19th July, 1996 enters the centennial history of modern Olympic games as unforgettable ceremonial opening of Jubilee Games. Thick to the full "Olympic Stadium" in Atlanta that day turned into a huge scene. In the colourful fair of Opening participated about 8 thousand people. They performed charming play of sport, youth, beauty and friendship. After the drama show, shaked as in-stadium spectators, as about three milliards TV-spectators, watching that magic hymn to sport in all beauty, there began a parade of sport battles’ participants.

And how exciting it was seen first time at the Olympic stadium the flag of sovereign Uzbekistan, which proudly carried our boxer – Temur Ibragimov. The sport delegation of our country at first time participated in the Opening ceremony of summer Olympic Games and it was applaused by over 83 thousand spectators, filled in the Stadium.

The Olympiad in Atlanta was 26th in the history of modern Olympic movement. The competitions were hosting on 29 venues in 36 Olympic sports, in 13 sports our athletes were represented. There were won 1933 medals, with the total participation of 10849 athletes. From this total women were 3779, 40% more, than in 1992 – in Barcelona participated 2708 female athletes. At the first time the Games attended athletes of all countries, which were invited. Athletes, coaches and officials, in total 15984 people were placed in Olympic village, located on the territory of the Technological University in Atlanta.

The first participation of Uzbekistan at summer Olympic games as separate team predefined all complex of the most difficult work of country’s sport organizations for the quadrennial, предшествуюшее Atlanta. It was necessary to create own preparations conception to the Olympiad, develop athletes’ preparation system, complete the integration to the international Olympic movement, form necessary for development Olympism’s structures, provide the development of Olympic movement and Olympic ideas.

All this многогранная activities could not be realized without state’s support. Independent Uzbekistan взял твердый курс to всемирное development of physical culture and sports. "Ибо, — as Islam Karimov said, - расцвет of each nation, its place in all humanity history, authority and fame are directly depend on intellectual and physical совершенства their sons and daughters ". such prior attitude to nation’s physical development предопределило the process of quadrennial volume work of preparation to the Olympiad in Atlanta.

76 Uzbekistan athletes qualified to participate the Olympic games represented 13 sports: 17 canoe/kayak athletes, 12 track and field athletes, 10 swimmers, 7 boxers and 7 judokas, 6 wrestlers free style and 4 wrestlers greek-roman, 5 weightlifters, 2 female and 1 male gymnast, 2 tennis players, 1 shooting athlete, 1 cyclist and 1 fencer.

Athletes represented Tashkent city, Republic of Karakalpakstan and 9 regions: capital – 37 people, Republic of Karakalpakstan – 1, Tashkent region – 14, Andijan region – 5, Samarkand region – 6, Fergana region – 6, Navoi region – 5, Bukhara region – 2, Syrdarya region – 2, Kashkadarya region – 1, Khorezm region – 1.

Two weeks of grandiose sport battles приковали взоры of humanity to the capital of Georgia state. It has left in the history and for ages remained the excellent examples of the highest spiritual and physical напряжения on the splendid Atlanta’s Olympic arenas. During the sport battles our athletes could win silver medal in judo competitions and bronze in boxing tournaments. In medal tally, Uzbekistan was 58 among 197 participating countries.

On 22 July from far Atlanta пришла радостная весть: воспитанник of Uzbekistan judo, twenty four- year old Armen Bagdasarov, in 68 kg category, победив athletes from Haiti, Russia, Lithuania, Romania, won a silver medal at the summer Olympic games. Armen, by that time was не новичком в спорте. He was a bronze prizewinner of the Asian championship. But the success on XXVI Olympiad unanimously became a яркой page in his biography.

Karim Tulyaganov, boxer (71 kg) in упорной борьбе пробился in the semifinal, winning boxers from Argentina, Ethiopia and Seychelles. In the semifinal бою judges отдали нредпочтение to Reyd, an American boxer.

The successful in Atlanta was performance of our judokas. Vladimir Shmakov was 7th by ranking. Alisher Mukhtarov had two victories – Garcia, Brazilian and Idridi, Moroccan. But then уступил to athletes from Mongolia and England, and was 9th by ranking. The same result achieved Andrey Shturbabin. These three athletes достойно supported Armen Bagdasarov, войдя в десятку сильнейших, что безусловно является хорошим результатом.

Uzbekistan boxers received a high value on the Olympiad. Наряду с Karim Tulyaganov a high mastership showed Dilshod Yarbekov and Nariman Atayev. Dilshod Yarbekov, -75 kg in the quarterfinal completed бой vs Wells, USA со счетом 8:8. Obviously, he was stronger than his противника, but judges отдали победу to an American athlete, хозяину ринга. Nariman Atayev also in quarterfinal lost to his сопернику from Puerto Rico. В итоге Dilshod Yarbekov and Nariman Atayev ranked 5 – 8 in their weight categories.

In freestyle wrestling competed Arsen Fadzaev and Ruslan Hinchagov. But, unfortunately with no high results. Significant success achieved Atham Achilov, -52kg, Damir Zakhartdinov, -57kg and Ramil Islamov, -62kg. They could win 2-3 fights and ranked 7-8.

In classic wrestling Grigoriy Pulayev, -68kg from Samarkand ranked 6. He уверенно had fights the first day, winning Canadian, Bulgarian and American wrestlers, but the second day could not recover and lost. In weight category -130kg, Shukhrat Kuziev lost his first fight to an American, World’s championship’s prizewinner, the second won an Asian champion, Lyu from China, the third fight при счете 1:1 judges отдали предпочтение to Johanson, World’s champion from Sweden. In the result Kuziev ranked 10.

On whole, the results of all единоборств our athletes competed successful. They одержали victories under 26 countries representatives, в том числе athletes from the USA, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Canada, Hungary, Brazil, Argentina. Judo team on единоборств results left behind all CIS countries.

Oksana Chhusovotina, artistic gymnastics in многоборья final ranked 10 among 103 gymnasts of the world. Successful was performance by Sh. Ahmedov, 50m pistol. He ranked 9.

In weightlifting participated 5 Uzbek athletes. Igor Khalilov, +108 kg weight category in the second attempt в рывке obtained травму and выбыл from competitions. Bakhtier Nurullaev, -76 kg in three attempts в рывке could not одолеть 155 kg. The rest of participants – Alexander Urinov, -99 kg, Viktor Janskiy and Valentin Manushev, -108 kg ranked 13, 14, 16 respectively.

The most successful from track and field athletes was Ramil Ganiev, decathlon. He ranked 8 and made Uzbekistan and Asian record, scoring 8318 points.

Uzbekistan in fact showcased among 197 world teams, ranking 58 in unofficial medal tally. Unsuccessful performance of some athletes was influenced by great напряжение of the highest level of competitions, lack of participation experience in world championships and competitions. only 6 athletes among 76 participated in the previous Olympic games. Even that the Games carried Jubilee character, накладывало свой отпечаток, made a sence of high responsibility. Впрочем, perhaps, it is impossible to require, чудо свершилось. For Uzbekistan sports, the most important was the fact of the first and so a representative team’s performance of the sovereign state at the Olympic games. This participation is valuable not only that Uzbekistan announced ti as a state, where sports is appreciated and loved, but also the definition of weak and strong sides of our sports. The correct analysis of totals, development of science-adopted conception of the participation of our sports on the Olympiads, mostly depended on how Uzbekistan athletes will represent their mastership in the future. It might be said that our athletes passed through a serious exam for зрелость and the most important had a good lesson for the future.

Olympiad is not only competitions. This is, в прямом смысле, possibility to see the other and show itself. That was done by Uzbekistan delegation, who brought in Atlanta its culture programme. During the whole period of the stay in far Atlanta, the members of Uzbekistan sport delegation constantly senced the link with their Motherland. Tourists, journalists often visited Olympic village and supported Uzbek athletes. Особенно волнующими were meetings with sport veterans – Vera Duyunova, Larisa Pavlova, Ravilya SAlimova, Erkin Karimov and others. Яркие impressions remained the Olympic village, Protocol Flag Ceremony, Opening and Closing ceremony of the Games. During the Olympiad the delegation’s leaders met with Juan Antonio Samaranch, IOC Ex-President, there were discussed the matters of the further development of the Olympic movement in Uzbekistan. Marques de Samaranch confirmed his decision to visit our republic for the participation in the celebration of the Fifth Anniversary of the State’s Independence, President’s cup tennis tournament and Olympic Glory Museum’s Opening.