Olympics on ABC commentators

Hosts
Year Prime-Time Host Daytime Host(s) Late-Night Host(s)
1964 WinterJim McKay
1968 WinterChris Schenkel
Jim McKay (opening and closing ceremonies only)
1968 SummerChris Schenkel
1972 Summer
1976 WinterJim McKay
1976 Summer
1980 Winter
1984 WinterJim McKayJim Lampley
Kathleen Sullivan		Donna de Varona
1984 SummerJim McKayFrank Gifford
Kathleen Sullivan		Jim Lampley
Donna de Varona
1988 WinterJim McKay (Monday-Friday)[1]
Keith Jackson (weekends)		Keith JacksonFrank Gifford
Kathie Lee Gifford

By event

1964
Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Skiing Jim McKay Andrea Mead Lawrence and Willy Schaeffler
Figure Skating Dick Button Carol Heiss
Bobsled Stan Benham

1968
Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Skiing Jim McKay
Figure Skating Chris Schenkel Dick Button
Hockey Curt Gowdy
Ski Jumping Art Devlin

1976
Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Skiing Frank Gifford Bob Beattie
Karl Schranz
Figure Skating Chris Schenkel Dick Button
Hockey Curt Gowdy Brian Conacher
Bobsled Curt Gowdy Paul Lamey
Luge Jackie Stewart Paul Lamey
Ski Jumping Art Devlin
Speed Skating Warner Wolf Anne Henning
Features Pierre Salinger

1980[2][3]
Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Opening Ceremony Jim McKay
Figure Skating Jim McKay Dick Button
Speed Skating Keith Jackson Sheila Young Ochowitz
Hockey Al Michaels Ken Dryden
Skiing Frank Gifford Bob Beattie and Susie Patterson
Bobsled Curt Gowdy Paul Lamey Jackie Stewart
Cross Country Bill Flemming Peter Graves
Ski Jumping Chris Schenkel Art Devlin
Luge Curt Gowdy Bill Caterino
Closing Ceremony Jim McKay
Features Don Meredith

1984
Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Bobsled Tim Brant John Morgan
Ski Jumping Keith Jackson Jay Rand
Cross Country Jack Whitaker Jack Turner Diana Nyad
Alpine Skiing Frank Gifford
Jim Lampley (women’s downhill)		 Bob Beattie
Cindy Nelson (women’s downhill)
Luge Sam Posey Jeff Tucker
Figure Skating Al Michaels Peggy Fleming and Dick Button
Ice Hockey Al Michaels
Don Chevrier		 Mike Eruzione
Ken Dryden
Speed Skating Keith Jackson
Don Chevrier (men’s 5000)		 Eric Heiden
Features Hughes Rudd
Ray Gandolf
Jim Lampley
Dick Schaap
Anne Simon
Terre Blair
Barbara Kolonay

1988
Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Opening Ceremony Jim McKay Peter Jennings
Skiing Al Trautwig Bob Beattie Jack Edwards
Biathlon Mike Adamle Keri Swensen
Bobsled Lynn Swann John Morgan
Cross Country Mike Adamle Bill Koch
Figure Skating Jim McKay Dick Button and Peggy Fleming David Santee and Jack Whitaker
Freestyle Tim McCarver Jeff Chumaz
Ice Hockey Al Michaels
Jiggs McDonald		 Ken Dryden
Mike Eruzione
Luge Sam Posey Jeff Tucker
Nordic Combined Chris Schenkel Greg Windsberger
Nordic Skiing Mike Adamle Bill Koch
Rodeo Curt Gowdy Larry Mahan
Short Track Keith Jackson Lydia Stephens
Ski Jumping Chris Schenkel Jeff Hastings
Speedskating Gary Bender Eric Heiden
Closing Ceremony Jim McKay Peter Jennings
Features Donna de Varona
Becky Dixon
Jim Hill
Tim McCarver
Jack Whitaker (essayist)
Dan Dierdorf
Cheryl Miller

1972
Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Track & Field Jim McKay Bill Toomey (400m races)
Marty Liquori (150m and 800m races)
Erich Segal (marathon)
Swimming Keith Jackson
Diving Bill Flemming Ken Sitzberger (men)
Micki King (women)
Basketball Frank Gifford[4]
Bill Flemming (filled in for Gifford while he did wrestling)		 Bill Russell
Gymnastics Jim McKay Gordon Maddux
Boxing Howard Cosell
Wrestling Frank Gifford

1976
Event Play-by-play Color commentators
Track & Field Keith Jackson O.J. Simpson
Bob Seagren
Brian Oldfield
Marty Liquori (men)
Wyomia Tyus (women)
Swimming Keith Jackson Mark Spitz (men)
Donna de Varona (women)
Diving Bill Flemming Ken Sitzberger (men)
Micki King (women)
Basketball Frank Gifford
Curt Gowdy		 Bill Russell
Gymnastics Chris Schenkel Gordon Maddux (men)
Cathy Rigby (women)
Boxing Howard Cosell
Wrestling Frank Gifford Ken Kraft
Equestrian Chris Schenkel
Jackie Stewart (Filled in for Schenkel when he covered Gymnastics.)		 Bill Steinkraus
Rowing Frank Gifford Fritz Hobbs
Features Pierre Salinger
Jim Lampley
Dave Diles

1984
Event Play-by-play Color commentators Reporters
Opening Ceremony Jim McKay Peter Jennings Donna de Varona
Track & Field Al Michaels O. J. Simpson (men's sprints & relays)
Wilma Rudolph (women's sprints)
Renaldo Nehemiah (hurdles)
Marty Liquori (distance)
Dwight Stones (field events)
Jane Frederick (filled in for Stones while he competed in the high jump)		 Donna de Varona
Swimming Jim Lampley Mark Spitz (men)
Donna de Varona (women)		 Diana Nyad
Synchronized Swimming Donna de Varona Esther Williams
Diving Jack Whitaker
Bill Flemming (filled in for Whitaker while he did gymnastics)		 Cynthia Potter
Basketball Keith Jackson[5] Digger Phelps (men)
Ann Meyers (women)
Volleyball Bob Beattie Kurt Kilgore
Gymnastics Jack Whitaker Gordon Maddux
Cathy Rigby-McCoy (women)
Kurt Thomas (men		 Anne Simon
Rhythmic Gymnastics Al Trautwig Gordon Maddux
Cathy Rigby-McCoy
Boxing Howard Cosell
Water Polo Tim Brant Jim Kruse
Rowing Curt Gowdy Steve Gladstone
Canoeing Diana Nyad Jay T. Kearney
Wrestling Curt Gowdy Russ Hellickson
Cycling (Road) Al Michaels Greg LeMond
Eric Heiden
Cycling (Track) Bill Flemming Eric Heiden
Baseball (demonstration sport) Don Chevrier Jim Palmer
Equestrian Chris Schenkel Bill Steinkraus
Tad Coffin
Fencing Arthur Ashe
Al Trautwig
Soccer Mario Machado
Weightlifting Lynn Swann Bruce Wilhelm
Handball Al Trautwig
Field Hockey Al Trautwig Mike Eruzione
Judo Al Trautwig
Mike Eruzione
Shooting Al Trautwig
Closing Ceremony Jim McKay Peter Jennings Donna de Varona

References
  1. Jim McKay
  2. The Palm Beach Post - Feb 8, 1980
  3. Boca Raton News - Feb 8, 1980
  4. Hagger, Jeff (August 31, 2012). "Observations on the ABC coverage of 1972 Olympic basketball". Classic TV Sports.
  5. He was relegated to near obscurity at the '84 Olympics in Los Angeles, covering only the snippets of basketball that ABC presented.
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