The History of the Olympics Presented by Mitchell Elementary Enrichment

Enrichment Students

Micah B. Olivia B. Claire D. Allison J. Katelyn L. Keoderick N. Emily P. Anna S. Parker K. Ajani L. Maggie N. Jaden R. Cameron S. Christina S. Devin T. McCayla W. Enrichment Students

Ancient Olympics The ancient Olympics were a series of athletic competitions held between various city-states of Ancient Greece. They began in 776 BC and lasted until 393 AD. The games started in Olympia, Greece. The purpose of the games was to honor their gods or for funeral sacrifices.

Ancient Olympics

The 1896 Olympics The 1896 games were the first Olympic games held in the modern year. The games were held in Athens, Greece during April of Some prominent people wanted to hold future games in Athens, but the International Olympic Committee decided to choose different cities around the world.

1896 Olympics 100 meter race at the Olympics

1900 Summer Olympics Women first competed in Paris, France at the second Olympic games. The Summer Olympic games included golf, sailing, and tennis.

The First Winter Olympics

Winter Olympics The first winter Olympics were in 1921 in Chamonix, France. Sports include alpine skiing, ice hockey, Nordic skiing, bobsledding, curling, figure skating, and speed skating. At the winter games, snowballs have been shot into the air.

Sports There are over 400 events that are divided into summer sports and winter sports. The events were created for amateur athletes from around the world to compete in a variety of events.

The Host City

Choosing a Host City Cities who want to host the games, fill out a survey telling what they would do to successfully organize the games. Next, the IOC Commission makes a four-day inspection visit to each candidate city. When the city is chosen, an Olympic village is built. A rapid transit network must be in place to connect the different venues.

First Paralympics Sir Ludwig Guttmann started the Paralympics. He was determined to innovate new ways to rehabilitate soldiers. The Paralympics were created to use sports as an avenue for healing.

Paralympics The first Paralympics were held at the Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 in London, England. In 1960,Guttmann brought 400 people to compete in the first Paralympics in Rome at the Summer Olympics.

Winter Sports

Winter Olympics 2010 The host city for the 2010 Olympic Games is Vancouver, Canada. The opening ceremony will be held February 12, The closing ceremony will be held February 28, 2010.

Winter Olympics 2010 There are 86 events in 7 sports. Over 80 nations are participating in the 2010 Winter Olympics. The stadium they will be competing in is the BC Place Stadium.

Youth Olympics The Youth Olympic Games, (the YOG), were created in These games were approved in 2007 by the 119 th IOC session. Athletes, ages 14-18, will participate every four years. The first one will be held in 2010 in Singapore.

2010 Youth Olympics The Youth Olympic flame will be lit in Greece and will travel to Berlin, Dakar, Mexico City, Auckland, and Seoul before resting in Singapore. The flame will journey to known sites in each city.

The Olympic Flag The Olympic flag has five rings which represent the unity of the five inhabited continents. The colors of the rings are white, red, blue, green, yellow, and black. Each nation has at least one of these colors on its flag.

The Olympic Flag

The Torch Relay Torch relay passing through Moose Jaw, SK, Canada.

Passing the Torch The torch is another symbol of the Olympics. The torch is passed from athlete to athlete, until it reaches the last. A well known athlete from the host nation lights the fire in the stadium’s cauldron.

The Opening Ceremonies In 1920, during the Summer Olympics in Belgium, the opening ceremonies were started. Each countries’ participants enter carrying a sign with the name of their country and their country’s flag. Greece enters first. The host country’s flag is brought in during a performance of its national anthem. The host nation then presents artistic display of music, singing, dance, and theatre.

Fanfare! The International Olympic Committee chairman declares that the games begin. The Olympic flag is hoisted on the pole and the Olympic anthem is played. The oath is recited and the torch is lit. The games begin!

Going for the Gold There are three medals awarded in each event. These medals are the gold, the silver, and the bronze.

Medal Presentation Medals are presented after each event. The winners stand together. The flags are raised. The anthem of the gold medal winner’s country is played. The winners get flowers along with their medals. A member of the International Olympic Committee awards the medals.

Closing Ceremonies The person who started the closing ceremonies was a young boy named John Ian Wing. He thought it would be a way of bringing the athletes together as one nation. At the closing ceremonies, three national flags are hoisted on flagpoles one at a time while the corresponding national anthems are played. The Olympics began using closing ceremonies during the 1956 Summer Olympics.

2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing –Closing Ceremony

Special Olympics Anne McGlone Burke was a Chicago physical education teacher who began the idea for a one-time Olympic style competition for special needs. She approached Eunice Kennedy Shriver who provided and formed the Special Olympics in honor of her sister, Rosemary. It was recognized by the IOC in 1988.

2003 Special Olympics

History of the Olympics The End