The Modern Olympics
1948 -- London, England
4,099 athletes, 59 nations
London had been chosen to host the 1944 Summer Games before they were cancelled, so the city was a natural choice for the 1948 Games. However London was still experiencing wartime rationing and building materials were in short supply. The damage caused by bombing raids was still very evident.
Click for Olympic posters
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Organizers had to be frugal in their planning for the Games. The Athletes Village was eliminated and foreign competitors were housed in schools, military camps and private homes. No new facilities were built for the Games.
During the opening ceremonies in Wembley stadium countries of the allied forces were cheered on by spectators. German and Japanese athletes were not invited to participate.
Fanny Blankers-Koen of The Netherlands was a hero at the Games. She won four of the nine women's track events.
Canadian Highlights: Canadians did not perform well and did not earn a single gold medal. A silver and a bronze medal were won in the canoeing events and the women's 4x100m-relay team picked up a bronze.
Medal Counts: Gold 0, Silver 1, Bronze 1
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