b'Mrs Wards memories of the 1984 Summer OlympicsGrowing up in Fou i ntain Valley, California in the late 1970s and early 80s, we all knew the Summer Olympics were coming to Lo i s Angeles in 1984. Surrounding the build-up to the games I can vividly remember adult conversations waftng overi me on many topics. This included whether or not our family would leave and go O st i ay with our grandparents n Arizona for the summer so we could rent our house tol visitors from abroad in a so l rt of pre-Airbn i b get-rich-quick scheme. Another topic was whether America actualy had a chance to win go r d in the gymnastcs as everyone assumed the USSR would boycott the games in retribution for the US dong the same in the previous summer games in Moscow.I ne of our favourte pastimes in the month i s immediately preceding the games was scouring the timetable of spo ts and venues with friends and building our dream timetable of all the events we would ideally wish to attend tl would we see gymnastics, swimming, divng, or at l hletics? All the while, however, we secretly knew we would only be attending the free or non-ticketed events such as the marathon.st had been i52 years since the Olympics had taken pace in thel United States, andi in 1932 they had been hosted t by Los Angeles, so it was re i ally amazing to be la schoolgirl and witness the restorat l on of the original Art Deco h y e Olympcl Coliseum. We watched as the Oympic torch traveled from Moscow al the way to LA, and lined a e streets with our school frends to watch it run through our county just days before the opening ceremony. The fl me had finaly arrived!It was an amazing summer and one that I will always remember.21'