In this post, learn a little about the history and modalities of Olympics.
The term Olympic games refers to a city in ancient Greek called Olympia, where sports were practiced in the periods between wars. The occurrence of the Olympics was also related to religious rites and worship of the gods.
Every four years, competitors from hundreds of countries around the world are gathered in a host country chosen by the Olympic Committee with the objective of competing in a set of different sports, an event we call Olympics.
The symbol of the Olympics represents, through five intertwined rings, the union of all peoples and races, through the representation of the five continents and their respective colors. The principles of the Olympic Games are harmony, peace, friendship, respect and good relationships between peoples, as well as the Olympic spirit, that is, the spirit of overcoming difficulties and competition.
Currently, the Olympics are divided into Winter Olympics, Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games, all with the aim of to bring together the best athletes from different countries around the world, in a harmonious event that exalts competition and the overcoming of athletes.
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The city of Olympia was considered a sacred place, commonly used in religious ceremonies and rituals, as well as being the host of the ancient Olympic Games; thus, Olympia was at the center of the ancient Greek civilization, due to its culture and religion.
According to experts, the ancient Olympic Games consisted of a religious festival held at a religious site.
The ancient Olympics were not just about sports practice, but part of a superior culture.
According to Greek Mythology, Zeus, the king of the Greek gods, would have inhabited Olympia around 1200 BC After to lose a battle, Zeus would have marked his ascension by hurling a bolt of lightning into the sacred grove of his Mt. Olympus.
A city-state called Elis, whose administrative center was located about a day from walk north of the city of Olympia, hosted the Olympic Games for most of its cycle of life. Although the local stadium accommodated more than 40,000 people during the Games' heightened popularity, the city has always remained an extremely rural setting.
Elis' stadium was a big empty space that wasn't used most of the time, becoming, in times without the Olympics, just a wheat field.”
From its first edition in 776 BC to 550 BC, the Olympics were held in places considered to be true sanctuaries. Zeus' sacred olive tree, from which the victory wreaths were cut, marked the finish line for all disciplines. The first stadium, which was a simple field, also remained within the deified area. More than 150 wells have been discovered dating from that time and indicate that, even at the beginning of the Olympic Games, they attracted a lot of attention.
In the fourth century BC, the third renovation of the stadium was carried out. The venue has become more modern, and spectator turnout has increased about twice. The stadium's position had also been altered, with events no longer ending inside the altar of Zeus.
Despite the renovation, the place did not lose its religious potency during the vast majority of the 1000+ years of the Old Games, with its versatility and diversity being the key to its survival and success.
Although the city of Olympia was a shrine to Zeus, he was not the only deity worshiped there. There were more than 70 different altars, for sacrifices to any deities.
While the Hellenic people maintained a permanent presence in the city of Olympia, the place was transformed, for one week a year, from an essentially peaceful place in the cultural and religious center of Greece. Anyone who wanted to get a large audience from all over the Greek world migrated to Olympia. Painters, artists and teachers went there to gain prestige and exposure.
The fourth renovation of the stadium took place in the 1st century AD, with chariot racing returning to the schedule in AD 17, when the popularity of the games soared. Interest peaked in the next century and the fifth and final renovation of the stadium took place.
Throughout these renovations, the length of the stadium's track remained constant. Mythology tells that the length of 192.2 meters of the track is due to the fact that this was the distance that the hero Hercules could run with a single inspiration.
In addition to the competition, training was also held in Olympia. In the beginning, everything took place outdoors, but during the Hellenistic period the lecture and gym were built. Venue of wrestling, boxing, pankration and long jump practitioners, the main feature of the lecture was that it was a large and square covered patio.
The gym was an elongated rectangle with space for javelins and discus throwers to practice their disciplines.
In the Roman period, these training facilities, as well as the rest of the site, became in addition to the religious aspect, a tourist attraction throughout the year, becoming a place of appreciation of Greek art old.
After many centuries of obscurantism and low popularity, the French historian and professor Pierre de Frédy, known as Baron de Coubertin, rescued the memory of games. At first, in 1892, the aristocrat exposed a project to revive the Olympics, but it was not very successful. However, two years later, on the premises of the Sorbonne University in Paris, with representatives of 13 countries, the Greeks affirmed an agreement in which they would host in Athens the return of the Olympic Games.
At the Paris Congress in 1894, the control and organization of the modern Olympic Games were entrusted to the International Olympic Committee, responsible for maintaining the regular celebration of the Olympic Games, as the Games are held in the spirit that inspired their renaissance and promoting the development of sports throughout the world. Since its resurgence, the Olympic Games have been held every four years in different countries.
In the classic version of the Olympic Games, called Summer Games, in which ice sports are not played, it has the following modalities, which range from 36 sports:
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