Overview of the Olympics :: Sports History Athletics Essays

Overview of the Olympics The Olympic Games are an international sports competition. In the Olympics, athletes play in many types of games. Some athletes compete in the Summer Olympics. Some compete in the Summer Olympics. The Olympic Games are very old and have a very interesting history. The first Olympic Games were held in Greece in ancient times. They probably began in the sixth century B.C. The contests are held every four years in the summer. The first games lasted for only one day. There was only one contest. It was a short race. Only Greek men were allowed to run in the race. Women were not allowed to watch the games either, or to be anywhere near the gaming area. Other events were added later, swimming. But the ancient games were stopped in the fourth century, A.D., when Greece was ruled by Rome. The Olympics were started again in the nineteenth century, after Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a Frenchman, who later being recognized as the Father of Modern Olympics, suggested that it would be good to have the game again, but not just for Greek People. De Coubertin organized a meeting in 1894. Representatives from nine countries went to the meeting in Paris. They agreed to start the Olympic Games again in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The Olympic Games have been held every four years since 1896. Three times, the games were not held because of a world war. There were no games in 1916, 1940, and 1944. The first competition in modern times was held in Athens, but not all of the games have been held there. The Olympic Games are held in many different cities around the world. The 2008 Olympic will be held in Beijing, China. Baron de Coubertin also started a committee to run the Olympics. This committee is called the International Olympic Committee (IOC). It has offices in Lausanne, Switzerland. The Committee has made many decisions that affect the modern Olympics. In 1912, the Committee decided to allow women to compete. In 1924, a second group of games was begun. These new games were played in the winter of each Olympic year. The IOC also makes the rules for athletes in the Olympics. The events and games of the Olympics are of several different types. There are individual contests, where each athlete plays alone. To win this type of contests, one athlete must be better, faster, or stronger than other athletes.