Since its creation, there are more than 2,700 a. C, the Olympic Games assumed a fundamental role in the lives of the Greeks. To give you an idea, the competitions were capable of interrupting the wars between cities, in a ritual known as the “sacred truce”. Later, after the French Baron de Coubertin's attempt to revive the spirit of the first competitions, the Olympic Games became a globalized event of great importance throughout the world. An example of this is its own flag, which represents the union of the five continents.
When the first Olympic Games of the Modern Era were celebrated, the only intention was to hold an event that would bring together a few hundred people who practiced the sport as an activity of time. Little did Baron de Coubertin know that the competition would become one of the main cultural events on the planet, undoubtedly going beyond the limits of sport.
The notoriety of the Olympic Games, created both by its symbolic character and its dimension material, turned the event into a stage for various political demonstrations throughout the 20th century. Some examples: At the 1936 Berlin Olympics, Adolf Hitler refused to recognize the victories of black American athlete Jesse Owens; at the Munich Olympics (1972), an attack by a Palestinian terrorist group killed 11 Israeli athletes; the United States refused to participate in the Moscow Games (1980) and the USSR in the Los Angeles Olympics (1984), in a clear context of the Cold War.
The Olympic Games can provide a significant economic advance for the city and host country of the event. Although the fact of applying for the mega event requires a series of responsibilities, especially in relation to the infrastructure of the candidate cities, the economic benefits generated by the games are far greater than the investments for their Realization.
The projection of the city and the host country of the event is such that it is capable of causing profound and permanent positive socioeconomic changes. The attraction of tourists from different parts of the world means that permanent structural improvements are made, such as the transport network, housing and sports facilities. Not to mention the countless new jobs that are generated directly or indirectly through the event.
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Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
DANTAS, James. "The importance of the Olympic Games"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/educacao-fisica/a-importancia-dos-jogos-olimpicos.htm. Accessed on June 27, 2021.
