Olympic Games

Lore & Background

The modern Olympic Games are a series of international multi-sport events, considered among the largest sporting spectacles in the world. They are organized into distinct Summer and Winter Games, each featuring different sports, and are open to both amateur and professional athletes. Thousands of athletes representing over 200 teams, each team corresponding to a sovereign state or territory, participate. The Summer and Winter Games are each held every four years, occurring two years apart within the same four-year Olympiad—an arrangement that has been in place since 1994, prior to which they were held in the same year. The creation of the modern Games was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were religious and athletic festivals held every four years at the sanctuary of Zeus in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. The ancient Games featured mainly athletic and combat sports, including wrestling, pankration, and chariot racing, with tens of thousands of Greeks attending. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC governs the Olympic Movement, which includes international sports federations, National Olympic Committees, and organizing committees. The IOC chooses host cities, determines the Olympic programme of sports, and oversees rituals such as the Olympic flag, flame, torch relay, and opening and closing ceremonies. Over 14,000 athletes competed in the 2020 Summer and 2022 Winter Games combined, across 40 sports and 448 events. First, second, and third-place finishers receive gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. The Games have grown to include nearly every nation, with colonies and overseas territories often fielding their own teams. This growth has brought challenges including boycotts, doping, match fixing, bribery, and terrorism. The Games provide athletes with international fame and offer host cities a chance for global showcase, while also affecting infrastructure, tourism, and local communities.

Reader's Guide

The IOC has adapted to economic, political, and technological changes, shifting from pure amateurism to accepting professional athletes. The Games have grown to the point that nearly every nation is now represented, and colonies and overseas territories often field their own teams. This growth has created challenges including boycotts, doping, match fixing, bribery, and terrorism. Every two years, the Olympics provide athletes with a chance to attain national and international fame, and host cities showcase themselves to the world. The Games foster international cooperation and cultural exchange, while also bringing economic benefits and challenges to host cities.

Did You Know?

• The marathon distance at the Olympics was standardized at 42,195 m in 1924, the distance run at the 1908 Olympics.
• At the 1904 St. Louis Games, the decathlon was called the All-Around competition and included an 800 yard walk and a 56 pounds weight throw.
• The 1600 m relay, the first relay event at the Olympics, consisted of two legs over 200 m, one over 400 m, and one over 800 m.
• The javelin throw (two-handed) event did not involve throwing with both hands simultaneously; distances recorded with each hand were added.
• The 1906 Intercalated Games are no longer regarded as an official part of the Olympic chronology by the IOC.