The 1998 Goodwill Games was the fourth edition of the international sports competition the
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...
, which were created by
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III (born November 19, 1938) is an American entrepreneur, television producer, media proprietor, and philanthropist. He founded the Cable News Network (CNN), the first 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he ...
in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the
Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...
of the 1980s. The competition was held in and around
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
from July 19 to August 2, 1998. Approximately 1,500 athletes from more of 60 countries participated, competing in 15 sports.
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
Michelle Wingshan Kwan (born July 7, 1980) is a retired competitive figure skater and diplomat serving as United States Ambassador to Belize. In figure skating Kwan is a two-time Olympic medalist (silver in 1998, bronze in 2002), a five-time ...
,
Dominique Moceanu,
Michael Johnson,
Jackie Joyner-Kersee,
Dan O'Brien
Daniel Dion O'Brien (born July 18, 1966) is an American former decathlete and Olympic gold medalist. He won the Olympic title in 1996, three consecutive world championships (1991, 1993, 1995), and set the world record in 1992.
Early life
O' ...
,
Félix Savón,
Jenny Thompson and
Alexander Popov.
[Moving on: Despite red ink, Games head to Brisbane and maybe Lake Placid](_blank)
''CNN/Sports Illustrated'', August 16, 1998 Approximately 1,500 athletes from more of 60 countries participated, competing in 15 sports.
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
Penelope ("Penny") Heyns OIS (born 8 November 1974) is a South African former swimmer, who is best known for being the only woman in the history of the Olympic Games to have won both the 100 m and 200 m breaststroke events – at the 1996 Atlan ...
in the 50 meters breaststroke.
[Bell, Daniel (2003). ''Encyclopedia of International Games'' (pgs. 164–168). McFarland and Company, Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina. .] The event is also notable for a training accident involving
Chinese gymnast
Sang Lan, which injured her
spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular structure made up of nervous tissue, which extends from the medulla oblongata in the brainstem to the lumbar region of the vertebral column (backbone). The backbone encloses the central canal of the sp ...
and left her partially paralyzed.
Sports
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Venues
Some events were held in New York City, while many were held in nearby suburbs in
Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United States and the 18 ...
, including
Uniondale.
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Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban park in the United States, with an estimated ...
(triathlon finish)
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Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
(basketball)
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Mitchel Athletic Complex
The Mitchel Athletic Complex is part of the Mitchel Field complex, located in Uniondale, New York, on the site of the decommissioned Mitchel Air Force Base. The facility is owned by Nassau County. It is used mostly for football and soccer and a ...
(athletics, soccer)
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Nassau County Aquatic Center (diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo)
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Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (figure skating, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics)
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New York Harbor
New York Harbor is at the mouth of the Hudson River where it empties into New York Bay near the East River tidal estuary, and then into the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast of the United States. It is one of the largest natural harbors in ...
(triathlon start)
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The Theater at Madison Square Garden
The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden is a theater located in New York City's Madison Square Garden. It seats between 2,000 and 5,600, and is used for concerts, shows, sports, meetings, and other events. It is located beneath the main Madis ...
(boxing, wrestling)
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Wagner College Stadium
Wagner College Stadium is a 3,500-seat multi-purpose stadium located on the campus of Wagner College in Staten Island, New York. Opened in 1967, the stadium is used for football, men's lacrosse, women's lacrosse, and track & field. Hameline Fiel ...
(cycling)
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Wollman Rink
Wollman Rink is a public ice rink in the southern part of Central Park, Manhattan, New York City. It is named after the Wollman family who donated the funds for its original construction. The rink is open for ice skating from late October ...
(beach volleyball)
Participating Nations
The following nations were invited to the games:
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Medal table
References
Sports Illustrated
{{Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...
Goodwill Games
The Goodwill Games were an international sports competition created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. In 1979, the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan caused the United States and other ...
International sports competitions hosted by the United States
International sports competitions in New York (state)
Multi-sport events in the United States
1998 in sports in New York City
Goodwill
Good