由于近几届奥运会耗资不断加大以及政治因素的干扰，使得申办奥运会的城市望而却步，越来越少。本届奥运会的申办城市原有两家，除洛杉矶外，还有伊朗的德黑兰，但出于上述种种原因，德黑兰中途退出。因此，在1978年国际奥委会雅典年会上，洛杉矶在没有对手的情况下，获得了本届奥运会的承办权。1932年洛市曾主办过第十届奥运会，52年过去，奥林匹克圣火再次在这里燃起，使它成为继巴黎、伦敦之后，第三个举行两届夏季奥运会的城市。

KEY FACTS

Opening date: 28 July 1984

Closing date: 12 August 1984

The Host City: Los Angeles (USA)

Sports: 23

LOS ANGELES  1984 Games of the XXIII Olympiad

Although a revenge boycott led by the Soviet Union depleted the field in certain sports, a record 140 nations took part. Joan Benoit won the inaugural women's marathon and Connie Carpenter-Phinney the first women's cycling road race.

Carl Lewis won both sprints and the long jump and earned a fourth gold in the 4x100m relay. Pertti Karppinen won single sculls rowing for the third time. Sebastian Coe became the first repeat winner of the men's 1,500m. Archer Neroli Fairhall was the first paraplegic athlete to take part in a medal event. She competed in a wheelchair.
Do You Know? 允许职业足球运动员参加奥运会？

Professionals were allowed to participate in the football tournament - as long as they had not yet taken part in the World Cup. This led to a spirited final -viewed by 101,799 spectators - in which France defeated Brazil 2-0.

这届奥运会上允许职业运动员参加足球比赛，只要他们不参加世界杯。这直接造成了决赛爆满的场景，最后法国队以2－0击败了巴西队夺冠。