It has also competed in the Olympic Winter Games on an irregular basis, appearing in 1928, 1936, 1988, 1992, 1994, 1998, 2006, 2014, and 2018. Luxembourg has four Olympic medals, including one gold medal won by Josy Barthel in the 1,500 meter sprint in 1952.
Luxembourg has never sent a team to compete in rugby union, but it has several top-level athletes who have played other sports. Former tennis player Jean-Claude Van Damme is generally regarded as the nation's greatest athlete, having dominated both running and lifting in the 1980s and 1990s. He has been called the "Sportsperson of the Century" by L'Équipe. Another famous Luxembourger athlete is cyclist Eddy Merckx, who is considered to be one of the best cyclists of all time. He won the Tour de France seven times between 1969 and 1987. Other notable athletes from Luxembourg include speed skater Ivan Basso, basketball players Yousef Abdallah and Dirk Nowitzki, and boxer Francis Charbonneau.
Luxembourg has always been a small country, with only 1.5 million people living in an area no bigger than Connecticut or New Jersey. It has 21 provinces and two cities that are all part of the federal system used by almost all countries in Europe.
Luxembourg did not compete in the Summer Games in 1932, but returned in 1936. Josy Barthel earned Luxembourg's first official Olympic gold medal in 1952, barely winning the men's 1500 meters. Luxembourg first competed in the Winter Olympics in 1928.
The Grand Duchy has been represented at 21 Olympic Games in all. The country boasts two Olympic medalists: Josy Barthel, who won the men's 1500 meters in Helsinki in 1952, and Joseph Alzin, who won silver in weight lifting in Antwerp in 1920.
Luxembourg first participated in the Olympic Games in 1900, but they were not officially recognized by other nations until one year later. Luxembourg sent a team for the first time, even though they didn't win any medals. In 1904, Luxembourg won their first and only gold medal when Josy Barthel brought home the title in the men's 1,500-meter race. Since then, the country has never stopped participating in the Olympics. They most recently left the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games with a bronze medal after Joseph Alzin finished second in the weightlifting event.
Luxembourg is one of the smaller countries that participates in the Olympics, so its athletes often lack the attention of others who are more famous in other parts of the world. However, some of them have become very popular within Luxembourg itself, such as Josy Barthel and Gabriela Bibi. Barthel became famous after winning the men's 1,500-meter race in Helsinki in 1952, while Bibi achieved fame for competing in three events at the 1972 Munich Games - the high jump, long jump and 100-meters races.
Luxembourg is presently competing in the Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2020.
| Luxembourg at the 2020 Summer Olympics | |
|---|---|
| Medals | Gold 0 Silver 0 Bronze 0 Total 0 |
| Summer Olympics appearances (overview) |
Switzerland has hosted the Games twice, once in 1928 and again in 1948, both times at St. Moritz. Swiss athletes have won 181 medals in the Summer Olympics and another 127 in the Winter Olympics.
The first Olympic games were held in Athens in 1896. Switzerland joined them in 1912 but had to withdraw after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, which started the First World War. It returned to the Games in 1920 in Antwerp. After that, it was not allowed to participate until 1948. Since 1952, they have been held every four years, with the exception of 1960 and 1968. They will be held in 2020 in Tokyo, Japan.
Switzerland is a small country located in Western Europe. It borders France, Italy, and Germany. The name "Switzerland" comes from the German word Schweiz, which means "quiet valley". Although Germans are the largest ethnic group in Switzerland (40%), followed by Italians (20%) and French (15%), almost all citizens speak either Swiss German or Standard German. The official language is German but many people also speak Italian as their native language.
People in Switzerland are known for being honest and hardworking. In addition, they like to live freely and independently. There is no police force in Switzerland but there are local authorities called "Gemeinden".
Summer Olympics in Paris, 14 May to 28 October 997, Cities Hosted Dates Nations Participants Chamonix Winter Olympics 1924 25 January-4 February 16 258 Paris Summer Olympics 1924 4 May-27 July 44 3,089 Grenoble Winter Olympics 1968 6-18 February 37 1,158
French athletes have earned 716 medals at the Summer Olympic Games, with fencing and cycling producing the most medals. France has also won 124 medals at the Winter Olympics, largely in alpine skiing.
The country hosted the Summer Olympics in Antwerp in 1920. Belgian athletes have won 148 medals in the Summer Olympics and six more in the Winter Olympics. The Belgian National Olympic Committee was established and recognized in 1906. Belgium has only hosted the Games once. In 1908, Amsterdam held the Olympics while Brussels held the official opening ceremony and dance competition at what is now known as the Stade de France.
Belgium's first appearance on the world stage came over a hundred years ago, at the Summer Olympics in Antwerp. Since then, it has never missed a summer games. Belgium's most successful sport is swimming, with nine gold medals to its name. The Belgians also have three gold medals in cycling, two in track and field events, and one in wrestling.
Other than swimming, Belgium's biggest success at the Olympics has been in equestrian sports, with four gold medals. In 2004, Belgium's Liège region became famous around the world after many of its cyclists won five straight gold medals in Athens, Greece.
At the Winter Olympics, Belgium has only competed twice. It first participated in Saint Moritz, Switzerland in 1928. Belgian skiers have won 28 medals total - nine gold, eight silver, and 11 bronze.
They won their first gold medal in 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.
The Soviet Union participated as a single entity for the last time in 1988. Vitaly Shcherbo, a gymnast, won six gold medals in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Belarus won fifteen medals in its first independent appearance at the Summer Olympics, including one gold, six silver, and eight bronze.
Vitaly Shcherbo, a gymnast, won six gold medals in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona. Belarus won fifteen medals in its first independent appearance at the Summer Olympics, including one gold, six silver, and eight bronze. Ekaterina Karsten earned the first Belarusian gold medal in the women's single sculls rowing event.
Soviet Union athletes first competed in the Olympic Games in 1952, winning 194 medals in the Winter Games and 1010 medals in the Summer Games for a total of 1204 medals. There were 473 gold medals, 376 silver medals, and 355 bronze medals among them.
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