<P> The Summer Olympic Games (French: Jeux olympiques d'été) or the Games of the Olympiad, first held in 1896, is an international multi-sport event that is hosted by a different city every four years . The most recent Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil . The International Olympic Committee organizes the games and oversees the host city's preparations . In each Olympic event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver medals are awarded for second place, and bronze medals are awarded for third; this tradition began in 1904 . The Winter Olympic Games were created due to the success of the Summer Olympics . </P> <P> The Olympics have increased in scope from a 42 - event competition with fewer than 250 male competitors from 14 nations in 1896 to 302 events with 10,768 competitors (5,992 men, 4,776 women) from 204 nations in 2012 . </P> <P> Eighteen countries have hosted the Summer Olympics . The United States has hosted four Summer Olympics (1904, 1932, 1984, 1996, and will also host in 2028), more than any other nation, while Great Britain and France have hosted (or will host) three Summer Olympics, all in London (1908, 1948, 2012), and all in Paris (1900, 1924 and 2024), respectively . Two cities have hosted (or will host) two Summer Olympics: Athens (1896, 2004), and Tokyo (1964, 2020). Tokyo is the first city outside of the Western world to host the Summer Olympics multiple times . It will also become the largest city ever to host this version of the Olympic Games . </P> <P> Asia has hosted the Summer Olympics four times (1964, 1988, 2008, 2020) in Japan, South Korea, and China . The only Summer Olympics held in the Southern Hemisphere have been in Australia (1956, 2000) and Brazil (2016). The 2016 Games were the first Summer Olympics that were held in South America and the first that were held during the local winter season . Africa has yet to host a Summer Olympics . </P>

When was the last time the usa hosted the olympics