Tragedy and triumph: How the memories of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics are forever tainted by terrorism

The Olympic Games brilliantly blend sports with culture and education. They help build a better world based on effort and respect. 

Additionally, the Games contribute to the development of the body, personality and mind. They are an opportunity for athletes to honor, support and promote their country through athletics.

And while these are all great traits, the most cherished characteristic of the Olympics comes in the form of acceptance. 

The Games do not tolerate ageism, sexism or racism — a belief that is demonstrated through their diverse line-up of athletes. Instead of focusing on our differences, the Olympic Games prioritize coming together to compete at the highest level. 

The legacy of the Olympic Games began in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece. Athletes continued to participate in this ancient forum until 393 AD, when the Olympics came to a stop. 

Roughly 1,500 years later, in 1896, the Olympics returned to the world. That year, the first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece and the competition has continued to grow in popularity ever since. 

On the 100-year anniversary of the modern Olympics, in 1996, the United States was given the honor of hosting the Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Records were set before the Olympics even began. First, a record number of 10,318 athletes participated and a record number of 197 countries attended.

In addition to setting a new attendee record, the Atlanta Olympics also created a new status quo. Out of the United States’ 646 athletes, 271 were females. 

Thus, for the first time in Olympic history, the ratio of male to female athletes was almost equal. 

In order to make the 1996 Olympics even more memorable, they organized one of the most emotional opening ceremonies at the Olympics. 

The lighting of the Olympic cauldron has been a tradition since the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics. For the 1996 Olympics, legendary boxer Muhammad Ali was given the honor of lighting the cauldron — a secret kept from the crowd until he appeared on stage. 

As Ali lit the cauldron, the crowd rejoiced, honoring the 1960 Rome Olympics gold-medalist as one of the most powerful figures in sports history. 

Along with the traditions and competitions held in the Olympic stadium, the Olympic Park is a defining aspect of the Olympic Games. When visitors aren't in the arena, they spend their time at the park enjoying music and other festivities. 

On July 27, around one in the morning, more than 40,000 people headed to the park to watch Jack Mack perform “I Walked Alone.” As he finished his performance, the cheers of the crowd were drowned out by the sound of a handmade pipe bomb exploding. 

Pipe bombs – designed to propel sharp metals when they explode – are typically stuffed with nails, screws and other jagged metals in order to maximise damage. 

And the explosion caused a lot of damage. Two people were killed, and more than 100 were injured. 

However, there would have been a lot more casualties if Richard Jewel – a security guard – hadn’t been on duty that night. 

Only a few minutes before the pipe bomb exploded, Jewell noticed an abandoned backpack under a park bench near the sound and light tower that overlooked the park. 

He quickly alerted another security guard about the bag, and together the men cleared close to 100 people from the tower. 

Jewell became a national hero, but only for a few hours, because he then became the FBI’s primary suspect. 

The FBI suspected that Jewell planted the pipe bombs and then saved everyone minutes before the explosion in order to go down in history as the hero of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Jewell’s apartment was soon monitored at all times. For days, he stayed inside to avoid the nightmare around him. And, it was getting worse. 

Jewell’s acquaintances informed officials that they believed Jewell owned a backpack very similar to the one that held the bomb. Additionally, his previous employer called the FBI with concerns. He informed them that Jewell often acted strange. 

The FBI investigated the case until October 23, when they finally declared that Jewell was innocent and Eric Robert Rudolph was responsible for planting the bombs. 

Although Jewell was no longer a suspect, his life was forever changed. 

In an interview with The New York Times, Jewell said “I’m not as trusting as I once was, and I don’t think I’m as outgoing as I used to be.” 

On August 29, 2007, Jewell passed away because of heart problems. Shortly after his death, the FBI admitted faults in their system of interrogation. 

They announced that they purposely misled and confused Jewell in hopes to make him admit something and promised the public they wouldn’t make this mistake again. 

Once deemed innocent, the FBI dropped the investigation into Jewell and placed their attention onto finding Rudolph. On May 31, 2003 he was found hiding in the Appalachian Mountains. Rudolph pled guilty in court and is currently serving a life sentence. 

The FBI was able to determine Rudolph was responsible for the attack in 1996 because pipe bombs continued to explode in large public settings throughout Georgia and Alabama for the next two years. The bombs were frequently placed in abortion clinics and gay bars.

The FBI figured that the person conducting these bombings was likely responsible for the attack at the Olympic Park. 

They recalled that before the bomb went off that night in 1996, they had received a call from a man warning them about a bomb. After researching the call, the FBI determined Rudolph was behind the phone. 

On May 5, 1998, the FBI placed Rudolph on the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list and began their search for him. 

The FBI believes Rudolph’s motive was his extreme right-wing view. In a confession with CNN.com, Rudolph stated planting pipe bombs was his "attempt to force society to accept and recognize" his belief that  homosexuality is a sin. 

He also added that he would use "force if necessary."

While the bombing at the Olympic Park could have easily ruined the whole competition, the International Olympic Committee refused to let that happen. 

Only 12 hours after the bombing, the IOC announced that the Olympics would carry on. They declared that “the spirit of the Olympic movement mandates that we continue.” 

The competition did continue, and records continued to be broken. The United States’ Michael Johnson created history when he became the first athlete ever to win the 200 meter-dash and the 400 meter-dash in the same Olympics. 

He also ran a world record time of 19.32 seconds in the 200 meter-dash. 

With the help of the 197 countries that attended, 34 total Olympic records were broken – with many of these records still standing today. 

While every country that attended performed remarkably, the United States performed flawlessly. The country took first in the games overall — their first win since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. 

The U.S. didn’t just win, though; they won by a landslide. They collected a total of 101 medals: 44 gold, 32 silver and 25 bronze. 

The second place country, Russia, received 63 medals. 

At the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, athletes competed above and beyond expectations, making history every step of the way.

Although the 1996 Atlanta Olympics are full of historical achievements, they are forever tainted by terrorism.

Now, when people say 1996 Olympics, they don’t think of the medals won and the records broken, they think of the terrorist attack in the Olympic Park. 

While this story seems more tragic than triumphant, there is a silver lining: Even after being faced with a terrorist attack, the world can band together to make history. 

The unity the world demonstrated at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics is the unity we need to find today. The Olympic Games are a window into the utopia we strive to create. And the whole world should recognize this.

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