Olympic Games

OLYMPIC SYMBOLS

1) The Flag made its debut in 1920. On the white background there are five rings which symbolise the five continents. 2) The Flame is a symbol taken from the Ancient Olympics. In 1936, for the first time, the flame was transported from Greece to an Olympic town via torch relay. 3) Motto: " Citius, altius, fortius" is a Latin phrase meaning " faster, higher, stronger". 4) Oath: At the beginning of each Games an athlete makes the promise to play fairly in front of the others while he/she is holding a corner of the Olympic flag. 5) Creed: "The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle".

A) Answer the questions:

1) When were the first OG held and where? 2) Which rules did they follow? 3) Which events did the athletes compete in? 4) What happened to the OG in 393 AD? 5) What is the connection between the Frenchman, Baron de Coubertin and the OG? 6) Where were the first OG held in 1896? 7) When were athletic events for women introduced? 8) There are two kinds of OG, when were the first Winter OG held? 9) Name 5 Olympic symbols and tell some interesting facts about them.

Olympic Games HISTORY

It is difficult to separate myth from reality, but it is thought the first Olympics were held in 776 BC in Greece and they became an important event. After that date they were held every four years and became such a regular event. The Olympic rules were very strict. Foreigners couldn´t compete and women couldn´t even watch, partly because the athletes were naked. The athletes were only unmarried Greeks from wealthy families. Winners didn't get medals but crowns of olive leaves. At first there was only one event- running race of 200 metres, then a race of about 4.5 km, horse riding, chariot racing, wrestling, throwing the discus, javelin, jumping. In AD 393 the Olympics were stopped, when they were banned by Emperor Theodosius I. Theodosius was a Christian and disliked the games which were pagan origins. It took more than a thousand years until the next Games happened.

MODERN GAMES

It was Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin who was interested in Olympic ideals and founded the modern Olympics. He tried to find the reason why his nation was defeated in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). His conclusion was that the Prussian soldiers were in much better physical condition than the French. Coubertin thought that a regular meeting of nations to compete in athletics would prevent war. Other European nations liked the idea, and in 1896 the first Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. More than two hundred men from 14 countries tried to win medals in 43 events. Women began to compete in swimming in 1912 and in 1928 also in athletics. In June 1914, the now-famous emblem of five coloured rings on the white background was adopted. It was designed by Baron de Coubertin. In 1924, the first Winter Olympics were held in France. It was in the same year as the Summer Games. But now they are held two years apart. The first Paralympic Games were held in Rome in 1960 and since then they have been held a few weeks after the Olympic Games and they have become a well-known sporting event for handicapped athletes from all over the world. Nowadays, the Olympics are usually watched on TV by millions of people all over the world.