1996 Summer Olympics Basil Poledouris. Muhammad Ali lit the Olympic cauldron and later received a replacement gold medal for his boxing victory in the 1960 Summer Olympics. For the torch ceremony, more than 10,000 Olympic torches were manufactured by the American Meter Company and electroplated by Erie Plating Company. Each torch weighed about and was made primarily of aluminum, with a Georgia pecan wood handle and gold ornamentation. The 1996 Summer Olympic programme featured 271 events in 26 sports. Softball, beach volleyball and mountain biking debuted on the Olympic program, together with women's football and lightweight rowing. In women's gymnastics, Lilia Podkopayeva became
Malawi at the 1996 Summer Olympics selected as the flag-bearer for the opening ceremony. Henry Moyo was 24 years old at the time of the Atlanta Olympics, and was making his only Olympic appearance. On 31 July, he competed in the heats of the 5,000 meters, where he was drawn into heat two. He finished the heat in a time of 14 minutes and 30.53 seconds, 13th and last in his heat, and he was eliminated. The podium was swept by African athletes, with the gold medal eventually won by Vénuste Niyongabo of Burundi, the silver by Paul Bitok of Kenya, and the bronze medal was