1976 Summer Olympics medal table

1976 Summer Olympics medals
LocationMontreal,  Canada
Highlights
Most gold medals Soviet Union (49)
Most total medals Soviet Union (125)
Medalling NOCs41
← 1972 · Olympics medal tables · 1980 →
Olympic rings
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1976 Summer Olympics
Montreal's Olympic Stadium (its tower completed after the Games) was the main venue for the 1976 Summer Olympics.

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were a summer multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, from July 17 to August 1, 1976.[1] A total of 6,084 athletes from 92 countries represented by National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in these Games, competing in 198 events in 23 sports.[2]

Twenty-eight African countries boycotted these Games.[3] This decision was taken in response to the participation of New Zealand, because its national rugby union team (the All Blacks) continued to play rugby with South Africa, which had been banned from the Olympic movement since 1964 due to its apartheid policies.[4]

Athletes from 42 countries won at least one medal, leaving 51 countries in blank in the medals table. The Soviet Union won the highest number of gold medals (49) and overall medals (125). The Games were dominated by the Soviet Bloc, with the USSR and its satellites occupying seven out of top ten places in the medal standings. Thailand and Bermuda won the first medals in their Olympic history, with Bermuda being the least populous territory to ever win a Summer Olympic medal until Alessandra Perilli won bronze for San Marino in trap shooting in 2020. Bermuda, however, became the smallest nation to win a Summer Olympic gold at the same games, thanks to Flora Duffy, which was also their first medal since 1976.[5] The Montreal Summer Olympics proved disastrous to Canada not only in financial terms; it failed to win a single gold medal despite being the host nation. Overall, it was 27th in the medal table, which remains the worst result a host nation has ever scored in the history of the Summer Games.[6]

Russian Nikolai Andrianov of the Soviet Union won seven medals (four gold, two silver and one bronze medals), becoming the most medaled athlete in these Games.[7]

  1. ^ Johnston, Mindy (5 August 2024). "Montreal 1976 Olympic Games". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 12 September 2024.
  2. ^ "Montreal 1976–Games of the XXI Olympiad". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 5 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
  3. ^ Berlioux, Monique, ed. (November–December 1976). "Africa and the XXIst Olympiad" (PDF). Olympic Review (109–110). Lausanne: International Olympic Committee: 584–585. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
  4. ^ "1976: African countries boycott Olympics". BBC. 1976-07-17. Archived from the original on 7 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-24.
  5. ^ Mackenzie, Alasdair (29 July 2021). "Shooting-Tears of joy as San Marino becomes smallest Olympic medal-winning nation". Reuters. Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
  6. ^ "History: 1976 Montreal". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 2008-02-27. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  7. ^ "Nikolay Andrianov–The Only Man to Win 15 Medals". International Olympic Committee. Archived from the original on 3 April 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-31.