The Summer Olympic Games: A Brief History
Everyone knows about the Summer Olympic Games, but few people know much about their history or the changes that have been made to the sports and structure of the games over time. Here’s a brief history of the Summer Olympic Games and what you can expect if you plan on attending one yourself one day in the near future.
Ancient Olympics
The first recorded Olympics took place in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. The games were dedicated to the Olympian gods and featured competitions in a variety of sports, including running, wrestling, and chariot racing. The games were held every four years and attracted athletes from all over the Greek world. It is said that Spartan king Leonidas I was among those killed by Persian invaders during the battle of Thermopylae because he refused to stop training for his upcoming participation in the summer games. In addition, stories abound about how Milo of Croton trained by carrying an ox on his shoulders as he walked around an olive tree planted on each end of the stadium track. He later won six victories in the games’ wrestling competition, a feat which led to him being declared the victor. These contests eventually evolved into our modern-day Olympics. The first set of rules governing the ancient games came from Coray, who wrote them down in 330 BC. However, these rules didn’t mention individual events or specify how many rounds there should be, or even what constitutes winning a match. To solve this problem, an athlete’s score would be tallied by counting off body parts starting with their head (1), then their right arm (2), left arm (3), right leg (4), and left leg (5). A competitor would win if they had scored more points than their opponent at the end of three rounds or could throw their opponent to touch one of these five body parts before they themselves were thrown out of bounds.
Ancient Greece
The first recorded instance of what we now call the Olympic Games took place in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. The games were dedicated to the Greek god Zeus and were held every four years. During the games, all wars would cease, and athletes from all over the Greek world would come to compete. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. These games saw 2,500 athletes participate. The United States did not send a team until 1904 because they had other priorities at the time (the World’s Fair). In 1912, King George V became president of the IOC and insisted that they be called The British Empire Games. These were later renamed The British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954 but shortened to just Commonwealth Games after independence was granted to India (now called India) and Pakistan in 1947. The Olympics then reverted back to being strictly an international event with a new name: The Modern Olympic Games.
Modern Olympics
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Since then, the games have been held every four years (with a few exceptions) and have grown to include athletes from all over the world. The Summer Olympics are now the largest sporting event in the world, with over 200 countries participating. In 2012, more than 10,000 athletes participated in 27 different sports.
During the course of each summer Olympics, there is an opening ceremony followed by three weeks of competition as well as closing ceremonies that take place on August 12th or 13th.
Current Olympics
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Since then, the games have been held every four years (with a few exceptions) and have grown to include athletes from all over the world. The Summer Olympics are currently the largest sporting event in the world, with over 200 countries participating. These Olympics celebrate competition between athletes in 26 sports. The number of medals awarded has changed many times during the history of the games; at one point, medals were given to top finishers in up to 49 events! In 1924, this was reduced to 24; then, it was again reduced to 22 in 1948. The idea is that these changes allow more people on each team to win an Olympic medal, which also allows new nations into the games as they become competitive. Athletes earn points for their country by placing in the finals of an event and will receive anywhere from 1-10 points depending on how well they did. Then those points are added together and whichever country wins gets 28 gold medals plus any other silver or bronze medals they might earn if their total is more than another country’s total. In 2008, there were 206 gold medals awarded overall – China won the most with 51 while Michael Phelps won 8 individual golds as part of the USA’s total of 36.
Common Misconceptions
Though the Summer Olympics are often thought to be a modern event, they actually have a long and rich history. The first games were held in Greece in 776 BC, and though they were abolished in 393 AD, they were revived in 1896. Since then, they have been held every four years (with a few exceptions) and have grown to become one of the largest sporting events in the world. As it stands now, there are three separate international competitions that together constitute the Summer Olympics. These include the most well-known–the summer version–as well as two others that take place during other seasons: the Winter Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It is important to note that not all countries participate in all three of these types of competition. In order for a country to compete in any type of game, its National Olympic Committee must qualify. Qualification takes place at the national level, with trials being run by individual countries based on their own standards; thus, not all athletes are allowed to compete in every competition due to strict quality standards set by each country’s committee.
Why Everyone Should Watch
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Since then, the games have been held every four years (with a few exceptions) and have grown to become one of the most anticipated sporting events in the world. Today, the games are watched by billions of people around the globe and feature some of the most talented athletes in the world. Whether you’re a fan of track and field, swimming, gymnastics, or any other sport, there’s something for everyone at the Olympics. So make sure to tune in this summer to catch all the action!
If you aren’t familiar with what the Olympics are, they are an event where nations from across the globe send their best athletes to compete against each other in various sports that fall under three main categories—athletics (track and field), aquatics (swimming), and gymnastics. There is also an additional category called Paralympics, which includes sports played by athletes with physical disabilities as well as a special winter version of these games known as The Winter Olympic Games. Athletes get points for how far they progress through tournaments in their particular sport based on how fast they can run or swim, for example, how high they can jump or how close they can get to objects with certain skills like balance. When adding up all their scores together, countries with top scores win medals.
How to Watch for Free?
The first step is to find a good spot to watch the Opening Ceremonies. Make sure you have a clear view of the television and enough comfortable seating for everyone at your party. The next step is to gather some snacks and drinks for everyone to enjoy during the show. Once the Olympics are underway, there are a few ways to watch for free. One way is to use an antenna to watch NBC, which is broadcasting the games this year. Another way is to stream the Olympics on your computer or mobile device. Finally, if you have a cable or satellite subscription, you can watch the Olympics on NBC Sports Network or MSNBC.
Conclusion
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Since then, the Summer Games have been held every four years, with the exception of 1916, 1940, and 1944, due to World Wars I and II. The most recent Summer Olympics were held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The next Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo was awarded the 2020 Summer Olympics on September 7, 2013. They will host the games for a second time, having previously hosted them in 1964. Tokyo has successfully hosted many international events in the past, including the 1970 Asian Games, 1975 Pan American Games, 1980 All-Africa Games, and 1994 Women’s Volleyball World Championship. In addition to this impressive resume of hosting international events since 1964, it is worth noting that Tokyo has also hosted many global sporting events such as the 2005 World Aquatics Championships (swimming), 2009 Rugby World Cup (rugby union), 2014 WTA Finals (tennis), 2015 Rugby World Cup Sevens (rugby union) and 2017 Women’s Hockey Champions Trophy (field hockey). Furthermore, Tokyo has proven its ability to manage large crowds effectively by holding Expo ’70 with an estimated attendance of 27 million people. Lastly, it should be noted that the 2020 Summer Olympics are being built on land where no previous Olympic venues exist; instead, they are being constructed from scratch. It remains to be seen how these factors will affect both the economy and accessibility of this event.
