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{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2022}}
{{Short description|International sports competition (1986–2001)}}
{{Infobox sporting event organization
|name         = Goodwill Games
|image        = Goodwill Games Seattle 1990 logo.png
|image_upright=
|caption      = Logo of the second Games in [[Seattle]]
|abbreviation = 
|motto        = 
|formation    = [[Moscow]], [[USSR]], in 1986
|recurrence   = 4 years
|last         = [[Brisbane]], Australia, in 2001
|purpose      = Response to the political issues concerning the [[Olympic Games]] of the 1980s
|headquarters = [[Atlanta]], Georgia, United States
|leader_title = 
|leader_name  = 
|website      = 
|remarks      =
}}
The '''Goodwill Games''' were an international sports competition created by [[Ted Turner]] in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the [[Olympic Games]] of the 1980s.<ref>{{Cite news| url =https://www.nytimes.com/2001/12/22/sports/goodwill-games-turner-s-games-losing-money-are-dropped.html|title= GOODWILL GAMES; Turner's Games, Losing Money, Are Dropped |author=Jere Longmsn|work= [[The New York Times]] |date = December 22, 2001}}</ref> In 1979, the [[Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan|Soviet invasion of Afghanistan]] caused the United States and other [[Western world|Western countries]] to [[1980 Summer Olympics boycott|boycott]] the [[1980 Summer Olympics]] in [[Moscow]], an act reciprocated when the [[Soviet Union]] and other [[Eastern Bloc]] countries (with the exception of [[Romania]]) boycotted the [[1984 Summer Olympics]] in [[Los Angeles]].

The idea came to Turner in 1984 during his visit to Moscow. He was disappointed with the boycott, evaluating it as a negative outcome for both sides in the conflict. The magnate also believed that it was an opportune moment to create alternative high-level competitions that could “steal” some of the success from the Olympics. The organization of the competition, which started in 1986, cost him more than $11 million.<ref name="nyt12">[https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/17/sports/goodwill-games-it-s-good-will-so-who-s-counting.html?mcubz=0 GOODWILL GAMES; It’s Good Will, So Who’s Counting?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170902153849/https://www.nytimes.com/1998/07/17/sports/goodwill-games-it-s-good-will-so-who-s-counting.html?mcubz=0}} {{v|2|9|2017}}</ref>

Like the Olympics, the Goodwill Games were held every four years (with the exception of the final Games), and had a summer and winter component. However, unlike the Olympics, figure skating, ice hockey and short track speed skating were part of summer editions. The Summer Goodwill Games occurred five times, between 1986 and 2001, while the Winter Goodwill Games occurred only once, in 2000. They were cancelled by [[Time Warner]], which had bought ownership of them in 1996, because of low television ratings after the 2001 Games in [[Brisbane]].

==Overview==
Founded in 1985 by then-[[Turner Broadcasting System]] chairman Ted Turner, The Goodwill Games were created to foster athletic competition between the United States and the Soviet Union during the [[Cold War]].<ref>{{Cite web |author1=MCN Staff |date=2001-12-21 |title=AOL Shelves Goodwill Games |url=https://www.nexttv.com/news/aol-shelves-goodwill-games-153330 |access-date=2024-11-03 |website=Multichannel News |language=en}}</ref> The first Goodwill Games, held in Moscow in [[1986 Goodwill Games|1986]], featured 182 events and attracted over 3,000 athletes representing 79 countries. World records were set by [[Sergey Bubka]] ([[pole vault]]), [[Jackie Joyner-Kersee]] ([[heptathlon]]), and both the men and women's 200&nbsp;m cycle racing, by East Germany's [[Michael Hübner]] and the Soviet Union's [[Erika Salumäe]], respectively. World records also fell at the [[1990 Goodwill Games|1990 Games]] in [[Seattle]], to [[Mike Barrowman]] in the 200&nbsp;m breaststroke and [[Nadezhda Ryashkina]] in the [[Racewalking|10 km walk]].

The [[1994 Goodwill Games|1994 Games]] in [[Saint Petersburg]], Russia were the first competition held since the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]]. Russians set five world records in the [[Olympic weightlifting|weightlifting]] section, and the games were the first major international event to feature [[beach volleyball]], which would appear at the Olympics for the first time at the [[1996 Summer Olympics]].

In October 1996, Turner's company, the Turner Broadcasting System, merged with [[Time Warner]], thus bringing the Goodwill Games under the control of the latter. Ted Turner's last Games were in [[1998 Goodwill Games|1998]] in [[New York City]], with memorable highlights including Joyner-Kersee winning her fourth straight heptathlon title, the U.S. 4 × 400 m relay team setting a world's best time, plus [[Michelle Kwan]] and [[Todd Eldredge]] winning the gold in figure skating, and [[Dominique Moceanu]] capturing the women's gymnastics gold medal. Time Warner organized the [[2001 Goodwill Games|2001 Games]] in [[Brisbane]], [[Australia]], before announcing that this would be the last edition of the games. With the cancellation of the Games, [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]] and [[Calgary]] lost their respective Summer and Winter Games, scheduled for 2005. The 2001 edition witnessed Australia winning the most medals with 75, but it received very low [[Nielsen ratings|television ratings]] in the United States. Nevertheless, critics praised [[Turner Network Television]] for showing the games live, rather than on [[Broadcast delay|tape delay]].

During a live interview at the 2009 Denver [[SportAccord]] conference, Turner blamed the demise of the Games on the short-sighted management of Time Warner, and stated, "If I'd have stayed there the Goodwill Games would not have been canceled."<ref name="SportAccord interview">[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubt_ef7kUmU&feature=player_detailpage#t=655s Ted Turner interview, Dever SportAccord 2009], ''[[YouTube]]''</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=31908|title=Olympic Briefs -- Possible Goodwill Games Revival; Pope Meets with Volleyball Organizers|access-date=August 5, 2011|archive-date=April 5, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120405082207/http://www.aroundtherings.com/articles/view.aspx?id=31908|url-status=dead}}</ref> Turner expressed hope that the games would return as a bridge to restore cultural contact between Russia and the U.S., stating that the relationship between the two had steadily disintegrated since the Cold War, which he called a dangerous situation because of both countries' massive nuclear arsenals. He also reiterated his belief in the power of international sporting competitions to prevent war, saying that "as long as the Olympics are taking place and not being boycotted, it's virtually impossible to have a world war", because the nations involved "wouldn't want a war to mess up their chances".<ref name="SportAccord interview" />

==Summer Goodwill Games==
{{location map+|Earth|float=center|width=750|caption=Host cities of the Goodwill Games|places=
{{Location map~|Earth|position=|lat=55.5815245|long=36.8251327|label='''[[1986 Goodwill Games|1986]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Earth|position=|lat=47.6131746|long=-122.4821471|label='''[[1990 Goodwill Games|1990]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Earth|position=|lat=59.9396975|long=29.53031|label='''[[1994 Goodwill Games|1994]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Earth|position=|lat=40.6600408|long=-74.1195446|label='''[[1998 Goodwill Games|1998]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Earth|position=|lat=-27.3812533|long=152.7130123|label='''[[2001 Goodwill Games|2001]]'''}}
{{Location map~|Earth|position=|lat=33.6056711|long=-112.4052361|label='''2005 (cancelled)'''}}
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Edition
!Year
!Host city
!County/Province/Region/State/Territory
!Country
!Notes
|-
|[[1986 Goodwill Games|I]]
|1986
|[[Moscow]]
|
|align=left|{{URS}}
| 3,000 athletes and 79 countries
|-
|[[1990 Goodwill Games|II]]
|1990
|[[Seattle]]
|[[Washington (state)|Washington]]
|align=left|{{USA}}
| 2,300 athletes and 54 countries
|-
|[[1994 Goodwill Games|III]]
|1994
|[[Saint Petersburg]]
|
|align=left|{{RUS}}
| 2,000 athletes and 59 countries
|-
|[[1998 Goodwill Games|IV]]
|1998
|[[New York City]]
|[[New York (state)|New York]]
|align=left|{{USA}}
| 1,300 athletes and 60 countries
|-
|[[2001 Goodwill Games|V]]*
|2001
|[[Brisbane]]
|[[Queensland]]
|align=left|{{AUS}}
| 1,300 athletes and 58 countries
|-
|''VI''
|2005
|[[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]]
|[[Arizona]]
|align=left|{{USA}}
|Games cancelled
|}

* The 2001 Goodwill Games were the final edition

==Winter Goodwill Games==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Edition
!Year
!Host city
!Country
!Notes
|-
|[[2000 Goodwill Winter Games|I]]
|2000
|[[Lake Placid, New York]]
|align=left|{{USA}}
| Only Winter Goodwill Games ever held
|-
|''II''
|2005
|[[Calgary, Alberta]]
|align=left|{{CAN}}
| Games cancelled
|}

==Sports==
===Summer sports===
{{col-begin}}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Sport !! [[1986 Goodwill Games|86]] !! [[1990 Goodwill Games|90]] !! [[1994 Goodwill Games|94]] !! [[1998 Goodwill Games|98]] !! [[2001 Goodwill Games|01]]
|-
|align=left| [[Archery]] || || || • || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Artistic gymnastics]] || • || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Sport of athletics|Athletics]] ([[Athletics at the Goodwill Games|''details'']]) || • || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Baseball]] || || • ||  || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Basketball]] || •<ref>Men's basketball was not held as a separate event in 1986 because the [[1986 FIBA World Championship|World Basketball Championship]] was taking place in [[Madrid]] at the same time. The world championship results determined the Goodwill Games winners.</ref> || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Beach volleyball]] ||  ||  || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Boxing]] || • || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Canoeing]] || || || • || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Cycle sport|Cycling]] || • || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Diving (sport)|Diving]] || • || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Figure skating]] ([[Figure skating at the Goodwill Games|''details'']]) ||  || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Association football|Football]] ([[Football at the Goodwill Games|''details'']]) ||  ||  || • || • ||
|-
|align=left| [[Handball]] ([[Handball at the Goodwill Games|''details'']]) || • || • || • ||  || 
|-
|align=left| [[Ice hockey]] || || • ||  || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Judo]] ([[Judo at the Goodwill Games|''details'']]) || • || • || • ||  || 
|-
|align=left| [[Modern pentathlon]] || • || • ||  || ||
|}
{{col-break}}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Sport !! [[1986 Goodwill Games|86]] !! [[1990 Goodwill Games|90]] !! [[1994 Goodwill Games|94]] !! [[1998 Goodwill Games|98]] !! [[2001 Goodwill Games|01]]
|-
|align=left| [[Motoball]] || •<ref>Motoball was held only in 1986; the host country was allowed to include one sport of its choice.</ref>|| ||  || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Rhythmic gymnastics]] ||  ||* ||  ||  || •
|-
|align=left| [[Rowing (sport)|Rowing]] || • || • || • ||  || 
|-
|align=left| [[Short track speed skating]] || || || • || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Surf lifesaving]] ||  ||  ||  ||  || •
|-
|align=left| [[Swimming (sport)|Swimming]] ([[Swimming at the Goodwill Games|''details'']]) || • || • || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Synchronized swimming]] ||  || • || • || • || 
|-
|align=left| [[Taekwondo]] || || || • || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Tennis]] || • ||  ||  || ||
|-
|align=left| [[Trampolining]] ||  ||  ||  ||  || •
|-
|align=left| [[Triathlon]] ||  ||  || • || • || •
|-
|align=left| [[Volleyball]] || • || • || • ||  || 
|-
|align=left| [[Water polo]] || • || • || • || • || 
|-
|align=left| [[Olympic weightlifting|Weightlifting]] || • || • || • ||  || •
|-
|align=left| [[Wrestling]] || • || • || • || • || 
|-
|align=left| [[Yachting]] || • ||  || • ||  || 
|}
{{col-end}}

===Winter sports===
{{col-begin}}{{col-break}}
* [[Alpine skiing]]
* [[Bobsleigh]]
* [[Cross-country skiing (sport)|Cross-country skiing]]
* [[Figure skating]]<ref>At the 2000 Games, the figure skating event featured professional skaters because of conflicts with Olympic-eligible skaters competing in their national championships. This enabled France's [[Surya Bonaly]] to become the only skater in history to win the same event as both an amateur and professional skater as she also won in 1994.</ref>
{{col-break|gap=4em}}
* [[Freestyle skiing]]
* [[Luge]]
* [[Nordic combined]]
* [[Skeleton (sport)|Skeleton]]
{{col-break|gap=4em}}
* [[Ski jumping]]
* [[Snowboarding]]
* [[Speed skating]]
{{col-end}}

==Participating countries==
{{col-begin}}{{col-break}}
'''Africa and Middle East'''
* [[Algeria]]
* [[Benin]]
* [[Burkina Faso]]
* [[Côte d'Ivoire]]
* [[Ethiopia]]
* [[Kenya]]
* [[Morocco]]
* [[Namibia]]
* [[Nigeria]]
* [[Senegal]]
* [[Seychelles]]
* [[Syria]]
* [[Tanzania]]
* [[Tunisia]]
* [[Yemen Arab Republic|North Yemen]] – later as [[Yemen]]
* [[Zimbabwe]]

''' Asia and Oceania'''
* [[Australia]]
* [[Bangladesh]]
* [[Cambodia]]
* [[China]]
* [[Japan]]
* [[North Korea]]
* [[South Korea]]
* [[Laos]]
* [[New Zealand]]
* [[Philippines]]
* [[American Samoa]]
* [[Taiwan]] (as [[Chinese Taipei]])
* [[Vietnam]]
{{col-break|gap=4em}}

'''Europe'''
* [[Finland]]
* [[France]]
* [[Great Britain at the Olympics|Great Britain]]
* [[Greece]]
* [[Ireland]]
* [[Italy]]
* [[Portugal]]
* [[Spain]]
* [[Sweden]]
* [[West Germany]] – later as [[Germany]]
* [[Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia|Yugoslavia]]

'''Eastern Bloc'''
* [[Belarus]]
* [[Bulgaria]]
* [[Czechoslovakia]] – later as the [[Czech Republic]]
* [[Czechoslovakia]] – later as [[Slovakia]]
* [[East Germany]] – later as [[Germany|Reunified Germany]]
* [[Estonia]]
* [[Hungary]]
* [[Kazakhstan]]
* [[Latvia]]
* [[Lithuania]]
* [[Poland]]
* [[Romania]]
* [[Soviet Union]] – later as [[Russia]]
* [[Ukraine at the Goodwill Games|Ukraine]]
* [[Uzbekistan]]
{{col-break|gap=4em}}

'''North America'''
* [[Canada]]
* [[Mexico]]
* [[United States]]

'''Caribbean and Central America'''
* [[Bahamas]]
* [[Costa Rica]]
* [[Cuba]]
* [[Jamaica]]
* [[Puerto Rico]]
* [[Trinidad and Tobago]]

'''South America'''
* [[Argentina]]
* [[Brazil]]
* [[Colombia]]
* [[Ecuador]]
* [[Peru]]
* [[Uruguay]]
{{col-end}}

==See also==
* [[Enhanced Games]] - an analogous event to contest the Olympic Games amid ongoing controversies
* [[Liberty Bell Classic]]
* [[Friendship Games]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{more citations needed|date=February 2009}}

==External links==
{{commons category-inline|Goodwill Games}}

{{Goodwill Games}}
{{Olympic Games controversies}}
{{International multi-sport events}}
{{Soviet Union–United States relations|state=collapsed}}

[[Category:Goodwill Games| ]]
[[Category:Defunct multi-sport events]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1986]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events disestablished in 2001]]
[[Category:TNT Sports (United States)]]
[[Category:Soviet Union–United States relations]]
[[Category:Russia–United States relations]]
[[Category:Politics and sports]]