If so, you might be very interested to know impressive details of the origin of the Olympic races. The history of the Olympic Games is exciting and full of surprises. So, let's dive into the unknown distances of the world Olympiads?

How it all began

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 tremendous success and great importance for society that at the time of the OlympicOhraces stopped wars and established ekekhiriya - a sacred truce.

People came from everywhere to look at the competitions in Olympia: some traveled on foot, some on horseback, and some even sailed ships to distant lands, just to have at least one eye on 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 (presenting a wreath of sacred olive and palm branches), the Olympionist lived in clover. Holidays were held in his honor, hymns were sung, statues were made, in Athens the winner was exempted from taxes and burdensome public duties. And the winner was always left the best place in the theater. In some places, even the children of an Olympian enjoyed special privileges.

Interesting, that women were not allowed to compete in the Olympics under pain of death.

Brave Hellenes competed in running, fisticuffs (which Pythagoras once won), jumping, javelin throwing, and so on. The most dangerous, however, were the chariot races. You will not believe it, but the owner of the horses was considered the winner of the equestrian competition, and not the poor driver who risked his life for the sake of winning.

There are many legends associated with the Olympic Games. One of them says that Zeus himself allegedly organized the first competition in honor of the victory over his father. True or not, but in literature it was Homer who first mentioned the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece in the poem The Iliad.

Archaeological excavations show that in Olympia, 5 rectangular or horseshoe-shaped stadiums with stands for fans were built specifically for the competition.

Unfortunately, nothing is known about the time of the champions at the moment. It was enough to be the first to reach the finish line to get the right to light the sacred fire. But the legends tell us about the Olympians who ran faster than hares, and what is the talent of the Spartan Ladas, who did not leave footprints in the sand while running.

Modern Olympic Games

Modern international sport competitions, known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every four years since 1896. Initiated by the French baron Pierre de Coubertin. He believed that it was precisely insufficient physical fitness that prevented French soldiers from winning the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871. Youth should measure their strength on sports fields, not on battlefields, the activist argued.

The first Olympic Games were held in Athens. To organize the competition created International Olympic Committee, whose first president was Demetrius Vikelas of Greece.

Since that time, the World Olympiad has become a good tradition. Against the backdrop of impressive excavations and archaeological finds The idea of ​​Olympism spread throughout Europe. Increasingly, European states organized their own sports competitions, which were watched by the whole world.

What about winter sports?

To fill a gap in winter sports competitions that were technically impossible to host in the summer, Since January 25, 1924, the Winter Olympic Games have been held. The first were organized in the 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 their desire to compete for the championship in competitions. First Olympic champion winter games Ch. Juthrow from the USA (speed skating) became the winner, but in the end the teams of Finland and Norway turned out to be the leaders of the competition. The races lasted 11 days and ended on February 4th.

Attributes of the Olympic Games

Now a symbol and emblem Olympic Games there are five intertwined rings that symbolize the unification of the five continents.

Olympic motto, proposed by the Catholic monk Henri Didon: "Faster, higher, stronger."

At the opening ceremony of each Olympiad, they raise flag- white cloth with the emblem (Olympic rings). Burning throughout the Olympiad Olympic Fire, which is brought to the venue each time from Olympia.

Since 1968, each Olympiad has its own.

The 2016 Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where the Ukrainian team will present their champions to the world. By the way, the figure skater became the first Olympic champion of independent Ukraine Oksana Baiul.

The opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games are always a spectacular sight, which once again emphasizes the prestige and planetary importance of these world competitions.

The history of the Olympic Games has more than 2 thousand years. They originated in ancient Greece. At first, the games were part of the festivities in honor of the god Zeus. The first Olympiad was held in ancient Greece. Once every four years, athletes gathered in the city of Olympia in the Peloponnese, a peninsula in the south of the country. Only running competitions were held at a distance of one stadium (from the Greek stages = 192 m). Gradually, the number of sports increased, and the games turned into significant event for the entire Greek world. It was religious and sports holiday, during which a mandatory "sacred peace" was declared and any military action was prohibited.

History of the first Olympiad

The period of truce lasted a month and was called ekecheiriya. It is believed that the first Olympiad took place in 776 BC. e. But in 393 AD. e. Roman Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympic Games. By that time, Greece lived under the rule of Rome, and the Romans, having converted to Christianity, believed that the Olympic Games, with their worship of pagan gods and the cult of beauty, were incompatible with the Christian faith.

The Olympic Games were remembered in late XIX century, after they began to excavate in ancient Olympia and discovered the ruins of sports and temple facilities. In 1894, at the International Sports Congress in Paris, the French public figure Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) proposed organizing the Olympic Games on the model of the ancient ones. He also came up with the motto of the Olympians: "The main thing is not victory, but participation." De Coubertin wanted only male athletes to compete in these competitions, as in ancient Greece, but women also participated in the second Games. Five multi-colored rings became the emblem of the Games; colors were chosen that are most often found on the flags of various countries of the world.

The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 in Athens. In the XX century. the number of countries and athletes participating in these competitions has grown steadily, and so has the number of Olympic sports. Today it is already difficult to find a country that would not send at least one or two athletes to the Games. Since 1924, in addition to the Olympic Games, which take place in the summer, Winter Games have also been organized so that skiers, skaters and other athletes who are involved in winter sports can compete. And since 1994, the Winter Olympic Games have been held not in the same year as the summer ones, but two years later.

Sometimes the Olympic Games are called the Olympics, which is incorrect: the Olympics is a four-year period between consecutive Olympic Games. When, for example, they say that the 2008 Games are the 29th Olympiad, they mean that from 1896 to 2008 there were 29 periods of four years each. But there were only 26 Games: in 1916,1940 and 1944. There were no Olympic Games - world wars interfered.

The Greek city of Olympia today attracts crowds of tourists who want to look at the ruins of the ancient city excavated by archaeologists with the remains of the temples of Zeus, Hera and visit the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

Modern youth devotes little time to sports, not only at the professional, but also at the amateur level. There is an extensive network of competitions to promote sports. Today we will consider in which country the Olympic competitions originated, when they were held, the situation today.

In contact with

Sports competitions of antiquity

The date of the first Olympic Games (hereinafter referred to as the Olympic Games) is unknown, but preserved theirs is 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 an egoistic society.

The worship of beauty was actively cultivated human body, enlightened people sought to achieve the perfection of forms. It is not for nothing that most of the marble statues of the Greek period depict beautiful 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 participants in the hostilities. In 776 B.C. the festival was revived.

The reason for the decline of the Olympic Games is the 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 included 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 out; England held tournaments and sports competitions of a local nature. The history of the Olympic Games of the 19th century is characterized by the holding of Olympia, the forerunner of modern competitions. The idea belongs to the Greeks: Sutsos and public figure Zappas. They made the first modern Olympic Games possible.

Archaeologists have discovered in the country where sports competitions originated, clusters of ancient monumental structures of unknown purpose. those years 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 the last war with the Germans (the Franco-Prussian confrontation of 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 in Greece were carried out by a German expedition, so Coubertin succumbed to revanchist sentiments. His expression is “The German people found the remains of Olympia. Why does France not restore the fragments of its former power? ”, often serves as fair evidence.

Baron with a great heart

is the founder modern Olympic Games. Let's devote a few words to 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, considered sports an integral part of the development of a person as a person. He was engaged in rugby, was a judge of the first final of the French championship.

The history of the famous competitions was of interest to the then society, so Coubertin decided to hold world-class competitions. November 1892 was remembered for a speech at the Sorbonne University with a report. He was dedicated to the revival of the Olympic movement. The Russian general Butovsky was imbued with Pierre's ideas, as he held the same views.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) appointed de Coubertin as Secretary General, subsequently - organization president. Work went hand in hand with an imminent marriage. In 1895, Marie Rothan became a baroness. The marriage brought two children: first-born Jacques and daughter Rene suffered from diseases nervous system. The Coubertin family ended after Marie's death at the age of 101. She lived with the knowledge that her husband revived the Olympic Games, held a prominent position.

With the beginning, Pierre went to the front, leaving social activities. Both of his nephews died en route to victory.

As head of the IOC, Coubertin often faced criticism. The public resented the "wrong" interpretation of the first Olympic Games, excessive professionalism. Many claimed that he abused power in dealing with issues of various kinds.

Great public figure died September 2, 1937 years 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. Worthy athletes are honored with this award for their nobility and adherence to the spirit of Fair Play.

Olympic revival

The French baron revived the Olympics, but the bureaucratic machine delayed the championship. Two years later, the French Congress made a historic decision: the first modern Olympic Games will pass on Greek soil. Reasons for this decision include:

• the desire to "wipe the nose" of the German neighbor;
• produce good impression to civilized countries;
• championship in the undeveloped area;
• the growing influence of France as a cultural and sports center of the Old World.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in the Greek city of Antiquity - Athens (1896). Sports competitions were crowned with success, 241 athletes expressed their desire to participate. The Greek side was so pleased with the attention from the world states that they offered to hold competitions “forever” in their historical homeland. The IOC also decided to rotate between countries in order to change the host every 4 years.

The first achievements were replaced by a crisis. The flow of spectators quickly dried up, as the competitions were held for several months. The first Olympiad in 1906 (Athens) saved the plight.

Attention! The national team arrived in the capital of France for the first time Russian Empire women were allowed to compete.

Irish-born Olympian

James ConnollyJames Connolly - first Olympic champion peace. Working hard from an early age, he was fond of contact sports.

He studied at Harvard University, without asking went on a cargo ship to the shores of Greece. Subsequently, he was expelled, but the first Olympiad succumbed to him.

With a score of 13 m and 71 cm, the Irishman was the strongest in the track and field triple jump. A day later, he won bronze in long jump and silver in high jump.

At home, he was waiting for the restored title of student, popularity and universal recognition as the first champion of modern 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 fastened rings. They symbolize the unity of all in the movement of sports excellence. Above are blue, black and red, below 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, has established many traditions that have taken root over time. Hosting sports competitions now filled with atmosphere"ancient" traditions:

1. Grand performances at the opening and closing ceremonies. Everyone tries to hold them on a grand scale, and someone overdoes it.
2. Solemn passage of athletes of each participating country. The Greek team always goes first, the rest are in alphabetical order.
3. An outstanding athlete of the host country must take an oath of fair play for everyone.
4. Ignition of a symbolic torch in the temple of Apollo (Greece). It runs through the participating countries. Each athlete must overcome his part of the relay.
5. The awarding of medals is filled with centuries-old traditions, the winner rises to the podium, above which the state flag is raised, the national anthem is played.
6. A prerequisite is the symbolism of the "first Olympiad". The host country is developing a stylized symbol of the sports holiday, which would reflect the national flavor.

Attention! The release of souvenir products can cover the costs of the event. Many European countries will share their experience on how to gain without losing anything.

Many are interested in when the Olympic Games will take place, we hasten to satisfy the interest of readers.

The ceremony of lighting a symbolic torch in the temple

What year is the new championship

First Olympiad 2018 will take place in South Korea. Climatic features and rapid development have made it an ideal contender for the Winter Games.

Summer takes Japan. The country of high technologies will provide safety and comfortable conditions for athletes from all over the world.

Football confrontation will be on the fields Russian Federation. Now most of the sports facilities have been completed, 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 development of these competitions suggest:

1. Increasing the number of sports disciplines.
2. propaganda healthy lifestyle life, social and charitable events.
3. The introduction of advanced technologies for the convenience of holding festivities, enhancing the safety and comfort of participating athletes.
4. Maximum distance from foreign policy intrigues.

First Olympic Games

1896 Olympics

Output

Pierre de Coubertin is the founder of the modern Olympic Games. His obsession has helped save millions of lives as countries openly compete in the sporting arena. Preservation of peace was a priority at the end of the 19th century, and it remains so today.

The Olympic Games, the Games of the Olympiad 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 at the end of the 19th century 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 during World Wars. In 1924, the Winter Olympic Games were established, which were originally held in the same year as the summer ones. However, since 1994 the time of the Winter Olympic Games has been shifted by two years from the time of the Summer Games.

Ancient Olympic Games

The Olympic Games of Ancient Greece were a religious and sporting festival held in Olympia. Information about the origin of the games is lost, but several legends have survived describing this event. The first documented celebration dates back to 776 BC. e., although it is known that the games were held before. At the time of the games, a sacred truce was declared, at which time it was impossible to wage war, although this was repeatedly violated.

The Olympic Games essentially lost their importance with the advent of the Romans. After Christianity became the official religion, the games began to be seen as a manifestation of paganism, and in 394 A.D. e. they were banned by the emperor Theodosius I.

The revival of the Olympic idea

The Olympic idea did not disappear completely even after the ban on ancient competitions. 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 that were, at best, regional in nature. The first true predecessors of the modern Olympic Games are the Olympia, which were held regularly during the period 1859-1888. The idea of ​​reviving the Olympic Games in Greece belonged to the poet Panagiotis Sutsos, brought it to life by a public figure Evangelis Zappas.

In 1766, as a result of archaeological excavations in Olympia, sports and temple facilities 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 the Olympic mindset and culture spread fairly quickly throughout Europe. French baron Pierre de Coubertin (fr. Pierre de Coubertin) said then: “Germany unearthed what was left of ancient Olympia. Why can't France restore its old grandeur?

Baron Pierre de Coubertin

According to Coubertin, it was precisely 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 seeks to change the situation by improving the physical culture of the French. At the same time, he wanted to overcome national selfishness and contribute to the struggle for peace and international understanding. The Youth of the World was to face off in sports, not on the battlefield. The revival of 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 the international public. On the last day of the congress (June 23), it was decided that the first modern Olympic Games should be held in 1896 in Athens, in the parent country of the Games - Greece. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded to organize the Games. Greek became the first president of the Committee Demetrius Vikelas, who was president until the end of the 1st Olympic Games in 1896. Baron became general secretary Pierre de Coubertin.

The first Games of our time were indeed a great success. Despite the fact that only 241 athletes (14 countries) took part in the Games, the Games became the largest sporting event that has ever passed since ancient Greece. Greek officials were so pleased that they put forward a proposal to hold the Games of the Olympiad "forever" in their homeland, Greece. But the IOC introduced a rotation between different states, so that every 4 years the Games change the venue.

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 World exhibitions. Sports competitions dragged on for months and almost did not enjoy the interest of the audience. Almost only American athletes participated in the Games in St. Louis, since it was very difficult to get from Europe across the ocean in those years for technical reasons.

At the 1906 Olympic Games in Athens (Greece), sports competitions and results again came out on top. Although the IOC initially recognized and supported these "intermediate Games" (just two years after the previous ones), these Games are not now 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 defined 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 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 Olympiad “…unite amateur athletes of all countries in fair and equal competitions. In relation to countries and individuals, no discrimination is allowed on racial, religious or political grounds ... ". 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 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 include demonstration competitions in 1-2 sports that are not recognized by the IOC. In the same year as the Olympics, since 1924 the Winter Olympic Games have been held, which have their own numbering. Since 1994, the dates for the Winter Olympic Games have been shifted by 2 years relative to the summer ones. The venue 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 - a white cloth with the Olympic rings, has been raised at all the Games since 1920.

Among the traditional rituals of the Games:

* lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony (the flame is lit from the sun's rays in Olympia and delivered by the torch relay to the host city of the Games);
* pronouncing by one of the outstanding athletes of the country in which the Olympics takes place, the Olympic oath on behalf of all participants in the games;
* pronouncement on behalf of the judges of the oath of impartial refereeing;
* presentation of medals to the winners and prize-winners of competitions;
* uplift state flag and the performance of the national anthem in honor of the winners.

Since 1932, the host city has been building the "Olympic Village" - a residential complex for participants in the Games. According to the charter, the Games are competitions between individual athletes and not between national teams. However, since 1908 the so-called. unofficial team standings - determination of the place occupied by teams by 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 desirable 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.