Medal Standings   Gold Silver Bronze Total United States 36 26 28 90 USSR 30 31 35 96 Japan 16 5 8 29 United Team Germany 10 22 18 50 Italy 10 10 7 27 Hungary 10 7 5 22 Poland 7 6 10 23 Australia 6 2 10 18 Czechoslovakia 5 6 3 14 Great Britain 4 12 2 18   Canada 1 2 1 4 CANADIAN MEDAL WINNERS Medal Event G.Hungerford / R.Jackson Gold Rowing-Coxless Pairs Frederick Crothers Silver 800 m Alfred Rogers Silver Judo - Heavyweight Harry Jerome Bronze 100 m

The Olympic Games were staged for the first time in Asia when Tokyo was selected to host in 1964. Yoshinori Sakai, a student who was born on August 6, 1945 - the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, was the final torch bearer and lit the flame signifying the start of the Games.

Canada sends its largest delegation of athletes to date, 118. The Canadian team comes away with four medals including an 800 metre silver medal by Bill Crothers and Harry Jerome's bronze medal performance in the 100 metre event. It's the first medals won by Canadian athletes in athletics competition since 1948.

Overlooked by the media was the men's rowing pair of Roger Jackson and George Hungerford. Their only sin was racing on the same day that Jerome and Crothers were racing on the track. Yet, Jackson and Hungerford emerged with Canada's only gold of the 1964 games.

Flag and anthem debates were also raging in Canada as the country had just changed the national anthem to "O Canada" from "God Save The Queen". As well, the Red Ensign was being replaced by the stylized red Maple Leaf. At the medal ceremonies for Jackson and Hungerford, they played "O Canada" but raised the Red Ensign.

Judo and volleyball were introduced to the Olympic programme.

Abebe Bikila of Ethiopia became the first repeat winner of the marathon - less than six weeks after having his appendix removed. Al Oerter of the United States won the discus throw for the third time despite a cervical disc injury that forced him to wear a neck harness and torn rib cartilage incurred a week before the competition.