The Olympic Games are an international event of summer and winter sports, in which athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD. In the late 19th century, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was inspired by Olympic festivals to revive the Games. For this purpose, he founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, and two years later, the modern Olympic Games were established in Athens. The IOC has since become the governing body of the Olympic Movement, whose structure and actions are defined by the Olympic Charter.
Welcome to CWAnswers
CWAnswers is your guide to the sprawling world wide web. The directory aims to provide a useful guide made by users. You can share your knowledge as well - simply sign up and edit your first entry. For questions just contact the team at support - at - cwanswers.com.
Weblinks for Olympic Games
Top 10 for Olympic Games
Things about Olympic Games you find nowhere else.
Select content modules
Beijing Olympic Games 2008
Personal blog with news, results and commentary about the Games. ... Opening ceremony program of the Beijing Olympic Games. Time's 100 top Olympic athletes ...2008gamesbeijing.com/Inside the Rings | 2008 Beijing Olympic Games blog
2008 Beijing Olympic Games blog. Home. About. Archives. Aug. 24. 5:36 am ... After winning its first seven games of the Olympic tournament by an average of ...blogs.mercurynews.com/olympics/Torino 2006 Olympic Games Blog
Ramblings from Italy about the upcoming winter olympics in Torino ... Torino 2006 Olympic Games Blog. Jump to navigation. The closing ceremony of Torino 2006 ...torino2006blog.com/The Olympics Blog
... Olympics Blog. Blogging the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and beyond ... Athens Olympic Games (2) Athlete's Blogs (2) Azerbaijan (2) Barbados (2) Carol Huynh (2) ...www.theolympianblog.com/2008 Beijing Games Human Rights News
Daily reports on human rights in China during the 2008 Olympic Games ... Read the latest entry on BBC correspondent James Reynolds' blog. ...olympicgames.rsfblog.org/The Olympic Games are an international event of summer and winter sports, in which athletes compete in a wide variety of events. The Games are currently held every two years, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 5th century AD. In the late 19th century, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was inspired by Olympic festivals to revive the Games. For this purpose, he founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, and two years later, the modern Olympic Games were established in Athens. The IOC has since become the governing body of the Olympic Movement, whose structure and actions are defined by the Olympic Charter.
The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th century forced the IOC to adapt the Games to the world's changing social circumstances. Some of these adjustments included the creation of the Winter Games for ice and snow sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with physical disabilities, and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The IOC also had to accommodate the Games to the varying economical, political, and technological realities of the 20th century. As a result, the Olympics shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allow participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of the mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialization of the Games.
The Olympic Movement currently comprises international sports federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and organizing committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Olympic Games. The host city is responsible for organizing and funding a celebration of the Games consistent with the Olympic Charter. The Olympic program, consisting of the sports to be contested at each Olympic Games, is also determined by the IOC. The celebration of the Games encompasses many rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. There are over 13,000 athletes that compete at the Summer and Winter Olympics in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third place finishers in each event receive gold, silver or bronze Olympic medals, respectively.
The Games have grown in scale to the point that nearly every nation is represented. Such growth has created numerous challenges, including boycotts, doping, bribery of officials, and terrorism. Every two years, the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national, and in particular cases, international fame. The Games also constitute a major opportunity for the host city and country to promote and showcase themselves to the world.
Ancient Olympics
main: Ancient Olympic Games
thumb|left|Stadium in Olympia, Greece The origin of the Ancient Olympics is shrouded in mystery and legend. One of the most popular myths identifies Heracles and his father Zeus as the progenitors of the Games.Pausanias, "Elis 1", VII, p. 7, 9, 10; Pindar, "Olympian 10", pp. 24–77 According to legend, it was Heracles who first called the Games "Olympic" and established the custom of holding them every four years.Pausanias, "Elis 1", VII, p. 9; Pindar, "Olympian 10", pp. 24–77 A legend persists that after Heracles completed his twelve labors, he built the Olympic stadium as an honor to Zeus. Following its completion, he walked in a straight line for 200 steps and called this distance a "stadion" (Greek: στάδιον, Latin: stadium, "stage"), which later became a unit of distance. Another myth associates the first Games with the ancient Greek concept of Olympic truce (ἐκεχειρία, ekecheiria). The most widely accepted date for the inception of the Ancient Olympics is 776 BC; this is based on inscriptions, found at Olympia, of the winners of a footrace held every four years starting in 776 BC. The Ancient Games featured running events, a pentathlon (consisting of a jumping event, discus and javelin throws, a foot race and wrestling), boxing, wrestling, and equestrian events. Tradition has it that Coroebus, a cook from the city of Elis, was the first Olympic champion.


























