Terrorism affected the last two Olympic Games held in the United States . During the Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta , Georgia , a bomb was detonated at the Centennial Olympic Park , which killed two and injured 111 others . The bomb was set by Eric Rudolph , an American domestic terrorist , who is currently serving a life sentence for the bombing . The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City , Utah , took place just five months after the September 11 attacks , which meant a higher level of security than ever before provided for an Olympic Games . The opening ceremonies of the Games featured symbols of the day 's events . They included the flag that flew at Ground Zero and honour guards of NYPD and FDNY members
September 11 attacks
September 11 attacks
Olympic Games