When it began
ccording to historic records, the first Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece. By 676 B.C. the Games included Greeks from every corner of the Greek world. The Games were held every four years in honour of the king of the gods, Zeus. It is reported that there was only one event in the very earliest Olympiad: the 200-yard sprint.
events
Soon, other events were added, including boxing, wrestling, the pankrathion (a match that combined boxing and wrestling), the discus throw, the javelin throw, and the long jump. By the 25th Olympiad, the four-horse chariot race was added. The chariot races were very popular. Teams of two or four horses would race 12 laps around a track. Twelve chariots could participate. Sometimes there were collisions! Horse races were added later.
A time-line of the Olympic Games
For 1000 years the Games were at regular intervals of four years. Special messengers were sent out in every direction to announce the beginning of the Games and to signal an end of all disputes and wars until after the Games. The modern Olympic Games are still held every fourth year, but were interrupted in 1916, 1940 and 1944 by World Wars.
When the Greeks were conquered by the Romans in the second century B.C. a decline of the Games began. In A.D. 393, the Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I banned the Games. Thirty-three years later, Emperor Theodosius ordered the total destruction of Olympia's temples. In 1875 archaeologists rediscovered the city.
In 1894 Baron Pierre de Coubertin wrote a letter to the athletic organizations of every country. In his letter he described the educational value of sports to modern man based on Greek ideals. Two years later the first modern Olympic Games took place.
In the modern Olympic Games the athletes march in a parade for the opening ofthe Games. Before the parade, a torch is lighted. The flame for the torch comes from the site of Olympia. There it is lighted from the sun's rays and carried by relays of runners to the city where the Games are being held.
Russia joined the Olympic Games in 1952. Since then Russia has won many gold, silver and bronze medals. In 1980 Moscow hosted the twenty-second Olympic Games.
Answer the following questions.
1) Where and when did the Olympic Games begin?
2) When were the Games banned?
3) Who wrote a letter to every country describing the educational value of sport?
4) When did the first modern Olympic Games take place?
5) Why did the Olympic Games become the symbol of peace and friendship?
6) When did Russia join the Olympics?
7)What do you know about the Olympic Games?
8) How often are they held?
9)What are the Olympic sports?