There were no Olympics during World War II. The first summer competitions were organized in 1948 in London, which became a sign of the beginning of a full-fledged peaceful life, including in the field of sports.
London was chosen as the capital of the games, despite the dire economic situation in the UK during this period. The country still retained the rationing system introduced in wartime due to lack of food. This was the second Olympics in London, the first was organized back in 1908 and did not differ in scope.
In total, athletes from 59 countries took part in the competition. Germany and Japan were barred from the games as aggressor countries during World War II. The Soviet Union considered the possibility of sending its team to the competition, but this could not be done due to political differences. Also, several countries for the first time delegated their athletes to the games. Among them were Burma, Venezuela, Lebanon and several other countries.
In the unofficial team event, the USA team took the first place. The greatest successes have been achieved by American runners and swimmers, both women and men. The second and third places were taken by Sweden and France with a strong lead over the leader. Great Britain was only in 12th place in the overall medal standings by country. The team received only three gold medals: two in rowing and one in sailing.
The Finnish team has become the undisputed leader in gymnastics. She won 6 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze medals. Competitions for men on horseback were recognized as unique. Three Finnish athletes received gold medals, although initially it was supposed to present one set of awards.
In boxing, Argentine athletes won 2 gold at once. The national teams of South Africa and Hungary were able to boast of the same number of awards. Americans who are leading in many other sports have won only one silver medal.
Interesting was the fact that the English football team could not be among the medalists. Gold went to Sweden, silver to Yugoslavia, and bronze to Denmark.
