The United Kingdom competed as Great Britain at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, United States. British athletes have competed in every single Summer Olympic Games. 300 competitors, 184 men and 116 women, took part in 175 events in 22 sports.
The Atlanta games saw Great Britain's worst performance at a Summer Olympics since 1952. As final medal rankings were tabulated, Great Britain finished in 36th position, with just one gold and overall total of just 15 medals. This was the country's lowest ever numerical ranking in the table (due to the greatly increased numbers of competing countries since the 1970s), leaving Great Britain with numerous questions about the overall state of sport in the country. The poor British performance at the Atlanta Olympics led to the introduction of National Lottery funding for elite sports, which started the following year. Nevertheless, the single gold medal won by rowers Matthew Pinsent and Steve Redgrave ensured that Great Britain maintained its record of winning at least one gold medal at every Summer Olympics.
Matthew Pinsent and Steve Redgrave — Rowing, Men's Coxless Pair
Ben Ainslie — Sailing, Men's Open Laser Class
Steve Backley — Athletics, Men's Javelin Throw
Roger Black — Athletics, Men's 400 m
Jonathan Edwards — Athletics, Men's Triple Jump
Paul Palmer — Swimming, Men's 400 m Freestyle
Jamie Baulch, Roger Black, Mark Richardson, Iwan Thomas, Mark Hylton (heats) and Du'aine Ladejo (heats) — Athletics, Men's 4 × 400 m Relay
John Merricks and Ian Walker — Sailing, Men's 470 Class
Neil Broad and Tim Henman — Tennis, Men's Doubles
Chris Boardman — Cycling, Men's Road Time Trial
Denise Lewis — Athletics, Women's Heptathlon
Max Sciandri — Cycling, Men's Road Race
Graeme Smith — Swimming, Men's 1500 m Freestyle
Steve Smith — Athletics, Men's High Jump
Tim Foster, Rupert Obholzer, Greg Searle, and Jonny Searle — Rowing, Men's Coxless Four
Women's Individual Competition:
Alison Williamson - Round of 16, 10th place (2-1)
Men's Individual Competition:
Gary Hardinges - Round of 32, 28th place (1-1)
Steven Hallard - Round of 64, 55th place (0-1)
Men's 5,000 metres
John Nuttall
Qualification — 13:52.16
Semifinal — 14:08.39 (→ did not advance)
Men's 4 × 400 m Relay
Iwan Thomas, Jamie Baulch, Du'aine Ladejo, Mark Richardson and Roger Black
Heat — 3:01.79
Semi Final — 3:01.36
Final — 2:56.60 (→ Silver Medal)
Men's 400 m Hurdles
Jon Ridgeon
Heat — 49.31 s
Semi Final — 49.43 s (→ did not advance)
Gary Jennings
Heat — 50.41 s (→ did not advance)
Peter Crampton
Heat — 49.78 s (→ did not advance)
Men's 3,000 metres Steeplechase
Keith Cullen
Heat — 8:31.26
Semifinals — 8:46.74 (→ did not advance)
Justin Chaston
Heat — 8:28.32
Semifinals — 8:28.50 (→ did not advance)
Spencer Duval
Heat — 8:46.76 (→ did not advance)
Men's Marathon
Richard Nerurkar — 2:13.39 (→ 5th place)
Peter Whitehead — 2:22.37 (→ 55th place)
Steve Brace — 2:23.28 (→ 60th place)
Men's 50 km Walk
Chris Maddocks — 4:18:41 (→ 34th place)
Men's Discus Throw
Bob Weir
Qualification — 61.64 m (→ did not advance)
Glen Smith
Qualification — 54.88 m (→ did not advance)
Men's Hammer Throw
David Smith
Qualification — 69.32 m (→ did not advance)
Women's 4×400 metres Relay
Phylis Smith, Allison Curbishley, Donna Fraser and Georgina Oladapo
Qualification — 3:28.13 (→ did not advance)
Women's 400 m Hurdles
Sally Gunnell
Qualification — 55.29
Semifinals — DNF (→ did not advance)
Women's Long Jump
Denise Lewis
Qualification — 6.33 m (→ did not advance)
Women's Triple Jump
Ashia Hansen
Qualification — 14.55 m
Final — 14.49 m (→ 5th place)
Michelle Griffith
Qualification — 13.70 m (→ did not advance)
Women's High Jump
Lea Haggett
- Qualification — 1.90 m (→ did not advance)
Debbie Marti
- Qualification — 1.85 m (→ did not advance)
Women's Javelin Throw
Tessa Sanderson
Qualification — 58.86 m (→ did not advance)
Shelley Holroyd
Qualification — 54.72 m (→ did not advance)
Women's Discus Throw
Jacqui McKernan
Qualification — 58.88 m (→ did not advance)
Women's Shot Put
Judy Oakes
Qualification — 18.56 m
Final — 18.34 m (→ 11th place)
Women's Heptathlon
Denise Lewis
Final Result — 6489 points (→ Bronze Medal)
Women's Marathon
Liz McColgan — 2:34.30 (→ 16th place)
Karen McLeod — 2:42.08 (→ 45th place)
Suzanne Rigg — 2:52.09 (→ 58th place)
Women's 10 km Walk
Vicky Lupton — 47:05 (→ 33rd place)
Men's Individual Time Trial
Chris Boardman
Final — 1:04:36 (→ Bronze Medal)
Women's Individual Road Race
Marie Purvis
Final — 02:37:06 (→ 11th place)
Sarah Phillips
Final — 02:37:06 (→ 19th place)
Caroline Alexander
Final — 02:53:47 (→ 43rd place)
Women's Individual Time Trial
Yvonne McGregor
Final — 39:09 (→ 14th place)
Sarah Phillips
Final — 41:16 (→ 21st place)
Men's Team Pursuit
Chris Newton (→ 10th place)
Bryan Steel (→ 10th place)
Matt Illingworth (→ 10th place)
Rob Hayles (→ 10th place)
Men's Cross Country
Gary Foord
Final — 2:29:10 (→ 12th place)
David Baker
Final — 2:32:30 (→ 15th place)
Women's Cross Country
Deb Murrell
Final — 2:04.44 (→ 22nd place)
Men's 3m Springboard
Tony Ally
Preliminary Heat — 345.33
Semi Final — 203.46 (→ did not advance, 18th place)
Bobby Morgan
Preliminary Heat — 318.69 (→ did not advance, 24th place)
Women's 10m Platform
Hayley Allen
Preliminary Heat — 251.73
Semi Final — 158.43
Final — 259.68 (→ 9th place)
Two fencers, one man and one woman, represented Great Britain in 1996.
Men's sabre
James Williams
Women's foil
Fiona McIntosh
Preliminary Round (Group B)
Great Britain — South Korea 2-2
Great Britain — Netherlands 2-2
Great Britain — Malaysia 2-2
Great Britain — South Africa 2-0
Great Britain — Australia 0-2
Classification Matches
5th-8th place: Great Britain — Pakistan 1-2
7th-8th place: Great Britain — India 4-3 (→ Seventh place)
Team Roster
Simon Mason (gk)
Julian Halls
Jon Wyatt
Soma Singh
Jason Laslett
Kalbir Takher
Jason Lee
Phil McGuire
John Shaw
Russell Garcia
Nick Thompson
David Luckes (gk)
Simon Hazlitt
Chris Mayer
Calum Giles
Daniel Hall
Round Robin
Great Britain — South Korea 0-5
Great Britain — Netherlands 1-1
Great Britain — United States 1-0
Great Britain — Spain 2-2
Great Britain — Australia 0-1
Great Britain — Germany 3-2
Great Britain — Argentina 5-0
Bronze Medal Game
Great Britain — Netherlands 0-0 (The Netherlands wins after penalty strokes, 3-4) → Fourth place
Team Roster
Jill Atkins
Anna Bennett
Karen Brown
Chris Cook
Tina Cullen
Mandy Davies
Susan Fraser
Kathryn Johnson
Tammy Miller
Joanne Mould
Mandy Nicholls
Pauline Robertson
Hilary Rose (gk)
Rhona Simpson
Jane Sixsmith
Joanne Thompson (gk)
Head Coach: Sue Slocombe
Men's Individual Competition:
Richard Phelps - 5254pts (→ 18th place)
Men
Women
Men's 50 m Freestyle
Mark Foster
Heat — 22.73
B-Final — 23.01 (→ 16th place)
Men's 100 m Freestyle
Nicholas Shackell
Heat — 51.03 (→ did not advance, 28th place)
Men's 200 m Freestyle
Paul Palmer
Heat — 1:49.05
Swim-off — 1:48.89
Final — 1:49.39 (→ 8th place)
Andrew Clayton
Heat — 1:51.06
B-Final — 1:50.59 (→ 15th place)
Men's 400 m Freestyle
Paul Palmer
Heat — 3:51.98
Final — 3:49.00 (→ Silver Medal)
Men's 1500 m Freestyle
Graeme Smith
Heat — 15.14.81
Final — 15:02.48 (→ Bronze Medal)
Paul Palmer
Heat — 15:22.65 (→ did not advance, 10th place)
Men's 100 m Backstroke
Neil Willey
Heat — 56.27
B-Final — 56.07 (→ 10th place)
Martin Harris
Heat — 57.17 (→ did not advance, 28th place)
Men's 200 m Backstroke
Adam Ruckwood
Heat — 2:01.35
B-Final — 2:02.40 (→ 13th place)
Martin Harris
Heat — 2:07.75 (→ did not advance, 32nd place)
Men's 100 m Breaststroke
Richard Maden
Heat — 1:02.78
B-Final — 1:02.51 (→ 11th place)
Men's 200 m Breaststroke
Nick Gillingham
Heat — 2:14.96
Final — 2:14.37 (→ 4th place)
Men's 100 m Butterfly
James Hickman
Heat — 53.73
B-Final — 53.23 (→ 9th place)
Men's 200 m Butterfly
James Hickman
Heat — 1:58.16
Final — 1:58.47 (→ 7th place)
Men's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay
Nicholas Shackell, Alan Rapley, Mark Stevens, and Mike Fibbens
Heat — 3:21.34
Final — 3:21.52 (→ 8th place)
Men's 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay
Paul Palmer, Andrew Clayton, Mark Stevens, and James Salter
Heat — 7:21.92
Final — 7:18.74 (→ 5th place)
Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay
Neil Willey, Richard Maden, James Hickman, and Nicholas Shackell
Heat — DSQ (→ did not advance)
Women's 50 m Freestyle
Sue Rolph
Heat — 26.39 (→ did not advance, 23rd place)
Women's 100 m Freestyle
Karen Pickering
Heat — 56.40
B-Final — 56.32 (→ 14th place)
Sue Rolph
Heat — 56.62
B-Final — 56.58 (→ 16th place)
Women's 200 m Freestyle
Karen Pickering
Heat — 2:01.46
B-Final — 2:02.58 (→ 13th place)
Women's 400 m Freestyle
Sarah Hardcastle
Heat — 4:14.50
B-Final — 4:14.13 (→ 9th place)
Women's 800 m Freestyle
Sarah Hardcastle
Heat — 8:37.54
Final — 8:41.75 (→ 8th place)
Women's 100 m Backstroke
Helen Slatter
Heat — 1:03.89
B-Final — 1:03.61 (→ 13th place)
Women's 200 m Backstroke
Joanne Deakins
Heat — 2:15.12
B-Final — 2:14.50 (→ 12th place)
Women's 100 m Breaststroke
Jaime King
Heat — 1:10.83 (→ did not advance, 17th place)
Women's 200 m Breaststroke
Marie Hardiman
Heat — 2:31.12
B-Final — 2:31.39 (→ 14th place)
Women's 200 m Individual Medley
Sue Rolph
Heat — 2:18.81 (→ did not advance, 21st place)
Women's 400 m Individual Medley
Sarah Hardcastle
Heat — 4:54.64 (→ did not advance, 19th place)
Women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay
Sue Rolph, Alison Sheppard, Carrie Willmott, and Karen Pickering
Heat — 3:48.26 (→ did not advance, 9th place)
Women's 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay
Claire Huddart, Victoria Horner, Janine Belton, and Karen Pickering
Heat — 8:14.92 (→ did not advance, 10th place)
Women's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay
Helen Slatter, Jaime King, Caroline Foot, and Karen Pickering
Heat — 4:13.75 (→ did not advance, 13th place)
Men
Women
Men's Light-Heavyweight
Anthony Arthur
Final — 147.5 + 180.0 = 327.5 (→ 12th place)
