The first modern Olympic Games took place in greek city Athens between 6 and 15 April 1896.

The decision to hold the First Olympic Games

June 23, 1894, Paris, Sorbonne University - 1st Congress of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was held. initiated an event to announce a project to revive the Ancient Greek Olympic Games. At the suggestion of the writer and translator Demetrius Vikelas (who later became the First President of the IOC), a decision was made to hold new Olympic Games in the city of Athens (Greece). According to the organizers of the Olympics, such a decision would indicate the continuity of the Olympic Games with the modern traditions of Ancient Greece and, moreover, the city had the only large stadium in all of Europe. Unfortunately, the idea of ​​holding the Games in Olympia had to be abandoned due to the enormous costs of reconstructing the stadium.

Opening ceremony of the First Olympic Games

On Easter Monday of Christianity (Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism) and, moreover, on Greek Independence Day, April 6, 1896, the opening ceremony of the First Summer Olympic Games of modern times took place. On the day of the ceremonial start of the competition, more than 80 thousand spectators were present at the stadium in Athens. The ceremony was also attended by the Greek royal family. King George I from the rostrum solemnly declared the First International Olympic Games in the city of Athens open.

From this day on, the first Olympic traditions were born: the head of the state where the competition is taking place opens the Games, and the Olympic anthem is played at the Games ceremony. True, such Olympic traditions as the fire lighting ceremony, the parade of participating countries, and the recitation of the oath have not yet been established.

Participants of the First Olympic Games

More than two hundred and forty male athletes took part in the first Olympic competitions. Forty-three sets of Olympic medals were played in the following Olympic sports: wrestling, athletics, cycling, swimming, shooting, artistic gymnastics, tennis, fencing, weightlifting.

According to the IOC, representatives of fourteen countries participated in the First Olympics of our time, their athletes were delegated by: Australia, Bulgaria, Austria, Great Britain, Germany, Hungary, Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Izmir, Italy, Denmark, USA, Chile, France, Sweden and Switzerland .

The Olympic Games, Olympic Games are the largest international complex sports competitions of our time, which are held every four years. A tradition that existed in ancient Greece, in late XIX century was revived by a French public figure 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

The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece represented 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 by a 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 was 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” 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 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 ancestral country of 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 dragged on for months and attracted almost no interest from spectators. 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 adopted, at the proposal of a French teacher 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.

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The first modern Olympics

The first modern Olympics took place in Athens in 1896.
Most of the athletes were from Greece. The first Olympic Games of our time almost turned into a competition for Europeans: the US team was late for their start. In addition to the Americans, only two athletes from non-European countries competed at the Games: Australian Edwin Flack and one Chilean. The program of the Games of the First Modern Olympics included competitions in nine sports: Greco-Roman wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing.

The Olympic Games began with athletics competitions. The first champion was American James Connolly. For the triple jump (13 m 71 cm) he received gold medal, ahead of the silver medalist, Frenchman Alexandre Tuffer, by almost a full meter. The champion of Harvard University, Connolly, went to Europe without the permission of his teachers, but after his return from Athens with an outstanding achievement, pundits changed their anger to mercy and even awarded the winner the title of honorary doctorate from Harvard. Subsequently, Connolly became a famous journalist and war correspondent, the author of 25 novels.
Athletes from the United States led the way in athletics. Thomas Burke won two gold medals in the 100 and 400 m. American sprinters used a low start. This was new for that time.

The hero of the swimming competition was the Hungarian athlete Alfred Hajos. The swims at the Athens Games were not held in the pool, but in the open sea. The start and finish lines were marked with ropes attached to floats. The weather was cloudy; the sea was rough, the water temperature barely reached 13°C. 14 swimmers took part in the 100 m freestyle competition: 11 Greeks and 3 foreigners. Hayosh immediately rushed forward, and the Greek Horafas rushed after him. The noise on the shore was unimaginable. 30 m before the end of the race, the Hungarian suddenly rushed to the right of the finish line. The audience froze. Hayosh, surprised by the silence, raised his head and noticed his mistake. And just right: the Greek was catching up with him. Alfred increased the pace and won the first gold medal in swimming in the history of the modern Olympic Games.
French cyclist Paul Massoy won the most gold medals in Athens, with three victories on the track.

The games were in full swing, and the Greeks had not yet won a single gold medal. On April 10, 24 athletes took part in the marathon race. Due to the intense heat, the fight at a distance of 40 km was very difficult. The leaders took turns replacing each other, and at the 33rd kilometer the Greek Spyros Louis took first place. The spectators jumped up from their seats, the judges rushed after the athlete and ran with him to the finish line. Joyful spectators threw many flowers and gifts at Spyros’s feet. People poured onto the field and began pumping up the hero. The Crown Prince and his brother came down from the stands and took the champion to the royal box. Spyros Louis, a young letter carrier from the village of Maroussi near Athens, became a national hero.
On the closing day of the Games, repeating the ancient ceremony, they placed the laurel wreath, were awarded a medal and a palm branch.
The first Olympics of modern times made a great contribution to the popularization of sports on our planet.

The Olympic Games came to us from Ancient Greece. It would be a mistake to assume that the mountain in northern Greece Olympus gave them their name. According to myths, this was the habitat of the gods. The ancient Olympic Games were held much further south - in the town of Olympia on the banks of the Alfea River. The Sacred Grove of Olives grew here, from whose branches wreaths were woven for champions, and a temple to Zeus was erected. According to one of the legends, it was he who founded the games, according to another, they were invented by the greatest of the ancient Greek heroes, Hercules, according to the third, by the ancestor of the ancient kings of Mycenae PELOPS, in whose honor the Peloponnese peninsula is named.

The first Olympics known to us took place in 776 BC. The first winner was the cook KOREB, ​​who was ahead of everyone in the race by a stage (the length of the then stadium) - 192.27 m. When Greece lost its independence and found itself under the rule of Rome, the popularity of the Olympics began to decline (by the way, the ancient Greeks called it 4– summer period, the first year of which the Olympic Games were held). In 394, the games were banned, and with the victory of Christianity, all pagan temples were set on fire. What did not burn in Olympia was destroyed in the 6th century by an earthquake, when the river changed its course, flooded and covered the Sacred Grove with silt.

As a result of archaeological excavations that began in 1766, sports and temple structures were discovered in Olympia.

For a long time, sports competitions of this scale have not been held anywhere in the world. The word “sport” itself appeared in English in the 30s of the 19th century.

The desire to revive Olympic thinking and culture spread quite quickly throughout Europe. French Baron Pierre de Coubertin said then: “Germany has unearthed what remains 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 was one of the reasons for the defeat of the French in the Franco-Prussian War of 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.

He initiated the revival of the Olympic Games.

At a congress held from June 16-23, 1894 at the Sorbonne University in Paris, he presented his thoughts and ideas to an international audience. On the last day of the congress, it was decided that the first modern Olympic Games should take place in 1896. Athens was unanimously chosen as the host city because Ancient Greece was the birthplace of the Olympics.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded, the first president of which was the Greek Demetrius Vikelas, and general secretary- Baron Pierre de Coubertin.

General Alexey BUTOVSKY entered the IOC from Russia.

The first Games of our time were a great success. 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.

311 athletes from 13 countries, competing in 41 sports, gathered here. The games took place for 12 days from April 6 to April 15, 1896 in Athens and became the largest international event...

On grand opening 80 thousand spectators were present. The first champion of those modern Games American James CONNOLLY became the winner of the triple jump with a score of 13.71 m. But the main event of the Olympics was the marathon race, which was won by the Greek Spyridon LUIS. He became a national hero.

Then the tradition of performing the national anthem and raising the state flag in honor of the winners was born.

German gymnast Carl Schumann, who became an Olympic champion.

Initially, Coubertin wanted to make the Olympic Games an amateur competition, in which there was no place for professionals playing sports for money.

It was believed that those paid to play sports had an unfair advantage over those who practiced sports as a hobby. Even coaches and those who received cash prizes for participation were not allowed in.

In particular, Jim Thorpe was stripped of his medals in 1913 after it was discovered that he was a semi-professional baseball player. After the war, with the professionalization of European sports, the requirement for amateurism in most sports disappeared.

Revived by enthusiasts, the Olympic Games have today become the largest and most important world event. The only thing that could not be adopted from the ancient Greeks was to stop all wars and consider as criminals those who violated the peace during this period.