The Soviet Union (USSR) competed, for the last time before its dissolution, at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. 481 competitors, 319 men and 162 women, took part in 221 events in 27 sports. Athletes from 12 of the ex-Soviet republics would compete as the Unified Team at the 1992 Summer Olympics, and each nation would field independent teams in subsequent Games. The Soviet Union dominated the medal count, winning 55 gold and 132 total medals. It is the largest Olympic medal tally in history achieved by a non-host nation. Currently, China's and the United States' 48 gold medals in 2008 and 2012 respectively, and the United States' 126 total medals in 2024 are the closest results to the USSR's 1988 performance. The Soviet Union medal tally currently ranks fourth both in terms of gold and total medals, after the United States' 1984 performance, the Soviet Union's 1980 performance, the United States' 1904 performance, and Great Britain's 1908 performance.

Medalists

The Soviet Union finished first in the medal standings with 55 gold and 132 total medals.

Competitors

The following is the list of number of competitors in the Games.

Archery

Women's Individual Competition: Men's Individual Competition: Women's tournament: Men's tournament:

Athletics

Men's competition

Men's Marathon Men's long jump Men's discus throw Men's shot put Men's Hammer Throw Men's javelin throw Men's decathlon Men's 20 km Walk Men's 50 km Walk

Women's competition

Women's 4 × 400 m Relay Women's Marathon Women's discus throw Women's javelin throw Women's shot put Women's Heptathlon

Basketball

Men's tournament

Women's tournament

Boxing

Men's Light Flyweight (– 48 kg) Men's Flyweight (– 51 kg) Men's Bantamweight (– 54 kg) Men's Featherweight (– 57 kg) Men's Lightweight (– 60 kg) Men's Light-Welterweight (– 63.5 kg) Men's Welterweight (– 67 kg) Men's Light-Middleweight (– 71 kg) Men's Middleweight (– 75 kg) Men's Light-Heavyweight (– 81 kg) Men's Heavyweight (– 91 kg) Men's Super-Heavyweight (+ 91 kg)

Canoeing

Cycling

Eighteen cyclists, fourteen men and four women, represented the Soviet Union in 1988.

Diving

Men's 10m Platform

Equestrian

Fencing

20 fencers, 15 men and 5 women, represented the Soviet Union in 1988.

Football

Gymnastics

Handball

Hockey

Men's tournament

Judo

Modern pentathlon

Three male pentathletes represented the Soviet Union in 1988. Vaho Iagorashvili won a bronze in the individual event.

Rhythmic gymnastics

Rowing

The Soviet Union had 30 male and 23 female rowers participate in all 14 rowing events in 1988.

Sailing

Shooting

Swimming

Men's 50 m Freestyle Men's 100 m Freestyle Men's 200 m Freestyle Men's 400 m Freestyle Men's 1500 m Freestyle Men's 100 m Backstroke Men's 200 m Backstroke Men's 100 m Breaststroke Men's 200 m Breaststroke Men's 100 m Butterfly Men's 200 m Butterfly Men's 200 m Individual Medley Men's 400 m Individual Medley Men's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay Men's 4 × 200 m Freestyle Relay Men's 4 × 100 m Medley Relay Women's 50 m Freestyle Women's 100 m Freestyle Women's 200 m Freestyle Women's 400 m Freestyle Women's 800 m Freestyle Women's 100 m Breaststroke Women's 200 m Breaststroke Women's 100 m Breaststroke Women's 100 m Butterfly Women's 200 m Butterfly Women's 200 m Individual Medley Women's 400 m Individual Medley Women's 4 × 100 m Freestyle Relay

Synchronized swimming

Three synchronized swimmers represented the Soviet Union in 1988.

Table tennis

Tennis

Men's Singles Competition Women's Singles Competition

Volleyball

Men's tournament

Women's tournament

Water polo

Men's tournament

Weightlifting

Wrestling

Men's freestyle

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Athlete

! rowspan="2" |Event !First round !Second round !Third round !Fourth round !Fifth round !Sixth round !Seventh round !Final round ! rowspan="2" |Rank ! !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result !Opposition Result

Medals by republic

In the following table for team events number of team representatives, who received medals are counted, not "one medal for all the team", as usual. Because there were people from different republics in one team.