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 W ...
, 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 most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
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 primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
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
Dominique Helena Moceanu (, ; ; born September 30, 1981) is a retired American gymnast. She was a member of the gold-medal-winning United States women's gymnastics team (the " Magnificent Seven") at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Moceanu ...
,
Michael Johnson,
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jacqueline Joyner-Kersee (born March 3, 1962) is a retired American track and field athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the heptathlon as well as long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals in tho ...
,
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
Jennifer Beth Thompson (born February 26, 1973) is an American former competition swimmer and anesthesiologist.
She is one of the most decorated Olympians in history: twelve medals, including eight gold medals, in the 1992, 1996, 2000, and 20 ...
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 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
Sang Lan (; born 11 June 1981) is a former Chinese gymnast and television personality. She is currently a student and advocates for improved conditions for disabled people within China.
Athletic career and injury
Sang achieved excellence in gym ...
, 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 spin ...
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, including
Uniondale.
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Central Park
Central Park is an urban park in New York City located between the Upper West Side, Upper West and Upper East Sides of Manhattan. It is the List of New York City parks, fifth-largest park in the city, covering . It is the most visited urban par ...
(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 Pennsyl ...
(basketball)
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Mitchel Athletic Complex (athletics, soccer)
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Nassau County Aquatic Center (diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo)
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Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (or simply the Nassau Coliseum) is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Uniondale, New York, east of New York City. The Long Island venue is approximately east of the eastern limits of the New York City Borough of ...
(figure skating, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics)
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New York Harbor (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 Madison ...
(boxing, wrestling)
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Wagner College Stadium (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 t ...
(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 W ...
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 W ...
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
In most contexts, the concept of good denotes the conduct that should be preferred when posed with a choice between possible actions. Good is generally considered to be the opposite of evil and is of interest in the study of ethics, morality, p ...