Every four years there are Winter Olympic Games and, every four seasons, there are Summer Olympic Games as well.
The Olympic Games are, worldwide , the largest sporting event. In this event, athletes from different corners of the planet compete in various disciplines with the hope of getting a medal.
The celebration , according to the regulations of the Olympic Charter by which the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) is governed, is biennial, alternating between the two current modalities: Winter Olympic Games and Summer Olympic Games . Each version, therefore, is celebrated every four years.
When focusing on the history and particularities of this competition, it is important to know that, according to the Spelling of the Spanish language , when citing the full name of this tournament, each allusive word must be written with a capital initial. When it comes to abbreviating the Olympic Games , the correct thing to do is JJ. OO. , leaving a space and putting a period after letter repetitions.
History of the Olympic Games
The history of the current Olympic Games is nourished by cultural, geographical, religious, sporting references and, of course, historically relevant data. The Ancient Olympic Games , held every four years always in Olympia , Greece , set the foundation and served as inspiration for contemporary competition. Although there is no precision regarding the specific start date, it is believed that the original Olympics arose around the year 776 BC. c.
At that time, only free men who expressed themselves in Greek were allowed to represent a city-state in this competition. In the words of a historian and geographer named Pausanias , this revolutionary event was driven by a dactyl, Heracles Ideus . The mythological view indicates that he challenged his brothers with a race to be held every two years, the winner of which would receive a crown made from wild olive trees. As they were held at the site where the most outstanding sanctuary of Zeus was built, the belief also gained strength that, after prevailing over Cronus , the god Zeus established this game.
Olympic evolution
The Olympic evolution has been the result of personalities, ideas and measures that marked a before and after within this competition.
The creation of the International Olympic Committee ( IOC ) by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (who sought to implement an Olympic spirit with values of tolerance, camaraderie and solidarity under the idea of prioritizing participation and not triumph) was transcendental in bringing about the resurrection of The Olympic Games , whose renewed version took place in Athens and were held in April 1896 under the name of the Games of the First Olympiad . In this context it is worth indicating that the original tournament concluded around 393 AD. C. Already in the modern era, events such as the Cotswold Olimpick Games , the L'Olympiade de la République festival, the Wenlock Olympic Games and the Grand Olympic Festival took place.
Rugby, table tennis, field hockey and golf are some of the Olympic disciplines.
Organization of the Olympic Games
The organization of the modern Olympic Games contemplates several versions that aim to expand the scope of this multidisciplinary event.
With the intention of giving prominence to disciplines linked to ice or snow, for example, the Winter Olympic Games were made official. Ice hockey and figure skating were the first to be admitted.
In the Summer Olympic Games , meanwhile, the first sports that were incorporated are athletics (a field where Usain Bolt has managed to break world records), cycling , fencing , and swimming (a discipline that is among its greatest references in the many times decorated American Michael Phelps ), wrestling , tennis , gymnastics , weightlifting , soccer , shooting , horseback riding and boxing (a sporting activity that has, among the top Olympic champions, the Cuban Teófilo Stevenson ) to mention some of the most popular. Over the years, challenges such as badminton , volleyball , canoeing , judo , golf , baseball and karate were added to them. The list even extends to game categories for badminton , basketball , handball , sport climbing and softball . It is worth noting that in the Olympic Games that will be held in Paris in 2024 , there will be Olympic breakdancing competitions for the first time.
In favor of social inclusion , on the other hand, as a complement to the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games were established in 1960, which also include a summer and a winter version. Athletes who certify that they have an intellectual, visual or physical disability are admitted to them.
Adolescents in the age group between 14 and 18 years old, meanwhile, have the chance to participate in some edition of the Youth Olympic Games .
Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded at the Olympic Games.
Olympic ceremonies and insignia
There are Olympic ceremonies and badges that mark the tradition and rituals characteristic of every Olympic game .
Visually, the Olympic hoops or rings are a must. These emblems are colored, are joined together and are distributed in two rows, leaving two rings on the bottom line and three rings above. They appear, on a light background, on the Olympic flag .
The Olympic mascots are also very attractive. It is some anthropomorphic figure or an animal that represents the host region of each edition. They are very useful for commercial and promotional purposes.
Of course, mascots and rings are not the only Olympic symbols . There is a rite , which seeks to continue a practice that dates back to the Ancient Olympic Games , that gives notoriety to the Olympic flame , a fire that begins to burn in the months prior to each official celebration of this type of competition . The Olympic torch is lit and makes a journey that concludes when, at the opening ceremony of each edition (an act that usually includes formal steps of protocol , including the pronunciation of the Olympic oath , but also artistic performances), the torch is lit with it. Olympic cauldron . Once all sporting competitions are over, the Olympic Games are formally closed with a closing ceremony .
Olympic medals (gold, silver , bronze ) are awarded at an awards ceremony held each time the competitions for each discipline are completed.