Olympics on ABC commentators

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Hosts[]

Year Prime-Time Host Daytime Host(s) Late-Night Host(s)
1964 Winter Jim McKay[1]
1968 Winter Chris Schenkel
Jim McKay (opening and closing ceremonies only)
1968 Summer Chris Schenkel
1972 Summer
1976 Winter Jim McKay[2]
1976 Summer
1980 Winter
1984 Winter Jim McKay Jim Lampley
Kathleen Sullivan		 Donna de Varona
1984 Summer Jim McKay Frank Gifford
Kathleen Sullivan		 Jim Lampley
Donna de Varona
1988 Winter Jim McKay (Monday-Friday)[3]
Keith Jackson (weekends)		 Keith Jackson Frank Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford

By event[]

Winter Olympics[]

1964[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
Skiing Jim McKay Andrea Mead Lawrence and Willy Schaeffler
Figure Skating Dick Button Carol Heiss
Bobsled Stan Benham

1968[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentator(s)
Skiing Jim McKay
Figure Skating Chris Schenkel Dick Button
Hockey Curt Gowdy
Ski Jumping Art Devlin

1976[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Skiing Frank Gifford Bob Beattie
Karl Schranz
Figure Skating Chris Schenkel Dick Button
Hockey Curt Gowdy Brian Conacher
Bobsled Curt Gowdy Paul Lamey
Luge Jackie Stewart Paul Lamey
Ski Jumping Art Devlin
Speed Skating Warner Wolf Anne Henning
Features Pierre Salinger

1980[4][5][]

Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Jim McKay
Figure Skating Jim McKay Dick Button
Speed Skating Keith Jackson Sheila Young Ochowitz
Hockey Al Michaels Ken Dryden
Skiing Frank Gifford Bob Beattie and
Bobsled Curt Gowdy Paul Lamey Jackie Stewart
Cross Country Bill Flemming Peter Graves
Ski Jumping Chris Schenkel Art Devlin
Luge Curt Gowdy
Jim McKay
Features Don Meredith

1984[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Bobsled Tim Brant John Morgan
Ski Jumping Keith Jackson Jay Rand
Cross Country Jack Whitaker Jack Turner Diana Nyad
Alpine Skiing Frank Gifford
Jim Lampley (women’s downhill) 		Bob Beattie
Cindy Nelson (women’s downhill)
Luge Sam Posey Jeff Tucker
Figure Skating Al Michaels Peggy Fleming and Dick Button
Ice Hockey Al Michaels
Don Chevrier 		Mike Eruzione
Ken Dryden
Speed Skating Keith Jackson
Don Chevrier (men’s 5000) 		Eric Heiden
Features Hughes Rudd
Ray Gandolf
Jim Lampley
Dick Schaap

Terre Blair

1988[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Jim McKay Peter Jennings
Skiing Al Trautwig Bob Beattie Jack Edwards
Biathlon Mike Adamle
Bobsled Lynn Swann John Morgan
Cross Country Mike Adamle Bill Koch
Figure Skating Jim McKay Dick Button and Peggy Fleming David Santee and Jack Whitaker
Freestyle Tim McCarver
Ice Hockey Al Michaels
Jiggs McDonald 		Ken Dryden
Mike Eruzione
Luge Sam Posey Jeff Tucker
Nordic Combined Chris Schenkel
Nordic Skiing Mike Adamle Bill Koch
Rodeo Curt Gowdy Larry Mahan
Short Track Keith Jackson Lydia Stephens
Ski Jumping Chris Schenkel Jeff Hastings
Speedskating Gary Bender Eric Heiden
Jim McKay Peter Jennings
Features Donna de Varona
Becky Dixon
Jim Hill
Tim McCarver
Jack Whitaker (essayist)
Dan Dierdorf
Cheryl Miller

Summer Olympics[]

1972[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Track & Field Jim McKay Bill Toomey (400m races)
Marty Liquori (150m and 800m races)
Erich Segal (marathon)
Swimming Keith Jackson
Diving Bill Flemming Ken Sitzberger (men)
Micki King (women)
Basketball Frank Gifford[6]
Bill Flemming (filled in for Gifford while he did wrestling) 		Bill Russell
Gymnastics Jim McKay
Boxing Howard Cosell
Wrestling Frank Gifford

1976[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Track & Field Keith Jackson O. J. Simpson
Bob Seagren
Brian Oldfield
Marty Liquori (men)
Wyomia Tyus (women)
Swimming Keith Jackson Mark Spitz (men)
Donna de Varona (women)
Diving Bill Flemming Ken Sitzberger (men)
Micki King (women)
Basketball Frank Gifford
Curt Gowdy 		Bill Russell
Gymnastics Chris Schenkel (men)
Cathy Rigby (women)
Boxing Howard Cosell
Wrestling Frank Gifford
Equestrian Chris Schenkel
Jackie Stewart (Filled in for Schenkel when he covered Gymnastics.) 		Bill Steinkraus
Rowing Frank Gifford Fritz Hobbs
Features Pierre Salinger
Jim Lampley
Dave Diles

1984[]

Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Opening Ceremony Jim McKay Peter Jennings Donna de Varona
Track & Field Al Michaels O. J. Simpson (men's sprints & relays)
Wilma Rudolph (women's sprints)
Renaldo Nehemiah (hurdles)
Marty Liquori (distance)
Dwight Stones (field events)
Jane Frederick (filled in for Stones while he competed in the high jump) 		Donna de Varona
Swimming Jim Lampley Mark Spitz (men)
Donna de Varona (women) 		Diana Nyad
Synchronized Swimming Donna de Varona Esther Williams
Diving Jack Whitaker
Bill Flemming (filled in for Whitaker while he did gymnastics) 		Cynthia Potter
Basketball Keith Jackson[7] Digger Phelps (men)
Ann Meyers (women)
Volleyball Bob Beattie
Gymnastics Jack Whitaker
Cathy Rigby-McCoy (women)
Kurt Thomas (men) 		Anne Simon
Rhythmic Gymnastics Al Trautwig
Cathy Rigby-McCoy
Boxing Howard Cosell
Water Polo Tim Brant
Rowing Curt Gowdy Steve Gladstone
Canoeing Diana Nyad
Wrestling Curt Gowdy Russ Hellickson
Cycling (Road) Al Michaels Greg LeMond
Eric Heiden
Cycling (Track) Bill Flemming Eric Heiden
Baseball (demonstration sport) Don Chevrier Jim Palmer
Tennis (demonstration sport) Arthur Ashe[8]
Equestrian Chris Schenkel Bill Steinkraus
Tad Coffin
Fencing Arthur Ashe
Al Trautwig
Soccer Mario Machado
Weightlifting Lynn Swann Bruce Wilhelm
Handball Al Trautwig
Field Hockey Al Trautwig Mike Eruzione[9]
Judo Al Trautwig
Mike Eruzione
Shooting Al Trautwig
Closing Ceremony Jim McKay Peter Jennings Donna de Varona

References[]

  1. ^ Gallant, Joseph. "The World Comes Together in Your Living Room: The Olympics on TV". TV Broadcasting History - Various Articles.
  2. ^ Eldridge, Larry (June 8, 2008). "FROM OUR FILES: A true pro at the Olympics: TV host Jim McKay". The Christian Science Monitor.
  3. ^ Jim McKay
  4. ^ The Palm Beach Post - Feb 8, 1980
  5. ^ Boca Raton News - Feb 8, 1980
  6. ^ Hagger, Jeff (August 31, 2012). "Observations on the ABC coverage of 1972 Olympic basketball". Classic TV Sports.
  7. ^ He was relegated to near obscurity at the '84 Olympics in Los Angeles, covering only the snippets of basketball that ABC presented.
  8. ^ "GAMES OF THE XXIII OLYMPIAD, THE {1984 LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS} {1984/08/07}, PART 4: TENNIS (MEN) (TV)". The Paley Center for Media.
  9. ^ "GAMES OF THE XXIII OLYMPIAD, THE {1984 LOS ANGELES OLYMPICS} {1984/08/06}, PART 1: FENCING (MEN), WEIGHTLIFTING (MEN) (TV)". The Paley Center of Media.
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