Introduction to Olympics Games
The modern Olympic
Games were founded by Pierre de Coubertin in Athens Greece in 1896. He was
inspired by ancient Greek games and believed sports could unify people
together. The first modern Olympic Games consisted of only a few sports
including athletics (track and field), boxing, fencing, and wrestling. In 1904
and 1908, marathon races were added to the program. By 1912, cycling and
shooting had been introduced to the Olympic Games. Since then, track and field
have dominated the Olympics program and have become the most popular sport at
the games. Today, the Olympics consists of 28 different sports and over 400
events.
What is the Olympics?
The modern day
Olympics are a series of world-wide sports competitions between athletes who
represent their countries. In ancient times, the Ancient Olympic Games were
held in Olympia Greece and were held approximately once every four years for
over 2000 years. These games involved athletic contesting of events like
wrestling, boxing, running, jumping, throwing, etc., and were open to both men
and women. Today’s Summer Olympics involve around 1000 sport contests,
including track & field, swimming, basketball, gymnastics, football,
tennis, baseball, softball, golf, soccer, volleyball, rugby, cricket,
badminton, weightlifting, ice skating, skiing, equestrian, diving, archery,
sailing, cycling, rowing, taekwondo, judo, table tennis, shooting, synchronized
swimming, fencing, wrestling, boxing, canoeing, hockey, mountain biking, road
racing, BMX, cross country, artistic dance, martial arts, climbing, triathlon,
track cycling, para-cycling, horse riding, canoe polo, windsurfing, squash,
surfing, skateboarding, paragliding, karate, roller derby, snowsports,
billiards, darts, chess, bowls, and many others. There are also several
non-Olympic sports events, including the Paralympic Games, FINA World Aquatics
Championships, Chess Olympiad, and Paraolympics.
How did the modern Olympics begin?
At the first Modern
Olympic Games in Athens 1896, the International Olympic Committee was founded
to oversee future games. Many early ideas of how to run the games came from
Pierre de Coubertin, the founder of the modern youth movement “the Scout
Movement”. He believed that a sporting competition should be organized by
volunteers and they would have to be motivated by the spirit of fair play. De
Coubertin argued that the purpose of the Olympics was to promote friendly
rivalry between nations. The idea of amateurism was introduced to inspire
athletes to compete because of love of sport rather than financial reward. De
Coubertin created the motto that inspired the modern Olympic Games: “Faster
(fécond), Higher (plus haute) and Stronger (plus fort).
Who won the first Olympic Games?
The first official
Olympic Games were held in Athens Greece in 1896. The winner was Great Britain
with a total of 26 points. France was second with 24 points. Italy placed third
with 21 points. Germany came in fourth with 19 points. Belgium placed last with
only 4 points.
When were the first Olympic Games held?
The first official
modern Olympic Games were held in the year 1896 at Athens Greece.
Why didn't the original Olympics end after 1900?
The Olympics ended in
1900 because of two reasons. The first was that some of the participating
countries refused to send any representatives because the games had been banned
due to the fact that a few countries had sent soldiers to fight for the Ottoman
Empire during the Balkan Wars in 1912-13. Other countries sent teams, but not
enough to make a full team. The second reason was that the International
Olympic Committee decided to cancel the games because the war had taken its
toll.
Which nation won the first Summer Olympic Games?
Germany won the first
Summer Olympic games in 1936.
At what time period does the Winter Games occur?
The winter Olympic
Games was started in 1924 in Chamonix Mont Blanc France.
Different Types of Olympic Games
(1) Ancient Olympics (700-450 BC)
The Ancient Greek
word olympiada literally means “games”, while its Latin counterpart was ludus.
The games were held annually at Olympia in Greece, where they were celebrated
for over 2,400 years. Over time, however, the games became increasingly popular
and influential throughout the ancient world. Eventually, the Olympic Games
grew into a cultural phenomenon that spread across Europe and Rome. Its
influence reached even further than Greece, with the Romans using the term
“Olimpic” for the whole event.
(2) Modern Olympics (1896 - Till Now)
After centuries upon
centuries of popularity, the modern Olympic Games began in Athens, Greece in
1896. Two years later, after much debate about how to organize the event, the
International Olympic Committee was founded. Since then, The IOC has organized
the summer and winter games every four years. The organization also manages
several other international sports competitions, including the World Cup, Pan
Am Games, Paralympics, and the Youth Olympic Games.
Olympic Sports
There are many
different types of sports that have been included in the Olympic Games since
their beginning. Most notably, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games today
feature eleven sports divided into three categories: track, field, and
swimming/diving. Each sport consists of a number of events, where each athlete
competes against others who participate in the same event.
Summer Olympics
In 1908, the first
modern Olympic Games took place in London, England. The event featured
thirty-three separate competitions between athletes from twelve countries. The
host city won six gold medals, eight silver medals, and five bronze medals. The
United States won the highest number of total medals, with nine.
Inauguration Ceremony
During the
Inauguration Ceremony, the president of the United States officially recognizes
the host country for the upcoming Olympic Games. As soon as the flag is raised
above the podium, the national anthem begins playing. Afterward, the president
walks onto the stage and gives a short speech before declaring the games open.
It takes place immediately prior to the opening ceremony.
Opening Ceremony
At the start of the
opening ceremony, the Olympic Flame is lit. A torchbearer carries the flame,
starting its journey around the stadium. Once the flame arrives at the center
of the stadium, the lighting of the cauldron occurs. The cauldron is then set
ablaze, and the entire stadium bursts into flames. Afterward, the flag bearer
passes the flag off to the gymnastics team. The team then executes a perfect
performance in front of the crowd. Afterwards, the Olympic anthem is played,
and the parade begins. All of the participating teams line up on stage, and the
flag of the respective country is passed off to them along with the Olympic
Torch.
Parade of Nations
Just after the end of
the opening ceremonies, the Olympic flag bearer gives the flag off to the host
nation. Next, the Olympic Anthem is sung, and the parade of nations begins.
Usually the first forty-five minutes of the parade are dedicated to the host
country, and the rest of the parade is devoted to the individual nations
competing at the games.
Closing Ceremony
Once the closing
ceremonies have ended, the Olympic Flag is taken down, and the stadium lights
go out. At this point, a fireworks display erupts over the stadium. Finally,
the stadium goes dark, and the Olympic Anthem is once again sung. Then the
parade ends with the host country leading the way.
