The Summer Games returned to Europe in 1992, and saw 169 nations come together to compete. Since the fall of the Eastern Bloc nations, countries like Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania fielded its own teams. Many of the former Soviet republics competed together as the Unified Team.

This Olympics will be remembered for the debut of professional players in the Olympics, however, many would argue that some countries had been sending professionals for quite some time. The US basketball team would be given the moniker ‘The Dream Team’ and featured many NBA Hall of Fame players. The American basketball team was never challenged and easily waltzed to the gold medal.

The opening ceremonies were supposed to feature a duet with Freddie Mercury and Dame Montserrat Caballe, but due to Mercury’s failing health Placido Domingo stepped in to sing with her the theme song “Barcelona”

South Africa was allowed to compete for the first time since the 1960 Games, and the Germans fielded one team for the first time since 1964.

Vataly Scherbo dominated men’s gymnastics winning 6 gold medals including 4 in a single day. Five of the medals were individual medals that tied Eric Heiden’s record for most individual medals in a single olympics, a record that would fall to Michael Phelps in 2008.

One of the lasting images of the 1992 Games was sprinter Derek Redmond of Great Britain tore a hamstring in his semifinal heat for the 400 meters. He was determined to finish the race, and his father made his way onto the track and helped him complete the race.

On the 20th anniversary off the Munich Massacre, Israeli athlete Yael Arad won the first medal in Israel’s Olympic efforts, taking the silver in Judo. The next day Oren Smadja became the first male medalist also in Judo earning the bronze.

The Unified Team would top the medal count with 112 total 45g, 38s, 29b. The US was second with 108, 37g, 34s, 37b. The reunited German team would take third with 82 medals, 33g, 21s, 28b.