1948 Summer Olympics Medal Table

1948 Summer Olympics Medal Table

The 1948 Summer Olympics (also known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad) was an international multi-sport event held from July 29 through August 14, 1948, in London, United Kingdom. It was the first Olympic Games to take place in twelve years, due to the Second World War (and was known informally as "The Austerity Games" - largely due to countries having to bring their own food due to shortages in Britain), with London being chosen as the host city in March 1946. London had previously hosted the 1908 Summer Olympics, and was due to have hosted the event in 1944. A record 59 nations were represented by 4,104 athletes, 3,714 men and 385 women, in 19 sport disciplines. Following the Second World War, Germany and Japan remained under military occupation and had not yet formed their National Olympic Committee, and so were not invited. The only major Axis power to take part in the Games was Italy. The Soviet Union also did not form a National Olympic Committee and was ineligible to be invited to compete, however they did send observers and would go on to compete in the 1952 Summer Olympics. Following the threats of a boycott from Arab countries should an Israeli team fly their flag at the opening ceremony, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) excluded Israel from the Games on a technicality.

The most successful nation was the United States, winning the most gold (38), silver (27) and bronze (19) medals. By comparison, the European nations were still impoverished from the Second World War with many still living with severe rationing on food and other essentials and in this environment Great Britain, the host nation, although winning only three gold medals, and twenty-three medals overall, was seen as successful. Several countries participated for the first time, including Burma, Ceylon, Lebanon, Puerto Rico and Syria. The Olympic medals themselves were the standard Trionfo design used for the Olympic medals between 1928 and 1968.

It wasn't until 2010 that Belgian Eugene van Roosbroeck received his gold medal for his part in the cycling road race as there was no podium for winners following the race and the team returned to Belgium two days after the event having received no medals.