The Olympics originated in the city of Olympia in 776 a. C., therefore, receive this name. In Antiquity, the following games were played: athletics, boxing, pentathlon, chariot racing and pankrácio.
They took place among athletes and sportsmen from Greek city-states, with the aim of honoring the Greek gods and propagating peace between the cities of the country.
At that time, only men participated and watched the games, in which the winner received a wreath of laurel or olive leaves.
In each edition, athletes and sportsmen from all over the world participate in the games, which take place every four years in a country chosen to be their headquarters, and last for three to four weeks.
Origin of the Olympic Games of the Modern Era
The Olympic Games of the Modern Era (Modern Olympics) were created by Pierre de Frédy (1863-1937), best known as Pierre de Coubertin, a French historian and educator.
Pierre de Coubertin's idea of resuming the Olympic Games in modernity was to seek peace between nations, uniting everyone in a sporting celebration. Believing in this possibility, Pierre appealed to several countries to join the event and founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894.
The first edition of the Olympic Games took place in 1896, in Athens, as a way to honor the Ancient Olympic Games. Since then, they have not only been carried out in the two world wars: in 1916, as a result of World War I, and in 1940 and 1944, as a result of World War II.
And, for the first time in history, as a result of Covid-19, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games have been postponed, with plans to take place between July and August 2021.
In order to encourage healthy competition among peoples, several countries began to participate in the Olympics, which became one of the main sporting events in the world.
In 1913, Pierre de Coubertin drew up the Olympic flag. This flag, which represents the parts of the world united by Olympism, is white and each of the rings is a different color. At the top - from left to right - are the blue, black and red rings; at the bottom - from left to right - are the yellow and green rings.
What are Olympic sports?
In the list below, you can check the Olympic Games of the Modern Era and their modalities.
Summer Olympic Games
- Athletics
- Badminton
- Basketball
- 3x3 basketball
- Baseball
- Boxing
- Canoeing
- Cycling - modalities: BMX cycling, road cycling, track cycling, mountain bike cycling
- Climbing
- Fencing
- Soccer
- Fitness - modalities: artistic gymnastics, trampoline gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics
- Golf
- Handball
- Equestrian - modalities: dressage equestrian, complete competition equestrian, show jumping equestrian
- Hockey
- Judo
- Karate
- Weightlifting
- Wrestling
- artistic swim
- Swimming
- Modern Pentathlon
- Water polo
- rowing
- rugby
- Diving
- Skateboard
- Softball
- Surfing
- Taekwondo
- Sneakers
- Table tennis
- Shot
- archery
- triathlon
- Candle
- Volleyball
- Beach volleyball
Winter Olympic games
- biathlon
- bobleigh
- Nordic combined
- curling
- Skiing - modalities: alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, freestyle skiing
- Ice Hockey
- Luge
- Skating - disciplines: figure skating, speed skating, short track speed skating
- Ski jump
- Skeleton
- Snowboarding
Paralympic Games
The Paralympic Games, which emerged in 1948, are Olympic Games with the participation of athletes with physical or mental disabilities.
In 1948, it was disputed between survivors victimized by World War II. It is interesting to note that the logo of the “International Paralympic Committee” (CPI) is made up of three colors: red, blue and green, which symbolize the mind, body and spirit, respectively.
It is noteworthy that it was in Rome, in 1960, that the first games involving people with disabilities took place.
Curiosities about the Olympic Games
- The place where the first Olympiad took place was in the “Panathenaic” stadium in the city of Athens.
- The motto of the Olympics is "Citius, Altius, Fortius" (faster, higher, stronger), created by Frenchman Louis Henri Didon (1840-1900).
- Until 1920, the tug of war was an Olympic sport.
- Motornautics was disputed at the 1908 Olympic Games in London. In this case, it was the first and only time in the history of the Olympic Games that a motor sport appeared.
- The United States is the country that won the most medals in the Olympics.
Also know about the Olympic torch.