1998 Goodwill Games
![]() Official logo of the games.  | |
| Host city | New York City, New York | 
|---|---|
| Country | USA | 
| Nations | 66 | 
| Athletes | 1500 | 
| Opening | 19 July 1998 | 
| Closing | 2 August 1998 | 
The 1998 Goodwill Games was the fourth edition of the international sports competition the Goodwill Games, which were created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The competition was held in and around New York City in the United States from July 19 to August 2, 1998. Approximately 1,500 athletes from 66 countries participated, competing in 15 sports.[1]
The United States topped the medal table of 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, Dominique Moceanu, Michael Johnson, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Dan O'Brien, Félix Savón, Jenny Thompson and Alexander Popov.[2] Approximately 1,500 athletes from more of 60 countries participated, competing in 15 sports.[1]
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.[3][4] The event is also notable for a training accident involving Chinese gymnast Sang Lan, which injured her spinal cord and left her partially paralyzed.[2]
Sports
 Athletics  ()
 Basketball  ()
 Beach volleyball  ()
 Boxing  ()
 Cycling  ()
 Diving  ()
 Figure skating  ()
 Gymnastics  ()
 Soccer  ()
 Swimming  ()
 Synchronized swimming  ()
 Triathlon  ()
 Water polo  ()
 Wrestling  ()
Venues
Some events were held in New York City, while many were held in nearby suburbs in Long Island, including Uniondale.[2][4][5]
- Central Park (triathlon finish)
 - Madison Square Garden (basketball)
 - Mitchel Athletic Complex (athletics, soccer)
 - Nassau County Aquatic Center (diving, swimming, synchronized swimming, water polo)
 - Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum (figure skating, rhythmic and artistic gymnastics)
 - New York Harbor (triathlon start)
 - The Theater at Madison Square Garden (boxing, wrestling)
 - Wagner College Stadium (cycling)
 - Wollman Rink (beach volleyball)
 
Participating nations
The following nations were invited to the games:[6]
 Algeria
 Argentina
 Armenia
 Australia
 Bahamas
 Belarus
 Belgium
 Brazil
 Bulgaria
 Canada
 China
 Colombia
 Costa Rica
 Cuba
 Czech Republic
 Denmark
 Ecuador
 Egypt
 Estonia
 Ethiopia
 Finland
 France
 Georgia
 Germany
 Great Britain
 Greece
 Hungary
 Iceland
 Iran
 Ireland
 Italy
 Jamaica
 Japan
 Kazakhstan
 Kenya
 Lithuania
 Mexico
 Mongolia
 Morocco
 Mozambique
 Netherlands
 New Zealand
 Nigeria
 Norway
 Philippines
 Poland
 Portugal
 Puerto Rico
 Romania
 Russia
 Slovenia
 South Africa
 South Korea
 Spain
 Sweden
  Switzerland
 Syria
 Trinidad and Tobago
 Turkey
 Uganda
 Ukraine
 United States
 Uzbekistan
 Venezuela
 Zambia
 Zimbabwe
Medal table
| Place | Nation | Total | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 41 | 49 | 42 | 132 | |
| 2 | 35 | 29 | 30 | 94 | |
| 3 | 8 | 5 | 4 | 17 | |
| 4 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 | |
| 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13 | |
| 6 | 3 | 3 | 10 | 16 | |
| 7 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 10 | |
| 8 | 2 | 5 | 2 | 9 | |
| 9 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 9 | |
| 10 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | |
| 11 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 12 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| 14 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 10 | |
| 15 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 9 | |
| 16 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | |
| 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 23 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 24 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| 25 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | |
| 26 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 6 | |
| 27 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | ||
| 30 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | ||
| World All-Stars (Cycling) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 35 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | ||
| 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 
References
- ^ a b "Goodwill Games Fact Sheet". Goodwill Games. Archived from the original on 18 December 2000. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
 - ^ a b c Moving on: Despite red ink, Games head to Brisbane and maybe Lake Placid Archived 2012-11-14 at the Wayback Machine, CNN/Sports Illustrated, August 16, 1998
 - ^ Therin, Frederic (August 29, 2001). "Enfants de la guerre froide, les Goodwill Games cherchent encore leur public". Le Monde (in French). Paris: Groupe Le Monde. Archived from the original on 2007-06-15. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
 - ^ a b Bell, Daniel (2003). Encyclopedia of International Games (pgs. 164–168). McFarland and Company, Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, North Carolina. ISBN 0-7864-1026-4.
 - ^ "Goodwill Games 1998: Sports and Venues". Archived from the original on 2012-08-16.
 - ^ "Potential Participating Countries". Goodwill Games. June 4, 1998. Archived from the original on 12 January 2001. Retrieved March 11, 2022.
 
