OLYMPIC GAMES

When did the Olympic Games start?

The first Olympic Games took place in Olympia, Greece, in 776 B.C.  

They lasted for one day and had only one event – a foot race the length of the stadium - and only men competed.

Nowadays the Olympics have several hundred events for both men and women, and they last for over weeks.  They are a multi-million-door extravaganza, and many people feel that the games are now more concerned with money and politics, than with athletic competition.

The ancient games in Olympia ended when the Romans conquered Greece, and none were held for 1500 years. However, when the ruins of the stadium of Olympia were discovered in 1875, a Frenchman, Baron de Coubertin,

decided to organize a modern international Olympics. These are first held in Athens in 1896 and are now held in different country every four years.

The modern Olympics consist of summer and winter games. Baron de Coubertin was also responsible for the Olympic symbol of five rings, which are black, blue, green, red, and yellow, and represent the five continents.

The ancient Olympics were held in honor of Zeus, the supreme Greek god.

The last match games took place in Athens in 2006, and watched on TV by 3.8 billion people around the world.

Vocabulary

Took place                 

B.C.

A.C.

Foot race

Length

Concerned

Ancient

Held