Once every four years, the Olympic Games are held - the so-called sports competitions, in which the best athletes from around the world participate. Each of them dreams of becoming an Olympic champion and receiving a gold, silver or bronze medal as a reward. Almost 11 thousand athletes from over 200 countries of the world came to the 2016 Olympic competitions in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.
Although these sports are mostly played by adults, some sports, as well as the history of the Olympic Games, can also be very exciting for children. And, probably, both children and adults would be interested to know when the Olympic Games appeared, how they got such a name, and also what types of sports exercises were in the very first competitions. In addition, we will learn how the modern Olympic Games are held, and what their emblem means - five multi-colored rings.
History of the Olympic Games
The birthplace of the Olympic Games is Ancient Greece. The earliest historical records of the ancient Olympic Games were found on Greek marble columns engraved with the date 776 BC. However, it is known that sports in Greece took place much earlier than this date. Therefore, the history of the Olympics has been around for about 2800 years, and this, you see, is quite a lot.
Do you know who, according to history, became one of the first Olympic champions? - it was ordinary cook Korybos from the city of Elis, whose name is still engraved on one of those marble columns.
The history of the Olympic Games is rooted in the ancient city - Olympia, from where the name of this sports festival originated. This settlement is located in a very beautiful place - near Mount Kronos and on the banks of the Alpheus River, and it is here from ancient times to the present day that the ceremony of lighting the torch with the Olympic flame takes place, which is then relayed to the city of the Olympic Games.
You can try to find this place on a world map or in an atlas and at the same time check yourself - can I find Greece first, and then Olympia?
History of the Olympic Games (briefly, in 3 minutes!)
How were the Olympic Games in ancient times?
At first, only local residents took part in sports competitions, but then everyone liked it so much that people from all over Greece and its subordinate cities began to come here, even from the Black Sea itself. People got there as best they could - someone rode a horse, someone had a wagon, but most people went to the holiday on foot. The stadiums were always crowded with spectators - everyone really wanted to see sports competitions with their own eyes.
It is also interesting that in those days when the Olympic competitions were going to be held in Ancient Greece, a truce was declared in all cities and all wars stopped for about a month. For ordinary people, it was a calm peaceful time, when they could take a break from everyday affairs and have fun.
For a whole 10 months, the athletes trained at home, and then for another month in Olympia, where experienced coaches helped them prepare as best as possible for the competition. At the beginning of sports games, everyone took an oath, the participants - that they would compete honestly, and the judges - to judge fairly. Then the competition itself began, which lasted 5 days. The beginning of the Olympic Games was announced with the help of a silver trumpet, which was blown several times, inviting everyone to gather in the stadium.
What sports were at the Olympic Games in ancient times?
These were:
- running competitions;
- fight;
- long jump;
- javelin and discus throw;
- hand-to-hand combat;
- chariot racing.
The best athletes were awarded an award - a laurel wreath or an olive branch, the champions solemnly returned to their hometown and were considered respected people until the end of their lives. Banquets were held in their honor, and sculptors made marble statues for them.
Unfortunately, in 394 AD, the Olympic Games were banned by the Roman emperor, who did not like such competitions very much.
Olympic Games today
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896, in the parent country of these games - Greece. You can even calculate how long the break was - from 394 to 1896 (it turns out 1502). And now, after so many years in our time, the birth of the Olympic Games became possible thanks to one famous French baron, his name was Pierre de Coubertin.
Pierre de Coubertin- Founder of the modern Olympic Games.
This man really wanted as many people as possible to go in for sports and offered to resume the Olympic Games again. Since then, sports games have been held every four years, with the maximum preservation of the traditions of ancient times. But now the Olympic Games began to be divided into winter and summer, which alternate with each other.
The Olympic Games: history, symbolism, how everything was born and how it came to winter Russia
olympic games pictures
Traditions and symbols of the Olympic Games
Olympic rings
Probably, each of us has seen the emblem of the Olympics - intertwined colored rings. They were chosen for a reason - each of the five rings means one of the continents:
- blue ring - a symbol of Europe,
- black - African,
- red - America,
- yellow - Asian,
- the green ring is the symbol of Australia.
And the fact that the rings are intertwined with each other means the unity and friendship of people on all these continents, despite the different skin colors.
olympic flag
The white flag with the Olympic emblem was chosen as the official flag of the Olympic Games. White is a symbol of peace during Olympic competitions, just as it was in ancient Greece. At each Olympics, the flag is used at the opening and closing of sports games, and then transferred to the city in which the next Olympics will take place four years later.
olympic fire
Even in ancient times, a tradition arose to light a fire during the Olympic Games, and it has survived to this day. It is very interesting to watch the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame, it is reminiscent of an ancient Greek theatrical production.
It all starts in Olympia a few months before the start of the competition. For example, the fire for the Brazilian Olympic Games was lit in Greece back in April of this year.
In Greek Olympia, eleven girls gather, dressed in long white dresses, as they used to be in Ancient Greece, then one of them takes a mirror and, with the help of sunlight, lights a specially prepared torch. This is the fire that will burn throughout the entire period of the Olympic competition.
After the torch lights up, it is handed over to one of the best athletes, who will then carry it first through the cities of Greece, and then deliver it to the country in which the Olympic Games will be held. Further, the torch relay passes through the cities of the country and, finally, arrives at the place where sports competitions will be held.
A large bowl is installed in the stadium and a fire is lit in it with the torch that came from distant Greece. The fire in the bowl will burn until all sports are over, then it goes out, and this symbolizes the end of the Olympic Games.
Opening and closing ceremony of the Olympics
It is always a bright and colorful sight. Each country hosting the Olympic Games tries to surpass the previous one in this component, sparing no effort or means. For the production, the latest achievements of science and technology, innovative technologies and developments are used. In addition, a large number of people are involved - volunteers. The most famous people of the country are invited: artists, composers, athletes, etc.
Awarding of winners and prize-winners
When the first Olympic Games were held, the winners received a laurel wreath as a reward. However, modern champions are no longer awarded with laurel wreaths, but with medals: the first place is a gold medal, the second place is a silver one, and the third is a bronze one.
It is very interesting to watch the competitions, but it is even more interesting to see how the champions are awarded. The winners go to a special pedestal with three steps, according to their places, they are awarded medals and raise the flags of the countries where these athletes came from.
That's the whole history of the Olympic Games, for children, I think, the above information will be interesting and useful. You can supplement your story with a presentation about the Olympic Games.
If so, you might be very interested to know impressive details of the origin of the Olympic races. The history of the Olympic Games is exciting and full of surprises. So, let's dive into the unknown distances of the world Olympiads?
How it all began
The famous Olympic Games in honor of Olympian Zeus originated in ancient Greece and have been held since 776 BC. e. every 4 years in the city of Olympia. Sports competitions were such a tremendous success and great importance for society that at the time of the OlympicOhraces stopped wars and established ekekhiriya - a sacred truce.
People came from everywhere to look at the competitions in Olympia: some traveled on foot, some on horseback, and some even sailed ships to distant lands, just to have at least one eye on the majestic Greek athletes. Entire tent settlements grew up around the city. To watch the athletes, spectators completely filled the hillsides around the Alfei river valley.
After the solemn victory and the award ceremony (presenting a wreath of sacred olive and palm branches), the Olympionist lived in clover. Holidays were held in his honor, hymns were sung, statues were made, in Athens the winner was exempted from taxes and burdensome public duties. And the winner was always left the best place in the theater. In some places, even the children of an Olympian enjoyed special privileges.
Interesting, that women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics under pain of death.
Brave Hellenes competed in running, fisticuffs (which Pythagoras once won), jumping, javelin throwing, and so on. The most dangerous, however, were the chariot races. You will not believe it, but the owner of the horses was considered the winner of the equestrian competition, and not the poor driver who risked his life for the sake of winning.
There are many legends associated with the Olympic Games. One of them says that Zeus himself allegedly organized the first competition in honor of the victory over his father. True or not, but in literature it was Homer who first mentioned the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece in the poem The Iliad.
Archaeological excavations show that in Olympia, 5 rectangular or horseshoe-shaped stadiums with stands for fans were built specifically for the competition.
Unfortunately, nothing is known about the time of the champions at the moment. It was enough to be the first to reach the finish line to get the right to light the sacred fire. But the legends tell us about the Olympians who ran faster than hares, and what is the talent of the Spartan Ladas, who did not leave footprints in the sand while running.
Modern Olympic Games
The modern international sporting events known as the Summer Olympics have been held every four years since 1896. Initiated by the French baron Pierre de Coubertin. He believed that it was precisely insufficient physical fitness that prevented French soldiers from winning the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. The youth should measure their strength on the sports grounds, not on the battlefields, the activist argued.
The first Olympic Games were held in Athens. To organize the competition created International Olympic Committee, whose first president was Demetrius Vikelas of Greece.
Since that time, the World Olympiad has become a good tradition. Against the backdrop of impressive excavations and archaeological finds, the idea of Olympism spread throughout Europe. Increasingly, European states organized their own sports competitions, which were watched by the whole world.
What about winter sports?
To fill a gap in winter sports competitions that were technically impossible to host in the summer, Since January 25, 1924, the Winter Olympic Games have been held. The first were organized in the French city Chamonix. In addition to figure skating and hockey, athletes competed in speed skating, ski jumping, etc.
293 athletes, including 13 women, from 16 countries of the world expressed their desire to compete for the championship in competitions. Ch. Juthrow from the USA (speed skating) became the first Olympic champion of the Winter Games, but in the end the teams of Finland and Norway turned out to be the leaders of the competition. The races lasted 11 days and ended on February 4th.
Attributes of the Olympic Games
Now a symbol and emblem The Olympic Games have five rings intertwined, which symbolize the unification of the five continents.
Olympic motto, proposed by the Catholic monk Henri Didon: "Faster, higher, stronger."
At the opening ceremony of each Olympiad, they raise flag- white cloth with the emblem (Olympic rings). Burning throughout the Olympiad Olympic the fire, which is brought to the venue each time from Olympia.
Since 1968, each Olympiad has its own.
The 2016 Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Ukrainian team will present their champions to the world. By the way, the figure skater became the first Olympic champion of independent Ukraine Oksana Baiul.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games are always a spectacular sight, which once again emphasizes the prestige and planetary importance of these world competitions.
Sports, often understood by the Greeks as competitions, were of such social importance that the very first, accurately dated records, dating back to 776 BC. e. do not contain memories of a battle or a political event, but the name of the first winner of the Olympic Games. It was in 776 BC. and the first Olympic Games were held.
Sport was one of the fundamental components of education for the Greeks. However, sports competitions also had an important religious significance; competitions were held at the funerals of significant people and were one of the ways to honor the deceased. It is very likely that the games began to be held in memory of the heroes, whose death was mourned by everyone, like the death of Oenomaus in Olympia. In the historical era, the funerary significance of the competitions faded to nothing, their entertainment came to the fore, now they were arranged to please the gods. Over time, some of the cult venues for the competitions, in particular Olympia, began to acquire great importance for political and religious reasons, so that residents of neighboring cities, then adjacent regions, had to be allowed to participate in the competitions.
The Games have become so important that for the duration of them even wars have stopped. The size of the Olympic Stadium speaks about the number of people who attended the games - its stands could accommodate up to 40 thousand spectators, and 20 people could run on the treadmill at the same time.
The competition lasted five days, of which part of the time was devoted directly to sports, and the other part was devoted to sacrifices, feasts and other religious rites.
Only Hellenes-citizens could participate in the competitions. Non-citizens and barbarians could only be spectators. However, after joining Rome, an exception was made for the Romans, which, however, is not surprising. Women, even as spectators, were not allowed to participate in the festive competitions.
The first, and at first the only, type of competition in the Olympic Games was running - they ran for a distance of 192 meters (one Olympic stage). Starting from the 14th game, a new competition appeared - a double run. In this competition, the runners have already run two stages - 384 m. Later, a long run appeared (from 15 games) over a distance of 7 to 24 stages.
Starting from the 65th Olympiad, the hoplite run was included in the competition - the runners competed in the full equipment of a heavily armed infantryman. By the way, this is the only type of competition in the Olympic Games in which athletes covered their nudity.
In addition to running, athletes competed in fistfight (added at the 23rd Olympiad), pankration, or hand-to-hand combat (added at the 33rd Olympiad), wrestling (added at the 18th Olympiad) and pentathlon, or pentathlon (added at the 18th Olympiad ).
Equestrian competitions were an important part of the competition. Particularly popular were quadriga races (since the 25th Olympic Games). The winners in them were the owners of the horses, not the drivers. This sport was available only to high society - the richest Greeks and representatives of the royal families, who were able to keep horses.
The reward for the winner in the games was a wreath of wild olives and, of course, universal reverence among fellow tribesmen - poems were composed in honor of them, even statues were erected.
In 394, the Olympic Games, as pagan, were banned by the Christian emperor Theodosius. For a long century, mankind forgot about these grandiose competitions, sports facilities fell into disrepair, or were destroyed.
The Olympic Games received a new life in the 19th century - since 1896, the summer Olympic Games were organized by enthusiasts. They were held every four years. Starting from 1924, the Winter Olympic Games were established, which, starting from 1994, began to be held with a shift of two years relative to the time of the summer games.
Five rings and the slogan "Faster. Above. Stronger” are some of the most recognizable symbols in the world. The Olympic Games are criticized for being politicized, pompous, expensive, doping scandals, but they are always eagerly awaited. The modern Olympic Games are 120 years old this year, but of course their history goes much, much deeper into antiquity.
According to one of the myths, King Enomai, the ruler of the city of Pisa, organized sports competitions for those who wanted to marry his daughter Hippodamia. Moreover, the conditions of these competitions were obviously losing - all because Enomai was predicted that his son-in-law would become the cause of his death. Young people lost their lives one after another, and only the cunning Pelops managed to overtake the future father-in-law in chariot races, so successfully that Enomai broke his neck. The prediction nevertheless came true, and the new king, in joy, ordered a sports festival to be held in Olympia every four years.
According to one version, the well-known word "gymnastics" comes from the ancient Greek "gymnos", which means "naked". It was in this form that ancient athletes participated in competitions, therefore, in those days, the organizers of the games significantly saved on sports uniforms. Some, such as wrestlers, were also rubbed with oil to make it easier to slip out of the enemy’s grip
According to another version, the Olympic Games were established by none other than the main ancient Greek superman Hercules. Having cleared the Augean stables, the hero not only did not receive the promised reward, but also received a royal kick in the ass. Naturally, the demigod was offended and after a while returned with a large army. Having destroyed the offender morally and physically, Hercules, in gratitude for the help, made a sacrifice to the gods and personally planted an entire olive grove around the sacred plain in honor of the goddess Athena. And on the plain itself he ordered regular sports competitions to be held.
According to ancient historians, the first Olympic Games took place during the reign of King Ifit (about 884-828 BC). Ifit, the king of Elis, on whose territory Olympia was located, was very concerned about what was happening in the state and beyond. At that time, Greece was a seething cauldron, where many small scattered kingdoms were constantly at war with each other. Ifit went to Lycurgus, the king of Sparta, and said that he no longer wanted to fight, but wanted to organize sports competitions. Lycurgus liked the idea, the other warring rulers also agreed. As a result, Elis received a neutral status and immunity in exchange for the fact that once every four years nationwide sports tournaments would be held in Olympia. At the time of the games, all wars stopped. The Olympic Games rallied Greece, tormented by civil strife, which, however, did not prevent the states from fighting each other for the rest of the time before and after the games.
However, even ancient Greek historians were not sure of the exact date, so they considered the first Olympics to be competitions about which they had more or less accurate information. These games took place in 776 BC. e., and Koreb from Elis won the race.
The only type of ancient Olympic competition for the first thirteen games was running. Then - pentathlon, including running, long jump, javelin throwing, discus throwing and wrestling itself. Later fisticuffs and chariot races were added. The program of the modern Olympic Games includes 28 summer and 7 winter sports, respectively 41 and 15 disciplines, depending on the season.
Much has changed since the arrival of the Romans. If before only Hellenic athletes could take part in the games, then after Greece was annexed to the Empire, the national composition of the participants expanded. In addition, gladiator fights were added to the program. The Hellenes gritted their teeth, but had to endure. True, not for long - after Christianity became the official religion of the empire, the event, as pagan, was banned by Emperor Theodosius I. In 394 AD. e. the games were canceled, and a year later, many Olympic buildings were destroyed during the war with the barbarians. Olympia, like Atlantis, disappeared from the face of the earth.
Olympia today
However, the Olympic Games have not sunk into oblivion forever, although they had to stay in oblivion for fifteen long centuries. Ironically, the first step towards the revival of the Olympic Games was made by a church leader, the Benedictine monk Bernard de Montfaucon, who was very interested in the history of Ancient Greece and was convinced that excavations should be carried out at the site where the legendary Olympia used to be. Soon, many European scientists and public figures of the 18th century began to talk about the need to find her.
In 1766, the English traveler Richard Chandler discovered the ruins of some ancient structures near Mount Kronos in Greece. It turned out that the find was part of the wall of a huge temple. In 1824, the archaeologist Lord Stanhof began excavations on the banks of the Alpheus, then in 1828-1829 French archaeologists took over. In October 1875, the excavations of Olympia were continued by German specialists under the leadership of Ernst Curtius. Inspired by the results of archaeological research, public and sports figures gave lectures on the delights of the Olympic movement and the need for its revival. Government officials listened to them attentively and nodded in agreement, but for some reason they refused to allocate funds for the games.
And yet, finally, there was someone who managed to convince everyone: the Olympic Games are exactly what humanity needs. It was the French public figure Pierre de Coubertin. He was sincerely convinced that the ideas of the Olympic movement carry the spirit of freedom, peaceful competition, harmony and physical perfection. Coubertin found many supporters around the world. On November 25, 1892, he delivered a lecture in Paris entitled "Olympic Renaissance", the main idea of which was that sport should be international. Coubertin called his contemporaries the heirs of the great Hellenic civilization, which elevated the harmonious development of man, intellectual and physical perfection into a cult.
At the end of the 19th century, the international sports movement gradually began to gain momentum. With the growth of cultural and economic ties between countries, international sports associations began to appear, international competitions were organized. It was the perfect moment for the realization of Coubertin's ideas. Together with friends and associates, he organized the Constituent Congress, where supporters of the Olympic movement from all over the world were to gather. A meeting of two thousand delegates from twelve countries was held in June 1894 at the Sorbonne. It was there that a unanimous decision was made to revive the Olympic Games and establish the International Olympic Committee. At the same time, national Olympic committees were created. And it was decided to hold the first international competitions in 1896 in Athens. The Olympic Games were revived in the same place where they originated - in Greece.
The first resumed games became the biggest sporting event of their time. The Greek authorities, inspired by the success, offered to constantly hold the games on their territory, but this clearly contradicted the spirit of internationalism, and the IOC decided to choose a new place for the Olympics every four years. Gradually, the attributes and rituals of the games appeared, which have now become familiar: the emblem and flag, the Olympic oath and talismans, the parade, the opening and closing ceremonies, the Olympic torch relay. It is already difficult to imagine these competitions without them.
Unlike the ancient games, during which armed conflicts ceased, the modern Olympic Games were not held three times due to world wars - in 1916, 1940 and 1944. And the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich was overshadowed by a terrorist attack: Palestinian terrorists took the members of the Israeli team hostage. The release operation, due to poor organization, completely failed - eleven athletes were killed.
Since 1924, Winter has been added to the classic Olympic Games - Summer. At first, the games were held in one year, but since 1994 the Winter and Summer Games began to alternate every two years.
In our country, the Olympic Games were held twice. The first Olympics took place in 1980 in the USSR, the second, Winter, in 2014 in Sochi. Hosting the games has always been very important for the prestige of any state, so there is always a tense struggle for the right to host athletes from all over the world. And, of course, there is a fight for medals - only the best representatives of their country go to the competitions. And although the games are considered individual competitions between individual athletes, the result is invariably determined by the amount of "precious metals" earned by the entire team. The funny thing is that according to the original plan of Pierre de Coubertin, these were competitions exclusively for amateur athletes, but now the Olympics are a purely professional sport. And, of course, a spectacular show and big money - where without it?
The XXXII Summer Olympic Games from June 24 to August 9, 2020 will be held in the Japanese capital Tokyo. Paralympic competitions will be held there from August 25 to September 6.
The 2020 Olympics will be Japan's fourth in history. Twice the country became the host of the Winter Games (Sapporo-74 and Nagano-98) and once held the Summer Olympics (Tokyo-64).
Who else bid to host the 2020 Summer Olympics?
Official applications for hosting the Games were submitted before September 1, 2011. In the final, three cities competed for the right to host the 2020 Olympics: Madrid (Spain), Istanbul (Turkey) and Tokyo (Japan).
How many countries will take part in the 2020 Olympics?
About 203 countries and over 12,500 athletes from all over the world are expected to take part in the 2020 Summer Olympics.
What is the logo for the 2020 Olympics?
On July 24, 2015, the official presentation of the emblems of the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games took place. They were developed Japanese designer Kenjiro Sano. For the Olympics, he chose the letter "T", made up of geometric shapes in black, red, gold and gray on a white background. The equal sign placed vertically became the logo of the Paralympics. However, a month later it became known that the organizing committee of the Games decided to stop using the emblems designed by Sano, due to accusations of plagiarism. Belgian designer Olivier Déby immediately after the presentation of the emblems of the Games in Tokyo, he said that two years ago he came up with a very similar logo for the theater in the city of Liege.
2020 Olympics logo designed by Kenjiro Sano
Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Kenjiro Sano
Théâtre de Liège logo designed by Olivier Déby
Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Olivier Debie
After the scandal, the indigo checkerboard ring became the new Olympic emblem. Each rectangle symbolizes different countries and cultures, as well as the diversity of the world, united around sports. Logo author designer Asao Tokoro called his work "Harmonious Checkered Emblem".
