In 1970， when Montreal was named to host the Summer Olympics’76， organizers estimated it would cost ＄310 million to stage the Games. However， due to political corruption， mismanagement， labor disputes， inflation and a ＄100 million outlay① for security to prevent another Munich， the final bill came to more than ＄1.5 billion.
Then， right before the Games were scheduled to open in July， 32 nations， most of them from Africa， walked out when the IOC refused to ban New Zealand because its national rugby② team was touring racially segregated③ South Africa.
When the Games finally got started they were quickly stolen by 14-year-old Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci， who scored seven perfect 10s on her way to three gold medals. East Germany’s Kornelia Ender did Comaneci one better， winning four times as the GDR captured④ 11 of 13 events in women’s swimming. John Naber (4 gold) and the U.S. men did the East German women one better when they won 12 of 13 gold medals in swimming. In track and field， Cuba’s Alberto Juantorena won the 400 and 800 meter runs， and Finland’s Lasse Viren took the 5，000 and 10，000. Viren missed a third gold when he placed fifth in the marathon.
① outlayn. (钱、精力等的)花费
② rugbyn. (亦可大写)英式橄榄球
③ segregatedadj. 种族隔离的，实行种族隔离政策的
④ capturev. 占领，夺得，获得
蒙特利尔奥运会
1970年，当蒙特利尔被指定举办1976年夏季奥运会时，其组织者曾估计要花费3.1亿美元。可是由于政治腐败、管理不善、劳工纠纷、通货膨胀，以及为防止慕尼黑惨案重演而投入的1亿美元的保安费用等因素，本届奥运会的最终费用竟超过了15亿美元。
随后，就在奥运会预定于7月开幕的前夕，32个主要来自非洲的国家在国际奥委会拒绝禁止新西兰参赛后，集体退出了奥运会，因为新西兰国家橄榄球队当时正在访问实行种族隔离政策的南非。
当奥运会最终开始后，人们的注意力很快便被一位年仅14岁的罗马尼亚体操运动员纳迪娅·科马内奇所吸引。科马内奇以7个完美的10分赢得3枚奥运金牌。东德游泳选手科内利亚·恩德更胜一筹，四度夺魁；东德夺得女子游泳13个项目中的11顶桂冠。约翰·内伯(4枚金牌获得者)和美国男子游泳运动员可谓更为出色，在总共13个男子游泳项目的金牌中，他们竟将12枚收入囊中。田径赛场上，古巴的阿尔韦托·胡安托雷纳赢得400米和800米赛跑冠军。芬兰运动员拉塞·维伦将5000米和10000米赛跑桂冠夺走，但在马拉松项目中仅获第五名，从而失去了获得第3枚金牌的良机。
