The Summer Olympic Games, often referred to simply as the Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event held every four years. The modern Olympics were inspired by the ancient games held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896, organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which was founded by Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin.
The Olympics have grown significantly since their inception. The first Games featured 43 events with 241 athletes from 14 countries. Today, the Games include hundreds of events and attract thousands of athletes from over 200 countries. The Olympics are not just a sporting event but a global celebration of culture and unity.
History and Highlights
The Olympics have seen many notable moments and incidents. For example, the 1900 Paris Games were the first to include female athletes, with 22 women competing in five sports. The 1936 Berlin Games were marked by the political tensions of the time, with African-American athlete Jesse Owens winning four gold medals, challenging Nazi ideologies of racial superiority.
The 1968 Mexico City Games were notable for the Black Power salute by American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos during the medal ceremony. The 1972 Munich Games were overshadowed by the tragic terrorist attack that led to the deaths of 11 Israeli team members.
In more recent history, the 2008 Beijing Games were praised for their spectacular opening ceremony and the impressive performances of athletes like Michael Phelps, who won eight gold medals in swimming. The 2020 Tokyo Games, postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were unique as they were held without spectators.
Frequent Host Cities
Several cities have had the honour of hosting the Summer Olympics multiple times. London has hosted the Games three times (1908, 1948, and 2012), making it the most frequent host. Paris will join this club in 2024, having previously hosted in 1900 and 1924. Los Angeles will also host for the third time in 2028, after 1932 and 1984. Other notable cities include Athens, which hosted the first modern Games in 1896 and again in 2004, and Tokyo, which hosted in 1964 and 2021.
Discontinued Sports
Some sports have only appeared in the Olympics once. These include croquet, cricket, jeu de paume, pelota, polo, roque, rackets, tug-of-war, lacrosse, motor boating.
Sports in the 2024 Games
The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature a wide range of sports, including 3x3 basketball, archery, artistic gymnastics, artistic swimming, athletics, badminton, basketball, beach volleyball, boxing, breaking (breakdancing), canoe slalom, canoe sprint, cycling BMX freestyle, cycling BMX racing, cycling mountain bike, cycling road, cycling track, diving, equestrian, fencing, football, golf, handball, hockey, judo, marathon swimming, modern pentathlon, rhythmic gymnastics, rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, shooting, skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, trampoline, triathlon, volleyball, water polo, weightlifting, wrestling.
Resources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games
- https://www.telegraph.co.uk/olympics/0/history-summer-olympics-host-cities-paris-2024-games/
- https://stillmed.olympic.org/media/Document%20Library/OlympicOrg/IOC/What-We-Do/Promote-Olympism/TOFCH/Arts-Culture/Hub/Our-Products/History_Summer_OG_EN.pdf
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2024_Summer_Olympics
- https://olympics.com/en/news/the-history-of-the-olympic-games
- https://www.skysports.com/olympics/news/15234/13059973/olympics-2024-paris-schedule-sports-dates-opening-ceremony-and-latest-on-russian-athletes
- https://time.com/6988148/paris-2024-summer-olympics-guide-when-how-to-watch-games/
- https://www.espn.com/olympics/story/_/id/40322251/2024-summer-olympics-paris-dates-locations-song-motto-opening-ceremony
- https://olympics.com/en/paris-2024/sports
- https://www.britannica.com/sports/Summer-Olympic-Games
- https://www.britannica.com/sports/Olympic-Games
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Olympic_Games_host_cities
- https://www.topendsports.com/events/discontinued/list.htm
- https://www.iexplore.com/experiences/festivals-events/best-olympic-host-cities
- https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/07/lost-sports-of-the-summer-olympics/260101/
- https://en.as.com/en/2021/07/19/olympic_games/1626706620_307956.html