THE ANCIENT OLYMPICS

These games drew athletes from all parts of Greece competing as individuals not as teams. The greatest of these ancient games were the Olympics, held at Olympia. These games were held every 4 years between August 6th and September 19th. The interval between was called an Olympiad.

Olympia was not a town but a group of temples and arenas in the fields. The games were a religious occasion and also a fair. Athletes, spectator’s politicians and city leaders, artists, poets and traders set up tents and slept in the open. Women were not allowed to contend in the games. Athletes competed in the nude because one woman tried to compete pretending to be a man.

At the games there were running and jumping events, discus and javelin throwing. Boxing and wrestling events were held in front of the altar of Zeus. At the hippodrome, or race course, there were horse and chariot races.

Competition was fierce. Winners received only garlands of wild olive leave. However they were treated like heroes when they returned home to their cities. Sometimes the hero was welcomed home through a special hole knocked in the city wall and the hero would often get free seats to theatres and special events.

In 1887, 24 year old Baron Pierre de Coubertin conceived the idea of reviving the games. In 1894 his plan was accepted and the international Olympics Committee was founded. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in April 1896. Athletes from 13 nations took part in 42 events and 10 different sports.

THE MODERN OLYMPICS

Athens, Greece                                                                                             1896  

Paris, France                                                                                                 1900

St Louis, United States                                                                                1904

London, England                                                                                           1908

Stockholm, Sweden                                                                                      1912

No Games (WW1)                                                                                        1916

Antwerp, Belgium                                                                                          1920

Paris, France                                                                                                 1924

Amsterdam, Holland                                                                                     1928

Los Angeles, United States                                                                         1932

Berlin, Germany                                                                                            1936

No Games (WW2)                                                                                        1940

No Games (WW2)                                                                                        1944

London, England                                                                                           1948

Helsinki, Finland                                                                                            1952

Melbourne, Australia                                                                                     1956

Rome, Italy                                                                                                     1960

Tokyo, Japan                                                                                                 1964

Mexico City, Mexico                                                                                     1968

Munich, Germany                                                                                          1972

Montreal, Canada                                                                                         1976

Moscow, Russia                                                                                            1980

Los Angeles, United States                                                                         1984

Seoul, North Korea                                                                                       1988

Barcelona, Spain                                                                                          1992

Atlanta, United States                                                                                   1996

Sydney, Australia                                                                                          2000

Athens, Greece                                                                                             2004

Beijing, China                                                                                                2008