Why olympics started

This design is symbolic; it represents the five continents of the world, united by Olympism, while the six colours are those that appear on all the national flags of the world at the present time. Why is the Olympics so important? Well, the Olympics are undoubtedly a fantastic international proving ground for athletes. It gives them the opportunity to compete against athletes of a similar level on an international stage.

This gives them the opportunity to compare themselves against each other and to determine how good they are internationally. Who will host the Olympics? What is the main goal of the Olympics? The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.

Are the Olympics Greek or Roman? Olympic Games in the Roman Empire. Why are Olympics every 4 years? To respect the ancient origins of the Olympic Games, which were held every four years at Olympia.

The ones who were not competing were allowed to wander Olympia, where the games took place. There were many religious temples and statues, including the temple of Zeus which contained the Statue of Zeus. It was carved by the famed sculptor Phidias around B.

Next, on the second day there was horse and chariot races. The third day had the most religious importance. Sacrifices were made at the temple of Zeus. The fourth day was mainly strength competitions, including boxing and wrestling. Lastly, the fifth day was to celebrate the winners. There were lots of festivals and parties. Independence Hall Association, n. New World Encyclopedia, 2 Apr. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in In the opening ceremony, King Georgios I and a crowd of 60, spectators welcomed participants from 12 nations all male , who would compete in 43 events, including track and field, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, cycling, tennis, weightlifting, shooting and fencing.

The official symbol of the modern Games is five interlocking colored rings, representing the continents of North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. The Olympic flag, featuring this symbol on a white background, flew for the first time at the Antwerp Games in Some 3, athletes with more than women among them from 44 nations competed that year, and for the first time the Games featured a closing ceremony.

The Winter Olympics debuted that year, including such events as figure skating, ice hockey, bobsledding and the biathlon.

Eighty years later, when the Summer Olympics returned to Athens for the first time in more than a century, nearly 11, athletes from a record countries competed. In a gesture that joined both ancient and modern Olympic traditions, the shotput competition that year was held at the site of the classical Games in Olympia.

But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. Modern Olympic history is full of heart-thumping victories and painful defeats. From Athens to Rio, in the With icy conditions, slick surfaces and freezing temperatures, technological innovation is especially important for the athletes and organizers of the Winter Olympics. For a complete list of events, click here.

For a complete list of modern Olympic Game location sites, click here. Shown here is the stadium entrance at Olympia. Any Winter Games? The first modern Winter Olympic games were held in in Chamonix, France.

There was no winter Olympic festival in ancient times. Separate Winter Games were first authorized in to be held in , but due to World War I they didn't occur until , in Chamonix. Starting with Lillehammer in , it was decided that every other year will be an Olympic year with Summer and Winter Games alternating , rather than holding Summer and Winter Games every 4th year.