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 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. Fist fighting was included in the program of the Olympics, 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.
The Olympic Games, Olympic Games are the largest international complex sports competitions of our time, which are held every four years. The tradition that existed in ancient Greece was revived by a French public figure at the end of the 19th century Pierre de Coubertin. The Olympic Games, also known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every four years since 1896, with the exception of years following the World Wars. In 1924, the Winter Olympic Games were established and were originally held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. However, since 1994, the timing of the Winter Olympic Games has been shifted by two years relative to the timing of the Summer Games.
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 legends describing this event have survived. The first documented celebration dates back to 776 BC. e., although it is known that games were held earlier. During the games, a sacred truce was declared; during this time it was forbidden to wage war, although this was repeatedly violated.
The Olympic Games significantly lost their importance with the arrival of the Romans. After Christianity became 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 Idea
Even after the ban on ancient competitions, the Olympic idea did not disappear completely. For example, in England during the 17th century, “Olympic” competitions and competitions were repeatedly held. Later, similar competitions were organized in France and Greece. However, these were small events, best case scenario, regional character. The first true predecessors to the modern Olympic Games are the Olympias, which were held regularly between 1859 and 1888. The idea of reviving the Olympic Games in Greece belonged to the poet Panagiotis Soutsos, brought it to life public figure Evangelis Zappas.
In 1766, as a result archaeological excavations in Olympia, sports and temple structures 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 (French: Pierre de Coubertin) said then: “Germany has excavated what remains of ancient Olympia. Why can't France restore its old greatness?
Baron Pierre de Coubertin
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 the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. He strives to change the situation through improvement physical culture 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” were supposed 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 a congress held June 16-23, 1894 at the Sorbonne (University of Paris), he presented his thoughts and ideas to an international audience. On the last day of the congress (June 23), it was decided that the first Olympic Games of our time should be held in 1896 in Athens, in the country that founded the Games - Greece. To organize the Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded. The first president of the Committee was a Greek Demetrius Vikelas, who was president until the end of the First Olympic Games in 1896. Baron became General Secretary Pierre de Coubertin.
The first Games of our time were truly 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 the first crisis in its history. The 1900 Games in Paris (France) and the 1904 Games in St. Louis (Missouri, USA) were combined with the World Exhibitions. Sports competitions lasted for months and attracted almost no interest from viewers. Almost only American athletes participated in the Games in St. Louis, since getting from Europe across the ocean in those years was very difficult for technical reasons.
At the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens (Greece), sports competitions and results again came first. Although the IOC initially recognized and supported the holding of these "interim 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 determined by the Olympic Charter, the foundations of which were approved by the International Sports Congress in Paris in 1894, which, at the suggestion of the French educator and public figure Pierre de Coubertin, decided to organize the Games on the model of the ancient ones and to create the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
According to the charter of the Games, the Olympics “... unite amateur athletes from all countries in fair and equal competitions. There shall be no discrimination against countries or individuals on racial, religious or political grounds...” The games are held in the first year of the Olympiad (4-year period between games). The Olympiads have been counted since 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 symbol of the Olympic Games is five fastened rings, symbolizing the unification of the five parts of the world in the Olympic movement, the so-called. Olympic rings. The color of the rings in the top row is blue for Europe, black for Africa, red for America, in the bottom row - yellow for Asia, green for Australia. In addition to Olympic sports, the organizing committee has the right to choose to include in the program exhibition competitions in 1-2 sports that are not recognized by the IOC. In the same year as the Olympics, the Winter Olympic Games have been held since 1924, which have their own numbering. 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. Duration no more than 15 days ( winter games- no more than 10).
The Olympic movement has its own emblem and flag, approved by the IOC at the suggestion of Coubertin in 1913. The emblem is the Olympic rings. The motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius (faster, higher, stronger). The flag is a white cloth with the Olympic rings, and has been flown at all Games since 1920.
Among the traditional rituals of the Games:
* lighting of the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony (the flame is lit from the sun's rays in Olympia and delivered by a torch relay of athletes to the host city of the Games);
* pronouncement of the Olympic oath by one of the outstanding athletes of the country in which the Olympics are taking place on behalf of all participants in the games;
* taking an oath of impartial judging on behalf of the judges;
* presentation of medals to winners and prize-winners of competitions;
* raising the national flag and singing the national anthem in honor of the winners.
Since 1932, the host city has been building an “Olympic village” - a complex of residential premises for the participants of the games. According to the charter, the Games are a competition between individual athletes and not between national teams. However, since 1908 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). The title of Olympic champion is the most honorable and coveted title in the career of an athlete in those sports in which Olympic tournaments are held. The exception is football, since the title of world champion in this sport is much more prestigious.
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. No wonder the majority marble statues Greek period depict wonderful 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 general secretary, 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 “forever” hold the competition 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 types 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 the national flag rises, and the national anthem is played.
- 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 They will share their experience on how to gain without losing anything.
Many people are interested in when the Olympic Games will take place, 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 rapid development made it an ideal candidate for hosting 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, and work is underway to equip 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. Saving the world was priority late XIX centuries, and remains so today.
In Paris in Great hall The Sorbonne convened a commission to revive the Olympic Games. 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.
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 capital of Greece, Athens.
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 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.
The first Olympic champion was American athlete James Connolly, who won 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, most of them naval officers and sailors of the Greek merchant fleet.
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.
In competitions on artistic gymnastics Eight sets of awards were awarded. 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 also allowed: separate competitions were held among “maestros” - fencing teachers (“maestros” were also admitted to the 1900 Games, after which this practice ceased).
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 first to finish with a result of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds was the Greek postman Spyridon Louis, 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.
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 and given a silver medal, olive branch, cut in 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 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 territory of the world Olympiads?
How it all started
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.
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. More and more often 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. In addition to 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 each 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.
