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Comaneci: Romanian sensation
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Alberto Juantorena
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The Olympic Stadium was not even completed for the Games - note the crane above the roof!
In this year...
- Supersonic aircraft Concord makes its first commercial flight slashing Atlantic crossing times.
- Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak form the Apple Computer Company.
- Canada, the host country, finished with five silver and six bronze medals. This was the first time that the host country of the Summer Games won no gold medals.
- The CN tower in Toronto, Canada, is completed and is the tallest free standing structure in the world.
- James Callaghan becomes the Prime Minister.
- The United States celebrates 200th birthday of independence from British Rule.
- Hungary's Miklos Nemeth become the first son of an athletics gold medallist to win a gold of his own. His father, Imre, had won the hammer in 1948.
- Women's events in basketball, handball and rowing were introduced for the first time.
Another Games affected by non-sporting issues, but one which will be forever associated with a 14-year-old Nadia Comaneci producing a perfect 10 in gymnastics.
The 1976 Games was affected by another Olympic boycott, this time by the African nations who had wanted New Zealand excluded from Montreal after the All Blacks had toured apartheid South Africa.
28 African nations withdrew in protest after the first day, while China also opted to stay away from the Games after the IOC recognised Taiwan as a nation - even though Canadian authorities revoked the visas of the Taiwanese athletes.
Queen Elizabeth II opened the games on July 17, and 92 nations took part in 198 events with The Queen's daughter, Princes Anne, took part in the equestrian event for Great Britain.
The Games were also overshadowed by the massive economic mess Montreal was left in after construction work dragged on and budget ballooned leaving a billion dollars of debt locals had to pay back to the Quebec government.
Astronomical costs landed Montreal with 30 years worth of debt as the stadium costs were eventually only paid off in December 2006 - and what's worse is that the tower on the stadium was only completed after the Olympics had been held.
Japan's Shun Fujimoto broke his leg while completing his floor exercises routine but kept the injury secret as they were in close competition with the Soviet Union - only for him to dismount the rings, dislocate his knee and have to withdraw.
The Japanese women's volleyball team won all their matches in straight sets, and in only one of 15 games did an opponent score double figures, while boxer Clarence Hill's bronze saw Bermuda become the least-populated nation to win an Olympic medal.Olympic Stars:
Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci was the undoubted star of the Games, with the 14-year-old wowing fans and judges alike on the uneven bars when she was awarded the first-ever perfect score of 10.0.
Comaneci eventually went on to earn six more perfect 10.0s and collect three gold medals, on the uneven bars, balance beam and the all-round gold as she catapulted herself into the ranks of Olympic legends.
Kornelia Ender led the dominant East German female swimming unit in style, taking four gold medals and setting four world records while making history by winning back-to-back finals.
Ender took the 100m butterfly gold before returning for the very next race to come home in front in the 200m freestyle - while also taking gold in the 100m freestyle and 4x100m relay medley - as East Germany won all but two women's medals on offer.
British swimmer David Wilkie broke the American stranglehold on the gold medals as he became the only man to stop them in the pool as he struck gold in the 200m breaststroke, prevent a clean sweep by the USA.
A Commonwealth champion and credited with being one of the first swimmers to wear a swimming cap in major competitions, the Scotsman also landed silver in the 100m breaststroke as the USA cleaned up with every gold bar his.
Cuban runner Alberto Juantorena became the first and still only man to complete the gold medal double by taking the 400m and 800m titles on the track at the Olympics.
Juantorena, who later served as Cuba's vice sports minister, won the 400m final just three days after the grabbed gold in the 800m in a world record time of 1:43.50 - a time which stood for three years until broken by Seb Coe.
