The summer Games returned① to the United States for the first time since the Second World War and to Los Angeles for the second time.
The Americans predictably were the biggest beneficiaries②， but Carl Lewis would have been a worth champion even if the whole world had been present. The young Californian emulated the great Jesse Owens 48 years before to win the 100m， 200m， long jump and sprint relay③， and was the true track star of the Games.
China for the first time since 1952 sent 353 athletes to participate in 16 events， winning 15 gold， eight silver and nine bronze medals. The first Olympic champion in Chinese history was Xu Haifeng.
Sebastian of Britain became the first repeat winner of the 1，500 meters since 1906. Romanian gymnast Ecaterina Szabómatched Lewis’ four gold medals and added a silver， but the darling of the Games was little 16 year old Mary Lou Retton， who won the women’s All Around with a pair of 10s in her last two events.
The Los Angeles Olympics were the first privately financed④Games ever and made an unheard of profit of ＄215 million. Time magazine was so impressed by it and named organizing president Peter Ueberroth its Man of the Year.
① returnv. 回，返回，归
② beneficiaryn. 受益人，受惠者
③ relayn. 接力赛跑；接力赛中的一程
④ financev. 供资金给；融资，为……筹措资金
洛杉矶奥运会
自第二次世界大战以来，夏季奥运会首次重返美国。这是洛杉矶第二次获得举办权。
美国人成为了最大的受益者。但是即使全世界高手都云集于此，卡尔·刘易斯也肯定会是名副其实的冠军。这位年轻的加利福尼亚人重现了杰出的杰西·欧文斯 48年前的壮举，将100米、200米、跳远和短跑接力赛的金牌尽收囊中，成为本届奥运会田径场上真正的明星。
中国自1952年后首次参赛，派出了353名运动员参加了16个项目的比赛，赢得了15枚金牌、8枚银牌和9枚铜牌。中国历史上诞生了第一位奥运会冠军许海峰。
英国的塞巴斯蒂安成为1906年以来 1500米赛跑项目的首位蝉联冠军。罗马尼亚体操运动员埃卡特琳娜·绍伯与刘易斯一样，夺得4枚金牌，还多赢得1枚银牌。但是本届奥运会的宠儿却是身材矮小、年仅16岁的玛丽·卢·雷顿。她在最后两个项目中以两个满分的成绩获得了女子体操全能冠军。
洛杉矶奥运会是有史以来第一届由私人赞助的奥运会，并创造了空前的2.15亿美元的赢利。这给《时代》周刊杂志留下了深刻印象，组委会主席彼得·尤伯罗思因此成为了该杂志的年度人物。