Coca‑Cola and the Olympic Games: fun facts

1936: our future chairman competes at the Games
As a Harvard University undergraduate, J. Paul Austin competed in the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games for the USA’s Rowing Team. He went on to become president of The Coca-Cola Company in 1962, eventually becoming chairman of the board in 1970.

1952: first glimpse of a helicopter
Our bottlers in Norway provided excited Oslo residents with their first look at a helicopter at the 1952 Olympic Winter Games.

1968: out of this world...
At the Mexico City 1968 Olympic Games, Coca-Cola vendors wore special backpack dispensers. Their futuristic look led to spectators nicknaming them 'astronauts'!

1976: horsing around
As a gift to the host country, we purchased a horse and donated it to the Canadian Equestrian Team for the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games.

1980: the world meets Kobot!
We introduced the world to the first figure-skating robot. Kobot was the star of a fundraising tour for the United States Olympic Committee, which took place before the Lake Placid 1980 Olympic Winter Games.

1994: A familiar face
The Coca-Cola Polar Bear featured in our advertising for the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Games – and became one of the world’s most popular winter sports celebrities.

2004 and 2008: Around the world with the Olympic Flame
As Presenting Partner of the Olympic Torch Relay, we were involved in the first two relays to travel around the world: Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008.