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Opening date	20 April 1920
Closing date	12 September 1920
Country of the host city:	Belgium.

NOCs                                 29
Athletes                             2,626 (65 women, 2,561 men)
Events                               154

Hard times

The 1916 Olympic Games were scheduled to be held in Berlin but were cancelled due to World War I. The 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honour the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war.

Opening Ceremony

During the Opening Ceremony, the Olympic flag with the five rings signifying the universality of the Olympic Games was raised for the first time at an Olympic Games. The Olympic oath was taken for the first time by an athlete on behalf of all competitors, and for the first time doves were released as a symbol of peace.

Memorable champions

In a performance unequalled in Olympic history, Nedo Nadi of Italy earned gold medals in five of the six fencing events. Ethelda Bleibtrey of the US won gold medals in all three women’s swimming contests. Including preliminary heats, she swam in five races and broke the world record in every one.

Age no barrier

At age 72, Swedish shooter Oscar Swahn earned a silver medal in the team double-shot running deer event to become the oldest medallist ever.