Where are the modern Olympic Games held? The first ever Olympic Games

Modern society spoiled by the huge variety of available entertainment and therefore demanding. It easily gets carried away by new amusements and just as quickly loses interest in them in pursuit of new, still unusual toys. Therefore, those pleasures that managed to hold the attention of a fickle public for a long time can be considered truly strong attractions. A striking example– sports competitions of different nature, from team games to paired martial arts. And the title of chief “guard” is rightfully borne by the Olympic Games. For several millennia, these multi-type competitions have attracted the attention of not only professional athletes, but also fans of various sports disciplines, as well as simply lovers of a colorful, memorable show.

Of course, the Olympic Games were not always as expensive and high-tech as they are today. But they have always been spectacular and fascinating, starting from their very appearance during Antiquity. Since then, the Olympic Games have been suspended several times, they have changed their format and set of competitions, and have been adapted for athletes with disabilities. And by today, a regular two-year cycle has been established. organizational system. For how long? History will show this. But now the whole world looks forward to each new Olympic Games. Although few spectators, watching the intense rivalry of their sports idols, guess how and why the Olympic Games appeared.

The Birth of the Olympic Games
The cult of the body inherent in the ancient Greeks became the reason for the appearance of the first sports games on the territory of ancient city-states. But it was Olympia that gave the holiday its name, which has stuck for centuries. Beautiful and strong bodies were glorified from theater stages, immortalized in marble and displayed in sports arenas. An ancient legend says that the Games were first mentioned by the Delphic Oracle around the 9th century. BC e., which saved Elis and Sparta from civil strife. And already in 776 BC. The first pan-Greek Olympic Games were held, founded by the godlike hero Hercules himself. It was a truly large-scale event: a celebration of physical culture, religious worship and simply affirmation of life.

Even the wars sacred to the Hellenes were suspended during the Olympic competitions. The seriousness of the event was arranged accordingly: the date of its holding was set by a special commission, which, through ambassadors-spondophoros, notified the inhabitants of all Greek city-states about its decision. After this, their best athletes went to Olympia to train and polish their skills for a month under the guidance of experienced mentors. Then, for five days in a row, the athletes competed in the following types of physical exercise:
This set can be considered the first composition of Olympic sports from Antiquity. Their champions, the winners of the competition, received truly divine honors and, until the next Games, enjoyed special respect from their compatriots and, according to rumors, from Zeus the Thunderer himself. In their homeland they were greeted with songs, sung in hymns and honored at banquets, with obligatory sacrifices made on their behalf to the supreme gods. Their names became known to every Greek. But the competition was tough, the competition was serious, and the level of physical fitness of the competitors was very high, so few managed to retain the laurels of the winner the following year. Those same unique heroes, who three times turned out to be the best of the best, had a monument erected in Olympia and equated to demigods.

A distinctive feature of the ancient Olympic Games was the participation in them not only of athletes, but also of artists. The ancient Greeks did not categorize human achievements at all and enjoyed life in all its manifestations. Therefore, the Olympic Games were accompanied by performances by poets, actors and musicians. Moreover, some of them did not refuse to show themselves in sports - for example, Pythagoras was a champion in fist fighting. The artists sketched key events and images of athletes, spectators admired the combination of physical and spiritual beauty, and enjoyed an abundance of delicious food and drinks. Sounds like a modern day workout, doesn't it? But before modern level The organization of the original Olympic Games was still a long way off. This is confirmed by the unfortunate cessation of their history, albeit temporary.

Banning the Olympic Games
So, cheerfully and amicably, exactly 293 ancient Olympics were held over 1168 years. Until in 394 AD. The Roman Emperor Theodosius the First “Great” did not ban the Olympic Games by decree. According to the Romans, who brought and imposed Christianity on the Greek lands, shameless and noisy sports competitions were the embodiment of a pagan, and therefore unacceptable, way of life. You could even say that they were right in their own way. After all, religious ceremonies in honor of the gods of Olympus were an integral part of the Games. Each athlete considered it his duty to spend several hours at the sacrificial altar, offering prayers and making sacrifices to the divine patrons. Mass ceremonies accompanied the opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, as well as the awarding of the winners and their triumphant return home.

The Greeks even adjusted the calendar to accommodate their favorite sports, cultural and entertainment event, creating the so-called “Olympic calendar.” According to him, the holiday should have been held in " holy month", beginning on the first full moon after summer solstice. The cycle was 1417 days, or the Olympiad - that is, the ancient Greek “Olympic year”. Of course, the warlike Romans were not going to put up with this state of affairs and free-thinking in society. And although the Olympic Games still continued after Rome conquered the lands of Hellas, the pressure and oppression of Greek culture inevitably affected them, gradually leading to complete decline.

A similar fate befell other, less significant, but similar in principle, sporting events. They start from about the 6th century. BC were regularly held in honor of various gods and were named after the place where they were held: Pythian Games, Isthmian Games, Nemean Games, etc. Mention of them, along with the Olympic Games, can be found in Herodotus, Plutarch, Lucian and some other ancient authors. But none of these competitions went down in history so firmly, did not influence the development of European culture so much, and were not subsequently restored to their rights as the Olympic Games.

Revival of the Olympic Games
Christian dogmas ruled European continent more than one and a half thousand years, during which there was no question of holding the Olympic Games in their classical format. Even the Renaissance, which revived ancient values and cultural achievements, turned out to be powerless in this matter. And only at the end of the 19th century, that is, relatively recently, the restoration of the ancient Greek traditions of physical culture became possible. This event is associated with the name of Pierre de Coubertin. This 33-year-old French baron, who had succeeded in his teaching and literary career and social activities, considered regular sports competitions an excellent opportunity to strengthen mutual understanding throughout the world in general and raise the national consciousness of his compatriots in particular.

In June 1894, de Coubertin spoke at the international congress at the Sorbonne with a proposal to revive the Olympic Games. The proposal was received with enthusiasm, and the International Olympic Committee was created at the same time. general secretary who was appointed by de Coubertin himself. And after two years of preparation, in 1896, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, the capital of the cradle of the Olympic Games. And with great success: 241 athletes from 14 countries, the leaders of these countries, and the flattered Greek government were very pleased with the sporting event. The IOC immediately established a rotation of venues for the Olympics and a 4-year interval between the Games.

Therefore, the second and third Olympic Games were held already in the twentieth century, in 1900 and 1904, in Paris (France) and St. Louis (USA), respectively. Even then, their organization adhered to the Charter of the Olympic Games, approved by the International Sports Congress. Its main provisions remain unchanged today. In particular, those related to the serial numbering of the Games, their symbols, venues and some other technical and organizational issues. As for Olympic sports, their list is not constant and changes from time to time, sometimes including or excluding some individual items. But basically today there are 28 (41 disciplines) sports:

Rowing
Badminton
Basketball
Boxing
Struggle
Freestyle wrestling
Greco-Roman wrestling
Cycling
Cycling track racing
Mountain bike (Mountain bike)
Road cycling
Swimming
Water polo
Diving
Synchronized swimming
Volleyball
Beach volleyball
Handball
Artistic gymnastics
Rhythmic gymnastics
Jumping on a trampoline
Golf
Kayaking and canoeing
Rowing slalom
Judo
Dressage
Show jumping
Triathlon
Athletics
Table tennis
Sailing
Rugby
Modern pentathlon
Archery
Tennis
Triathlon
Taekwondo
Weightlifting
Fencing
Football
Field hockey

By the way, modern pentathlon was also created on the initiative of de Coubertin. He also founded the tradition, later enshrined in the Olympic Charter, of holding demonstration competitions in 1-2 sports not recognized by the IOC. But the baron’s idea to hold art competitions at the Olympic Games did not catch on. But the personal Pierre de Coubertin Medal is still awarded by the International Olympic Committee for “outstanding manifestations of the Olympic sports spirit.” This award is a special honor for an athlete, and many value it much higher than an Olympic gold medal.

By the way, the Olympic medal was also born along with the modern Olympic Games and can be considered the brainchild of de Coubertin’s inexhaustible enthusiasm and ingenuity. After all, the ancient Greeks awarded their athletes not with medals at all, but with any other prizes: olive wreaths, gold coins and other jewelry. One of the kings even granted the winning athlete his state. IN modern world such waste is unthinkable, because all the principles of awarding and the award system of the Olympic Games since 1984 are clearly stated in the Olympic Charter.

Development of the Olympic Games. Paralympic and Winter Olympic Games.
The Olympic Charter is a kind of charter containing the rules of the Olympic Games and the activities of the IOC, as well as reflecting the very concept and philosophy of the Olympics. At the beginning of its existence, it still allowed adjustments and amendments. In particular, since 1924 it has also regulated the holding of the Winter Olympic Games, or “White Olympics,” conceived as a supplement to the main summer games. The first Winter Olympics were held in Sweden, and then for almost a century they were regularly held in the same years as the Summer Olympics. And only in 1994 the tradition began to separate the summer and winter Olympics from each other by a two-year interval. Today the Olympic winter games include the following 7 winter (15 disciplines) sports:

Biathlon
Curling
Skating
Figure skating
Short track
Alpine skiing
Nordic combined
Ski racing
Ski jumping
Snowboard
Freestyle
Bobsled
Luge
Skeleton
Hockey

A little earlier, in 1960, the IOC decided to hold competitions among athletes with disabilities. They were called the Paralympic Games due to the general term for spinal diseases. But later it was reformulated into the Paralympic Games and explained by “parallelism”, equality with the Olympic Games, since athletes with other diseases began to compete. By their example, they demonstrate the moral and physical strength necessary for a full life and sports victories.

Rules and traditions of the Olympic Games
The scale and significance of the Olympic Games has surrounded them with many traditions, nuances and social myths. Each regular competition is accompanied by the close attention of the world community, funds mass media and private fans. For for many years The conduct of the Games has indeed acquired many rituals, most of which are recorded in the Charter and strictly observed by the IOC. Here are the most significant of them:

Symbol of the Olympic Games– 5 multi-colored rings fastened together, placed in two rows, implies the union of the five parts of the world. In addition to it, there is the Olympic motto “Faster, higher, stronger!”, the Olympic oath and additional symbols that accompany the Games when they are held in each individual country.
Opening and closing of the Olympic Games- this is a grandiose performance that has become a kind of unspoken competition between the organizers in the scope and high cost of this action. No expense is spared in staging these ceremonies, using expensive special effects, inviting the best scriptwriters, artists and world celebrities. The inviting party makes great efforts to ensure spectator interest.
Financing of the Olympic Games– the responsibility of the organizing committee of the inviting country. Moreover, income from the broadcast of the Games and other marketing events within their framework are transferred to the IOC.
Country, A more precisely the city, the holding of the next Olympic Games is determined 7 years before their date. But 10 years before the event, candidate cities provide the IOC with applications and presentations with evidence of their advantages. The acceptance of applications lasts for a year, then, 8 years before the event, the finalists are named, and only then the IOC members, by secret ballot, appoint a new host of the Olympics. All this time, the world has been tensely awaiting a decision.
Most The Olympic Games were held in the USA - 8 Olympics. France hosted the Olympics 5 times, and Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Italy and Canada 3 times each.
Olympic champion title– the most honorable thing in the career of any athlete. Moreover, it is given forever, “former Olympic champions"It doesn't happen.
Olympic Village- This is the traditional habitat of delegations from each country participating in the Olympics. It is being built by the organizing committee according to the requirements of the IOC and accommodates only athletes, coaches and support staff. Thus, you get a whole town, with its own infrastructure, training grounds, post offices and even beauty salons.

The Olympic Games, from their very origins in the depths of Antiquity, were based on the principles of fairness and equality of participants. They took an oath before the start of the competition and were afraid to even think about breaking it. Modernity makes its own adjustments to ancient traditions, both to the transmission and perception of information. But still, the Olympic Games today, at least formally, remain not only mass entertainment, but also the embodiment of the ideas of health, beauty and strength, as well as fair competition and respect for the best of the best.

Modern youth devote little time to sports, not only at the professional but also at the amateur level. An extensive network of competitions operates to popularize the sport. Today we will look at which country the Olympic competitions originated in, when they were held, and the situation today.

Sports competitions of antiquity

The date of the first Olympic Games (hereinafter referred to as the Olympic Games) is unknown, but remains them - Ancient Greece. The heyday of Hellenic statehood led to the formation of a religious and cultural holiday, which for a time united the layers of selfish society.

Worship of the beauty of the human body was actively cultivated; enlightened people sought to achieve perfection of form. It is not for nothing that most marble statues from the Greek period depict beautiful men and women of that time.

Olympia is considered the first “sports” city of Hellas; here, the winners of the championships were revered as full-fledged participants in hostilities. In 776 BC. revived the festival.

The reason for the decline of the Olympic Games is Roman expansion into the Balkans. With the spread of the Christian faith, such holidays began to be considered pagan. In 394, Emperor Theodosius I banned sports competitions.

Attention! Sports competitions provided for several weeks of neutrality - it was forbidden to declare or wage war. Every day was considered sacred dedicated to the gods. It is not surprising that the Olympic Games originated in Hellas.

Prerequisites for the revival of the Olympic Games

The ideas of world championships never completely died; England held tournaments and sports competitions of a local nature. The history of the 19th century Olympic Games is characterized by the holding of Olympia, the predecessor of modern competitions. The idea belongs to the Greeks: To Sutsos and public figure Zappas. They made the first modern Olympic Games possible.

Archaeologists have discovered clusters of ancient monumental structures of unknown purpose in the country where sports competitions originated. of those years he was very interested in Antiquity.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin considered the physical training of soldiers inappropriate. In his opinion, this was the reason for the defeat in last war with the Germans (Franco-Prussian confrontation 1870-1871). He sought to instill in the French a desire for self-development. He believed that young people should “break spears” in sports arenas, and not through military conflicts.

Attention! Excavations on the territory of Greece were carried out by a German expedition, so Coubertin succumbed to revanchist sentiments. His expression “The German people found the remains of Olympia. Why shouldn’t France restore the fragments of its former power?”, often serves as fair evidence.

Baron with a big heart

is the founder modern Olympic Games. Let's spend a few words on his biography.

Little Pierre was born on January 1, 1863 in the capital of the French Empire. The youth passed through the prism of self-education, attended a number of prestigious colleges in England and America, and considered sport an integral part of the development of a person as an individual. He played rugby and was a referee in the first final of the French championship.

The history of the famous competitions was of interest to the society of that time, so Coubertin decided to hold competitions on a global scale. November 1892 was remembered for his presentation at the Sorbonne University. It was dedicated to the revival of the Olympic movement. Russian general Butovsky was imbued with Pierre's ideas, as he held the same views.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) appointed de Coubertin as Secretary General, and subsequently president of the organization. Work went hand in hand with imminent marriage. In 1895, Marie Rotan became a baroness. The marriage brought two children: the first-born Jacques and daughter Renee suffered from illnesses nervous system. The Coubertin family was interrupted after the death of Marie at the age of 101. She lived with the knowledge that her husband had revived the Olympic Games and occupied a prominent position.

With the beginning, Pierre went to the front, leaving social activities. Both of his nephews died on the way to victory.

While serving as head of the IOC, Coubertin often faced criticism. The public was outraged by the “wrong” interpretation of the first Olympic Games and excessive professionalism. Many claimed that he abused his power in dealing with various issues.

Great public figure died September 2, 1937 year in Geneva (Switzerland). His heart became part of a monument near the ruins of Greek Olympia.

Important! The Pierre de Coubertin Medal has been awarded by the IOC since the death of the honorary president. Deserving athletes are recognized with this award for their generosity and adherence to the spirit of Fair Play.

Revival of the Olympic Games

The French baron revived the Olympic Games, but the bureaucratic machine delayed the championship. Two years later, the French Congress made a historic decision: the first Olympic Games of our time will take place on Greek soil. Among the reasons for this decision are:

the desire to “outdo the nose” of a German neighbor;
make a good impression on civilized countries;
championship in an undeveloped area;
the growing influence of France as a cultural and sports center of the Old World.

The first Olympic Games of modern times took place in the Greek polis of Antiquity - Athens (1896). The sports competition was a success; 241 athletes expressed a desire to participate. The Greek side was so pleased with the attention from world states that they proposed to hold the competition “forever” in their historical homeland. The IOC decided on rotation between countries in order to change the host country every 4 years.

The first achievements gave way to a crisis. The stream of spectators quickly dried up, as the competitions were held for several months. The first Olympics in 1906 (Athens) saved the disastrous situation.

Attention! The national team came to the capital of France for the first time Russian Empire, women were allowed to participate in competitions.

Irish Olympian

James ConnollyJames Connolly – first Olympic champion peace. Working hard from an early age, he became interested in contact sports.

He studied at Harvard University and, without permission, went on a cargo ship to the shores of Greece. Subsequently he was expelled, but the first Olympiad succumbed to him.

With a result of 13 m and 71 cm, the Irishman was the strongest in the athletics triple jump. A day later, he won bronze in the long jump and silver in the high jump.

At home, he was awaited by the restored title of student, popularity and universal recognition as the first modern champion of famous competitions.

He was awarded the title of Doctor of Science in Literature (1949). He died at the age of 88 (January 20, 1957).

Important! The Olympic Games are held under the supervision of a unique symbol - five interconnected rings. They symbolize the unity of everyone in the movement of sports improvement. At the top are blue, black and red, at the bottom are yellow and green.

Situation today

Modern competitions are the founder of the culture of health and sports. Their popularity and demand is beyond doubt, and the number of participants and spectators of the competition is growing every year.

The IOC is trying to keep up with the times and has established many traditions that have taken root over time. Sports competitions are now full of atmosphere"ancient" traditions:

Grand performances at the opening and closing ceremonies. Everyone tries to carry them out in a big way, some of them overdo it.
Ceremonial passage of athletes from each participating country. The Greek team always goes first, the rest are in alphabetical order.
The outstanding athlete of the receiving party must take an oath of fair fight for everyone.
Lighting of a symbolic torch in the Temple of Apollo (Greece). It travels across participating countries. Each athlete must complete his part of the relay.
The presentation of medals is filled with centuries-old traditions, the winner rises to the podium, above which he rises national flag, the national anthem plays.
A prerequisite is the “first Olympics” symbolism. The receiving party designs a stylized symbol sports festival, which would reflect the national color.

Attention! Issue souvenir products may cover the costs of the event. Many European countries will share their experience on how to gain without losing anything.

Many people are wondering when there will be olympic games, we hasten to satisfy the interest of readers.

Symbolic torch lighting ceremony in the temple

What year is the new championship?

First Olympics 2018 will take place on the territory South Korea. Climatic features and its rapid development have made it an ideal candidate to host the Winter Games.

Summer is hosted by Japan. The country of high technology will provide safety and comfortable conditions for athletes from all over the world.

The football confrontation will take place on the fields Russian Federation. Now most of the sports facilities have been completed, construction work is underway hotel complexes. Improving infrastructure is a priority for the Russian government.

2018 Olympics in South Korea

Prospects

Modern ways of developing these competitions suggest:

Increasing the number of sports disciplines.
Propaganda healthy image life, social and charitable events.
Introduction of advanced technologies for the convenience of celebrations, increased security, and comfort of participating athletes.
Maximum distance from foreign policy intrigues.

First Olympic Games

1896 Olympics

Conclusion

Pierre de Coubertin is the founder of the modern Olympic Games. His obsession has helped save millions of lives as countries compete openly in the sporting arena. Preserving peace was a priority at the end of the 19th century, and remains so today.

In the 18th century, during archaeological excavations in Olympia, scientists discovered ancient sports facilities. But archaeologists soon stopped studying them. And only 100 years later the Germans joined the study of the discovered objects. At the same time, for the first time they started talking about the possibility of reviving the Olympic movement.

The main inspirer of the revival of the Olympic movement was the French baron Pierre de Coubertin, who helped German researchers study the discovered monuments. He also had his own interest in the development this project, since he believed that it was the weak physical training French soldiers became the reason for their defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. In addition, the baron wanted to create a movement that would unite young people and help establish friendly relations between different countries. In 1894, he voiced his proposals at an international congress, where it was decided to hold the first Olympic Games in their homeland - in Athens.

The first Games became a real discovery for the whole world and were a huge success. In total, 241 athletes from 14 countries took part in them. The success of this event inspired the Greeks so much that they proposed making Athens the venue for the Olympics on a permanent basis. However, the first International Olympic Committee, which was founded two years before the start of the first Games, rejected this idea and decided that it was necessary to establish rotation between states for the right to host the Olympics every four years.

The First International Olympic Games took place from April 6 to April 15, 1896. Only men took part in the competition. 10 sports were taken as a basis. These are classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting, fencing. In all these disciplines, 43 sets of medals were competed. The Greek Olympians took the lead, the Americans came in second, and the Germans took bronze.

The organizers of the first Games wanted to make them a competition among amateurs, in which professionals could not take part. After all, according to members of the IOC committee, those athletes who have a financial interest initially have an advantage over amateurs. And this is not fair.

The next Olympic Games will be held in late summer 2012. The previous competition took place two years ago - it was the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Despite the fact that these were already the 21st Winter Olympic Games, several “premieres” took place at them.

The emblem of the games was a hero named Ilanaak - “friend”, made up of five stones of Olympic colors. Two of the games' mottos were borrowed from the Canadian anthem: the French phrase "Most Brilliant Deeds" and the English phrase "With Burning Hearts."

Amendments were made to the original opening scenario for the Olympics. A few hours before the ceremony, news of a tragedy became known: a luge athlete from Georgia crashed during training. The ceremony included a minute of silence, and the Georgian national team came out wearing mourning bands.

During the lighting of the Olympic flame, a small incident occurred. For the first time, four athletes took part in the procedure. But due to a technical failure, only three “grooves” appeared leading to the main torch. However, during the closing ceremony this situation was played out ironically. The same guilty “electrician” appeared on the stage, he apologized and removed the missing fourth element in the design of the Olympic flame.

The main stadium for the games was BC-Place in downtown Vancouver, designed for 55 thousand spectators. In addition, some competitions took place in Whistler, Richmond and West Vancouver.

From February 12 to 28, 82 teams competed for prizes in 15 disciplines. Compared to the previous Olympic Games, the list of disciplines has been expanded: ski cross competitions have been added, separately for men and women.

The medals at the Vancouver Winter Olympics were unique, stylized in the traditions of Indigenous art in Canada. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, the awards were not flat, but with a wavy surface.

The Russians remember these games as one of the most unsuccessful for the national team. The Winter Olympics became a record failure - the Russians showed the worst results in terms of the number of gold medals and place in the team event. In the medal standings, the team was only 11th in the table. The hosts of the XXI Winter Olympic Games took first place in terms of the number of gold medals, Germany took second place, and the US team took third place.

From February 12 to February 28, 2010, the XXI Olympic Winter Games were held in the Canadian city of Vancouver. These two weeks have been filled with many sporting events. Participants and spectators became heroes and witnesses of victories and defeats, doping scandals, the struggle for Olympic medals and, unfortunately, even tragic events. This Olympics for the Russian team became the most unsuccessful in the entire history of the Games.

From the very beginning, the Olympic Games in Vancouver were marked by an absurd tragedy: even before the opening of the Games, several athletes were injured on the luge and bobsleigh track, and a young promising athlete from the Georgian team, Nodar Kumaritashvili, died after crashing into a metal support. Therefore, the opening ceremony of the Olympics began with a minute of silence.

But then events developed according to plan, despite too warm weather and problems with demonstrators and strikers protesting against globalization. The very next day, the usual Olympic routine began, the first official competition took place - K-90 ski jumping, in the final of which the Swiss Simon Ammann won, who opened the scoring for Vancouver's medals.

Russian skiers did not start their performances very well, and as a result they only got fourth places, which the coaches explained by a poor selection of ski wax. The first Olympic medal for the Russian team was won by speed skater Ivan Skobrev, who took third place in the 5 km distance.

The Russian team continued to be plagued by failures: biathlete Niyaz Nabeev, on whom great hopes were pinned, was suspended from participation in the competition due to higher level hemoglobin in the blood. In the first match with the Finns, the Russian hockey players lost with a score of 1:5 and actually immediately dropped out of the fight for medals. For the first time in many years, there were no Russian athletes in the pairs competition either.

The first gold for Russia was won by sprint skiers Nikita Kryukov and Alexander Panzhinsky only on the 5th day of the Olympics. Evgeni Plushenko, who was predicted to have gold in figure skating, took only second place, which also became an unpleasant surprise and a reason for long debate. Success accompanied the ice dancers, skiers in the team sprint, biathletes and lugers, who added several more medals to the Russian team's treasury. For the first time in the history of Russian sports, Ekaterina Ilyukhina won a gold medal in snowboarding. In the unofficial team competition, the Russian team was only 11th in terms of the number of Olympic medals.

Vancouver passes the torch at the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games Russian city Sochi. Let's hope it's the next one

Older than Christ

The very first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC, in Ancient Greece, on the banks of the small river Anfeya, in the village of Olympia. The program of the first Olympics consisted of only one discipline - running 193 meters (one stage). Only naked men took part in the competition, and they were not even allowed to wear sandals. Women were forbidden to be present at the stadium, with the only exception being the priestess of the goddess Demeter.

Expanding the repertoire

The Olympic Games were held every four years, during which a truce was declared between warring states and cities, and all wars were prohibited. At each Olympics, new types of competitions appeared: running not only a stage, but also two stages (diaulos), and 24 stages (dolichodromo), running in combat clothing and with weapons, throwing a dart at a target, long jumping with dumbbells, discus throwing, fisticuffs, pentathlon. The winners of the Olympics were revered no less than the Gods; they were given statues and gifts.

There will be no more demonic games!

The Olympic Games were held for 1168 years, and already in 394 AD, the Roman Emperor Theodosius the First banned the competition, citing the fact that it was pagan entertainment. And 128 years later, as a result powerful earthquake Olympic buildings were razed to the ground.

Only in the 18th century did excavations begin in the area of ancient Olympia, and only in late XIX century, the scientist Baron Pierre de Coubertin, inspired by the works of the French archaeologist Ernst Curtius, revived the Olympic Games and wrote a set of rules for their holding - the Olympic Charter.

Return of the Olympics

Thus, the first Olympic Games of modern times were competitions held in Athens on April 6, 1896. Athletes from 13 countries took part in the competition: Australia, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden. Russian athletes were unable to take part in the competition due to financial difficulties. The Olympic program included nine sports disciplines: classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. More than 80 thousand spectators were present at the new recreated stadium.

IN new history Several Olympic Games did not take place due to world wars: VI Olympic Games in Berlin (1916), XII Olympic Games in Helsinki (1940), XIII Olympic Games in London (1944). But, despite this, the numbering of the Games is preserved, and not a single Games is considered lost.

The emergence of winter games

Since 1924, the Olympic Games have been divided into winter and summer. This is how the numbering of the winter Olympics began (I Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix) and continued with the summer ones (VIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris). And in 1992 last time The winter and summer Olympics were held in the same year. The next XVII Winter Olympic Games were held two years later (1994) in Lillehammer, and the XXVI Summer Olympics two years later (1996) in Atlanta.

The first Olympic Games took place in Olympia in 776 BC. This date has survived to this day thanks to the custom of the ancient Greeks to engrave the names of Olympic champions (they were then called Olympians) on marble columns that were installed on the banks of the Alpheus River. The marble preserved not only the date, but also the name of the first winner. He was Korab, a cook from Elis. The first 13 games involved only one type of competition - running one stage. According to Greek myth, this distance was measured by Hercules himself, and it was equal to 192.27 m. This is where the well-known word “stadium” came from. Initially, athletes from two cities took part in the games - Elisa and Pisa. But they soon gained enormous popularity, spreading to all Greek states. At the same time, another wonderful tradition arose: throughout the Olympic Games, the duration of which was constantly increasing, there was a “sacred truce” for all the fighting armies.

Not every athlete could become a participant in the games. The law prohibited slaves and barbarians from performing at the Olympics, i.e. to foreigners. Athletes from among free-born Greeks had to register with the judges a year before the opening of the competition. Immediately before the opening of the Olympic Games, they had to provide evidence that they had been preparing for the competition for at least ten months, keeping in shape with daily exercise. Only exceptions were made for the winners of previous Olympic Games. The announcement of the upcoming Olympic Games caused extraordinary excitement among the male population throughout Greece. People were heading to Olympia in droves. True, women were prohibited from attending the games under penalty of death.

Program of the ancient Olympics

Gradually, more and more new sports were added to the games program. In 724 BC. Diaul was added to the race of one stage (stadiodrome) - a race over a distance of 384.54 m, in 720 BC. – dolichodrome or 24-stage run. In 708 BC. The program of the Olympic Games included the pentathlon, consisting of running, long jump, wrestling, discus and javelin throwing. At the same time, the first wrestling competitions took place. In 688 BC. included in the Olympic program fist fight, after two more Olympics - a chariot competition, and in 648 BC. – the most brutal type of competition is pankration, which combines wrestling and fist fighting techniques.

The winners of the Olympic Games were revered as demigods. Throughout their lives, they were given all kinds of honors, and after their death, the Olympian was ranked among the host of “small gods.”

After the adoption of Christianity, the Olympic Games began to be perceived as one of the manifestations of paganism, and in 394 BC. Emperor Theodosius I banned them.

The Olympic movement was revived only at the end of the 19th century, thanks to the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin. And, of course, the first revived Olympic Games took place on Greek soil - in Athens, in 1896.