The Gold StandardVisa and the Olympic and Paralympics Games

Visa has been a proud sponsor of the Olympic Games for more than 30 years. As we look ahead to Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, we first look back at the golden moments in Visa and Olympic and Paralympic history.

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Timeline

Year / Season / Host city

Olympic Games

Visa Visa Events

Participants

Olympic Games

% male % female

Participants

Paralympic Games

% male % female

Countries

Olympic Games Paralympic Games
50 100 150 200 250
Total: 1,423 79% 21%
Total: 8,397 74% 26%
Total: 1,801 (+26.56% YOY) 73% 27%
Total: 9,356 (+11.42% YOY) 71% 29%
Total: 1,737 (-3.55% YOY) 70% 30%
Total: 10,318 (+10.28% YOY) 66% 34%
Total: 2,176 (+25.27% YOY) 64% 36%
Total: 10,651 (+3.23% YOY) 62% 38%
Total: 2,399 (+10.25% YOY) 63% 37%
Total: 10,625 (-0.24% YOY) 59% 41%
Total: 2,508 (+4.54% YOY) 62% 38%
Total: 10,942 (+2.98% YOY) 58% 42%
Total: 2,566 (+2.31% YOY) 59% 41%
Total: 10,568 (-3.42% YOY) 56% 44%
Total: 2,780 (+8.34% YOY) 60% 40%
Total: 11,238 (+6.34% YOY) 55% 45%
Total: 2,833 (+1.91% YOY) 59% 41%
More to come
Total: 377 80% 20%
Total: 3,041 78% 22%
Total: 365 (-3.18% YOY) 79% 21%
Total: 2,999 (-1.38% YOY) 77% 23%
Total: 469 (+28.49% YOY) 81% 19%
Total: 3,808 (+26.98% YOY) 69% 31%
Total: 562 (+19.83% YOY) 78% 22%
Total: 3,879 (+1.86% YOY) 74% 26%
Total: 415 (-26.16% YOY) 79% 21%
Total: 3,808 (-1.83% YOY) 69% 31%
Total: 474 (+14.22% YOY) 79% 21%
Total: 3,951 (+3.76% YOY) 65% 35%
Total: 502 (+5.91% YOY) 76% 24%
Total: 4,237 (+7.24% YOY) 65% 35%
Total: 541 (+7.77% YOY) 76% 24%
Total: 4,328 (+2.15% YOY) 61% 39%
Total: 563 (+4.07% YOY) 76% 24%
More to come
22
57
159 60
64 24
169 84
67 31
197 104
72 31
199 123
77 36
201 135
80 38
204 146
82 44
204 164
88 45
207 159
92 49
More to come

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Summary

Team up

Number of athletes competing

Paralympic Games Olympic Games

Girl power

Female athletes as a percentage of all athletes at summer Olympic Games

Nation building

Number of countries competing

1988 2016/18
Summer Winter Summer Winter

Turn of events

Number of Olympic medal events

Summer Winter

Team Visa

Number of athletes sponsored by Team Visa at the Olympics

Summer Winter

*Estimated number of athletes

Sources: olympic.org, paralympic.org, tokyo2020.org and usa.visa.com

Notes:

  1. All brand names and logos are the property of their respective owners, are used for identification purposes only, and do not imply product endorsement or affiliation with Visa.
  2. All data for Tokyo 2020 is projected

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