Tokyo Summer Games Japan spends about $3 billion to rebuild Tokyo for the Olympics, revitalizing a city that had been devastated by earthquakes and World War II bombings. 25 Olympic and world records are broken in the course of the Games, and Japan's worldwide image gets a significant boost. Abebe Bikila again wins the marathon, this time less than six weeks after having his appendix removed. Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina wins six medals for the third time in a row; she remains the Olympic athlete with the most medals (18) and the most medals in individual events (14). American Al Oerter wins the discus toss for the third straight time, despite a cervical disc injury and torn rib cartilage. The U.S. and U.S.S.R. end up neck-and-neck, with the Soviets winning more medals overall, but the Americans winning more gold medals.
