What are the Olympics?

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The Olympics are big sporting events held every four years where athletes from around the world come together to compete for their nation. Not only is it a chance to see who are the best athletes, but it is a wonderful way for the world to come together in the spirit of sportsmanship and unity.

The tradition of the Olympic Games comes from ancient Greece. In the city of Olympia, they held an event every four years, in part to honor the Greek gods. These games were not only sports competitions, but a place for poets, artists and playwrights to share their work. Out of these festivities, the Olympics were born!

The Olympics of Ancient Greece were held for many years but eventually declined and did not take place for almost 2,000 years. But don’t worry, they made a come back! In 1894 the International Olympic Committee was formed and in 1896 the official Olympic Games returned. Hooray!

While the original Olympics were only held in the summer, today we have Winter and Summer Games. The games now happen every two years and rotate between Winter and Summer Games, with different sports being played at each one. The Olympics also take place in a new city each time! For example the last Summer Games took place in Beijing in 2008 and in 2012 they will be in London. This year, the 2010 Winter Games are being held in Vancouver, Canada from February 15th to February 28th!

 

Olympic Symbols:

Some Olympic traditions that you may recognize are the Olympic torch, Opening and Closing Ceremonies, Gold, Silver and Bronze medals and the Olympic Flag with 5 rings. The five rings are said to represent the 5 Continents that participate: Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania (representing Australia, New Zealand, and islands in the Pacific Ocean) and the Americas (North America and South America together). Can you think of a continent that was left out? Antarctica! Why? Because no one lives there permanently so there are no competitors.

What are some of your favorite sports? Do you know if they are played at the Winter or Summer Games?

Skiing, hockey, figure skating, speed skating and ski jumping are some of the sports that are played at the Winter Games.

The Summer Games feature Track and Field, gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, swimming and more!!