92:, Canada, as executive vice president of the U.S. Olympic Committee. Kane said he had been working on the concept for over a decade before that. The event was intended to allow American athletes to develop in a setting similar to that of international competitions like the Olympics, particularly female athletes who had fewer opportunities to do so. Kane believed this was necessary for Americans to compete with countries with state support for Olympic athletes and more regular youth sporting events, particularly the
103:
After Kane was elected president of the USOC in April 1977, the committee began to discuss the notion of holding such a festival every summer, except during
Olympic years. The first edition of the National Sports Festival was announced in November 1977, only seven months before it would take place.
167:
During the 1995 Festival, the USOC voted to cancel its plans for the 1997 event, which had not been awarded to a host city yet, stating that there was not enough time to prepare. USOC members agreed that the
Olympic Festival needed a change in focus, but could not agree on what changes should be
143:
During the 1985 Festival, the USOC announced that future editions of the event would be renamed to the "U.S. Olympic
Festival". The name change was intended to make the association between the Festival and the Olympic Games more obvious, and to encourage more interest in the event.
127:
held in the Soviet Union, the USOC considered holding an extra edition of the
National Sports Festival to allow American athletes to still compete that summer. However, due to fears that trying to create an alternative Olympics would permanently damage the relations with the
159:, created competition for the Olympic Festival. The quality of competition at the Festival became inconsistent, with some sports featuring the top American athletes and others having only young upstarts in need of development. The IOC's decision in 1986 to stagger the
68:. As the competitive position of U.S. athletes in the Olympics slipped relative to that of the Soviets and East Germans, it was felt the U.S. needed some kind of multi-sports event to simulate the Olympic experience. It was originally called the
908:
163:
in even-numbered years between the Summer
Olympics meant that the U.S. Olympic Festival could only be held in odd-numbered years after 1994, reducing it from three events in each four-year period to two.
132:, and concerns that staging an event of Olympic scale with only a few months to prepare would be impractical, the idea was soon dropped. Instead, two smaller-scale events were held that summer, the
1449:
1059:
1444:
1474:
1037:
1469:
1459:
112:
and was relocating its headquarters there from New York City. The second annual edition of the festival, in 1979, was the first to receive live television coverage.
45:
1464:
155:
in 1991 eliminated part of the event's original purpose. An overall growth in youth sporting competitions in the United States, such as those represented by the
235:
1015:
1125:
1213:
1235:
547:
1279:
1169:
1191:
1439:
1257:
1103:
634:
850:
1081:
1411:
109:
53:
1454:
709:
137:
971:
949:
653:"Sports in Soviet Union Only for Elite : There Are Top Athletes, and then There Are Those Who Sunbathe and Watch Drawbridges Go up"
774:
696:
81:
147:
Changes in national and international sporting and geopolitics made the
Olympic Festival less significant over time. The end of the
993:
156:
1060:"VolleyballPARA:WomenPARA:West def. East, 11-15, 15-6, 15-10, 17-15PARA:WomenPARA:Gold Medal GamePARA:West (96) - UPI Archives"
129:
367:
1367:
532:
927:
1345:
328:
290:
273:
256:
244:
212:
195:
152:
120:
1301:
1147:
855:
468:
295:
217:
200:
105:
1388:
769:
502:
485:
430:
413:
396:
362:
345:
72:
until the name was changed in 1986. It was the nation's largest junior sporting event until it ended in 1995.
573:
435:
401:
418:
333:
652:
278:
1038:"Diving Results, National Sports Festival Diving preliminaries At Indianapolis, July 21 - UPI Archives"
736:
445:
377:
305:
227:
133:
124:
85:
837:
796:
490:
913:
714:
473:
261:
756:
657:
507:
37:
891:
832:
791:
750:
731:
593:
116:
purchased the broadcast rights for $ 500,000, covering much of the event's operating costs.
874:
160:
61:
1126:"National Sports Festival Results;NEWLN:At Baton Rouge, La., Aug. 4, 1985 - UPI Archives"
1323:
1016:"The United States Olympic Committee's 1982 National Sports Festival,... - UPI Archives"
677:
598:
350:
100:, which were starting to surpass the United States in many Olympic events at the time.
1214:"Results from Sunday's competition in the National Sports Festival:... - UPI Archives"
1433:
612:
317:
49:
41:
1236:"Results from Saturday's competition at the sixth National Sports... - UPI Archives"
239:
97:
93:
65:
57:
17:
1280:"Athletes competing in the 1985 National Sports Festival next... - UPI Archives"
1192:"Results of Monday's competition at the sixth National Sports... - UPI Archives"
385:
309:
1104:"Results from Saturday's events at the fifth National Sports... - UPI Archives"
1258:"National Sports Festival Results At Baton Rouge, La., July 25 - UPI Archives"
1170:"National Sports Festival Results Field Hockey Gold Medal Game - UPI Archives"
313:
887:
869:
828:
810:
787:
727:
691:
672:
589:
564:
453:
449:
1082:"Results of Sunday's events at the fifth National Sports... - UPI Archives"
565:"The World Is Catching Up; United States Needs Athletic Counterattack—Soon"
148:
89:
1412:"Boxers De la Hoya, Griffin win at U.S. Olympic Festival - UPI Archives"
851:"Amateur Events Glut Public; Olympic-Style Games More Pseudo Than Super"
815:
620:
752:
The
Political Olympics: Moscow, Afghanistan, and the 1980 U.S. Boycott
728:"Panel Studies Olympic Alternative; National Sports Festival Possible"
231:
52:. It was started in 1978 as an American counterpart to the communist
1324:"Desert Sun 2 August 1986 — California Digital Newspaper Collection"
972:"National Sports Festival at Syracuse, N.Y., July 26 - UPI Archives"
950:"National Sports Festival At Syracuse, N.Y., July 28 - UPI Archives"
80:
The idea of a
National Sports Festival was originally conceived by
457:
381:
568:
113:
870:"Searching for direction, USOC cancels 1997 Olympic Festival"
619:, April 8-10, 1980, American Academy of Physical Education,
84:, who first publicly discussed the idea while attending the
56:– a similar event held on a quadrennial basis by the former
994:"National Sports Festival Figure Skating - UPI Archives"
692:"Amateur Athletes Will Gather for July Sports Festival"
108:, where the USOC had recently built its first national
138:
U.S. Gymnastics
Federation International Invitational
1346:"Olympic Festival - facts, figures - UPI Archives"
928:"National Sports Festival Results - UPI Archives"
533:"Olympic Festival's Success May Cause Its Demise"
1450:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 1995
1410:JEFF HASEN UPI Sports Writer (July 13, 1991).
1302:"U.S. Olympic Festival Results - UPI Archives"
1445:Recurring sporting events established in 1978
859:, August 1, 1993, Web. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
778:, March 29, 1980, Sports section, front page.
613:"The Olympic Movement and Physical Education"
136:track-and-field meet in Philadelphia and the
8:
718:, July 22, 1979, Web. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
548:"Olympic Festival Was A Big Hit In Oklahoma"
1475:1995 disestablishments in the United States
1148:"Men's Single Short Program - UPI Archives"
770:"Springs' chances dim for hosting festival"
710:"U.S. Opens Its Sports Festival on Friday"
175:
119:When the United States announced it would
1389:"Olympic Festival Results - UPI Archives"
1470:1978 establishments in the United States
585:
583:
1460:Multi-sport events in the United States
559:
557:
523:
1465:Sports festivals in the United States
7:
673:"Robert Kane elected USOC president"
635:"Soviet Amateur Athlete: A Real Pro"
888:"USOC eliminates Olympic festivals"
878:, July 23, 1995, Section 3, page 6.
775:Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph
697:Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph
25:
633:Washburn, J. N. (July 21, 1974).
104:It would be held in July 1978 in
1375:www.trianglesportscommission.com
788:"Miller: It's Moscow or nothing"
700:, November 29, 1977, front page.
157:National Congress of State Games
1440:United States Olympic Committee
740:, January 28, 1980, front page.
531:Hersh, Philip (July 27, 1995).
130:International Olympic Committee
46:United States Olympic Committee
1326:. Cdnc.ucr.edu. August 2, 1986
590:"Amateur Sports Festival Eyed"
368:Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina
1:
829:"Mitchell scores double gold"
811:"Festival Gets New Approach"
153:collapse of the Soviet Union
1455:National multi-sport events
1018:. Upi.com. February 1, 1981
909:"It Was A Towering Success"
898:, October 9, 1995, page 10.
577:, August 1, 1976, page B-3.
1491:
856:South Florida Sun-Sentinel
819:, July 26, 1985, page 158.
681:, April 29, 1977, page 15.
296:Colorado Springs, Colorado
218:Colorado Springs, Colorado
201:Colorado Springs, Colorado
140:in Hartford, Connecticut.
106:Colorado Springs, Colorado
27:American multi-sport event
1172:. Upi.com. August 3, 1985
1150:. Upi.com. August 2, 1985
1128:. Upi.com. August 4, 1985
896:Greenfield Daily Reporter
841:, July 28, 1985, page 20.
800:, April 2, 1980, page 29.
602:, June 29, 1977, page D8.
443:
375:
303:
225:
48:in the years between the
1391:. Upi.com. July 18, 1987
1348:. Upi.com. July 19, 1986
1304:. Upi.com. July 26, 1986
1282:. Upi.com. June 25, 1985
1260:. Upi.com. July 25, 1985
1238:. Upi.com. July 27, 1985
1216:. Upi.com. July 28, 1985
1194:. Upi.com. July 29, 1985
1106:. Upi.com. June 25, 1983
1084:. Upi.com. June 27, 1983
1040:. Upi.com. July 21, 1982
996:. Upi.com. July 24, 1981
974:. Upi.com. July 26, 1981
952:. Upi.com. July 28, 1981
930:. Upi.com. July 29, 1981
70:National Sports Festival
1062:. Upi.com. July 1, 1983
617:Citius, Altius, Fortius
574:Lexington Herald-Leader
436:Los Angeles, California
402:Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
110:Olympic Training Center
917:, August 7, 1978, Web.
419:Minneapolis, Minnesota
334:Baton Rouge, Louisiana
279:Indianapolis, Indiana
247:by the United States)
34:U.S. Olympic Festival
759:, 1990, pages 29–30.
737:Springfield News-Sun
446:1992 Summer Olympics
378:1988 Summer Olympics
306:1984 Summer Olympics
228:1980 Summer Olympics
134:Liberty Bell Classic
125:1980 Summer Olympics
86:1976 Summer Olympics
1368:"1987 USOF Results"
838:Southern Illinoisan
797:Elmira Star-Gazette
671:Van Sickle, Kenny.
491:St. Louis, Missouri
18:US Olympic Festival
914:Sports Illustrated
868:Deardorff, Julie.
715:The New York Times
639:The New York Times
535:. Chicago Tribune.
474:San Antonio, Texas
262:Syracuse, New York
749:Hulme, Derick L.
658:Los Angeles Times
515:
514:
508:Boulder, Colorado
38:multi-sport event
16:(Redirected from
1482:
1424:
1423:
1421:
1419:
1407:
1401:
1400:
1398:
1396:
1385:
1379:
1378:
1372:
1364:
1358:
1357:
1355:
1353:
1342:
1336:
1335:
1333:
1331:
1320:
1314:
1313:
1311:
1309:
1298:
1292:
1291:
1289:
1287:
1276:
1270:
1269:
1267:
1265:
1254:
1248:
1247:
1245:
1243:
1232:
1226:
1225:
1223:
1221:
1210:
1204:
1203:
1201:
1199:
1188:
1182:
1181:
1179:
1177:
1166:
1160:
1159:
1157:
1155:
1144:
1138:
1137:
1135:
1133:
1122:
1116:
1115:
1113:
1111:
1100:
1094:
1093:
1091:
1089:
1078:
1072:
1071:
1069:
1067:
1056:
1050:
1049:
1047:
1045:
1034:
1028:
1027:
1025:
1023:
1012:
1006:
1005:
1003:
1001:
990:
984:
983:
981:
979:
968:
962:
961:
959:
957:
946:
940:
939:
937:
935:
924:
918:
905:
899:
892:Associated Press
885:
879:
866:
860:
848:
842:
833:Associated Press
826:
820:
807:
801:
792:Associated Press
785:
779:
768:Jenkins, Chris.
766:
760:
747:
741:
732:Associated Press
725:
719:
707:
701:
688:
682:
669:
663:
662:
661:. July 22, 1986.
649:
643:
642:
630:
624:
609:
603:
594:Associated Press
587:
578:
561:
552:
551:
543:
537:
536:
528:
176:
21:
1490:
1489:
1485:
1484:
1483:
1481:
1480:
1479:
1430:
1429:
1428:
1427:
1417:
1415:
1409:
1408:
1404:
1394:
1392:
1387:
1386:
1382:
1370:
1366:
1365:
1361:
1351:
1349:
1344:
1343:
1339:
1329:
1327:
1322:
1321:
1317:
1307:
1305:
1300:
1299:
1295:
1285:
1283:
1278:
1277:
1273:
1263:
1261:
1256:
1255:
1251:
1241:
1239:
1234:
1233:
1229:
1219:
1217:
1212:
1211:
1207:
1197:
1195:
1190:
1189:
1185:
1175:
1173:
1168:
1167:
1163:
1153:
1151:
1146:
1145:
1141:
1131:
1129:
1124:
1123:
1119:
1109:
1107:
1102:
1101:
1097:
1087:
1085:
1080:
1079:
1075:
1065:
1063:
1058:
1057:
1053:
1043:
1041:
1036:
1035:
1031:
1021:
1019:
1014:
1013:
1009:
999:
997:
992:
991:
987:
977:
975:
970:
969:
965:
955:
953:
948:
947:
943:
933:
931:
926:
925:
921:
906:
902:
886:
882:
875:Chicago Tribune
867:
863:
849:
845:
827:
823:
808:
804:
786:
782:
767:
763:
748:
744:
726:
722:
708:
704:
689:
685:
670:
666:
651:
650:
646:
632:
631:
627:
611:Spears, Betty.
610:
606:
588:
581:
562:
555:
545:
544:
540:
530:
529:
525:
520:
242:
174:
161:Winter Olympics
78:
60:and its former
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
1488:
1486:
1478:
1477:
1472:
1467:
1462:
1457:
1452:
1447:
1442:
1432:
1431:
1426:
1425:
1402:
1380:
1359:
1337:
1315:
1293:
1271:
1249:
1227:
1205:
1183:
1161:
1139:
1117:
1095:
1073:
1051:
1029:
1007:
985:
963:
941:
919:
900:
880:
861:
843:
821:
809:Rosner, Dave.
802:
780:
761:
742:
720:
702:
690:Navarro, Joe.
683:
678:Ithaca Journal
664:
644:
625:
604:
599:Sacramento Bee
579:
553:
538:
522:
521:
519:
516:
513:
512:
510:
505:
500:
496:
495:
493:
488:
483:
479:
478:
476:
471:
466:
462:
461:
441:
440:
438:
433:
428:
424:
423:
421:
416:
411:
407:
406:
404:
399:
394:
390:
389:
373:
372:
370:
365:
360:
356:
355:
353:
351:Houston, Texas
348:
343:
339:
338:
336:
331:
326:
322:
321:
301:
300:
298:
293:
288:
284:
283:
281:
276:
271:
267:
266:
264:
259:
254:
250:
249:
223:
222:
220:
215:
210:
206:
205:
203:
198:
193:
189:
188:
185:
182:
179:
173:
170:
77:
74:
26:
24:
14:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1487:
1476:
1473:
1471:
1468:
1466:
1463:
1461:
1458:
1456:
1453:
1451:
1448:
1446:
1443:
1441:
1438:
1437:
1435:
1413:
1406:
1403:
1390:
1384:
1381:
1376:
1369:
1363:
1360:
1347:
1341:
1338:
1325:
1319:
1316:
1303:
1297:
1294:
1281:
1275:
1272:
1259:
1253:
1250:
1237:
1231:
1228:
1215:
1209:
1206:
1193:
1187:
1184:
1171:
1165:
1162:
1149:
1143:
1140:
1127:
1121:
1118:
1105:
1099:
1096:
1083:
1077:
1074:
1061:
1055:
1052:
1039:
1033:
1030:
1017:
1011:
1008:
995:
989:
986:
973:
967:
964:
951:
945:
942:
929:
923:
920:
916:
915:
910:
904:
901:
897:
893:
889:
884:
881:
877:
876:
871:
865:
862:
858:
857:
852:
847:
844:
840:
839:
834:
830:
825:
822:
818:
817:
812:
806:
803:
799:
798:
793:
789:
784:
781:
777:
776:
771:
765:
762:
758:
754:
753:
746:
743:
739:
738:
733:
729:
724:
721:
717:
716:
711:
706:
703:
699:
698:
693:
687:
684:
680:
679:
674:
668:
665:
660:
659:
654:
648:
645:
640:
636:
629:
626:
622:
618:
614:
608:
605:
601:
600:
595:
591:
586:
584:
580:
576:
575:
570:
566:
563:Rabun, Mike.
560:
558:
554:
550:. philly.com.
549:
542:
539:
534:
527:
524:
517:
511:
509:
506:
504:
501:
498:
497:
494:
492:
489:
487:
484:
481:
480:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
464:
463:
460:
459:
455:
451:
447:
442:
439:
437:
434:
432:
429:
426:
425:
422:
420:
417:
415:
412:
409:
408:
405:
403:
400:
398:
395:
392:
391:
388:
387:
383:
379:
374:
371:
369:
366:
364:
361:
358:
357:
354:
352:
349:
347:
344:
341:
340:
337:
335:
332:
330:
327:
324:
323:
320:
319:
318:United States
315:
311:
307:
302:
299:
297:
294:
292:
289:
286:
285:
282:
280:
277:
275:
272:
269:
268:
265:
263:
260:
258:
255:
252:
251:
248:
246:
241:
237:
233:
229:
224:
221:
219:
216:
214:
211:
208:
207:
204:
202:
199:
197:
194:
191:
190:
186:
183:
180:
178:
177:
171:
169:
165:
162:
158:
154:
150:
145:
141:
139:
135:
131:
126:
122:
117:
115:
111:
107:
101:
99:
95:
91:
87:
83:
75:
73:
71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
50:Olympic Games
47:
43:
42:United States
39:
35:
30:
19:
1418:February 25,
1416:. Retrieved
1405:
1395:February 25,
1393:. Retrieved
1383:
1374:
1362:
1352:February 25,
1350:. Retrieved
1340:
1330:February 25,
1328:. Retrieved
1318:
1308:February 25,
1306:. Retrieved
1296:
1286:February 25,
1284:. Retrieved
1274:
1264:February 25,
1262:. Retrieved
1252:
1242:February 25,
1240:. Retrieved
1230:
1220:February 25,
1218:. Retrieved
1208:
1198:February 25,
1196:. Retrieved
1186:
1176:February 25,
1174:. Retrieved
1164:
1154:February 25,
1152:. Retrieved
1142:
1132:February 25,
1130:. Retrieved
1120:
1110:February 25,
1108:. Retrieved
1098:
1088:February 25,
1086:. Retrieved
1076:
1066:February 25,
1064:. Retrieved
1054:
1044:February 25,
1042:. Retrieved
1032:
1022:February 25,
1020:. Retrieved
1010:
1000:February 25,
998:. Retrieved
988:
978:February 25,
976:. Retrieved
966:
956:February 25,
954:. Retrieved
944:
934:February 25,
932:. Retrieved
922:
912:
907:Jares, Joe.
903:
895:
883:
873:
864:
854:
846:
836:
824:
814:
805:
795:
783:
773:
764:
751:
745:
735:
723:
713:
705:
695:
686:
676:
667:
656:
647:
638:
628:
616:
607:
597:
572:
541:
526:
444:
376:
304:
240:Soviet Union
236:Russian SFSR
226:
166:
146:
142:
118:
102:
98:East Germany
94:Soviet Union
79:
69:
66:East Germany
58:Soviet Union
40:held in the
33:
31:
29:
546:Reid, Ron.
386:South Korea
310:Los Angeles
82:Robert Kane
1434:Categories
518:References
314:California
54:Spartakiad
1414:. Upi.com
454:Catalonia
450:Barcelona
245:boycotted
184:Location
62:satellite
187:Sources
172:Editions
151:and the
149:Cold War
90:Montreal
816:Newsday
757:Praeger
621:Detroit
121:boycott
76:History
44:by the
894:, via
835:, via
794:, via
734:, via
596:, via
571:, via
232:Moscow
168:made.
36:was a
1371:(PDF)
458:Spain
382:Seoul
181:Year
1420:2022
1397:2022
1354:2022
1332:2022
1310:2022
1288:2022
1266:2022
1244:2022
1222:2022
1200:2022
1178:2022
1156:2022
1134:2022
1112:2022
1090:2022
1068:2022
1046:2022
1024:2022
1002:2022
980:2022
958:2022
936:2022
503:1995
486:1994
469:1993
431:1991
414:1990
397:1989
363:1987
346:1986
329:1985
291:1983
274:1982
257:1981
213:1979
196:1978
123:the
96:and
32:The
569:UPI
499:14
482:13
465:12
448:in
427:11
410:10
380:in
308:in
230:in
114:NBC
88:in
64:in
1436::
1373:.
911:,
890:,
872:,
853:,
831:,
813:,
790:,
772:,
755:,
730:,
712:,
694:,
675:,
655:.
637:.
615:,
592:,
582:^
567:,
556:^
456:,
452:,
393:9
384:,
359:8
342:7
325:6
316:,
312:,
287:5
270:4
253:3
238:,
234:,
209:2
192:1
1422:.
1399:.
1377:.
1356:.
1334:.
1312:.
1290:.
1268:.
1246:.
1224:.
1202:.
1180:.
1158:.
1136:.
1114:.
1092:.
1070:.
1048:.
1026:.
1004:.
982:.
960:.
938:.
641:.
623:.
243:(
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.