Olympic Games
The Olympic Games are a multi-sport event taking place every fourth year.
Originally held in ancient Greece, they were revived by French Baron Pierre de Coubertin in the late 19th century.
The Games of the Olympiad, better known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every fourth year since 1896, with the exception of the years during the World Wars.
A special edition for winter sports, the Winter Olympic Games, started in 1924; since 1994 these are no longer held in the same year as the Games of the Olympiad.
Ancient History
A Greek legend tells of the great Heracles (or Hercules, in Latin) who won a race at Olympia and then decreed that the race should be re-enacted every four years.
Another legend says that Zeus had instated the festival after his defeat of Cronus.
According to yet another legend, King Iphitos of Elidos consulted the Pythia (oracle of Delphi) to try and save his people from war in the 9th century BC.
The prophetess advised him to organise games in honour of the gods.
The Spartan adversary of Ipitos then decided to stop the war during these games, which were called Olympic, after Mount Olympus, the mountain on which the Greek gods were said to live.
The last version is probably the most accurate, although the Games likely originated from locally held games.
Another possible source of the Games is the legend of Oenomaus, who challenged his daughter's suitors to a chariot race and killed the losers.
The fourteenth suitor, Pelops, cheated by bribing Oenomaus' charioteer, Myrtilus, who loosened a lynchpin, killing Oenomaus.
Pelops married the princess, Hippodamia.
The Games were held in Olympia, a worshipping place for the Greek gods near the town of Elis.
Located in Olympia was a 12 m high statue in ivory and gold of Zeus, the main god, created by Phidias.
The statue was one of the ancient Seven Wonders of the World.
The first written accounts of the Olympic Games date from 776 BC, although it is sure that these Games were not the first ones to be held.
The only competiton held then was the stadion race, a race over about 190 meters, measured after the feet of Hercules.
The word stadium is derived from this foot race.
The Olympic Games were held in four year intervals, and later the Greek method of counting the years even referred to these Games, using the term Olympiad for the period between two Games.
Over the years, other events were added: boxing, wrestling, pankration (combination of boxing and wrestling), chariot racing, several other running events (the diaulos, hippios, dolichos, and hoplitodromos), as well as a pentathlon, consisting of wrestling, stadion, long jump, javelin throw and discus throw (the latter three were not separate events). The addition of these events meant the festival grew from 1 day to 5 days, 3 of which were used for competition. The other 2 days were dedicated to religious rituals. On the final day, there was a banquet for all of the participants, consisting of 100 oxen that had been sacrificed to Zeus on the first day.
The winners of an Olympic event were awarded an olive branch, and was often received with much honour in his home town (and outside).
(See Milo of Croton.)
Sculptors would create statues of Olympic victors (see Ageladas).
The ancient Olympic Games were abandoned in AD 394 by the Roman emperor Theodosius I, who considered the Games to be a savage celebration.
It is often said that wars were halted during the Games, but this is not true; however, athletes, who were often soldiers, were permitted to leave the army to participate in the Games, and were guaranteed safe passage through enemy territory.
The Olympic Games were part of the Panhellenic Games, four separate games held at two- or four-year intervals but arranged so that there was one set of games every year. The Olympic Games were the most important and most prestigious of these.
more:
- specific winner
- better details
- customs
- Roman influence
Modern History
Revival
De Coubertin, founding of IOC
Games of the Olympiad
See Summer Olympic Games for a global history, or the articles for the individual celebrations:
- 1896 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece
- 1900 Summer Olympics, Paris, France
- 1904 Summer Olympics, St. Louis, United States
- 1906 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece
- 1908 Summer Olympics, London, United Kingdom
- 1912 Summer Olympics, Stockholm, Sweden
- 1916 Summer Olympics, Berlin, Germany (not held)
- 1920 Summer Olympics, Antwerp, Belgium
- 1924 Summer Olympics, Paris, France
- 1928 Summer Olympics, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- 1932 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles, United States
- 1936 Summer Olympics, Berlin, Germany
- 1940 Summer Olympics, Helsinki, Finland (not held)
- 1944 Summer Olympics, London, United Kingdom (not held)
- 1948 Summer Olympics, London, United Kingdom
- 1952 Summer Olympics, Helsinki, Finland
- 1956 Summer Olympics, Melbourne, Australia and Stockholm, Sweden (equestrian events)
- 1960 Summer Olympics, Rome, Italy
- 1964 Summer Olympics, Tokyo, Japan
- 1968 Summer Olympics, Mexico City, Mexico
- 1972 Summer Olympics, Munich, West Germany.
- 1976 Summer Olympics, Montréal, Canada
- 1980 Summer Olympics, Moscow, Soviet Union
- 1984 Summer Olympics, Los Angeles, United States
- 1988 Summer Olympics, Seoul, South Korea
- 1992 Summer Olympics, Barcelona, Spain
- 1996 Summer Olympics, Atlanta, United States
- 2000 Summer Olympics, Sydney, Australia
- 2004 Summer Olympics, Athens, Greece
- 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing, China
- 2012 Summer Olympics, Bids are being made.
(The candidates are Rio de Janeiro, Moscow; New York; London; Paris; Madrid, Spain; Havana, Cuba; Leipzig, Germany; and Istanbul, Turkey. The IOC vote is in 2005).
Olympic Winter Games
See Olympic Winter Games for a global history, or the articles for the individual celebrations:
- I Olympic Winter Games - 1924, Chamonix, France
- II Olympic Winter Games - 1928, St. Moritz, Switzerland
- III Olympic Winter Games - 1932, Lake Placid, New York United States
- IV Olympic Winter Games - 1936, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
- V Olympic Winter Games - 1948, St. Moritz, Switzerland
- VI Olympic Winter Games - 1952, Oslo, Norway
- VII Olympic Winter Games - 1956, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy
- VIII Olympic Winter Games - 1960, Squaw Valley, United States
- IX Olympic Winter Games - 1964, Innsbruck, Austria
- X Olympic Winter Games - 1968, Grenoble, France
- XI Olympic Winter Games - 1972, Sapporo, Japan
- XII Olympic Winter Games - 1976, Innsbruck, Austria
- XIII Olympic Winter Games - 1980, Lake Placid, New York, United States
- XIV Olympic Winter Games - 1984, Sarajevo, Yugoslavia
- XV Olympic Winter Games - 1988, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- XVI Olympic Winter Games - 1992, Albertville, France
- XVII Olympic Winter Games - 1994, Lillehammer, Norway
- XVIII Olympic Winter Games - 1998, Nagano, Japan
- XIX Olympic Winter Games - 2002, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
- XX Olympic Winter Games - 2006, Turin, Italy
- XXI Olympic Winter Games - 2010, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Sports
A large number of sports have been conducted at the Olympic Games.
The following sports are currently on the program of the Games of the Olympiad.
- Archery (1900-1908, 1920, 1972-2000)
- Athletics (track and field) (1896-2000)
- Badminton (1992-2000, demonstrated in 1972)
- Baseball (1992-2000, demonstrated in 1912, 1936, 1956, 1964, 1984 and 1988)
- Basketball (1936-2000)
- Beach volleyball (1996-2000)
- Boxing (1904-1908, 1920-2000)
- Canoeing (1936-2000, demonstrated in 1924)
- Cycling (1896-2000)
- Diving (1904-2000)
- Equestrianism (1900, 1912-2000)
- Fencing (1896-2000)
- Football (1900-1928, 1936-2000)
- Gymnastics (1896-2000)
- Handball (1936, 1972-2000)
- Hockey (1908, 1920-2000)
- Judo (1964, 1972-2000)
- Modern pentathlon (1912-2000)
- Rhythmic gymnastics (1984-2000)
- Rowing (1900-2000)
- Shooting (1896-1924, 1932-2000)
- Softball (1996-2000)
- Swimming (1896-2000)
- Synchronized swimming (1984-2000)
- Table tennis (1988-2000)
- Taekwondo (2000, demonstrated in 1988 and 1992)
- Tennis (1896-1924, 1988-2000, demonstrated in 1968 and 1984)
- Trampolining (2000)
- Triathlon (2000)
- Volleyball (1964-2000)
- Water polo (1900-1904, 1908-2000)
- Weightlifting (1896, 1904-1906, 1920-2000)
- Wrestling (1896, 1904-2000)
- Yachting (1900, 1908-2000)
The following sports have been on the program, but are no longer held:
Sports held as a demonstration, or of which the Olympic status is disputable (d):
The following sports are on the program of the Winter Olympic Games:
- Alpine skiing (1936-2002)
- Biathlon (1960-2002)
- Bobsleigh (1924-1956, 1964-2002)
- Cross country skiing (1924-2002)
- Curling (1998-2002, demonstrated in 1924, 1932, 1988 and 1992)
- Figure skating (1924-2002, also held at the 1908 and 1920 Games of the Olympiad)
- Freestyle skiing (1992-2002, demonstrated in 1988)
- Ice hockey (1924-2002, also held at the 1920 Games of the Olympiad)
- Luge (1964-2002)
- Nordic combined (1924-2002)
- Short-track speed skating (1992-2002, demonstrated in 1988)
- Skeleton (1928, 1948, 2002)
- Ski jumping (1924-2002)
- Snowboarding (1998-2002)
- Speed skating (1924-2002)
The following sports have been held as a demonstration, but have never made it as an Olympic winter sport:
Related Topics
External links
- http://www.olympic.org/ Official Site of the Olympic Movement
Olympic is also the name the public sometimes uses for the Greek national airline, Olympic Airways.
Olympic uses varous types or airplanes, like the Boeing 747 and Airbus A340 for international routes, and the Boeing 727 and Boeing 737 for domestic routes.
Referenced By
10 February | 10th February | 12 September | 12th September | 13 September | 13th September | 13th of September | 15 March | 15th March | 17 September | 17th September | 1896 Olympic Summer Games | 1896 Summer Olympics | 18 August | 18 July | 18 March | 18th August | 18th July | 18th March | 1900 Summer Olympics | 1904 Summer Olympics | 1906 in sports | 1908 | 1908 Summer Olympics | 1912 Olympic Games | 1912 Summer Olympics | 1920 Summer Olympics | 1924 Olympic Winter Games | 1924 Summer Olympics | 1924 Winter Olympic Games | 1924 Winter Olympics | 1928 Summer Olympics | 1932 Summer Olympic Games | 1932 Summer Olympics | 1932 in sports | 1936 Berlin Games | 1936 Summer Olympic Games | 1936 Summer Olympics | 1936 Winter Olympic | 1936 Winter Olympic Games | 1936 Winter Olympics | 1940 | 1947 | 1947 in sports | 1948 Summer Olympic Games | 1948 Summer Olympics | 1950 | 1952 Summer Olympics | 1956 Summer Olympics | 1956 Winter Olympic Games | 1956 Winter Olympics | 1960 | 1960 Summer Olympics | 1960 in sports | 1961 in sports | 1962 in sports | 1964 | 1964 Summer Olympics | 1964 Winter Olympic Games | 1964 Winter Olympics | 1964 in Canada | 1964 in sports | 1968 | 1968 Olympic Games | 1968 Summer Olympics | 1970 in Canada | 1971 in sports | 1972 Summer Olympics | 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich | 1972 Winter Olympic Games | 1972 Winter Olympics | 1975 in Canada | 1976 Summer Olympics | 1976 Winter Olympic Games | 1976 Winter Olympics | 1980 Summer Olympics | 1980 Winter Olympic Games | 1980 Winter Olympics | 1984 Summer Olympics | 1984 Winter Olympic Games | 1984 Winter Olympics | 1988 Summer Olympic Games | 1988 Summer Olympics | 1992 Summer Olympics | 1992 Winter Olympic Games | 1992 Winter Olympics | 1994 Winter Olympic Games | 1994 Winter Olympics | 1996 Olympics | 1996 Summer Olympic Games | 1996 Summer Olympics | 1998 | 1998 Winter Olympic Games | 1998 Winter Olympics | 19 September | 19th September | 1 August | 1 Jan | 1 January | 1 July ...
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