Basketball made its first appearance as a demonstration sport at the 1904 Games in St. Louis, but didn't become a medal sport until the 1936 Games in Berlin. During that first men's tournament, the games were contested outdoor on a clay court. After heavy rains turned the court to mud, the United States sloshed to a 19 - 8 win over Canada to win the sport's first gold medal.
Forty years after the men first played in the Olympic Games, women were included in the Olympic basketball Programme. The Soviet Union women won the first gold medal in 1976, defeating the United States team by a score of 112 77.
The Soviet Union women remained strong in Olympic competition winning the gold medal again in 1980 and then in 1992 as the Unified Team, beating the highly favored United States during the semifinals. At the 1988 Olympic Games, the number of women's teams increased from six to eight and was increased again to 12 teams prior to the 1996 Games.
This is an official publication of The Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publication Department. Written by Howard Thomas and Dianna Drayson.
| The volunteer staff of the 1996 Olympic Games totaled 50,152. They worked an estimated 850,000 shifts. |