Andrea Joy Campbell: “I take this opportunity to join my colleagues in recognizing the 1996 Centennial Olympic games to be held in Atlanta…”

“I take this opportunity to join my colleagues in recognizing the 1996 Centennial Olympic games to be held in Atlanta beginning Friday, July 19, and running through August 4. The modern Olympics have seen a century of athletes from countries around the world coming together in the original spirit of the games-- "international understanding and peace through sports." In 1896, Athens hosted the first modern Olympics, with 13 nations sending 311 athletes. The opening event was the triple jump, which was won by an American, James B. Connolly, after he arrived in Greece only 12 hours before the start. This young athlete led America to win the first title at an Olympic games in more than 1,500 years, when the ancient Greeks last awarded Olympic medals in 393 A.D. The 1996 Olympic games is expected to be the largest and most widely attended in history. With 197 delegations being represented by almost 11,000 athletes, this games is 40 percent larger than the 1992 Olympics in competitors alone. Over 1,900 medals will be awarded during 271 events in 26 different sports. It is estimated that the between 1991 and 1997 the build-up to the games and the event itself will pump over $5 billion into the economy. The Olympics hold a special place in my heart, as I was fortunate enough to represent our country in the 1964 games as captain of the U.S. judo team, a sport offered for the first time that year.”