1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Television
The CTV Television Network won the bid to broadcast the Games in Canada in December 1983, paying C$4.5 million for the exclusive rights. CTV also won the $23.5 million contract to serve as the host broadcaster, responsible for the manpower and equipment to televise the games. The competitive bid for Canadian television rights was the first to occur since an agreement was made between CBC and CTV in 1978 to split broadcasting rights as bid prices continued to rise. The previous arrangement had CBC provide full coverage for Summer Games with CTV broadcasting a nightly summary, while CTV had the rights to Winter Games with CBC broadcasting a nightly summary. The nightly summary of the Games was also televised on CBC.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Television
The Japanese broadcast rights were awarded to NHK in July 1986 for US$3.9 million.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Television
OCO'88 made several alterations to the Olympic program as part of efforts to ensure value for its broadcast partners. Premier events, including ice hockey and figure skating, were scheduled for prime time and the Games were lengthened to 16 days from the previous 12 to ensure three weekends of coverage. However, a significant downturn in advertising revenue for sporting events resulted in ABC forecasting significant financial losses on the Games. Calgary organizers appreciated their fortunate timing in signing the deal.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Television
King described the timing of the contract with ABC as "the passing of the sun and the moon at the right time for Calgary". The revenue growth from broadcasting was significant for the Calgary Games, the 1980 Lake Placid Games generated US$20.7 million, while OCO'88 generated $324.9 million in broadcast rights. ABC lost an estimated $60 million, and broadcast rights to the 1992 Winter Olympics were later sold to the CBS network for $243 million, a 20 per cent reduction compared to Calgary.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Ticketing controversies
A series of ticket-related scandals plagued the organizing committee as the Games approached, resulting in widespread public anger. Demand for tickets was high, particularly for the premier events which had sold out a year in advance. Residents had been promised that only 10 per cent of tickets would go to "Olympic insiders", IOC officials and sponsors, but OCO'88 was later forced to admit that up to 50 percent of seats to top events had gone to insiders. The organizing committee, which was subsequently chastised by mayor Klein for running a "closed shop", admitted that it had failed to properly communicate the obligations it had to supply IOC officials and sponsors with priority tickets.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Ticketing controversies
These events were preceded by OCO'88's ticketing manager being charged with theft and fraud after he sent modified ticket request forms to Americans that asked them to pay in United States funds rather than Canadian and to return them to his company's post office box rather than that of the organizing committee. The American dollar was trading 40 cents higher than the Canadian dollar, which led to significant profits through currency conversion. The ticket manager maintained his innocence claiming he was used as a scapegoat and credit card company Visa was responsible for the error, despite his claims, he was convicted of fraud, theft, and forgery, and sentenced to 5 years in prison.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Ticketing controversies
Organizers attempted to respond to public concern by asking sponsors to consider reducing their orders and by paying $1.5 million to add 2,600 seats to the Saddledome, as well as increase capacity for ski jumping, alpine skiing and the opening and closing ceremonies. King also noted that the Calgary Games offered a then-record 1.9 million tickets for sale, three times the amount available at Sarajevo or Lake Placid, and that 79 percent of them were going to Calgarians.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Ticketing controversies
By their start, a Winter Games' record of over 1.4 million tickets had been sold, a figure that eclipsed the previous three Winter Games combined. In the OCO's final report, the Committee admits the culmination of fraud charges, large portion of premier tickets requested by Olympic insiders, and poor communications led to a negative public reaction to the ticketing process.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Community
The city, which already had a strong volunteering tradition with the annual Calgary Stampede, also relied heavily on volunteers to run the Olympics. Over 22,000 people signed up to fill 9,400 positions, no matter how inglorious: doctors, lawyers and executives offered to clean manure dropped by horses at the opening ceremonies. Many residents participated in a "Homestay" program, opening their homes to visitors from around the world and renting rooms to those who could not stay in a hotel.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Community
Klein was among those who felt it necessary that the event be community driven, a decision which allowed the city's welcoming spirit to manifest. The Games' mascots, Hidy and Howdy, were designed to evoke images of "western hospitality". The smiling, cowboy-themed polar bears were popular across Canada. Played by a team of 150 students from Bishop Carroll High School, the sister-brother pair made up to 300 appearances per month in the lead up to the Games.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Community
From their introduction at the closing ceremonies of the Sarajevo Games in 1984 until their retirement at the conclusion of the Calgary Games, the pair made about 50,000 appearances. The iconic mascots graced signs welcoming travelers to Calgary for nearly two decades until they were replaced in 2007. The mascots names "Hidy" and "Howdy" were chosen by a public contest.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Finances
Held at a price of C$829 million, the Calgary Olympics cost more to stage than any previous Games, summer or winter. The high cost was anticipated, as organizers were aware at the outset of their bid that most facilities would have to be constructed. The venues, constructed primarily with public money, were designed to have lasting use beyond the Games and were planned to become the home of several of Canada's national winter sports teams.


1988 Winter Olympics, Preparations, Finances
The Games were a major economic boon for the city which had fallen into its worst recession in 40 years following the collapse of both oil and grain prices in the mid-1980s. A report prepared for the city in January 1985 estimated the games would create 11,100 man-years of employment and generate C$450-million in salaries and wages. In its post-Games report, OCO'88 estimated the Olympics created C$1.4 billion in economic benefits across Canada during the 1980s, 70 percent within Alberta, as a result of capital spending, increased tourism and new sporting opportunities created by the facilities.


1988 Winter Olympics, Torch relay
The 1988 Olympic torch relay began on November 15, 1987, when the torch was lit at Olympia and Greek runner Stelios Bisbas began what was called "the longest torch run in history". The flame arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland on the Atlantic Ocean two days later and over 88 days, traveled west across all 10 Canadian provinces and two territories. It passed through most major cities, north to the Arctic Ocean at Inuvik, Northwest Territories, then west to the Pacific Ocean at Victoria, British Columbia before returning east to Alberta, and finally Calgary. The torch covered a distance of 18,000 kilometres (11,000 mi), the greatest distance for a torch relay in Olympic history until the 2000 Sydney Games, and a sharp contrast to the 1976 Montreal Games when the relay covered only 775 kilometres (482 mi).


1988 Winter Olympics, Torch relay
The identity of the final torchbearer who would light the Olympic cauldron was one of Organizing Committee's most closely guarded secrets. The relay began at St. John's with Barbara Ann Scott and Ferd Hayward representing Canada's past Olympians, and ended with Ken Read and Cathy Priestner carrying the torch into McMahon Stadium representing the nation's current Olympians. They then stopped to acknowledge the contribution of para-athlete Rick Hansen and his "Man in Motion" tour before handing the torch to 12-year-old Robyn Perry, an aspiring figure skater who was selected to represent future Olympians, to light the cauldron.


1988 Winter Olympics, Torch relay, Olympic Torch
The design of the Olympic Torch for the Calgary games was influenced by the landmark building of the Calgary skyline, the Calgary Tower. The National Research Council Canada developed the design for the Torch, which was constructed of maple, aluminum, and hardened steel, entirely Canadian materials, the torch was designed to remain lit despite the sometimes adverse conditions of Canadian winters. The Torch had to be light enough for relay runners to carry comfortably, and the final design came in at 60 centimeters in length and 1.7 kilograms in weight.


1988 Winter Olympics, Torch relay, Olympic Torch
The maple handle portion included laser-incised pictograms of the 10 official Olympic Winter sports, and lettering was engraved on the steel caldron portion. The torch used two types of fuel to allow a continuous burn during the unpredictable Canadian winter, the fuel used a combination of gasoline, kerosene and alcohol. Approximately 100 torches were manufactured for the Games.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
The 1988 Winter Games began on February 13 with a $10 million opening ceremony in front of 60,000 spectators at McMahon Stadium that featured 5,500 performers, an aerial flyover by the Royal Canadian Air Force's Snowbirds, the parade of nations and the release of 1,000 homing pigeons. Canadian composer David Foster performed the instrumental theme song ("Winter Games") and its vocal counterpart ("Can't You Feel It? "), while internationally recognized Canadian folk/country musicians Gordon Lightfoot singing Four Strong Winds and Ian Tyson performing Alberta Bound were among the featured performers. Governor General Jeanne Sauvé opened the Games on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II as an estimated 1.5 billion people watched the ceremony.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
The weather was a dominant story throughout much of the Games, as strong chinook winds that brought daily temperatures as high as 17 °C (63 °F) wreaked havoc on the schedules for outdoor events. Events were delayed when winds were deemed unsafe for competitors and organizers used artificial snow making equipment to ensure skiing venues were properly prepared. It was the first time in Olympic history that alpine events were held on artificial snow. The Games were also marred by the death of the Austrian ski team's doctor, Joerg Oberhammer, on February 25 after a collision with another skier sent him crashing into a snow grooming machine at Nakiska, crushing and killing him instantly. The incident was ruled an accident.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
The top individual competitors at the Olympics were Finnish ski jumper Matti Nykänen and Dutch speed skater Yvonne van Gennip as they each won three gold medals. Italy's Alberto Tomba won gold in two skiing events, his first of five career Olympic medals en route to becoming the first alpine skier to win medals at three Winter Games. East Germany's Katarina Witt defended her 1984 gold medal in women's figure skating, capturing a second gold in Calgary.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
Her compatriot Christa Rothenburger won the gold medal in the 1000 metre race in speed skating, then went on to win a silver medal in the team sprint cycling event at the 1988 Summer Games to become the only person in Olympic history to win medals at both Olympic Games in the same year. The Soviet Union won gold in hockey as Scandinavian neighbours Finland and Sweden took silver and bronze, respectively.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
As it had in 1976, Canada again failed to win an official gold medal as the host of an Olympic Games. Canadians won two gold medals in demonstration events, including by Sylvie Daigle as one of her five medals in short-track speed skating. Canada's top official performances came in figure skating where Brian Orser and Elizabeth Manley each won silver medals.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
Promoted by the media as the "Battle of the Brians"—the competition between Orser and American rival Brian Boitano—and the "Battle of the Carmens"—between Witt and American rival Debi Thomas, who had both elected to skate to Bizet's Carmen in their long programs—were the marquee events of the Games. Boitano won the gold medal over Orser by only one-tenth of a point. Witt won the gold while Thomas won the bronze medal. Manley was not viewed as a medal contender, but skated the greatest performance of her career to come within a fraction of Witt's gold medal winning score.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
American speed skater Dan Jansen's personal tragedy was one of the more poignant events of the Games as he skated the 500 metre race mere hours after his sister Jane died of leukemia. A gold medal favourite, Jansen chose to compete as he felt it is what his sister would have wanted. Viewers around the world witnessed his heartbreak as he fell and crashed into the outer wall in the first quarter of his heat. In the 1000 metre race four days later, Jansen was on a world record pace when he again fell. After failing again in Albertville, Jansen finally won a gold medal at the 1994 Lillehamer Games.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
One of the most popular athletes from the games was British ski jumper Michael Edwards, who gained infamy by placing last in both the 70 and 90 metre events finishing 70 and 53 points behind his next closest competitor, respectively. Edwards' "heroic failure" made him an instant celebrity; he went from earning £6,000 per year as a plasterer before the Games to making £10,000 per hour per appearance afterward.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
Left embarrassed by the spectacle he created, the IOC altered the rules following Calgary to eliminate each nation's right to send at least one athlete and set minimum competition standards for future events. Regardless, the President of the Organizing Committee, Frank King, playfully saluted Edwards' unorthodox sporting legacy, which would also be commemorated with a 2016 feature film, Eddie the Eagle.


1988 Winter Olympics, Event highlights
The Jamaican bobsleigh team, making their nation's Winter Olympic debut, was also popular in Calgary. The team was the brainchild of a pair of Americans who recruited individuals with strong sprinting ability from the Jamaican military to form the team. Dudley Stokes and Michael White finished the two-man event in 30th place out of 41 competitors and launched the Jamaican team into worldwide fame. The pair, along with Devon Harris and Chris Stokes, crashed in the four-man event, but were met with cheers from the crowd as they pushed their sled across the finish line. Their odyssey was made into the 1993 movie Cool Runnings, a largely fictionalized comedy by Walt Disney Pictures.


1988 Winter Olympics, Medal table, Records in speed skating
All of the long track world (WR) and Olympic records (OR) that occurred during these Games were later broken at succeeding Winter Olympics and other world events.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy
Prior to 1988, the Winter Olympics were viewed as a second-rate event, in comparison to the Summer Olympics. The IOC had, at one point, considered eliminating it altogether. First, there are only a few mountainous  areas in the world that would be able to host the Winter Olympics. Second, there were major challenges in generating revenues for the host city and the IOC from such Games. However, CODA convinced the IOC that it could not only generate enough revenues to make a profit, but have enough money left over to ensure a lasting legacy of winter sport development.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy
OCO'88 followed mainly the example of LAOOC that organized the 1984 Summer Olympics. Under LAOOC's president, Peter Ueberroth, he was able to attract a large United States television contract and Los Angeles became the first Olympic host city to benefit from a change in the IOC's strategy on corporate sponsorship. For the 1988 Winter Olympics, OCO'88 attracted financial support from over two dozen major Canadian and multinational corporations, in order to generate millions of dollars in revenues.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy
For OCO'88, it foresaw some winter sports, like the debut of the Super-G and other new winter sport events, as a way to increase the audience's appeal of the Winter Olympics. Thus, for the sponsors, the Games' length of time to 16 days provided an extra weekend of Olympic media coverage to the world. This additional programming time was filled mainly by TV-friendly demonstration events that are popular in Canada. The 1988 Winter Olympics' exposure to the curling, the freestyle skiing, and the short track speed skating events in Calgary influenced the worldwide popularity of all of them. So much so that all these events became the new and official Olympic ones by the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Impact on Calgary
Hosting the Winter Olympics helped fuel a significant increase in Calgary's reputation on the world stage. Crosbie Cotton, a reporter for the Calgary Herald who covered the city's Olympic odyssey from its 1979 initiative to the closing ceremonies, noted an increased positive outlook of the city's population over time. He believed that the populace began to outgrow its "giant inferiority complex" that is "typically Canadian", by replacing it with a new level of confidence as the Games approached.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Impact on Calgary
This outcome helped the city grow from a regional oil and gas centre, best known for the Calgary Stampede, to a destination for international political, economic, and sporting events. A study prepared for the organizing committee of the 2010 Winter Olympics, (VANOC), claimed that Calgary hosted over 200 national and international sporting competitions between 1987 and 2007, due to the facilities it had constructed for these Olympic Games.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Impact on Calgary
The Games' enduring popularity within Calgary has been attributed to efforts in making them "everybody's Games." Aside from the sense of community fostered by the high level of volunteer support, OCO'88 included the general public in other ways. For example, the citizens were given an opportunity to purchase a brick with their names engraved on it. Those bricks were used to build the Olympic Plaza, where the medal ceremonies were held in 1988. It remains a popular public park and event site in the city's downtown core today.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Impact on Calgary
After the success of these Olympic Games, Calgary was wanting to bring back the Olympic experience again. It offered, to the IOC, in becoming a possible alternate host city of the 2002 Winter Olympics, after a bidding scandal resulted in a speculation that Salt Lake City would not be able to remain the host city. Next, the city was attempting to be Canada's bid for the 2010 Winter Olympics, but the COC decided to give it to Vancouver.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Impact on Calgary
Later, a 2013 Calgary Sun online poll found that 81% of respondents said they would support the idea of hosting another Winter Olympics. On November 13, 2018, Calgary held a public non-binding plebiscite on whether it should bid to host the 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. On November 19, 2018, the results of the plebiscite showed that 56.4% (171,750) of eligible voters said "No", while 43.6% (132,832) of them said "Yes." Therefore, the city council concluded that the bid would be withdrawn.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Canada's development as a winter sport nation
In light of the 1976 Summer Olympics disastrous financial legacy, the Calgary Olympic organizing committee, OCO'88, parlayed its ability to generate television and sponsorship revenues, along with the three levels of government support, into what was ultimately a C$170 million surplus. While OCO'88 reported officially a surplus after the Games were over, the accounting practices of the final report did not include federal, provincial, and municipal capital and operations funding infrastructures.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Canada's development as a winter sport nation
The overall surplus was turned into endowment funds that was split between Canada Olympic Park (C$110 million) and CODA. They were subsequently reformed later, in order to manage the Olympic facilities with a trust fund that had grown steadily to be worth over C$200 million by 2013. Consequently, all five primary facilities built for the 1988 Winter Olympics remained operational for their intended purposes, 25 years after the Games concluded. Calgary and Canmore became the heart of winter sport in Canada, as CODA (now known as WinSport) established itself as the nation's leader in developing elite winter athletes. For the 2006 Winter Olympics, a quarter of Canada's Olympic winter athletes were from the Calgary region and three-quarters of its medalists were from or trained in Alberta.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Canada's development as a winter sport nation
Before 1988, Canada was not a winter sports power. The nation's five overall medals won in Calgary was its second best total at a Winter Olympics, behind the seven overall medals it won at the 1932 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. After 1988, Canada won an increasing number of gold and overall medals at each successive Winter Olympics. It culminated toward an overall performance of 26 medals won at the 2010 Winter Olympics, which included an Olympic record of 14 gold medals.


1988 Winter Olympics, Legacy, Canada's development as a winter sport nation
This achievement was more than the previous record of 13 Olympic gold medals won by both the Soviet Union in 1976 and Norway in 2002. Until 2010, Norway won the most Olympic gold medals on home soil at the 1952 Winter Olympics. At the 2018 Winter Olympics, Canada earned its highest overall medal count in the Winter Olympics to date, with a total of 29 medals.


1988 Winter Olympics medal table
The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event held in Calgary, Canada, from 13 to 28 February 1988. A total of 1,423 athletes representing 57 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) (+8 from 1984 Olympics) participated in 46 events (+7 from 1984) from 10 different sports and disciplines (unchanged from 1984). Five new events were contested at these Games—men's and women's Super G in alpine skiing, team events in Nordic combined and ski jumping, and women's 5000 metres in speed skating—and two events returned to the program—men's and women's combined in alpine skiing.


1988 Winter Olympics medal table
As in the 1984 Winter Olympics, 17 NOCs won at least one medal and 11 of them secured at least one gold medal. The Soviet Union returned to the top of the gold medal count with 11, relegating East Germany—which took first place four years earlier—to second place with nine. The Soviet Union also collected the most overall medals (29), including the most bronzes (9). In a repeat of the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal and mimicking Yugoslavia at the 1984 Winter Games, Canada, as host nation, did not win any gold medal, totalling two silver and three bronze medals.


1988 Winter Olympics medal table
Canadian hopes for a gold rested on the shoulders of figure skater Brian Orser, the reigning World champion and silver medalist at the Sarajevo Games. A tight contest with Brian Boitano of the United States ended with the American taking the Olympic title. Athletes from Norway failed to win any event in Calgary, making this the first and so far only time that the country ended the Winter Olympics without a single gold medal.


1988 Winter Olympics medal table
Italy's two gold medals were won by the same athlete: Alberto Tomba, a first-time Olympian who was crowned Olympic champion in the alpine skiing's slalom and giant slalom events. Ski jumper Matti Nykänen of Finland contributed to three of his nation's four gold medals by winning both individual events (first time by an Olympic ski jumper) and helping his team to win the collective title. The performance of the Swiss athletes ensured their nation's best result at the Winter Games, securing a record number of 15 medals, including a then-record of five gold medals that took 18 years to be improved.


1988 Winter Olympics medal table
Five NOCs participated for the first time in the Winter Olympics—Fiji, Guam, Guatemala, Jamaica, and Netherlands Antilles—but none of them won a medal. Jamaica's lone entry, the Jamaican bobsled team, inspired the making of the 1993 movie Cool Runnings.


1988 Winter Olympics medal table, Medal table
The medal table is based on information provided by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and is consistent with IOC convention in its published medal tables. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals the athletes from a nation have won, where nation is an entity represented by a National Olympic Committee (NOC). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically.


1988 Winter Olympics national flag bearers
During the Parade of Nations section of the 1988 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, athletes from the participating countries marched into the arena. Each delegation was led by a flag bearer and a sign with the name of the country on it. The Parade of Nations was organized in English, one of the official languages in Canada. As tradition dictates, Greece led the parade and Canada was the last to march to the stadium as the host nation. Organizers played Happy Birthday to You during Australia's team march  as a homage to Australia which was celebrating Bicentenary event at that time.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay
The 1988 Winter Olympics torch relay was run from November 15, 1987 to February 13, 1988, prior to the Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Organization
The planning of the Torch Relay required significant research and testing, with each kilometer of the relay test-driven three times, and estimates that each torch bearer would travel at a speed of 7 km/h. The relay kept to secondary highways as much as possible and used Snowmobiles for 2,750km between Shanty Bay, Ontario and Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Overall the torch travelled approximately 11,000km on land and 7,000km by air or sea.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Organization
Relay sponsor Petro Canada issued entry forms allowing citizens the chance to become one of 6,214 people to carry the torch for 1 kilometre (0.62 mi), torch bears were either chosen on merit or selected through random draws. Organizers, who initially expected to receive 250,000 entries, were inundated with over 6.6 million forms and called the response a sign that the Olympics had "fired the imagination of Canada". Part of the success for the number of applications was the OCO in February 1987 sending approximately 10 million applications out to virtually every Canadian household. The relay, called "Share the Flame", also saw the torch travel by boat, snowmobile and dogsled.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Organization
The Olympic Torch relay involved a convoy of 80 people in 40 support vehicles travelling 125 kilometers per day.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Relay
The Olympic torch relay began when the torch was lit at Olympia and Greek runner Stelios Bisbas began what was called "the longest torch run in history". The flame arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland on the Atlantic Ocean two days later and over 88 days, traveled west across Canada. It passed through each provincial capital and many major cities, north to the Arctic Ocean at Inuvik, Northwest Territories, then west to the Pacific Ocean at Victoria, British Columbia before returning east to Alberta, and finally Calgary.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Relay
The route was designed in a way that 90 per cent of Canadians lived within a 2 hour drive of the route. The torch covered a distance of 18,000 kilometres (11,000 mi), the greatest distance for a torch relay in Olympic history until the 2000 Sydney Games, and a sharp contrast to the 1976 Montreal Games when the relay covered only 775 kilometres (482 mi).


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Relay
The identity of the final torchbearer who would light the Olympic cauldron was one of OCO'88's most closely guarded secrets. The relay began at St. John's with Barbara Ann Scott, a 1948 gold medalist in figure skating and Ferd Hayward, the first Newfoundlander to represent Canada at an Olympic games in 1952, both representing Canada's past Olympians. The relay and ended with Ken Read and Cathy Priestner carrying the torch into McMahon Stadium representing the nation's current Olympians.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Relay
They then stopped to acknowledge the contribution of para-athlete Rick Hansen and his "Man in Motion" tour  before handing the torch to 12-year-old Robyn Perry, an aspiring figure skater who was selected to represent future Olympians, to light the cauldron. The choice of Perry was an unusual departure from most Games as the cauldron has typically been lit by a famous individual or group from the host nation.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Protest
The relay was subject to peaceful protests by members and supporters of the Lubicon Cree First Nation at several stops in Ontario and Alberta in protest of ongoing land claim disputes between the band and the Crown, as well as discontent over an exhibit at Calgary's Glenbow Museum called "The Spirit Sings" that featured numerous artifacts stolen from native land.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Olympic Torch
The design of the Olympic Torch for the Calgary games was influenced by the landmark building of the Calgary skyline, the Calgary Tower. The National Research Council Canada developed the design for the Torch, which was constructed of maple, aluminum, and hardened steel, entirely Canadian materials, the torch was designed to remain lit despite the sometimes adverse conditions of Canadian winters. The Torch had to be light enough for relay runners to carry comfortably, and the final design came in at 60 centimeters in length and 1.7 kilograms in weight.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Olympic Torch
The maple handle portion included laser-incised pictograms of the 10 official Olympic Winter sports, and lettering was engraved on the steel caldron portion. The torch used two types of fuel to allow a continuous burn during the unpredictable Canadian winter, the fuel used a combination of gasoline, kerosene and alcohol. Approximately 100 torches were manufactured for the Games.


1988 Winter Olympics torch relay, Olympic Torch
The Calgary Tower itself was retrofitted to install a cauldron at its peak and was lit for the duration of the Games, one of several "replica cauldrons" constructed at Olympic venues throughout Calgary and Canmore.


1988 Winter Paralympics
The 1988 Winter Paralympic Games (German: Paralympische Winterspiele 1988) were the fourth Winter Paralympics, held again in Innsbruck, Austria. These were the last Winter Paralympics to be held in a separate location from the Winter Olympics. Beginning in 1992, the Olympics and the Paralympics were held in the same city or in an adjacent city. These Paralympics were not held at the same Olympic venue in Calgary, Canada, because of financial and recruiting difficulties. A total of 377 athletes from 22 countries took part. The USSR competed for the first and only time. Sit -skiing was introduced as another event in both the Alpine and Nordic skiing competitions. Other sports were biathlon and ice sledge speed racing. Ice sledge speed racer Knut Lundstroem from Norway was the most successful athlete, winning four gold medals in the 100m, 500m, 1000m and 1500m events.


1988 Winter Paralympics, Medal table
The top 10 NPCs by number of gold medals are listed below. The host nation (Austria) is highlighted.


1988 Winter Paralympics, Participating nations
Twenty two nations participated in the 1988 Winter Paralympics. Soviet Union made their debut appearance at the Winter Games.


1988 Winter Paralympics medal table
The 1988 Winter Paralympics medal table is a list of National Paralympic Committees (NPCs) ranked by the number of gold medals won by their athletes during the 1988 Winter Paralympics, held in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 18 to January 25, 1988.


1988 Winter Paralympics medal table, Medal table
The ranking in this table is based on information provided by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and is consistent with IPC convention in its published medal tables. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals the athletes from a nation have won (in this context, a "nation" is an entity represented by a National Paralympic Committee). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically by IPC country code.


1988 Winter Paralympics medal table, Medal table
To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the  icon next to the column title.


1988 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election
The 1988 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election took place on 5 May 1988 to elect members of Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council in England. This election was held on the same day as other local elections.


1988 Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council election, Notes
• italics denote the sitting councillor • bold denotes the winning candidate


1988 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1988 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin–Madison in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season.


1988 Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council election
The Council elections held in Wolverhampton on Thursday 3 May 1988 were one third, and 20 of the 60 seats were up for election.


1988 Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council election
During the 1984 election the Labour Party gained the Heath Town ward from the SDP–Liberal Alliance.


1988 Wolverhampton Metropolitan Borough Council election
Candidates that previously would have stood for the SDP–Liberal Alliance stood with the labels, SDP or Social and Liberal Democrats (Liberal Democrats) in the 1988 local elections.


1988 Women's British Open Squash Championship
The 1988 Hi-Tec British Open Squash Championships was held at Wembley in London from 13–18 April 1988. The event was won for the fifth consecutive year by Susan Devoy who defeated Liz Irving in the final.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup
The 1988 Shell Bicentennial Women's World Cup was an international cricket tournament played in Australia from 29 November to 18 December 1988. Hosted by Australia for the first time, as part of the Bicentenary celebrations, it was the fourth edition of the Women's Cricket World Cup, and came six years after the preceding 1982 World Cup in New Zealand.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup
The tournament was organised by the International Women's Cricket Council (IWCC), with matches played over 60 overs. Australia won the tournament for a third consecutive time, defeating England in the final by eight wickets. New Zealand defeated Ireland in the third-place playoff, while the Netherlands, the only other team at the tournament, placed fifth and last after failing to win a single match. Both Ireland and the Netherlands were making their tournament debuts. India had been invited to compete, as they had at the previous two tournaments, but were forced to withdraw after failing to secure enough money from sponsors.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup
Two Australians, Lindsay Reeler and Lyn Fullston, led the tournament in runs and wickets, respectively. The player of the series was English all-rounder Carole Hodges, who placed third for runs scored and second for wickets taken. She received a Waterford Crystal trophy valued at A$4,000, donated by an Irish firm, R&A Bailey.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup, Warm-up matches
At least five warm-up matches were played against Australian state and invitational teams, which were interspersed throughout the tournament.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup, Finals, Final
The final, held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, was broadcast live on radio and on ABC Television. It was attended by around 3,000 people, although the ground had a capacity at the time of over 90,000. Janette Brittin, who played for England in the match, later described the venue as having "wall-to-wall seating with no one sitting in them", making it "a very large and a very lonely place". No women's cricket had been played there since 1949.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup, Statistics, Most runs
The top five runscorers are included in this table, ranked by runs scored and then by batting average.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup, Statistics, Most wickets
The top five wicket takers are listed in this table, ranked by wickets taken and then by bowling average.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final
The 1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final was a one-day cricket match between Australia and England played on 18 December 1988 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne, Australia. It marked the culmination of the 1988 Women's Cricket World Cup, the fourth edition of the tournament. Both Australia and England had previously won the competition; England won the inaugural tournament in 1973, while Australia won in both 1978 and 1982. Australia won the match by eight wickets to claim their third world title.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final
Australia and England finished first and second in the league-stage to claim their places in the final. England batted first in the final, but were hindered by a slow outfield, and found scoring difficult. The humid conditions helped Australia's spin bowlers, Lyn Fullston and Lyn Larsen, who combined for five wickets. Jan Brittin top-scored for England with 46 runs, as they made 127 for seven. In response, Australia initially struggled, losing two early wickets for 14 runs. An unbroken partnership of 115 runs between Lindsay Reeler and Denise Annetts saw Australia to victory with more than 15 overs remaining.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Background
The 1988 Women's Cricket World Cup was the fourth Women's Cricket World Cup. The first had been held in 1973, pre-dating the first men's Cricket World Cup by two years. The 1988 tournament featured five teams; Australia, England, Ireland, the Netherlands and New Zealand. It took place between 29 November and 18 December, featuring 22 matches over 20 days. England had won the first World Cup on home soil, before Australia claimed both the next two. Neither of the first two tournaments had featured a final, but had rather been league competitions, in which the team which finished with the most points won. Australia had defeated England by three wickets in the final of the 1982 World Cup.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Route to the final
Each team played eight matches during the round-robin stage of the tournament, facing each other twice. The top two teams would progress directly to the final. Australia won all but one of their matches. Their 255-run win over the Netherlands on the opening day of the tournament remained the largest win by runs until 1997. Australia's only loss came against England, who beat them by 15 runs.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Route to the final
Australia's opening batters, Lindsay Reeler and Ruth Buckstein, scored four of the five centuries made during the tournament; Reeler's 108 not out against New Zealand was the only one that was not scored against the Netherlands. England won six of their matches, and lost two; against Australia and New Zealand. Australia finished top of the group with 28 points, followed by England whose 24 points were four more than New Zealand in third. Ireland and the Netherlands were well behind, with 8 and 0 points respectively.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
The final was held at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, in Melbourne, Australia, on 18 December. The match was broadcast live on radio and on ABC Television in Australia, and in front of a crowd of 3,326. The Melbourne Cricket Ground was a large ground, capable of seating 90,000 people; England's Jan Brittin later said: "The ground was wall-to-wall seating with no one sitting in them, which didn't lend itself to a big-match atmosphere." There had been a thunderstorm overnight, and the rain had left the outfield very wet.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
The England captain, Jane Powell, won the toss and decided to bat first. Her decision was primarily based on Australia's public aversion to batting second, and having to chase a target. Heather Smith of The Sydney Morning Herald suggested that, due to the wet conditions, "England may have unwittingly helped their own downfall".


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Carole Hodges and Wendy Watson opened the batting for England, and neither scored a run until the sixth over; the only runs attributed to England before that were wides bowled by the Australians, which The Age attributed to the "excitement of playing on the MCG for the first time". After 25 overs, England had scored 40 runs without losing a wicket, but both openers were frustrated by the slow run-rate. Watson was dismissed two overs later for 17; playing an aggressive shot, she was caught by Denise Annetts at cover off the bowling of Lyn Fullston.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
She had shared a 42-run opening partnership with Hodges, but John Woodcock of The Times complained that they "lacked pace between the wickets, when something very spritely was needed". England added ten more runs before Hodges was bowled by a delivery from Lyn Larsen which dislodged her off-bail. Hodges had scored 23, and England were 52 for two. Three of England's middle-order batters were dismissed for low scores: their captain, Powell, was caught behind off Larsen's bowling for one run; Karen Hicken was bowled by Fullston for five; Janet Aspinall was caught and bowled by Fullston for two. Brittin, who had come to the crease when Watson was out, remained not out; England were 74 for five.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
After lunch, Brittin and Jo Chamberlain scored more quickly for England, earning praise from both The Sydney Morning Herald and The Times, but after putting on 26 runs together, Chamberlain was run out for 14 after the ball deflected off the bowler. Woodcock suggested that Brittin was England's only remaining hope. Patsy Lovell was trapped leg before wicket for four runs, while Suzie Kitson remained one not out at the end of the innings. Brittin had made England's highest score, 46 not out.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Woodcock said that: "It was a pity, really, that Brittin had not got in before the 27th over, with the touch she has." England scored 127 runs, a total The Sydney Morning Herald said "was never going to be enough". Throughout their 60-over innings, England scored two boundaries. In humid conditions, they especially struggled against spin bowling; Fullston took three wickets and allowed 29 runs, while Larsen took two wickets for 22. The wet outfield also slowed scoring; this dried as the match went on, giving Australia the better of the batting conditions. In the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Carol Salmon estimated that the slow outfield cost England between 20 and 30 runs.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Aspinall, who opened the bowling for England, struggled for accuracy; conceding extras, particularly wides, had been a problem for England all tournament and the final was no exception. In spite of this, England made an early breakthrough: Chamberlain, who according to The Age "worried the Australians with her accurate medium-pacers", trapped the Australian opener Buckstein leg before wicket without scoring in the second over. Australia's next batter, Sharlene Heywood only scored five runs in nine minutes until confusion between herself and Reeler led to Heywood being run out, leaving Australia on 14 for two.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
Annetts joined Reeler at the crease, and early in her innings was criticised by The Age for "[dangling] a dangerously limp bat". Reeler was troubled by the quicker bowling of Kitson, and in the 14th over, England were convinced that they had dismissed her, caught behind, but the umpire turned down the appeal. Reeler claimed the ball had clipped her pads, rather than her bat, before being caught by the wicket-keeper. After the appeal, Reeler played more circumspectly for a while, before taking the offensive with "elegant driving and delicate cutting", according to The Age.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Match, Summary
In contrast to Reeler's technical style, Annetts played powerful shots, predominantly into the leg side. Reeler brought up her 50 and Australia's 100 from successive deliveries; the first a cover drive which went for a boundary, and the second an on drive. Annetts secured victory with a pull through the on side. Reeler finished with 59 runs, and Annetts with 48. The pair shared an unbroken 115-run partnership, and secured victory for Australia with eight wickets and more than 15 overs remaining.


1988 Women's Cricket World Cup Final, Aftermath
Reeler finished the tournament as the leading run-scorer, with 448 runs, while for the second successive World Cup, Fullston took the most wickets, with 16. After the tournament, Sharon Tredrea, Australia's vice-captain and former captain, announced her retirement. She was the only player who had appeared in all four World Cups. Between them, Australia and England have won ten of the eleven Women's Cricket World Cups; only in 2000 did one of the pair fail to win, when New Zealand beat Australia in the final.


1988 Women's Pan American Junior Championship
The 1988 Women's Pan American Junior Championship was the first edition of the Women's Pan American Junior Championship. It was held between 10 and 17 August 1988 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.


1988 Women's Rugby European Cup
The 1988 Women's European Cup was the first women's rugby European championship and the first multi-national women's rugby competition of any sort, albeit not an official FIRA competition.


1988 Women's Rugby European Cup
It was also the only occasion where a Great Britain side entered such a competition. In all future women's rugby competitions Great Britain would be represented by the four individual nations.


1988 Women's World Snooker Championship
The 1988 Women's World Snooker Championship was a women's snooker tournament that took place in October 1988. It was the 1988 edition of the World Women's Snooker Championship, first held in 1976. Holiday Club Pontins provided prize money totalling £10,000 and the event was held at their resort in Brixham.


1988 Women's World Snooker Championship
The tournament was won by Allison Fisher, who lost only one frame during the event and defeated Ann-Marie Farren 6–1 in the final. This was Fisher's third world snooker title, and she would go on to win a total of seven championships before focusing her efforts on pool in the United States from 1995.


1988 World Allround Speed Skating Championships
The World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Men took place on 5 and 6 March 1988 in Alma-Ata at the Medeo ice rink.


1988 World Allround Speed Skating Championships for women
The 49th edition of the World Allround Speed Skating Championships for Women took place on 12 and 13 March 1988 in Skien at the Skien Isstadion ice rink.


1988 World Badminton Grand Prix Finals
The 1988 World Badminton Grand Prix was the sixth edition of the World Badminton Grand Prix finals. It was held in Hong Kong, from January 4 to January 8, 1989.


1988 World Championship Tennis Finals – Singles
Miloslav Mečíř was the defending champion but did not compete that year.


1988 World Championship Tennis Finals – Singles
Boris Becker won in the final 6–4, 1–6, 7–5, 6–2 against Stefan Edberg.


1988 World Championship Tennis Finals – Singles, Seeds
A champion seed is indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which that seed was eliminated.


1988 World Cup (men's golf)
The 1988 World Cup took place 8–11 December at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia. It was the 34th World Cup event. It was a stroke play team event with 32 teams. Each team consisted of two players from a country. 22 teams were qualified through the 1987 tournament and another 10 teams were invited. The combined score of each team determined the team results. The United States team of Ben Crenshaw and Mark McCumber won by one stroke over the Japan team of  brothers Masashi "Jumbo" Ozaki and Tateo "Jet" Ozaki The individual competition was won by Crenshaw.


1988 World Cup (snooker)
The 1988 Snooker World Cup was a team snooker tournament played at the Bournemouth International Centre. Fersina Windows were the sponsors for the next two years.


1988 World Cup (snooker)
Ireland returned to competing as Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland this year and both went out in the first round to Rest of the World and England respectively. England went on to win their third title with the top 3 world ranked players Steve Davis, Jimmy White and Neal Foulds beating unfancied Australia with Eddie Charlton, John Campbell and Warren King 9 frames to 7.


1988 World Doubles Championships
The 1988 World Doubles Championships was a women's tennis tournament played on indoor carpet courts in Tokyo in Japan and was part of the 1988 WTA Tour. The tournament ran from 25 November through 27 November 1988.


1988 World Doubles Championships, Winners, Women's Doubles
Katrina Adams /  Zina Garrison defeated  Gigi Fernández /  Robin White 7–5, 7–5


1988 World Doubles Championships – Doubles
Claudia Kohde-Kilsch and Helena Suková were the defending champions but did not compete that year.


1988 World Doubles Championships – Doubles
Katrina Adams and Zina Garrison won in the final 7–5, 7–5 against Gigi Fernández and Robin White.


1988 World Doubles Championships – Doubles, Seeds
Champion seeds are indicated in bold text while text in italics indicates the round in which those seeds were eliminated.


1988 World Fencing Championships
The 1988 World Fencing Championships were held in Orléans, France.


1988 World Field Archery Championships
The 1988 World Field Archery Championships were held in Bolzano, Italy.


1988 World Figure Skating Championships
The 1988 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Budapest, Hungary from March 22 to 27. Medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.


1988 World Figure Skating Championships, Results, Men
Kurt Browning of Canada landed the first ratified quadruple jump (a toe loop) in his free skating. Jozef Sabovcik of Czechoslovakia had landed a quad toe loop at the 1986 European Championships which was recognized at the event but then ruled invalid three weeks later due to a touchdown with his free foot.


1988 World Indoor Bowls Championship
The 1988 Embassy World Indoor Bowls Championship  was held at Alexandra Palace, London, England, from 05-13 March 1988. The event moved to the Alexandra Palace from the Coatbridge indoor bowling club. Hugh Duff won the title beating Wynne Richards in the final five games to one (7-0, 7-1, 2-7, 7-6, 7-4, 7-4).


1988 World Indoor Bowls Championship
The 1988 Midland Bank World Indoor Pairs Championship was held at the Bournemouth International Centre from 05-13 December 1987+. (+ Held in Dec 1987 to avoid a clash with the 1988 World Outdoor Championships). Ian Schuback & Jim Yates won the title defeating Andy Thomson & Gary Smith 5-1 in the final (6-3, 7-5, 5-7, 8-2, 7-5, 7-5).


1988 World Indoor Bowls Championship
The 1988 Inaugural Women's Championship was held at the Llanelli Indoor Bowling Club from April 29 to May 1. Margaret Johnston won the title beating Edna Bessell in the final 7-3 5-7 7-6 7-2.


1988 World Junior Canoe Slalom Championships
The 1988 ICF World Junior Canoe Slalom Championships were the 2nd edition of the ICF World Junior Canoe Slalom Championships. The event took place in La Seu d'Urgell, Spain from 8 to 10 July 1988 under the auspices of the International Canoe Federation (ICF). This was a natural whitewater course at the time, two years before the construction of the artificial Segre Olympic Park that would be used for the 1992 Summer Olympics.


1988 World Junior Canoe Slalom Championships
Four medal events took place. No team events were held.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics
The 2nd World Junior Championships in Athletics was the 1988 edition of the World Junior Championships in Athletics, held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada from July 27 to July 31, 1988.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, Planning
The city's bid to host the games was accepted in 1986, winning over Cali, Colombia. In addition to the International Association of Athletics Federations's concerns about the political instability of Colombia at the time, Sudbury had recently established a strong reputation in sporting circles due to its hosting of the 1980 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships, as well as Alex Baumann's world record performance in swimming at the 1984 Summer Olympics.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, Planning
Despite this, IAAF president Primo Nebiolo personally opposed the selection, arguing that the city was not large or world-famous enough to be an appropriate host city for the event. Over the next two years, Nebiolo lobbied several times to have the games pulled from the city, in turn causing difficulties for the city in securing sufficient funding from corporate and government sponsors. As late as ten days before the event was to begin, the event still faced a significant budget gap in its broadcasting contracts, with Nebiolo again threatening to pull the games from the city before a last-minute donation from the Canadian Track and Field Association covered the shortfall.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, Planning
Once the games started, however, Nebiolo was more positive, stating that the games benefited from being held in a smaller centre that was able to provide an athlete-centred experience and had the community spirit to draw on a huge base of volunteers.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, Planning
The city's Northern Lights Festival Boréal was held concurrently to serve as the championships' cultural festival. CBC Television and MCTV acted as the host broadcasters.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, Planning
Overall, the games contributed approximately $8 million to the city's local economy.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics, Participation
According to an unofficial count through an unofficial result list, 1024 athletes from 123 countries participated in the event. This is in agreement with the official numbers as published.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres
The men's 10,000 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 26 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres walk
The men's 10,000 metres walk event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres walk, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres
The men's 100 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27 and 28 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 100 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 54 athletes from 41 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles
The men's 110 metres hurdles event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July. 106.7 cm (3'6) (senior implement) hurdles were used.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 20 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 1500 metres
The men's 1500 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 1500 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 36 athletes from 29 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 20 kilometres road run
The men's 20 kilometres road run event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, on 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 20 kilometres road run, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 34 athletes from 25 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres
The men's 200 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 200 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 48 athletes from 36 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase
The men's 3000 metres steeplechase event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 33 athletes from 24 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay
The men's 4x100 metres relay event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 62 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay
The men's 4x400 metres relay event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 62 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres
The men's 400 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 46 athletes from 33 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres hurdles
The men's 400 metres hurdles event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres hurdles, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 29 athletes from 24 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 5000 metres
The men's 5000 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 28 and 30 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 5000 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 31 athletes from 21 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres
The men's 800 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 800 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 39 athletes from 29 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's decathlon
The men's decathlon event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27 and 28 July. Senior implements (106.7cm (3'6) hurdles, 7257g shot, 2kg discus) were used.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's decathlon, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 22 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's discus throw
The men's discus throw event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27 and 28 July. A 2kg (senior implement) discus was used.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's discus throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 18 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's hammer throw
The men's hammer throw event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July. A 7257g (senior implement) hammer was used.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's hammer throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 16 athletes from 13 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump
The men's high jump event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's high jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 18 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's javelin throw
The men's javelin throw event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's javelin throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 17 athletes from 12 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's long jump
The men's long jump event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's long jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 38 athletes from 28 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's pole vault
The men's pole vault event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27 and 28 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's pole vault, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 18 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's shot put
The men's shot put event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July. A 7257g (Senior implement) shot was used.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's shot put, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 17 athletes from 15 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's triple jump
The men's triple jump event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's triple jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 22 athletes from 14 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 10,000 metres
The women's 10,000 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 10,000 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres
The women's 100 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27 and 28 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 49 athletes from 39 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles
The women's 100 metres hurdles event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 100 metres hurdles, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 28 athletes from 19 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 1500 metres
The women's 1500 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 1500 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 22 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 200 metres
The women's 200 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 200 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 55 athletes from 40 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 3000 metres
The women's 3000 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 28 and 30 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 3000 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 19 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay
The women's 4x100 metres relay event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 100 metres relay, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 64 athletes from 16 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay
The women's 4x400 metres relay event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 4 × 400 metres relay, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 76 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres
The women's 400 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 38 athletes from 26 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres hurdles
The women's 400 metres hurdles event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 400 metres hurdles, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 35 athletes from 25 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 5000 metres walk
The women's 5000 metres walk event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 5000 metres walk, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 26 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres
The women's 800 metres event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27, 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's 800 metres, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 27 athletes from 22 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's discus throw
The women's discus throw event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 30 and 31 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's discus throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 16 athletes from 11 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's heptathlon
The women's heptathlon event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's heptathlon, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 23 athletes from 18 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's high jump
The women's high jump event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 28 and 29 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's high jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 23 athletes from 17 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw
The women's javelin throw event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July. An old specification 600g javelin was used.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's javelin throw, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 25 athletes from 20 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's long jump
The women's long jump event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 29 and 30 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's long jump, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 29 athletes from 22 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's shot put
The women's shot put event at the 1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics was held in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, at Laurentian University Stadium on 27 and 28 July.


1988 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Women's shot put, Participation
According to an unofficial count, 18 athletes from 12 countries participated in the event.


1988 World Junior Curling Championships
The 1988 World Junior Curling Championships were held from March 13 to 19 in Füssen, West Germany for the men's competition and from March 19 to 25 in Chamonix, France for the women's competition. While it was the 14th junior men's competition, this was the inaugural year for the junior women's competition. It has also been the only year that the men's and women's competitions were held separately.


1988 World Junior Curling Championships
The men's event (sponsored by Uniroyal) was won by Canada, skipped by Jim Sullivan and his rink from Fredericton, New Brunswick.


1988 World Junior Curling Championships
The women's event was won also won by Canada, skipped by University of Victoria student Julie Sutton's Kelowna, British Columbia rink.


1988 World Junior Figure Skating Championships
The 1988 World Junior Figure Skating Championships were held on December 8–12, 1987 in Brisbane, Australia. The event was sanctioned by the International Skating Union and open to ISU member nations. Medals were awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing.


1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships
The 1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships was the 12th edition of the Ice Hockey World Junior Championship and was held in Moscow, Soviet Union. Canada and the Soviet Union won the gold and silver medals respectively as the two nations redeemed themselves following their mutual disqualification in the 1987 tournament as a result of the Punch-up in Piestany. Finland won the bronze medal.


1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Final standings
The 1988 tournament was a round-robin format, with the top three teams winning gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.


1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Pool B
Eight teams contested the second tier this year in Sapporo Japan from March 12 to 21. It was played in a simple round robin format, each team playing seven games.


1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Pool B
Norway was promoted to Pool A and Austria was relegated to Pool C for 1989.


1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Pool C
Eight teams contested the third tier this year in Belluno and Feltre, Italy from March 18 to 27. It was played in a simple round robin format, each team playing seven games. The North Korean juniors debuted this year.


1988 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, Pool C
Denmark was initially promoted to Pool B for 1989, however because they used an ineligible player, a challenge series with Italy was played the following December to determine promotion.


1988 World Karate Championships
The 1988 World Karate Championships are the 9th edition of the World Karate Championships, and were held in Cairo, Egypt in October 1988.


1988 World Matchplay (snooker)
The 1988 Everest World Matchplay was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place in December 1988 in Brentwood, England.


1988 World Matchplay (snooker)
Established by Barry Hearn, this was the first World Matchplay tournament and was an invitation event for the top twelve players on the provisional ranking list. It was the first snooker event to offer a six-figure prize with the winner of the event sponsored by Everest, the double glazing company, receiving £100,000.


1988 World Matchplay (snooker)
Of the 12 players, the top eight seeds received a bye into the quarter finals. Steve Davis won the event, defeating John Parrott 9–5 in the final.


1988 World Mountain Running Trophy
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by OhKayeSierra (talk | contribs) at 16:58, 7 March 2020 (OhKayeSierra moved page 1988 World Mountain Running Championships to 1988 World Mountain Running Trophy without leaving a redirect: Requested by Sillyfolkboy at WP:RM/TR : name of competition at the time of its hosting, blocked by redirect). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1988 World Mountain Running Trophy
The 1988 World Mountain Running Championships was the 4th edition of the global mountain running competition, World Mountain Running Championships, organised by the World Mountain Running Association and was held in Keswick, Cumbria, United Kingdom on 15 October 1988.


1988 World Outdoor Bowls Championship
The 1988 Men's World Outdoor Bowls Championship  was held in Henderson, Auckland, New Zealand, from 30 January - 14 February 1988. David Bryant won a third singles Gold defeating Willie Wood in the final. New Zealand won the Pairs and Triples, Ireland won the Fours. The Leonard Trophy went to England.


1988 World Outdoor Bowls Championship
The 1988 Women's World Outdoor Bowls Championship was held at the same venue but ten months later. Janet Ackland claimed the Women's Singles, Ireland won the Pairs, Australia scooped the Triples and Fours but England won the Taylor Trophy.


1988 World Rally Championship
The 1988 World Rally Championship was the 16th season of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) World Rally Championship (WRC). The season consisted of 13 rallies, following the same schedule as the previous season.


1988 World Rally Championship
Martini Lancia followed their successful previous season with an even more dominant performance in 1988, winning ten of the eleven rallies in which manufacturer points were awarded. The Lancia Delta HF 4WD proved fast and reliable in the hands of returning drivers Finn Markku Alén and Italian Miki Biasion. During the season, the car was replaced by the Delta HF Integrale, which was an immediate success. Biaison would take the drivers' title, with his Finnish teammate placing second behind him. Third driver Frenchman Bruno Saby also contributed to the effort with a rally win, though was not a major contender for the title. Jolly Club driver, Italian Alex Fiorio, would take third place in the driver championship at the wheel of a Lancia Delta as well.


1988 World Rally Championship
Ford Motor Company struggled to compete, though it was the only other manufacturer besides Lancia to win a rally, with primary driver Didier Auriol winning the Tour de Corse in his Sierra RS Cosworth. Auriol would only reach 6th in the drivers' competition, while Spanish teammate Carlos Sainz would struggle to reach 11th in the standings. Stig Blomqvist, racing for Rallysport Sweden in a Sierra, would finish best amongst Ford drivers, taking 4th in the championship standings.


1988 World Rally Championship
1988 marked the withdrawal of Audi Sport from the WRC, although a number of small teams and privateers were successful enough using Audi Quattro versions for the manufacturer to place 3rd amongst manufacturers despite the lack of a works effort. Mazda Rally Team Europe made a significant effort to compete with Finn Timo Salonen as their primary driver for the Mazda 323 4WD. Timo would garner 5th place in the driver standings while the manufacturer gained 4th place.


1988 World Rally Championship
In addition to the primary driver and manufacturer championships, WRC also awarded the FIA Cup for Drivers of Production Cars for a second season. Belgian Pascal Gaban won the hotly contested contest in a Mazda 323 against Argentine Jorge Recalde in his Lancia Delta while Italian Giovanni Del Zoppo, another Delta pilot, finished well behind in third place.


1988 World Rowing Championships
The 1988 World Rowing Championships were World Rowing Championships that were held on 6 August 1988 at Milan in Italy. Since 1988 was an Olympic year for rowing, the World Championships did not include Olympic events scheduled for the 1988 Summer Olympics, but instead the lightweight events were held in conjunction with the World Junior Championships, which ran from 3 to 7 August.


1988 World Sambo Championships
The 1988 World Sambo Championships were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada on December 1988. Championships were organized by FIAS.


1988 World Series
The 1988 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1988 season. The 85th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the National League (NL) champion Los Angeles Dodgers, with the Dodgers upsetting the heavily favored Athletics to win the Series in five games. It is best known for the pinch-hit walk-off home run hit by Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson, who could barely walk due to injuries suffered during the NL Championship Series, against Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley in Game 1. The Dodgers were the only MLB team to win more than one World Series title in the 1980s; their other World Series title during the decade came in 1981 (they also broke a 10-year streak of 10 different World Series champions going back to 1978).


1988 World Series
Although Gibson's home run has become an iconic World Series moment, it was World Series MVP Orel Hershiser who capped a dominant 1988 season in which he set the all time scoreless inning streak at 59 innings, recorded five straight shutouts, led the league with 23 wins and 267 innings, and won the Cy Young and Gold Glove awards. Hershiser was the NL Championship Series MVP, starting three games, getting the save for Game 4, and shutting out the Mets in Game 7. In the World Series, he shut out the A's in Game 2, and pitched a two-run, complete game in the decisive Game 5 victory.


1988 World Series
The Dodgers won the NL West division by seven games over the Cincinnati Reds, then upset the New York Mets, 4 games to 3, in the NLCS. The Athletics won the AL West division by 13 games over the Minnesota Twins, then swept the Boston Red Sox, 4 games to 0, in the AL Championship Series.


1988 World Series, Preview, Los Angeles Dodgers
The Dodgers' team batting did not finish in the top five in any offensive statistical category except batting average (fifth), at .248—no regular or backup hit over .300 or drove in over 90 runs. Kirk Gibson's 25 home runs led the team but was only good enough for seventh in the National League. Slugger Pedro Guerrero had a sub-par year and was traded in July to the Cardinals for starting pitcher John Tudor. Kirk Gibson was the only position player named to the All-Star Game, but declined the invitation.


1988 World Series, Preview, Los Angeles Dodgers
However, the Dodgers were sixth in the NL in runs scored and backed that up with excellent pitching. Despite trading  All-Star pitcher Bob Welch (to Oakland, ironically) prior to spring training and an injury to Fernando Valenzuela (5–8, 4.24 ERA), the Dodgers were second in the NL in team ERA and runs allowed, and led the league in complete games and shutouts. The staff was anchored by Cy Young Award-winner Orel Hershiser, who led league in wins, won-loss percentage (23–8, .864), complete games (15), shutouts (8), and sacrifice hits (19).


1988 World Series, Preview, Los Angeles Dodgers
Hershiser was backed-up by a pair of "Tims", Tim Leary (17–11, 2.91) and rookie Tim Belcher (12–6, 2.91), and the July acquisition of John Tudor further strengthened the staff. The bullpen was outstanding, headed by Jay Howell (21 saves, 2.08), Alejandro Peña (12 saves, 1.91), and longtime New York Mets closer Jesse Orosco. The Dodger bullpen led the league in saves with 49.


1988 World Series, Preview, Los Angeles Dodgers
It was intensity and fortitude, however, that defined the 1988 Dodgers, a trend that began when Kirk Gibson was signed as a free agent over the winter from the Detroit Tigers, the team he helped lead to the 1984 World Championship. Moreover, the invincible Hershiser threw shutouts in five of his last six regular season starts en route to a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, breaking the mark held by former Dodger great Don Drysdale. Hershiser would dominate the Mets in the NLCS, while Gibson hobbled through on bad knees and a bruised hamstring but would produce a memorable, if not the greatest, at-bat (in Game 1) of the World Series.


1988 World Series, Preview, Oakland Athletics
The powerful Oakland Athletics had all the confidence and swagger of a heavily favored team. The "Bash Brothers" duo of Mark McGwire (32 home runs, 99 RBI, .260 batting average) and José Canseco (42 home runs, 124 RBI, .307 batting average) were in their early 20s, emerging as young superstars. Canseco became the first player to hit 40 or more home runs and steal 40 or more bases in Major League history and would capture the Most Valuable Player award in the American League.


1988 World Series, Preview, Oakland Athletics
Veterans Dave Henderson (24 home runs, 94 RBI, .304 batting average) and longtime Pirate Dave Parker (12 home runs, 55 RBI, .257 batting average), also contributed with both their bats and their experience. The 1988 World Series marked Don Baylor's third consecutive World Series with three separate teams. Besides being a member of the 1988 Athletics, Baylor was also a member of the 1986 Boston Red Sox and 1987 Minnesota Twins.


1988 World Series, Preview, Oakland Athletics
The Oakland pitching staff was quite possibly the best in the American League in 1988. They led in ERA (3.44), wins (104), saves (64), and were second in strikeouts (983) and second in fewest runs allowed and home runs allowed. The ace of the staff was Dave Stewart, an ex-Dodger (1978–83), who won 20 games for the second straight season. Another ex-Dodger was reliable Bob Welch (17–9, 3.64) followed by 16-game winner Storm Davis.


1988 World Series, Preview, Oakland Athletics
After spending the previous 12 years as a starter, mostly for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, Dennis Eckersley would be converted into a closer in 1987 and would lead the American League in saves in 1988 with 45. He would eventually have a distinguished 24-year career, gaining election into the Hall of Fame in 2004. Another longtime starter (and another ex-Dodger), Rick Honeycutt, proved to be a capable set-up man to Eckersley, finishing with three wins and seven saves.


1988 World Series, Preview, Oakland Athletics
But anything can happen in a short series, as proven by these 1988 Los Angeles Dodgers, who out-hit (41–28, .246–.177), out-muscled (5 HRs–2 HRs), and out-pitched (2.03–3.92) the seemingly unbeatable Oakland Athletics, incredibly winning the Series in five games, outscoring the A's, 21–11, bringing the Dodgers their sixth World Series Championship, the second as a manager for Tommy Lasorda.


1988 World Series, Summary
NL Los Angeles Dodgers (4) vs. AL Oakland Athletics (1)


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
With Gibson unable to start and officially listed as day-to-day due to a pulled left hamstring and a severely swollen right knee, both sustained on awkward slides into second base in the NLCS in Games 5 and 7, the Dodgers were at a decided disadvantage. Additionally,  because ace Orel Hershiser pitched in Game 7 of the NLCS, the Dodgers had to start rookie Tim Belcher in Game 1, and thus, they would not be able to start Hershiser three times in a potential seven-game series as they had in the NLCS.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Meanwhile, Oakland, having swept the ALCS, could send a well-rested Dave Stewart to the mound. Both pitchers, however, would have their troubles in this game starting out. Belcher loaded the bases in the first by giving up a single to Dave Henderson, then hitting José Canseco and walking Mark McGwire. Canseco was hit in the right biceps as he checked his swing and home plate umpire Doug Harvey awarded him first base. Dodger manager Tommy Lasorda disputed this, thinking the ball hit Canseco's bat. Audio from the game seemed to confirm this, but replays showed the ball hit Canseco in the biceps.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Stewart's problems began in the bottom of the first when he purposely hit Steve Sax with his first pitch. After retiring Franklin Stubbs, Stewart balked Sax to second. Mickey Hatcher, Gibson's replacement in the starting lineup who had hit only one homer all season, then shocked the crowd by hitting a two-run shot off Stewart. Hatcher further excited the Dodger stadium fans by running full speed around the bases. Commentator Joe Garagiola noted, "He ran in like they thought they were going to take it off the scoreboard! He really circled those bases in a hurry!" and "He's a Saturday Evening Post cover!"


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Stewart would calm down, however, and the A's provided him a lead in their half of the second. After allowing a leadoff single to Glenn Hubbard and striking out Walt Weiss, Belcher's control problems continued as he walked both Stewart and Carney Lansford to load the bases. After Dave Henderson struck out, Canseco crushed a 1–0 pitch for a grand slam to almost dead center, denting an NBC game camera in the process. The A's had a 4–2 lead. Canseco's grand slam in Game 1 was his only hit of the series. His fellow Bash Brother Mark McGwire had only one hit as well, the game-winning shot that ended Game 3.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
With one out In the sixth, the Dodgers broke Stewart's groove with three consecutive singles by Mike Marshall, John Shelby and Mike Scioscia, which resulted in Marshall scoring. Stewart retired the next two batters to end the inning and strand Shelby in scoring position, but the Dodgers had cut the A's lead to 4–3.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Unknown to the fans and the media at the time, Kirk Gibson was watching the game on television while undergoing physical therapy in the Dodgers' clubhouse. At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodgers dugout and commentator Vin Scully, working for NBC for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was "nowhere to be found". This spurred Gibson to call for Mitch Poole, the team ball boy, to set up the tee for him to take some warm up swings. After a series of warm up swings, Gibson told Poole go to get Lasorda for an evaluation.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
After a brief stint to get Tommy's attention, Pool informed Lasorda that Gibson was taking practice swings in the clubhouse, where Lasorda went back for the evaluation. Shortly there after, Gibson is seen in the dugout wearing his batting helmet Along the way, NBC's Bob Costas could hear Gibson's agonized-sounding grunts after every hit.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
A's closer Dennis Eckersley came on to pitch the ninth to close it out for Stewart. After retiring the first two batters (Mike Scioscia and Jeff Hamilton), Eckersley's former A's teammate Mike Davis, batting for Alfredo Griffin, walked on five pitches. During Davis' at-bat, Dave Anderson initially entered the on-deck circle to hit for Alejandro Peña. Eckersley pitched carefully to Davis because the A's remembered all of the home runs he hit for the A's a year earlier, not because the light-hitting Anderson was on deck, as popularly believed.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
After Davis walked, Lasorda called back Anderson and sent up a hobbled Kirk Gibson to the plate, amidst cheers from the Dodger Stadium crowd. Gibson bravely fouled off Eckersley's best offerings, demonstrating how badly he was hurting. On one foul, Gibson hobbled towards first and prompted Scully to quip, "And it had to be an effort to run THAT far." After Gibson fouled off several pitches, Davis stole second on ball three. On the next pitch, the 8th of the at-bat, Gibson, slammed a backdoor slider into the right field bleachers to win the game. The footage of Gibson hobbling around the bases on both hurt legs and pumping his fist as he rounded second became an iconic baseball film highlight.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Gibson would never bat again in the Series, and his walk-off homer in Game 1 marked the first time that a World Series game ended with a come-from-behind home run. In a somewhat forgotten detail of this game highlighting the teamwork that was this Dodgers team's trademark all season, Gibson's heroics still would not have been possible without the earlier home run by the man replacing Gibson in the line-up, Mickey Hatcher.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
By the time Kirk Gibson reached his locker after Game 1, bullpen coach Mark Cresse had written "R. HOBBS" on a piece of paper and taped it over Gibson's nameplate, which was in reference to Gibson's heroics mirroring those of the fictional slugger played by Robert Redford in The Natural.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Game 1 is the only game in World Series history such that a grand slam-hitting team both failed to win the game, and also later failed to win the series. The only other game in series history in which a grand slam-hitting team failed to win the game was 1956's Game 2 (the Yankees); nevertheless, the Yankees prevailed in the series.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 2
With a rested Orel Hershiser on the mound, the Dodgers took a 2–0 Series lead. Hershiser went the distance, allowing only three singles, all three hit by Dave Parker. The Dodgers got to Oakland starter Storm Davis with a five-run third. After one-out singles by Hershiser and Steve Sax, consecutive RBI singles by Franklin Stubbs and Mickey Hatcher made it 2–0 Dodgers before Mike Marshall capped the scoring with a three-run home run. Hershiser himself got an RBI when Alfredo Griffin singled in the fourth and scored on his double.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 2
Hershiser was the first pitcher to get three hits in a World Series game since Art Nehf of the New York Giants in Game 1 of the 1924 World Series. He was also the first pitcher to record a World Series RBI since Philadelphia's John Denny in Game 4 of the 1983 World Series.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
The A's got back in the series on the strength of strong pitching by former Dodger World Series hero Bob Welch and three relievers. Dodger starter John Tudor left during the second inning with tightness in his pitching shoulder and was relieved by Tim Leary who pitched the next 3+2⁄3 innings and Alejandro Peña who pitched an additional three innings.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
The A's struck first in the third when Glenn Hubbard singled, stole second, and came home on a single by Ron Hassey. The Dodgers tied it in the fifth when Franklin Stubbs drove home Jeff Hamilton with a double.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
A's relievers helped squelch a Dodger threat in the sixth. Danny Heep led off with a double. John Shelby singled to left, but Heep was held up at third on the throw home as Shelby took second. Welch walked Mike Davis to load the bases, and left-hander Greg Cadaret was brought in to face lefty-hitting Mike Scioscia. Scioscia popped out to third. A's manager Tony La Russa then brought in right-hander Gene Nelson to face Hamilton, who forced Heep out at home. Alfredo Griffin grounded out to end the threat.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
The A's got their winning run in the bottom of the ninth when Mark McGwire deposited a one-out fastball from closer Jay Howell, who had struggled in the NLCS and also was suspended for illegally using pine tar, into the left-center field seats. Reliever Rick Honeycutt, who would later become the Dodgers' pitching coach, got the win.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
Without injured sluggers Kirk Gibson (25 HR) and Mike Marshall (20), the Dodgers started the game with what was statistically one of the weakest hitting World Series teams since the Dead-ball era. During the regular season the Game 4 starting line up of Steve Sax (2B), Franklin Stubbs (1B), Mickey Hatcher (LF), Mike Davis (RF), John Shelby (CF), Danny Heep (DH), Jeff Hamilton (3B), Mike Scioscia (C) and Alfredo Griffin (SS) combined for a total of just 36 home runs. Only Shelby had 10 or more home runs (he had exactly 10). Between them, José Canseco and Mark McGwire had hit 74 home runs for Oakland. Canseco alone had in fact hit more home runs (42) than the Dodger lineup while McGwire with 32 almost matched the Dodgers.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
The Dodgers got two runs in the first when Steve Sax walked, went to third on a Mickey Hatcher single, and scored on a passed ball by A's catcher Terry Steinbach. Hatcher scored the second run on a groundout by John Shelby. The A's got one back in their half when Luis Polonia led off with a single, went to second on a passed ball, and later scored on a José Canseco groundout.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
The Dodgers went up 3–1 when Franklin Stubbs doubled and scored when A's shortstop Walt Weiss couldn't field a liner by Mike Davis (the play was ruled an error.) The A's answered in the sixth on an RBI single by Carney Lansford.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
A key play came when the Dodgers got their final run in the seventh. With Alfredo Griffin on third and Steve Sax on first with one out, pinch-hitter Tracy Woodson hit what looked to be an inning ending double play grounder. But Lasorda called for a hit and run play so Sax was going on the pitch. Oakland tried for the double play, but Sax barely beat the throw to second. So when the throw to first beat Woodson, it was only the second out, allowing Griffin to score.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
The A's half of the seventh also dramatic. With one out, Weiss singled and reached second when he was called safe on a double-play grounder hit by Polonia in a similar play to the Dodgers' scoring play in the top half of the inning; Weiss was running with the pitch. Dave Henderson cut the Dodger lead to 4–3 on a two-out RBI double. After Dodgers reliever Jay Howell entered the game, José Canseco walked and Dave Parker reached on a Griffin error to load the bases, but Game 3 hero Mark McGwire popped out, stranding three and ending the inning.


1988 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
The A's managed to get singles in the eighth by Ron Hassey and in the ninth by Henderson, but Howell rebounded from his earlier postseason woes to stop both rallies, including striking out Canseco and inducing a foul pop out by Dave Parker in the ninth to strand the tying run at first and end the game. The Dodgers now held a commanding three games to one lead.