The Olympic Games

History of the Olympics According to legend, the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Heracles (the Roman Hercules), a son of Zeus. Yet the first Olympic Games for which we still have written records were held in 776 BCE (though it is generally believed that the Games had been going on for many years already). They were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia. At this Olympic Games, a naked runner, Coroebus (a cook from Elis), won the sole event at the Olympics, the stade - a run of approximately 192 meters (210 yards). This made Coroebus the very first Olympic champion in history. The Olympic Games were closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus. The ancient Olympic Games grew and continued to be played every four years for nearly 1200 years. In 393 CE, the Roman emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished the Games because of their pagan influences Stadium in Olympia, Greece

Baron Pierre de Coubertin Approximately 1500 years later, a young Frenchmen named Pierre de Coubertin began their revival. Coubertin is now known as le Rénovateur. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The first Games held under the auspices of the IOC was hosted in the Panathenaic stadium in Athens in 1896. These Games brought 14 nations and 241 athletes who competed in 43 event Baron Pierre de Coubertin The opening ceremony in the Panathinaiko Stadium

FASTER — HIGHER — STRONGER These three words encourage the athlete to give his or her best during competition. To better understand the motto, we can compare it with the Olympic creed : "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."

The Olympic Oath "In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

Winter Olympic Games I Olympic Winter Games The Winter Olympic Games are a multi-sport event held every four years. The first Winter Olympics was held in Chamonix, France, in 1924. Location of Chamonix, France, host city of the 1924 Winter Olympics

1980 Summer Olympics The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament were held in Leningrad, Kiev, and Minsk. The 1980 Games were the first to be staged in Eastern Europe. The United States and a number of other countries boycotted the games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, though athletes from some boycotting countries participated in the games, under the Olympic Flag. This prompted the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics.

Opening ceremonies, Moscow Olympics, 1980. Closing Ceremony. Bear Cub Misha, the mascot, flying into the sky.

Games of the XXX Olympiad A London 2012 Olympics banner at The Monument in London

XXII Olympic Winter Games This sketch shows the Olympic Park concept with all venues gathered around the Medals Plaza

Interesting Olympic Facts First Modern Champion James B. Connolly (United States), winner of the hop, step, and jump (the first final event in the 1896 Olympics), was the first Olympic champion of the modern Olympic Games. Women Women were first allowed to participate in 1900 at the second modern Olympic Games. A City, Not a Country When choosing locations for the Olympic Games, the IOC specifically gives the honor of holding the Games to a city rather than a country. Russia Not Present Though Russia had sent a few athletes to compete in the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games, they did not compete again until the 1952 Games. Cancelled Games Because of World War I and World War II, there were no Olympic Games in 1916, 1940, or 1944 The Medals The Olympic medals are designed especially for each individual Olympic Games by the host city's organizing committee. Each medal must be at least three millimeters thick and 60 millimeters in diameter. Also, the gold and silver Olympic medals must be made out of 92.5 percent silver, with the gold medal covered in six grams of gold. The First Opening Ceremonies The first opening ceremonies were held during the 1908 Olympic Games in London. Real Gold Medals The last Olympic gold medals that were made entirely out of gold were awarded in 1912.