heat – 4:13.75 (→ did not advance, 13th place)

Table tennis

Main article: Table tennis at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Tennis

Main article: Tennis at the 1996 Summer Olympics
Men
Athlete Event Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semi-finals Final / BM
Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Rank
Tim Henman Singles  Matsuoka (JPN)
W 7–6(7–4), 6–3 		 Woodbridge (AUS)
L 6–7(6–8), 6–7(5–7) 		Did not advance
Greg Rusedski  Frana (ARG)
W 4–6, 7–5, 6–3 		 Gustafsson (SWE)
W 6–7(4–7), 7–6(7–3), 6–3 		 Bruguera (ESP)
L 6–7(7–9), 3–6 		Did not advance
Neil Broad
Tim Henman 		Doubles —  Krošlák /
Kučera (SVK)
W 6–3, 6–3 		 Connell /
Nestor (CAN)
W 7–6(7–5), 4–6, 6–4 		 Novák /
Vacek (CZE)
W 7–6(7–4), 6–4 		 Goellner /
Prinosil (GER)
W 4–6, 6–3, 10–8 		 Woodbridge /
Woodforde (AUS)
L 4–6, 4–6, 2–6 		2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Women
Athlete Event Round of 64 Round of 32 Round of 16 Quarterfinals Semi-finals Final / BM
Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Opposition
Score 		Rank
Clare Wood Singles  Farina (ITA)
L 2–6, 2–6 		Did not advance
Valda Lake
Clare Wood 		Doubles —  K Maleeva /
M Maleeva (BUL)
W 3–6, 7–6(10–8), 6–3 		 Coetzer /
de Swardt (RSA)
W 7–5, 7–5 		 G Fernández /
MJ Fernández (USA)
L 2–6, 1–6 		Did not advance

Weightlifting

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1996 Summer Olympics

Men's Light-Heavyweight

  • Final – 147.5 + 180.0 = 327.5 (→ 12th place)

Wrestling

Main article: Wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics

References

  1. ^ "Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Games". sports-reference.com. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 12 February 2012.
  2. ^ a b c Gibson, Owen (24 July 2012). "London 2012: how Team GB's fortunes turned around after disaster in Atlanta". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  3. ^ "Historical Funding Figures". UK Sport. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
  4. ^ Kelso, Paul (27 July 2012). "London 2012 Olympics: How Team GB went from zeroes to heroes after Atlanta '96 low point". The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  5. ^ Hubbard, Alan (19 September 1999). "DIVING: FIRST NIGHT: TONY ALI; Plunge to the heights". The Independent. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
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