Hosting the first Olympic Games. History of Olympic Games

Olympic Games

1 Ancient Olympic Games

2 Revival of the Olympic Games

3 Modern Olympic Games

3.1 Summer Olympic Games medalists in the team event
3.2 Winners of the Winter Olympic Games in the team event
3.3 Amateur spirit
3.4 Funding
3.5 Olympic venues

Olympic Games- largest international complex sports competitions, which are held every four years. A tradition that existed in Ancient Greece, was revived at the end 19th century French public figure Pierre de Coubertin. Olympic Games, also known as Summer Olympics, were carried out every four years, starting from 1896 , with the exception of years falling on world wars. IN 1924 were established Winter Olympic Games, which were originally held in the same year as the summer ones. However, starting from 1994, the timing of the Winter Olympic Games has been shifted by two years relative to the timing of the Summer Games.

In the same venues of the Olympic Games, two weeks later, Paralympic Games for people with disabilities.

Ancient Olympic Games

Olympic Games Ancient Greece were a religious and sports festival held in Olympia. Information about the origin of the games has been lost, but several myths have survived that describe this event. From history, many documents, buildings and sculptures of that period have come to us. If you look closely, we will notice that all the statues of that period show human bodies and not just any bodies, but beautiful ones. During that period of history, the cult of beautiful forms for buildings and the cult beautiful bodies. “A healthy mind in a healthy body,” this is how one of the ideas and reasons for the appearance of such beautiful sculptures can be described. Sports and athletic competitions began already in this ancient period. The winners of the competitions were revered as heroes in war. The first documented celebration dates back to 776 BC. They were established by Hercules, although it is known that games were held earlier. During the games, a sacred truce (έκεχειρία ), at this time it was impossible to wage war, although this was repeatedly violated. The Olympic Games significantly lost their importance with the arrival of the Romans. After Christianity became the official religion, games began to be seen as a manifestation of paganism, and in 394 AD. e. they were banned by the emperor Theodosius I.

Revival of the Olympic Games

Baron Pierre de Coubertin

Even after the ban on ancient competitions, the Olympic idea did not disappear forever. For example, in England during 17th century“Olympic” competitions and competitions were held repeatedly. Later, similar competitions were organized in France And Greece. However, these were small events that were, at best, regional in nature. The first true predecessors of the modern Olympic Games are the Olympias, which were held regularly during the period 1859 -1888. The idea of reviving the Olympic Games in Greece belonged to the poet Panagiotis Soutsos, brought it to life by a public figure Evangelis Zappas.

In 1766, as a result of archaeological excavations in Olympia, sports and temple buildings were discovered. In 1875, archaeological research and excavations continued under German leadership. At that time, romantic-idealistic ideas about antiquity were in vogue in Europe. The desire to revive Olympic thinking and culture spread quite quickly throughout Europe. French Baron Pierre de Coubertin ( fr. Pierre de Coubertin), later reflecting on the contribution of France, said: “Germany unearthed what remained of ancient Olympia. Why can't France restore its old greatness?

According to Coubertin, it was the weak physical condition of the French soldiers that became one of the reasons for the defeat of the French in Franco-Prussian War 1870 -1871 . He sought to change the situation by improving the physical culture of the French. At the same time, he wanted to overcome national egoism and contribute to the struggle for peace and international understanding. The “youth of the world” had to measure their strength in sports competitions, and not on the battlefields. Reviving the Olympic Games seemed in his eyes the best solution to achieve both goals.

At the congress held June 16-23, 1894 in Sorbonne(University of Paris), he presented his thoughts and ideas to an international audience. On the last day of the congress it was decided that first modern Olympic Games should take place in 1896 in Athens, in the parent country of the Games - Greece. To organize the Games, it was founded International Olympic Committee(IOC). The first president of the Committee was a Greek Demetrius Vikelas, who was president until graduation I Olympic Games 1896. Baron Pierre de Coubertin became the General Secretary.

Poster for the first Olympic Games

The first Games of our time were a great success. Despite the fact that only 241 athletes (14 countries) took part in the Games, the Games became the largest sporting event ever held since Ancient Greece. Greek officials were so pleased that they put forward a proposal to hold the Olympic Games “forever” in their homeland, Greece. But the IOC introduced rotation between different states so that every 4 years the Games change their location.

After the first success, the Olympic movement experienced its first crisis. II Olympic Games 1900 V Paris (France) And III Olympic Games 1904 V St. Louis (Missouri, USA) were combined with World exhibitions. Sports competitions dragged on for months and attracted almost no interest from spectators. At the 1900 Olympics in Paris, women and a team participated for the first time Russian Empire. Almost only American athletes participated in the 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, since Europe getting across the ocean in those years was very difficult for technical reasons.

On Extraordinary Olympic Games 1906 In Athens (Greece), sporting competitions and achievements once again took first place. Although the IOC initially recognized and supported these " intermediate Games"(just two years after the previous ones), these Games are now not recognized as Olympic Games. Some sports historians consider the 1906 Games to be the salvation of the Olympic idea, as they prevented the games from becoming “meaningless and unnecessary.”

Modern Olympic Games

The principles, rules and regulations of the Olympic Games are defined Olympic Charter, the fundamentals of which have been approved International Sports Congress V Paris V 1894 , who accepted at the suggestion of a French teacher and public figure Pierre de Coubertin the decision to organize the Games on the model of the ancient ones and to create International Olympic Committee(IOC). According to the charter, the Olympic Games “... unite amateur athletes from all countries in fair and equal competition. There shall be no discrimination against countries or individuals on racial, religious or political grounds...” Besides olympic sports, the organizing committee has the right to choose to include in the program exhibition competitions in 1-2 sports not recognized by the IOC.

Games of the Olympics, also known as Summer Olympics, are held in the first year of the 4-year (Olympic) cycle. The Olympiads are counted from 1896 when the first Olympic Games took place (I Olympiad - 1896-99). The Olympiad also receives its number in cases where the games are not held (for example, VI - in 1916-19, XII - 1940-43, XIII - 1944-47). The term "Olympiad" officially means a four-year cycle, but unofficially it is often used instead of the name "Olympic Games" . In the same years as the Olympic Games, with 1924 were carried out Winter Olympic Games, which have their own numbering. In the numbering of the Winter Olympic Games, missed games are not taken into account (behind the IV games 1936 followed by V games 1948 ). Since 1994, the dates of the Winter Olympic Games have been shifted by 2 years relative to the summer ones.

The location of the Olympics is chosen by the IOC; the right to organize them is granted to the city, not the country. The duration of the Games is on average 16-18 days. Taking into account the climatic characteristics of different countries, the Summer Games can be held not only in summer months" So XXVII Summer Olympic Games 2000 V Sydney (Australia), due to Australia’s location in the Southern Hemisphere, where summer begins in December, were held in September, that is, in the fall.

Symbol of the Olympic Games- five fastened rings, symbolizing the unification of the five parts of the world in the Olympic movement, i.e. the Olympic rings. The colors of the rings in the top row are blue, black and red. In the bottom row - yellow and green. The Olympic Movement has its own emblem and flag, approved by the IOC upon proposal Coubertin V 1913 . The emblem is the Olympic rings. Motto - Citius, Altius, Fortius (lat. "faster, higher, stronger"). Flag- a white banner with the Olympic rings, raised at all Games, starting with VII Olympic Games 1920 V Antwerp (Belgium), where it also began to be given for the first time olympic oath. The parade of national teams under the flags at the opening of the Games is held from IV Olympic Games 1908 V London (Great Britain). WITH Olympics-1936 V Berlin (Germany) relay race is held olympic flame. Olympic mascots first appeared at the 1968 Summer and Winter Games unofficially, and have been approved since the 1972 Olympics.

Among the traditional rituals of the Games (in the order in which they are held):

grandiose and colorful opening and closing ceremonies of the Games. From year to year, the best of the best from all over the world are involved in developing scripts for these shows: screenwriters, organizers of mass shows, special effects specialists, etc. Many famous singers, actors and other very eminent people are eager to take part in this spectacle. Broadcasts of these events break records of viewership every time. Each country organizing the Olympics strives to surpass all previous ceremonies in the scope and beauty of these ceremonies. Ceremony scripts are kept in the strictest confidence until they begin. Ceremonies take place in central stadiums with a large capacity, where competitions are held. athletics (exception: 2016 Summer Olympics, where central Stadium

, will host football finals, without athletics).

opening and closing begin with a theatrical performance, which should present to the audience the appearance of the country and city, acquaint them with their history and culture. ceremonial passage of athletes and members of delegations through the central stadium. Athletes from each country go in a separate group. Traditionally, the delegation of athletes from Greece, the parent country of the Games, goes first. Other groups are in order according to

alphabetical order names of countries in the language of the host country of the Games. (Or in the official IOC language - French or English). At the front of each group is a representative of the host country, carrying a sign with the name of the respective country in the language of the host country of the Games and in the official languages of the IOC. Behind him at the head of the group is a standard bearer - usually an athlete participating in the games, carrying the flag of his country. The right to carry the flag is highly honorable for athletes. As a rule, this right is trusted to the most titled and respected athletes. utterance welcome speeches the president of the IOC (mandatory), the head or official representative of the state in which the Games are taking place, sometimes the mayor of the city or the chairman of the Organizing Committee. The latter at the end of the speech must utter the words: “(

serial number

Games) Summer (Winter) Olympic Games I declare open.”

After which, as a rule, a gun salvo and many volleys of fireworks and fireworks are fired. raising the flag of Greece as the parent country of the Games with the performance of its national anthem. Raising the flag of the host country of the Games and singing its national anthem. uttered by one of the outstanding athletes of the country in which the Olympics are taking place, olympic oath

the pronouncement by several judges on behalf of all judges of an oath of impartial judging;

raising the Olympic flag with the playing of the official Olympic anthem.

sometimes - raising the flag of Peace (a blue banner depicting a white dove holding an olive branch in its beak - two traditional symbol of peace), symbolizing the tradition of stopping all armed conflicts during the Games.

crowns the opening ceremony with lighting olympic flame. The fire is lit from sun rays V Olympia (Greece) in the Temple pagan greek god Apollo greek god(in Ancient Greece considered the patron of the Games). "High Priestess" Hera says a prayer with the following content: “ Apollo , god of the sun and the idea of light, send your rays and light the sacred torch for the hospitable city ... (name of the city)" .“The Olympic torch relay took place all over the world until 2007. Now, for the purposes of the anti-terrorism campaign, the torch is carried only in the country in which the games are taking place. From country to country, the torch is delivered by plane, and in each country an athlete or other figure from that country runs his part The relay is of great interest in all countries through which the Olympic flame passes. The first part of the relay passes through the cities of the host country of the Games. to the host city. The athletes of this country deliver the torch to the central stadium at the very end of the ceremony. At the stadium, the torch is carried around the circle several times, passing from hand to hand, until it is given to the athlete who is entrusted with the right to light the Olympic flame. This right is the most honorable. The fire is lit in a special bowl, the design of which is unique for each Olympics. Also, the organizers always try to come up with original and

interesting way ignition. The bowl is located high above the stadium. The fire must burn throughout the Olympics and is extinguished at the end of the closing ceremony. presentation to winners and runners-up of competitions medals on a special podium with a lift national flags

During the closing ceremony there is also a theatrical performance - farewell to the Olympics, the passage of participants, a speech by the IOC President and a representative of the host country. However, the closure of the Olympics is already announced by the IOC President.

This is followed by the singing of the national anthem, the Olympic anthem, while the flags are lowered. A representative of the host country solemnly hands over the Olympic flag to the IOC President, who in turn hands it over to a representative of the Organizing Committee of the next Olympiad. This is followed by a short introduction to the next city hosting the Games. 1932 At the end of the ceremony, the Olympic flame slowly goes out to lyrical music. WITH the host city is building "

olympic village » - a complex of residential premises for game participants. The organizers of the Games are developing the symbols of the Olympics: the official emblem and mascot of the Games. The emblem usually has a unique design, stylized according to the characteristics of the country. The emblem and mascot of the Games are an integral part

souvenir products 1908 , produced in large quantities ahead of the Games. Revenue from sales of souvenirs can make up a significant part of the income from the Olympics, but they do not always cover expenses.

According to the charter, the Games are a competition between individual athletes and not between national teams. However, with

the so-called unofficial team standings - determining the place occupied by teams based on the number of medals received and points scored in competitions (points are awarded for the first 6 places according to the system: 1st place - 7 points, 2nd - 5, 3rd - 4, 4 -e - 3, 5th - 2, 6th - 1).	Summer Olympic Games medalists in the team event	ROI number	Year	1st place
			2nd place	Germany
		France		Great Britain
			Germany	3rd place
		Great Britain		Greece
			Greece	Great Britain
		Cuba
			Greece	Great Britain
			Sweden	France
			Germany	Sweden
			did not take place due to World War 1	France
		Germany		Finland

		Italy
			Greece	France
			Hungary	Finland
		Hungary		Australia
		Hungary		did not take place due to World War 1
			Hungary	did not take place due to World War 2
			Hungary	did not take place due to World War 2
		Hungary
		Hungary
		Hungary		USSR
			Japan
		Hungary
		Bulgaria		Germany
			Romania	Germany
			Romania	United team
			United team	Romania
		United team		Romania
			United team	Great Britain

Russia

the so-called unofficial team standings - determining the place occupied by teams based on the number of medals received and points scored in competitions (points are awarded for the first 6 places according to the system: 1st place - 7 points, 2nd - 5, 3rd - 4, 4 -e - 3, 5th - 2, 6th - 1).	Summer Olympic Games medalists in the team event	ROI number	Year	1st place
		China	Sweden	Winners of the Winter Olympic Games in the team event
		China		Greece
			China	Greece
		China	Germany	Greece
		Italy
		Italy
		China	Greece	Norway
		China		Sweden
		Hungary	Winners of the Winter Olympic Games in the team event	Sweden
		Hungary	Germany
		Hungary	Winners of the Winter Olympic Games in the team event	China
		China	Hungary	France
		Hungary		Norway
		Hungary
		Hungary
			Hungary
		Hungary		Norway
		Germany	Bulgaria	China
		Romania	China	Germany
		Germany	China	Romania
		China	Germany
		Germany		Winners of the Winter Olympic Games in the team event
		Austria	Germany

Switzerland Canada Rank Olympic champion is the most honorable and desirable in a career athlete in those sports for which the Olympics are held tournaments. Cm.

Hungary Olympic sports . The exceptions are football, baseball, and other team sports that take place in open areas, since either youth teams (football - up to 23 years old) take part in them, or due to the busy game schedule, not the strongest players come. participated in summer games V beginning with 1952 Olympics Helsinki V Cortina d'Ampezzo. After collapse of the USSR on 1992 Summer Olympics V Barcelona athletes of the countries CIS, including Russia, participated in a united team under a common flag, and starting from Winter Olympics 1994 V Lillehammer- in separate teams under their own flags.

A number of Games took place from Boycott the Olympics for political and other protest reasons. The boycott of the summer was especially widespread. 1980 Olympics V Moscow(from Western countries) and 1984 Olympics V Los Angeles(from the countries of the socialist camp).

amateur spirit

Coubertin originally wanted to make the Olympic Games amateur a competition in which there is no place for professionals who play sports for money. It was believed that those paid to play sports had an unfair advantage over those who practiced sports as hobby. They didn't even allow trainers and those who received cash prizes for participation. In particular, Jim Thorpe V 1913 was stripped of his medals - it was discovered that he played semi-professionally baseball.

After the war, with the professionalization of European sports and the emergence of state-subsidized Soviet “amateurs” on the international stage, the requirement for amateurism in most sports fell away. At the moment, the Olympic Games are amateur boxing(fights follow the rules of amateur boxing) and football(youth team competitions - all players except three must be under 23 years old).

Financing

The financing of the Olympic Games (as well as their direct organization) is carried out by the Organizing Committee created in the country where the games are held. The bulk of commercial income from the Games (primarily funds from the largest sponsors of the IOC marketing program and income from television broadcasts) goes to the International Olympic Committee. In turn, the IOC allocates half of these funds to the organizing committees, and uses half for its own needs and the development of the Olympic movement. The organizing committee also receives 95% of the proceeds from ticket sales. But the bulk of funding in recent decades has, as a rule, come from government sources, and the main costs are not for hosting games, but for developing infrastructure. Thus, the bulk of the costs of the Olympic Games in London in 2012 fell on the reconstruction of areas adjacent to the Olympic Park.

Greece is truly a magical country. There, the wind plays in the olive groves, the waves gently caress the shores, and the generous sun allows nature to turn green and bloom even in winter. It seems that this fertile land is saturated with some kind of extraordinary ether, helping people create the beautiful and eternal. Greece, ancient Hellas gave the world so many great scientists, architects, poets, thinkers! It is not surprising, therefore, that the very first Olympics in the world took place there.

Olympian gods and ancient Hellenes

Ancient Hellas was a pagan country. The people there worshiped various gods, the most powerful of which was Zeus. He and his “colleagues” in the heavenly pantheon lived on Mount Olympus and were called Olympians. The Hellenes built temples for them, organized ritual ceremonies and even sacrifices. Zeus was especially revered. During the time when the first Olympics took place, Hellas was often at war. We had to repel the attacks of the invaders and seize new lands ourselves. And internecine clashes constantly occurred, because Hellas was divided into dozens of regions. Each of them considered itself a small state with its own rules and ambitions. In those years, the people highly valued physical strength, agility and endurance, because without them it was difficult to survive in battles. Therefore, men were extremely proud of their muscular bodies and wore clothes that did not hide their biceps. In Hellas there was even a certain cult of the strong and healthy body. It was the thirteenth century BC...

How the Olympic Games were born

The history of the first Olympics is rich in myths and legends. The most popular of them is about King Iphit. He was a brave Argonaut and good king who wanted prosperity for their people. Around 885-884 BC, a plague swept through Hellas, claiming thousands of lives. And then there were endless civil strifes. Iphit decided to go to Delphi to the oracle. He wanted to know how to achieve peace in Hellas, at least for a little while. a short time. The oracle advised to occupy the warlike Hellenes with competitions pleasing to the gods. During their holding, no one was supposed to take up arms, and the competitions themselves were supposed to be held fairly and openly. Iphit rushed to Sparta to the local king Lycurgus. The Spartans attached great importance physical exercise, and Lycurgus, although he did not favor Iphitus, agreed to measure his strength. Having agreed, the two rulers drew up an agreement, the text of which was minted on an iron disk. This great event happened in 884 BC. It is a pity that Hercules subsequently threw such a good king from a cliff.

and Hercules

There is another myth about how the first Olympics came about. The year then was 1253 BC. Elis, a small region in the Peloponnese, was ruled by the treacherous and deceitful Augeas. He owned a huge herd, but never harvested from his animals. Hercules was tasked with clearing the stables of tons of dirt that had accumulated there in one day. He demanded part of the herd for this, and Augeias agreed. No one believed that Hercules could handle it, but he did. To do this, he directed rivers into the stables, changing their courses. Augeas was pleased, but did not give what he promised. The hero left empty-handed and with a desire for revenge. After a while he returned to Elis and killed Augeas. To celebrate, Hercules made sacrifices to the gods, planted an olive grove and organized competitions in honor of the powerful Zeus. This was the first Olympics in Greece. There are other myths about this event, for example, that the Olympics were organized by Hercules in honor of his victory over Kronos, who swallowed his sons.

Olympia - birthplace of the first Olympics

Olympia was appointed as the venue for the Olympics. This is an area in Elis, hundreds of kilometers from Mount Olympus. Here was the legendary olive grove Altis with the altar of the mighty Zeus. It was bordered by a wall and was considered sacred. There was also already a temple of Zeus here, where rituals were carried out for hundreds of years. Later, by the fifty-second Olympics, a new temple was founded. It provided for training palestras, gymnasiums, houses for guests and athletes, prototypes. Statues of the winners were also installed there. On one of them the date was carved - 776. This is exactly how scientists who excavated Olympia in the 19th century established when the first Olympics took place. The stadium for the competition was located at the foot of Mount Kronos. On its slopes there were stands that could accommodate up to 45 thousand spectators. This grandiose complex was completed more than a hundred years later, somewhere around 460 BC. The new temple stood safely for 8 centuries, and in 406 it was destroyed by Theodosius II, who hated everything pagan. Nature completed the defeat of Olympia, destroying everything that still remained in two powerful earthquakes, and then flooded with an unprecedented flood of rivers.

Rules of the first Olympics, still in effect today

The modern Olympics are significantly different from those held more than 3,000 years ago. However, some rules are still preserved. The main one is the fairness of the competition. Now athletes take an oath of allegiance to Olympic traditions. Previously, there were no oaths, but if an athlete was caught cheating, he was expelled in disgrace, and copper coins were cast from the fine money he had to pay. Before the start of the competition, they were shown to the participants as a sign of edification. The second immutable rule is to hold the Olympics once every four years. Then the Greeks introduced a special calendar called the Olympic year. It was exactly equal to the usual four. One more thing important rule past and present Olympics - to cease hostilities during their holding. Unfortunately, even when the first Olympics took place, it is not adhered to at all now. In other respects, the first Olympics are very different from the current ones.

Rules of the first Olympics, no longer existing

Now representatives of all countries and peoples can compete. When the first Olympics took place, the rules prohibited non-Greeks, the poor, as well as slaves and women from participating in the competition. The latter did not even have the right to attend the competitions. Otherwise, they could have been thrown off the cliff.

In the entire ancient history of the Olympics, only one Ferenia was able to get there. She was her son's fist fighting coach. Ferenia dressed up for the games men's suit. Her son won, and the woman gave herself away in a surge of joy. She was not thrown off the cliff only because the people stood up. But from then on, all trainers of athletes, the so-called Hellanodics, had to be naked to the waist. An athlete who wished to participate in competitions reported this a year in advance. All this time he trained intensively, passed the established standards, and if he passed, he trained for another month with a special trainer. Interestingly, there was no Olympic flame at the first Olympics; this “ancient” tradition was invented in the 20th century. In Hellas they held torch-running, but not in Olympia, but in Athens - at various festivals.

Types of competitions of the first Olympics

The first Olympics in Greece took place only one day and included a race of 192.14 meters, the so-called one stage, equal to 600 feet of Zeus. According to legend, Hercules himself measured the distance. From the 14th Olympics, stage 2 races were introduced, and from the 15th - endurance races. The distance included from 7 to 24 stages. Since the 18th, wrestling and pentathlon (pentathlon), consisting of wrestling, running, javelin and discus throwing, have been included in the regulations. Athletes performed standing long jumps holding cobblestones in their hands. When they landed, they were thrown back. It was believed that this would improve the result. The spear was thrown at the target, and the disc was thrown from a special elevation. From the 23rd they appeared in the program fist fights, and from the 25th - chariot racing. The 33rd Olympiad further expanded the program. Now athletes competed in horse, colt and donkey racing and mutilated themselves in pankration (something like our fights without rules). In total, 293 Olympics took place. Thanks to Theodosius II, they were forgotten, but in 1896 the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin revived the glorious tradition.

How the Winter Olympics were born

The first Winter Olympics took place in France in 1924. Pierre de Coubertin wanted to include figure skating in the program of the first renewed Olympics, but this happened only in 1908. Figure skating included 4 disciplines. Our Russian Panin-Kolomenkin won the free program. Thus began the history of the first Winter Olympics. The IOC proposed to include a week in the Olympic Games program winter species sports. But the Swedes, who hosted the 5th Olympics, refused, because they already had such competitions. They justified the refusal by the fact that there were no winter competitions in ancient Greece. The 6th Olympics took place in 1916 and did not take place. At the 7th IOC included figure skating and hockey in the program. The year 1924 arrived. The Olympics were hosted by the French, who did not object to winter sports. The competition aroused great interest, and the IOC finally approved the law on the Winter Olympics, and the past competitions were given the status of “I Winter Olympic Games.”

Further development of the Olympic movement

The first Winter Olympics had a fairly broad program. It included hockey, curling, figure skating, speed skating, bobsleigh, several types of cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Now the list of disciplines has been expanded to include freestyle, luge and alpine skiing, skeleton, snowboarding and short track speed skating. At first, the winter competitions took place simultaneously with the summer ones, but later they were shifted by 2 years. The list of participating countries has also expanded significantly. Nowadays they compete not only northern peoples, but also representatives of African countries. The popularity of the Olympic movement is growing every year. Now regional Olympics are also held, and in 2015 the first European Olympic Games will be held in Baku.

BAKU, April 6 – Sputnik. One hundred and twenty years ago, the first modern Summer Olympic Games opened in Athens, Greece. The 1896 Olympic Games were held from April 6 to 15 in Athens, Greece.

On June 23, 1894, a commission to revive the Olympic Games met in the Great Hall of the Sorbonne in Paris. Her general secretary became Baron Pierre de Coubertin. Then the International Olympic Committee - the IOC - was formed, which included the most authoritative and independent citizens of different countries.

The first modern Olympic Games were originally planned to be held in the same stadium in Olympia that hosted the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. However, this required too much restoration work, and the first revived Olympic competitions took place in the Greek capital, Athens.

Already on April 6, 1896, at the restored ancient stadium in Athens, the Greek King George declared the first Olympic Games of our time open. The ceremony was attended by 60 thousand spectators.

The date was not chosen by chance - on this day, Easter Monday coincided in three directions of Christianity at once - Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. This first opening ceremony of the Games established two Olympic traditions - the opening of the Games by the head of state where the competition is taking place, and the singing of the Olympic anthem. However, such indispensable attributes modern Games, like the parade of participating countries, the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame and the recitation of the Olympic oath, there was no; they were introduced later. There was no Olympic village; invited athletes provided their own housing.

241 athletes from 14 countries took part in the Games of the First Olympiad: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary (at the time of the Games, Hungary was part of Austria-Hungary, but Hungarian athletes competed separately), Germany, Greece, Denmark, Italy , USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden.

Russian athletes were quite actively preparing for the Olympics, but due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to the Games.

As in ancient times, only men took part in the competitions of the first modern Olympics.

The program of the first Games included nine sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, Athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. 43 sets of awards were drawn.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletic competitions. Athletics competitions became the most popular - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. Largest quantity species - 9 - won by representatives of the USA.

First Olympic champion became American track and field athlete James Connolly, winner of the triple jump with a score of 13 meters 71 centimeters.

Wrestling competitions were held without uniform approved rules for conducting fights, and there were also no weight categories. The style in which the athletes competed was close to today's Greco-Roman, but it was allowed to grab the opponent's legs. Only one set of medals was played among five athletes, and only two of them competed exclusively in wrestling - the rest took part in competitions in other disciplines.

Since there were no artificial swimming pools in Athens, swimming competitions were held in an open bay near the city of Piraeus; the start and finish were marked by ropes attached to the floats. The competition aroused great interest - by the start of the first swim, about 40 thousand spectators had gathered on the shore. About 25 swimmers from six countries took part, the majority naval officers and sailors of the Greek merchant fleet. Medals were awarded in four events, all swims were “freestyle” - you were allowed to swim in any way, changing it along the course. At that time, the most popular swimming methods were breaststroke, overarm (an improved way of swimming on the side) and treadmill style. At the insistence of the organizers of the Games, the applied swimming event was also included in the program - 100 meters in sailor's clothing. Only Greek sailors took part in it.

In cycling, six sets of medals were awarded - five on the track and one on the road. The track races took place at the Neo Faliron velodrome, specially built for the Games.

Eight sets of awards were competed for in the artistic gymnastics competitions. The competition took place outdoors at the Marble Stadium.

Five sets of awards were awarded in shooting - two in rifle shooting and three in pistol shooting.

Tennis competitions took place on the courts of the Athens Tennis Club. Two tournaments were held - singles and doubles. At the 1896 Games there was no requirement that all team members represent the same country, and some pairs were international.

Weightlifting competitions were held without division into weight categories and included two disciplines: squeezing a ball barbell with two hands and lifting a dumbbell with one hand.

Three sets of awards were competed for in fencing. Fencing became the only sport where professionals were allowed: separate competitions were held among “maestros” - fencing teachers (“maestros” were also admitted to the 1900 Games, after which this practice ceased).

The culmination of the Olympic Games was the marathon running. Unlike all subsequent Olympic marathon competitions, the marathon distance at the Games of the First Olympics was 40 kilometers. The classic marathon distance is 42 kilometers 195 meters. The first to finish with a result of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds was the Greek postman Spyridon Louis, who after this success became national hero. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on including marathon running in the program of the Games, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food for a year, free tailoring of a dress and the use of a hairdresser throughout his life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

The winners were awarded on the closing day of the Games - April 15, 1896. Since the Games of the First Olympiad, the tradition of singing the national anthem and raising the national flag in honor of the winner has been established. The winner was crowned with a laurel wreath, given a silver medal, an olive branch cut from the Sacred Grove of Olympia, and a diploma made by a Greek artist. Second place winners received bronze medals. Those who took third place were not taken into account at that time, and only later the International Olympic Committee included them in the medal standings among countries, but not all medalists were determined accurately.

The Greek team won the largest number of medals - 45 (10 gold, 17 silver, 18 bronze). Team USA was second - 20 awards (11+7+2). The third place was taken by the German team - 13.

In Paris, in the Great Hall of the Sorbonne, a commission to revive the Olympic Games met. Baron Pierre de Coubertin became its general secretary. Then the International Olympic Committee, the IOC, was formed, which included the most authoritative and independent citizens of different countries.

On April 6, 1896, in the restored ancient stadium in Athens, the Greek King George declared the first Olympic Games of modern times open. The opening ceremony was attended by 60 thousand spectators.

The date of the ceremony was not chosen by chance - on this day, Easter Monday coincided with three directions of Christianity at once - Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. This first opening ceremony of the Games established two Olympic traditions - the opening of the Games by the head of state where the competition is taking place, and the singing of the Olympic anthem. However, such indispensable attributes of modern Games as a parade of participating countries, the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame and the recitation of the Olympic oath did not exist; they were introduced later. There was no Olympic village; invited athletes provided their own housing.

Russian athletes were quite actively preparing for the Olympics, but due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to the Games.

As in ancient times, only men took part in the competitions of the first modern Olympics.

The program of the first Games included nine sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. 43 sets of awards were drawn.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletic competitions.

Athletics competitions became the most popular - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - were won by representatives of the United States.

The first Olympic champion was American athlete James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 meters 71 centimeters.

Medals were awarded in four events, all swims were held “freestyle” - you were allowed to swim in any way, changing it along the course. At that time, the most popular swimming methods were breaststroke, overarm (an improved way of swimming on the side) and treadmill style. At the insistence of the Games organizers, the program also included an applied swimming event - 100 meters in sailor's clothing. Only Greek sailors took part in it.

In cycling, six sets of medals were awarded - five on the track and one on the road. The track races took place at the Neo Faliron velodrome, specially built for the Games.

Eight sets of awards were competed for in the artistic gymnastics competitions. The competition took place outdoors at the Marble Stadium.

Five sets of awards were awarded in shooting - two in rifle shooting and three in pistol shooting.

Weightlifting competitions were held without division into weight categories and included two disciplines: squeezing a ball barbell with two hands and lifting a dumbbell with one hand.

The highlight of the Olympic Games was the marathon running. Unlike all subsequent Olympic marathon competitions, the marathon distance at the Games of the First Olympics was 40 kilometers. The classic marathon distance is 42 kilometers 195 meters. The Greek postman Spyridon Louis finished first with a result of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds, who became a national hero after this success. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on including marathon running in the program of the Games, a barrel of wine, a voucher for free food for a year, free tailoring of a dress and the use of a hairdresser throughout his life, 10 centners of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

Those who took third place were not taken into account at that time, and only later the International Olympic Committee included them in the medal standings among countries, but not all medalists were determined accurately.

The Greek team won the largest number of medals - 45 (10 gold, 17 silver, 18 bronze). Team USA came second with 20 medals (11+7+2). The third place was taken by the German team - 13 (6+5+2).

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

If yes, you might be very interested to know impressive details of the origins of the Olympic races. The history of the Olympic Games is fascinating and full of surprises. So, let's dive into the uncharted waters of the world Olympiads?

How it all began

The famous Olympic Games in honor of Olympian Zeus originated in Ancient Greece and were held from 776 BC. e. every 4 years in the city of Olympia. Sports competitions were such a great success and of great importance for society that for a while OlimpiyskOuchthe races stopped the wars and ekehiriya - a sacred truce - was established.

People flocked to Olympia from everywhere to watch the competition: some traveled on foot, some on horseback, and some even sailed by ship to distant lands just to get a glimpse of the majestic Greek athletes. Entire tent settlements grew up around the city. To watch the athletes, spectators completely filled the hillsides around the Alpheus River valley.

After the solemn victory and the award ceremony (presentation of a wreath of sacred olives and a palm branch), the Olympian lived happily ever after. Holidays were held in his honor, hymns were sung, statues were made, and in Athens the winner was exempted from taxes and burdensome public duties. And the winner was always given the best seat in the theater. In some places, even the children of an Olympian enjoyed special privileges.

Interesting, that women were not allowed to participate in Olympic competitions under penalty of death.

The brave Hellenes competed in running, fist fighting (which Pythagoras once won), jumping, javelin throwing, and so on. However, the most dangerous were the chariot races. You won’t believe it, but the winner of equestrian competitions was considered the owner of the horses, and not the poor cab driver who risked his life to win.

There are many legends associated with the Olympic Games. One of them says that the first competitions were allegedly organized by Zeus himself in honor of the victory over his father. Whether this is true or not, it was Homer who first mentioned the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece in literature in the poem “The Iliad.”

Archaeological excavations indicate that in Olympia, 5 rectangular or horseshoe-shaped stadiums with stands for fans were built specifically for the competition.

Unfortunately, nothing is currently known about the time of the champions. It was enough to be the first to reach the finish line to gain the right to light the sacred fire. But legends tell us about Olympians who ran faster than hares, and just look at the talent of the Spartan Ladas, who left no traces on the sand while running.

Modern Olympic Games

Modern international sports competitions, known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every four years since 1896. The initiator was the French baron Pierre de Coubertin. He believed that it was insufficient physical training that prevented French soldiers from winning the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Young people should measure their strength on sports grounds, not on battlefields, the activist argued.

The first Olympic Games were held in Athens. To organize the competition we created International Olympic Committee, whose first president was Demetrius Vikelas from Greece.

Since then, the holding of the World Olympiad has become a good tradition. With the backdrop of impressive excavations and archaeological finds, the idea of Olympism spread throughout Europe. Increasingly, European states organized their own sports competitions, which were watched by the whole world.

What about winter sports?

To fill the gap in winter sports competitions, which were technically impossible to hold in the summer, The Winter Olympic Games have been held since January 25, 1924. The first were organized in a French city Chamonix. Except figure skating and hockey, athletes competed in speed skating, ski jumping, etc.

293 athletes, including 13 women, from 16 countries of the world expressed a desire to compete for championship in the competition. The first Olympic champion of the Winter Games was C. Jutrow from the USA (speed skating), but in the end the leaders of the competition were the teams of Finland and Norway. The race lasted 11 days and ended on February 4.

Attributes of the Olympic Games

Now the symbol and emblem The Olympic Games have five intertwined rings that symbolize the unification of the five continents.

Olympic motto, proposed by the Catholic monk Henri Dido: “Faster, higher, stronger.”

At the opening ceremony of each Olympics they raise flag- white cloth with the emblem (Olympic rings). Lights up throughout the Olympics Olympic fire, which is brought to the venue every time from Olympia.

Since 1968, each Olympiad has its own.

The 2016 Olympic Games are planned to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Ukrainian team will present their champions to the world. By the way, the first Olympic champion of independent Ukraine was a figure skater Oksana Baiul.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games are always a vibrant spectacle, which once again emphasizes the prestige and planetary importance of these worldwide competitions.