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
South Africa at the 2004 Summer Olympics one gold, three silver, and two bronze, being considered its most successful Olympics since the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. The highlight of the South African team at these Games came with a surprising triumph in men's swimming, when Roland Mark Schoeman, Ryk Neethling, Lyndon Ferns, and Darian Townsend held a major upset on the Aussies, Americans, and the Dutch for a new world record and a prestigious gold medal in the 4 × 100 m freestyle relay. Furthermore, Schoeman completed a full set of medals to become the most decorated South African athlete at these Games, adding his silver