When and where did the Olympic Games appear? And who is the founder olympic games, You will learn from this article.
Brief history of the Olympic Games
The Olympic Games were born in Ancient Greece, because the inherent athleticism of the Greeks became the reason for the emergence of sports games. The founder of the Olympic Games is King Oenomaus, who organized sports games for those who wanted to take his daughter Hippodamia as a wife. According to legend, he was predicted that the cause of death would be his son-in-law. Therefore, young people who won certain competitions died. Only the cunning Pelops overtook Oenomaus in chariots. So much so that the king broke his neck and died. The prediction came true, and Pelops, having become king, established the organization of the Olympic Games in Olympia every 4 years.
At Olympia, the site of the first Olympic Games, it is believed that the first competition took place in 776 BC. The name of the one who was the first winner of the games in Ancient Greece – Koreb from Elis, who won the race.
Olympic Games in ancient Greece sports
For the first 13 games, the only sport in which the participants competed was running. Afterwards there was the pentathlon. It included running, javelin throwing, long jump, discus throwing, and wrestling. A little later they added a chariot race and a fist fight.
The modern program of the Olympic Games includes 7 winter and 28 summer sports, that is, 15 and 41 disciplines, respectively. It all depends on the season.
Once the Romans annexed Greece to Rome, the number of nationalities that could take part in the games increased. Gladiator fights were added to the competition program. But in 394 AD, Emperor Theodosius I, a fan of Christianity, canceled the Olympic Games, considering them entertainment for pagans.
The Olympic Games have sunk into oblivion for 15 centuries. The first to take a step towards reviving forgotten competitions was the Benedictine monk Bernard de Montfaucon. He was interested in the history and culture of Ancient Greece and insisted that excavations should be carried out in the place where the famous Olympia had once been.
In 1766, Richard Chandler found the ruins of unknown ancient structures near Mount Kronos. It was part of the temple wall. In 1824, Lord Stanhoff, an archaeologist, began excavations on the banks of the Alpheus. In 1828, the baton of excavations at Olympia was picked up by the French, and in 1875 by the Germans.
Pierre de Coubertin, a French statesman, insisted that the Olympic Games must be resumed. And in 1896, the first revived Olympic Games were held in Athens, which are still popular today.
We hope that from this article you learned where and when the Olympic Games originated.
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 discovered in the country of origin sports competitions clusters of ancient monumental structures of unknown purpose. 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 is raised, 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 the end of the 19th century, and remains so today.
Sports competitions called the “Olympic Games” were held in Ancient Greece, in Olympia (a city in the northwestern part of the Peloponnese, which in the past was the most important religious and sports center of Greece).
The year of the beginning of the Olympic Games is considered to be 776 BC. e., this date is carved on a slab found by archaeologists along with the name of the Olympic winner in the race Corab. The date is also confirmed by the ancient authors Paraballon, Hippias, Aristotle and others. The Greek historian Timaeus (about 352-256 BC) and the mathematician Eratosthenes (about 276-196 BC) developed a chronology from the first Games , according to which until 394 AD. BC, when competitions were banned by the Roman Emperor Theodosius I, 293 Olympics took place.
The idea of reviving the Olympic Games was proposed in late XIX century French public figure Pierre de Coubertin in connection with public interest in archaeological discoveries at Olympia. De Coubertin outlined the project for the revival of the Olympic Games in his report on November 25, 1892 at the Sorbonne.
The principles, rules and regulations of the games were determined by the Olympic Charter, approved in June 1894 by the International Sports Congress in Paris. According to the charter, the Olympic Games bring together amateur athletes from all countries in fair and equal competition; Countries and individuals are not discriminated against on racial, religious or political grounds. At the same congress, it was decided to hold the first modern Olympic Games in 1896 in Athens. For this purpose, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was created.
At the first Games in Athens on April 6-15, 1896, 43 sets of medals were competed in 9 sports. 241 athletes from 14 countries took part in the competition. At these Games, traditions were established such as the performance of the Olympic anthem, participation in the opening ceremony of the head of state hosting the games, and the awarding of the winners on the last day of the competition. The Athens Olympics became the largest sporting event of its time. Since then, international competitions, known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every four years (with the exception of the First and Second World Wars). The location of the Games is chosen by the IOC, and the right to organize them is granted to the city, not the country.
Since 1900, women have participated in the Games.
In 1908, qualifying competitions were held in London for the first time in the history of the Olympics, and the tradition of a procession of participating teams under national flags was born. At the same time, the unofficial team classification became widespread - determining the place occupied by teams based on the number of medals received and points scored in competitions.
In 1912, a photo finish was used for the first time at the Stockholm Olympics.
In 1920, at the Olympics in Antwerp (Belgium), the Olympic flag was raised for the first time in the history of the games, and the participants took the Olympic oath.
The Winter Olympics have been held since 1924. Before that, some winter views sports were included in the programs of the Summer Olympics. Thus, the figure skating championship at the Olympics was first played in London in 1908, and the first Olympic ice hockey tournament took place in 1920 in Antwerp. Initially, the Winter Olympics were held in the same year as the Summer Olympics; in 1992, their dates were shifted by two years. The Winter Olympics have their own numbering.
During the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, the tradition of lighting the flame was established.
At the 1932 Games in Los Angeles, for the first time, an “Olympic village” was built specifically for the participants.
Since 1936, the world has been following the Olympic torch relay.
In 1960, during the Summer Olympics in Rome, an athlete from Denmark, Knud Jensen, died for the first time due to doping.
In 1960 at Winter Games In the American Squaw Valley, the opening ceremony was for the first time accompanied by a large-scale theatrical performance (Walt Disney was responsible for its organization).
At the 1972 games in Munich, members of the Palestinian terrorist organization Black September took Israeli team athletes and coaches hostage. During the operation to free them, 11 members of the Israeli team and one West German policeman were killed.
In 2004, during the Athens Olympics, for the first time in the history of the Olympic Games, the IOC insured itself (for $170 million) in case of cancellation of competitions due to the threat of terrorism or natural disasters
The longest Games were the 1900 Games in Paris and the 1904 Games in St. Louis (USA). They were combined with the World Exhibitions and lasted several months (May-October 1900, July-November 1904). The Olympics in St. Louis also went down in history as “American”: out of 625 participants, 533 were Americans, since many European athletes were unable to come to the competition due to the high cost of travel.
The largest Olympic team ever entered by one country was the Great Britain team at the 1908 Olympics in London - 710 athletes.
Several times certain countries did not take part in the Games political reasons. Thus, Germany and its allies in the world wars were excluded from participation in the games in 1920 and 1948. In 1920, athletes were not invited to the Olympics in Antwerp (Belgium). Soviet Russia. 65 countries boycotted the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow due to the entry of Soviet troops into Afghanistan in December 1979. In response, teams from 13 countries of the socialist camp did not attend the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. Official reason The boycott was the refusal of the organizers of the 1984 Olympics to provide security guarantees to athletes from the USSR and other Warsaw Pact countries.
In the history of the Games, there were several cases when competitions in some sports were held both before the opening of the games and after they closed. Thus, the 1920 Antwerp Olympics were officially held on August 14-29, but competitions for figure skaters and hockey players took place in April, yachtsmen and shooters in July, football players in August and September. In 1956, at the Games in Melbourne, due to quarantine rules, equestrian competitions were held not only six months earlier than the Olympics itself, but also in another country and on another continent - in Stockholm.
The Olympics first appeared on television at the games in Berlin in 1936. So that the competition of athletes can be seen as much as possible more people, screens were installed throughout the city. Games were first broadcast to Londoners' home televisions in 1948. In 1956, the Olympic Games were transferred to all European countries, and starting from 1964 - to all continents. /TASS-DOSSIER/
MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. Exactly 120 years ago, the grand opening of the first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens. French baron Pierre de Coubertin finally realized his dream - he organized a sports festival, which, by analogy with the ancient Greek games, was called the Olympics. Grand opening took place on April 6, 1896.
120 years after the first summer games In Athens, Brazil, Rio de Janeiro will host the 31st Olympic Games, which have changed dramatically over the years. The number of medals awarded has increased seven times, the number of participants has increased 40 times, and the number of countries has increased 15 times. Women, as well as athletes from Russia and many other countries, did not participate in Athens in 1896 - primarily for financial reasons.
At the first Olympic Games of our time, competitions were held in only nine sports, which are considered classic - they are still included in the Olympic program. These are wrestling, cycling, athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. A total of 43 sets of medals were awarded.
Dumbbell lifting and 12-hour track cycling
Unlike sports that have survived to this day (albeit often with noticeably changed rules), individual disciplines have ceased to exist over time or have been reformatted. Thus, only one set of awards was awarded in wrestling - without weight categories, which appeared later, and uniform rules. The cycling program included such events as a 12-hour race and a 100-kilometer race on the track, and a road race took place from Athens to Marathon.
IN athletics 12 sets of awards were played, this sport became the most popular at the 1896 Games and ended with the triumph of athletes from the United States, who won nine medals. The “Queen of Sports” has been preserved in its original form for 120 years - the Games program still includes running 100, 400, 800 and 1500 meters and 100 m hurdles, marathon, long jump, high jump, triple and pole jump, shot put and discus throwing. The fundamental difference was due to the features of the ancient Marble Stadium, restored for the Olympics - the athletes ran not in a circle, but in a straight line.
Unlike modern Games, 120 years ago, all swimming competitions were held in open water - there were no artificial pools in Athens. The swims were 100, 500 and 1200 m freestyle. A separate discipline was the 100m swimming for the Greek sailors, and the winner was almost a minute behind the time of the champion in the “open” tournament - Hungarian Alfred Hajos. Hajos also won the 1200-meter race, later recalling that during the swim he thought only about survival: the organizers took the participants on boats to the open sea, from where they, having overcome the Olympic distance, had to swim to the shore.
The gymnastics program remained almost unchanged - in Athens they competed on pommel horse, rings, horizontal bar, parallel bars and vault, and team tournaments on uneven bars and horizontal bar also took place. Only rope climbing did not make it into the Olympic program.
Among the shooting disciplines, pistol shooting at 50 m and high-speed pistol shooting at 25 m have been preserved. 120 years ago, shooters also competed in accuracy with an army rifle at 200 and 300 m, as well as an army pistol at 25 m.
Tennis players held the usual individual and pairs championships; in fencing, awards were awarded to foil and saber fencers. Separate view The program became a fight among the so-called “maestros” - fencing teachers. This was the only discipline at the 1896 Games where professionals were allowed.
Finally, in weightlifting, the now outlandish competitions of bench press with two hands and lifting a dumbbell with one hand took place - without weight categories.
120 years ago, Olympic champions received silver medals, second place winners received bronze medals, third places were not taken into account at all. Only later did the International Olympic Committee include third prize-winners in the medal standings, while data about them from the 1896 Games is still being clarified.
241 athletes versus 10 thousand
In Rio de Janeiro at the 2016 Games, 306 sets of medals will be awarded in 28 sports, and the number of expected participants exceeds 10 thousand people - from 206 countries whose national Olympic committees are recognized by the IOC. 120 years ago, according to official data, 241 athletes from 14 countries competed in Athens.
Statistics from the Games 120 years ago are still incomplete. Information about the citizenship of participants varies. Unlike later Olympics, in 1896 there was no official team ranking by country, and the organizers did not pay special attention on the nationality of the athletes, which was recorded in the protocol from their words. For example, Austrian and Hungarian athletes competed separately, and not for a team from the Austro-Hungarian Empire; two-time Games champion in athletics Teddy Flack was considered an Australian, although Australia was part of the British Empire in those years.
The number of participants and countries of the first Games in Athens was also influenced by serious financial problems in Greece associated with the organization of the Olympics. Athletes had to provide themselves with housing in Athens; not everyone had the opportunity to pay for the move - especially from other continents. The lack of financial resources, by the way, was the reason for the absence of athletes from Russia at the first Olympic Games.
At the same time, a solid delegation arrived from the USA, and it was the Americans who won the unofficial overall standings - 11 gold medals, which is one more than the hosts. The Greeks, however, were not equal in the total number of medals - 46, and besides, the hosts won in the main event, in their opinion. Olympic program- marathon. First in modern history Olympic champion-marathoner Spyridon Louis became a national hero; the Olympic Stadium in Athens, the main venue of the 2004 Olympics, also held in the Greek capital, was named in his honor.
Many of those who did make it to the 1896 Olympics took part in competitions in various types sports Main character Athens Games, athlete from Germany Karl Schumann, competed in wrestling, gymnastics, track and field and weightlifting. He became a three-time champion in gymnastics, also winning the wrestling competition.
The 1896 Olympic Games were the only ones to be held without the participation of women. Four years later, Olympic competitions in golf, croquet, sailing and tennis were organized for ladies in Paris.
"Royal" opening and Olympic anthem
The Olympic Games are not just about points, seconds and medals. Many attributes of the Olympics, without which it is difficult to imagine competitions in the 21st century, appeared 120 years ago; others were unheard of in those years. The first Games of our time were opened by King George I of Greece on April 6, 1896, and his son Prince Constantine became the head of the organizing committee, without whose efforts the Games would not have taken place. George I also closed the Games on April 15, presenting silver medals to the first modern Olympic champions. The 1896 Games were also characterized by their current compactness - for example, four years later in Paris the Olympics were held for more than five months.
120 years ago, the Olympic anthem, written by Spyridon Samaras with lyrics by Kostis Palamas, was performed for the first time. In subsequent years, the organizers of the Games wrote their own anthem, but since 1960, it is the anthem of Samaras that has been heard over the Olympic stadiums, albeit sometimes performed in the language of the organizing country.
However, many Olympic traditions have not yet existed for 120 years - no gold medals for the winners, no Olympic flame with the corresponding lighting ceremony and procession through the host country, no Olympic oath. Neither officially accredited journalists nor volunteers were present at the 1896 Olympic Games.
In time immemorial, Hercules organized it in the 1210s. They were held once every five years, but then for unknown reasons this tradition was interrupted and was revived under King Ifite.
The first Olympic Games in Greece were not numbered, they were called solely by the name of the winner, and in the only type of competition at that time - running over a certain distance.
Ancient authors, based on materials, began counting the competition from 776 BC. e., it was from this year that the Olympic Games became known by the name of the athlete who won them. However, there is an opinion that they simply failed to establish the names of the earlier winners, and therefore the holding itself could not be considered a valid and reliable fact in those days.
The first Olympic Games took place in Olympia, a town located in southern Greece. Participants and tens of thousands of spectators from many cities of Hellas traveled to the place by sea or by land.
Runners, as well as wrestlers, discus or spear throwers, jumpers, and fist fighters took part in competitions in agility and strength. The games were held in the hottest month of summer, and at this time wars between policies were prohibited.
Throughout the year, heralds spread the news throughout the cities of Greece that the sacred peace had been declared and that the roads leading to Olympia were safe.
All Greeks had the right to participate in the competition: the poor, the noble, the rich and the ignorant. Only women were not allowed to attend them, even as spectators.
The first, like the subsequent ones, in Greece were dedicated to the great Zeus; it was an exclusively male holiday. According to legend, one very brave Greek woman in men's clothing secretly entered the city of Olympia to watch her son perform. And when he won, his mother, unable to restrain herself, rushed to him in delight. According to the law, the unfortunate woman should have been executed, but out of respect for her victorious son she was pardoned.
Almost ten months before the start of the Olympic Games, everyone who was going to participate in them was required to begin training in their cities. Day after day, for ten months in a row, the athletes trained continuously, and a month before the opening of the competition, they arrived in Southern Greece and there, not far from Olympia, continued their preparation.
Typically, most of the participants in the games were usually wealthy people, because the poor could not afford to train for a whole year and not work.
The first Olympic Games lasted only five days.
On the fifth day, a table made of ivory and gold was installed in front of the temple of the main god Zeus, and awards for the winners were placed on it - olive wreaths.
The winners approached one after another to the supreme judge, who placed these award wreaths on their heads. In front of everyone, he announced the name of the athlete and his city. At the same time, the audience exclaimed: “Glory to the winner!”
The fame of the Olympic Games has survived many centuries. And today, every inhabitant of the planet knows the five rings, which mean the unity of the continents.
The first Olympic Games of modern times marked the beginning of a tradition: taking an oath. There is another wonderful tradition: to light the Olympic flame in Greece, as in ancient times, and then carry it as a relay across countries in the hands of people devoted to sports, to the site of the next Olympics.
And although as a result strongest earthquake all Olympic buildings of antiquity were wiped off the face of the earth, but in the 18th century, as a result of excavations in ancient Olympia, many attributes of the then games were found.
And already at the end of the 19th century, the permanent and first Baron de Coubertin, inspired by the works of the archaeologist Curtius, revived the games and also wrote a code defining the rules for their conduct - the “Olympic Charter”.