The first Olympic Games were held in Greece in 776 B.C. They were called the ancient games and lasted until the 4th century A.D. The modern games began in 1896, when the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin revived the games to bring peace and friendship to the young people all over the world.
Today, here are summer and winter games. Up to 1994 both games were held in the same year, but now they are staged two years apart from each other.
The Olympic Games begin with the opening ceremony. Athletes from all the participating nations march into the stadium. Greece, comes in first, because it was the first nation to hold the Olympics, and the host nation comes in last.
The Olympic flag is raised and a chosen athlete lights the Olympic flame. It is a symbol of spirit, knowledge and life. The fire comes from Olympia, a small town in Greece, and many runners transport the flame in a torch relay to the site of the games. It burns from the opening ceremony until the end of the games.
The Olympic rings were created in 1913 and represent the five continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and the Americas).
All athletes must take the Olympic oath. One of them has to promise that all athletes will give their best and compete.
After each event, medals are give to the first three athletes. They receive gold, silver and bronze medals. Their flags are raised and the national anthem of the winner’s country in play.
The International Olympic Committee,
The IOC is the organization that governs the games. It decides which sports and events held at the games. The IOC, also selects the host city for the summer and winter games, at least seven years before they take place. Cities that want the games must show that
1. They have enough stadiums for all events.
2. They have enough room for all the athletes,
3. They can provide safety for the athletes
4. They can transport athletes and spectators from one event to another,
Host cities must build an Olympic village where all athletes live during the games.
The Ancient Games
The ancient Olympic Games were celebrated at Olympia, Greece every four years. They were held in honor of the god Zeus. In the early games, only Greek men were allowing to participate. The games consisted of sports like footraces, wrestling, boxing, the pentathlon and horse racing. The last event of the games was usually a chariot race.
When the Romans conquered Greece in 140 B.C. the games started to lose their religious meaning and in 393 the Roman emperor banned the event.
Politics and the Olympic Games
In the past, the Olympic Games have been disturbed by political issues. In 1936 the IOC chose Berlin as the site for the 1936 Summer Games. A few years later,
Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Party rose to power, and Hitler used the games to show Germany’s power.
In 1968 two Black American runners protested against their government and raised their fists when the American national anthem was played.
In 1980 the USA—and many other countries—didn’t send athletes to the games in Moscow because the Soviet Union had invaded Afghanistan a year before. In return, the Russians and other Communist countries refused to take part in the 1984 games in Los Angeles.
The worst day in Olympic history came on September 5th, 1972 during the Munich games. Eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic village and killed two Israeli athletes. 9 others were taken hostage. They wanted the Israeli government to set free over 400 Arab prisoners in Israel. During a battle with German policemen, all hostages and the terrorists were killing.
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