Soviet Union at the Olympics

The Soviet Union sent athletes to the Olympic Games for the first time in 1952. They sent teams to the Games 18 simes since then. At seven of its nine times at the Summer Olympic Games, the team ranked first in the total number of medals won. It was ranked second at the other two Games. The team was ranked first in the medal count seven times and second twice in nine times they sent teams to the Winter Olympic Games.

Soviet Union at the Olympics
Flag of the Soviet Union
IOC code	URS
NOC	Soviet Olympic Committee
Medals	Gold 473 Silver 376 Bronze 355 Total 1,204
Summer appearances
1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988
Winter appearances
1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988
Other related appearances
Russian Empire (1900–1912)  Estonia (1920–1936, 1992–)  Latvia (1924–1936, 1992–)  Lithuania (1924–1928, 1992–)  Unified Team (1992)  Armenia (1994–)  Belarus (1994–)  Georgia (1994–)  Kazakhstan (1994–)  Kyrgyzstan (1994–)  Moldova (1994–)  Russia (1994–2016)  Ukraine (1994–)  Uzbekistan (1994–)  Azerbaijan (1996–)  Tajikistan (1996–)  Turkmenistan (1996–)  Olympic Athletes from Russia (2018W)

The Olympic Committee of the USSR was created on April 21, 1951. It was accepted by the IOC on May 7, 1951.

The 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki was first Olympic Games for Soviet athletes. On July 20, 1952, the first Olympic gold medal for the country was won by Nina Romashkova in the women's discus throw. Romashkova set the new Olympic record in the event. The 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo were the first Winter Olympic Games for Soviet athletes. The first Winter Olympic gold medal for the Soviet Union was won by Lyubov Kozyreva in women's cross-country skiing 10 km event.

The USSR was the host nation for the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. These Games were boycotted by the United States and many other countries. After this, the USSR led a boycott of the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

The USSR ended on December 26, 1991. The Olympic Committee of the USSR did not end until March 12, 1992.

In 1992, 12 of the 15 countries that had been part of the Soviet Union took part in the Games as the Unified Team. They used the Olympic Flag in the Barcelona Games. The Unified Team finished first in the medal rankings. The Unified Team also competed at the Albertville Winter Games earlier in the year. Only seven of the twelve countries took part. They finished second in the medal ranking at those Games.