The US Postal Service issued a 25-cent commemorative stamp to salute the games of the XXIVth Olympiad on August 19, 1988, in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The design depicts a male gymnast performing his routine on the rings. The dedication ceremony was held at the US Olympic Training Center. Gold medalists Joan Benoit Samuelson, Rowdy Gaines, and Bill Toomey were among the principal speakers.
The Olympic games are the greatest athletic event in the world, bringing together the best athletes from countries all around the globe in a spirit of competition and good will. The 1988 Olympic Summer Games occurred from September 17 to October 2 in Seoul, South Korea.
Since 1978, the 34-acre training center in Colorado Springs has been the home of the US Olympic Committee, the central coordinating body in the United States for amateur sports in the Olympic and Pan American games. Of the 205 National Olympic committees in the world (as of 2008), the US Olympic Committee (USOC) is one of the few that receives no continuing governmental financial support, relying instead on contributions from individuals, businesses, and foundations. The USOC works through thirty-eight national governing bodies for particular sports, not only preparing teams for the games but also providing funding, training, and competitive opportunities for athletes at all skill levels.
Designed by Bart Forbes, the stamps were printed in the photogravure process by the Bureau of Engraving and Printing.
Reference:
Postal Bulletin (July 28, 1988).
Official website of the Olympic Movement. "National Olympic Committees." http://www.olympic.org/uk/organisation/noc/.
