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 appearance sports games. The founder of the Olympic Games is King Oenomaus, who organized sports games for those who wanted to marry his daughter Hippodamia. 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.

In contact with

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 flourishing 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. It is not for nothing that most marble statues from the Greek period depict beautiful men and women of that time.

Olympia is considered the first “sports” city of Hellas; here the winners of 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 have discovered clusters of ancient monumental structures of unknown purpose in the country where sports competitions originated. of those years he was very interested in Antiquity.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin considered it inappropriate physical training soldier. 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 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. The 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 hold competitions “forever” on 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 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:

1. Grand performances at the opening and closing ceremonies. Everyone tries to carry them out in a big way, some of them overdo it.
2. Ceremonial passage of athletes from each participating country. The Greek team always goes first, the rest are in alphabetical order.
3. The outstanding athlete of the receiving party must take an oath of fair fight for everyone.
4. 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.
5. The presentation of medals is filled with centuries-old traditions, the winner rises to the podium, above which the national flag rises, and the national anthem is played.
6. A prerequisite is the “first Olympics” symbolism. The host party develops a stylized symbol of the sports festival that would reflect the national flavor.

Attention! The release of souvenirs can cover the costs of the event. Many European countries 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 in 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:

1. Increasing the number of sports disciplines.
2. Promoting a healthy lifestyle, social and charitable events.
3. Introduction of advanced technologies for the convenience of celebrations, increased security, and comfort of participating athletes.
4. 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. Preserving peace was a priority at the end of the 19th century, and remains so today.

History of the Olympic Games

Once every four years, the Olympic Games are held - this is the name of sports competitions in which the best athletes from different countries peace. Each of them dreams of becoming an Olympic champion and receiving a medal as a reward - gold, silver or bronze. Almost 11 thousand athletes from more than 200 countries came to the 2016 Olympic competitions in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro.

Although these sports games are mainly played by adults, some sports, as well as the history of the Olympic Games, can also be very exciting for children. And, probably, both children and adults would be interested to know when the Olympic Games appeared, how they got their name, and also what types of sports exercises were in the very first competitions. In addition, we will find out how the modern Olympic Games are held and what their emblem means - five multi-colored rings.

The birthplace of the Olympic Games is Ancient Greece. The earliest historical records of the ancient Olympic Games were found on Greek marble columns, where the date 776 BC was engraved. However, it is known that sports competitions in Greece took place much earlier than this date. Therefore, the history of the Olympics goes back about 2800 years, which, you see, is quite a long time.

Do you know who, according to history, became one of the first Olympic champions? - This was ordinary cook Koribos from the city of Elis, whose name is still engraved on one of those marble columns.

The history of the Olympic Games goes back to ancient city— Olympia, where the name of this sports festival came from. This settlement is located in a very beautiful place- near Mount Kronos and on the banks of the Alpheus River, and it is here that from ancient times to the present day the ceremony of lighting the torch with the Olympic flame takes place, which is then passed along the relay to the city of the Olympic Games.

You can try to find this place on a world map or in an atlas and at the same time test yourself - can I find Greece first and then Olympia?

How were the Olympic Games held in ancient times?

At first, only local residents took part in sports competitions, but then everyone liked it so much that people from all over Greece and its subordinate cities began to come here, even from the Black Sea itself. People got there as best they could - some rode on horseback, some had a cart, but most people walked to the holiday. The stadiums were always crowded with spectators - everyone really wanted to see sports competitions with their own eyes.

It is also interesting that in those days when the Olympic competitions were going to be held in Ancient Greece, a truce was declared in all cities and all wars stopped for about a month. For ordinary people, it was a calm, peaceful time when they could take a break from everyday affairs and have fun.

The athletes trained for 10 months at home, and then another month in Olympia, where experienced trainers helped them prepare as best as possible for the competition. At the beginning of sports games, everyone took an oath, the participants - that they would compete fairly, and the judges - that they would judge fairly. Then the competition itself began, which lasted 5 days. The start of the Olympic Games was announced with a silver trumpet, which was blown several times, inviting everyone to gather in the stadium.

What sports were at the Olympic Games in ancient times?

These were:

• running competitions;
• struggle;
• long jump;
• javelin and discus throwing;
• hand-to-hand combat;
• Chariot racing.

The best athletes were given an award - a laurel wreath or an olive branch; the champions solemnly returned to their hometown and were considered respected people for the rest of their lives. Banquets were held in their honor, and sculptors made marble statues for them.

Unfortunately, in 394 AD, the holding of the Olympic Games was banned by the Roman emperor, who really did not like such competitions.

Modern Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games of our time took place in 1896, in the ancestral country of these games - Greece. You can even calculate how long the break was - from 394 to 1896 (it turns out 1502 years). And now, after so many years in our time, the birth of the Olympic Games became possible thanks to one famous French baron, his name was Pierre de Coubertin.

Pierre de Coubertin- founder of the modern Olympic Games.

This man really wanted as many people as possible to engage in sports and proposed resuming the Olympic Games. Since then, sports games have been held every four years, preserving the traditions of ancient times as much as possible. But now the Olympic Games have begun to be divided into winter and summer, which alternate with each other.

Traditions and symbolism of the Olympic Games

Olympic rings

Probably each of us has seen the emblem of the Olympics - intertwined colored rings. They were chosen for a reason - each of the five rings means one of the continents:

• ring of blue color- symbol of Europe,
• black - Africa,
• red - America,
• yellow - Asia,
• The green ring is the symbol of Australia.

And the fact that the rings are intertwined with each other means the unity and friendship of people on all these continents, despite different colour skin.

Olympic flag

The official flag of the Olympic Games was a white flag with the Olympic emblem. White is a symbol of peace during Olympic competitions, just as it was in ancient Greek times. At each Olympics, the flag is used at the opening and closing of the sports games, and then handed over to the city where the next Olympics will take place in four years.

Olympic flame

Even in ancient times, the tradition of lighting a fire during the Olympic Games arose, and it has survived to this day. The ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame is very interesting to watch; it is reminiscent of an ancient Greek theatrical performance.

It all starts in Olympia a few months before the start of the competition. For example, the flame for the Brazilian Olympic Games was lit in Greece back in April of this year.

In the Greek Olympia, eleven girls gather, dressed in long white dresses, as they used to be in Ancient Greece, then one of them takes a mirror and, with the help of the sun's rays, lights a specially prepared torch. This is the fire that will burn throughout the entire period of Olympic competition.

After the torch lights up, it is handed over to one of the best athletes, who will then carry it first through the cities of Greece, and then deliver it to the country where the Olympic Games will be held. Then the torch relay passes through the cities of the country and finally arrives at the place where the sports competitions will be held.

A large bowl is installed at the stadium and a fire is lit in it with the torch that arrived from distant Greece. The fire in the bowl will burn until all sports competitions are over, then it will go out, and this symbolizes the end of the Olympic Games.

Opening and closing ceremony of the Olympics

It is always a bright and colorful sight. Each country hosting the Olympic Games tries to surpass the previous one in this component, sparing neither effort nor money on the presentation. The latest achievements of science and technology, innovative technologies and developments are used for the production. In addition, it involves a large number of people - volunteers. The most are invited famous people countries: artists, composers, athletes, etc.

Awards ceremony for winners and runners-up

When the first Olympic Games took place, the winners received a laurel wreath as a reward. However, modern champions are no longer awarded laurel wreaths, but medals: first place is a gold medal, second place is a silver medal, and third place is a bronze medal.

It is very interesting to watch the competitions, but it is even more interesting to see how the champions are awarded. The winners stand on a special pedestal with three steps, according to their places, they are awarded medals and raised the flags of the countries from which these athletes came.

That’s the whole history of the Olympic Games, for children, I think, the above information will be interesting and useful

In Paris in Great hall The Sorbonne convened a commission to revive the Olympic Games. Baron Pierre de Coubertin became its general secretary. Then the International Olympic Committee - the IOC - was formed, which included the most authoritative and independent citizens of different countries.

The first modern Olympic Games were originally planned to be held in the same stadium in Olympia that hosted the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. However, this required too much restoration work, and the first revived Olympic competitions took place in the Greek capital, Athens.

On April 6, 1896, at the restored ancient stadium in Athens, the Greek King George declared the first Olympic Games of modern times open. The opening ceremony was attended by 60 thousand spectators.

The date of the ceremony was not chosen by chance - on this day, Easter Monday coincided with three directions of Christianity at once - Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. This first opening ceremony of the Games established two Olympic traditions - the opening of the Games by the head of state where the competition is taking place, and the singing of the Olympic anthem. However, such indispensable attributes modern Games, like the parade of participating countries, the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame and the recitation of the Olympic oath, there was no; they were introduced later. There was no Olympic village; invited athletes provided their own housing.

241 athletes from 14 countries took part in the Games of the First Olympiad: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary (at the time of the Games, Hungary was part of Austria-Hungary, but Hungarian athletes competed separately), Germany, Greece, Denmark, Italy , USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden.

Russian athletes were quite actively preparing for the Olympics, but due to lack of funds, the Russian team was not sent to the Games.

As in ancient times, only men took part in the competitions of the first modern Olympics.

The program of the first Games included nine sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. 43 sets of awards were drawn.

According to ancient tradition The games began with track and field competitions.

Athletics competitions became the most popular - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - were won by representatives of the United States.

The first Olympic champion was American athlete James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 meters 71 centimeters.

Wrestling competitions were held without uniform approved rules for conducting fights, and there were also no weight categories. The style in which the athletes competed was close to today's Greco-Roman, but it was allowed to grab an opponent's legs. Only one set of medals was played among five athletes, and only two of them competed exclusively in wrestling - the rest took part in competitions in other disciplines.

Since there were no artificial swimming pools in Athens, swimming competitions were held in an open bay near the city of Piraeus; the start and finish were marked by ropes attached to the floats. The competition aroused great interest - by the start of the first swim, about 40 thousand spectators had gathered on the shore. About 25 swimmers from six countries took part, most of them naval officers and sailors of the Greek merchant fleet.

Medals were awarded in four events, all swims were held “freestyle” - you were allowed to swim in any way, changing it along the course. At that time, the most popular swimming methods were breaststroke, overarm (an improved way of swimming on the side) and treadmill style. At the insistence of the Games organizers, the program also included an applied swimming event - 100 meters in sailor's clothing. Only Greek sailors took part in it.

In cycling, six sets of medals were awarded - five on the track and one on the road. The track races took place at the Neo Faliron velodrome, specially built for the Games.

Eight sets of awards were competed for in the artistic gymnastics competitions. The competition took place outdoors at the Marble Stadium.

Five sets of awards were awarded in shooting - two in rifle shooting and three in pistol shooting.

Tennis competitions took place on the courts of the Athens Tennis Club. Two tournaments were held - singles and doubles. At the 1896 Games there was no requirement that all team members represent the same country, and some pairs were international.

Weightlifting competitions were held without division into weight categories and included two disciplines: squeezing a ball barbell with two hands and lifting a dumbbell with one hand.

Three sets of awards were competed for in fencing. Fencing became the only sport where professionals were allowed: separate competitions were held among “maestros” - fencing teachers (“maestros” were also admitted to the 1900 Games, after which this practice ceased).

The highlight of the Olympic Games was the marathon running. Unlike all subsequent Olympic marathon competitions, the marathon distance at the Games of the First Olympics was 40 kilometers. The classic marathon distance is 42 kilometers 195 meters. The Greek postman Spyridon Louis finished first with a result of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds, who became a national hero after this success. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on including marathon running in the program of the Games, a barrel of wine, and a voucher for free food for a year, free tailoring of dresses and use of hairdresser services throughout life, 10 quintals of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

The winners were awarded on the closing day of the Games - April 15, 1896. Since the Games of the First Olympiad, the tradition of singing the national anthem and raising the national flag in honor of the winner has been established. The winner was crowned with a laurel wreath, given a silver medal, an olive branch cut from the Sacred Grove of Olympia, and a diploma made by a Greek artist. Second place winners received bronze medals.

Those who took third place were not taken into account at that time, and only later the International Olympic Committee included them in the medal standings among countries, but not all medalists were determined accurately.

The Greek team won the largest number of medals - 45 (10 gold, 17 silver, 18 bronze). Team USA came second with 20 medals (11+7+2). The third place was taken by the German team - 13 (6+5+2).

The material was prepared based on information from open sources

Older than Christ

The very first Olympic Games were held in 776 BC, in Ancient Greece, on the shore small river Anthea, in the village of Olympia. The program of the first Olympics consisted of only one discipline - running 193 meters (one stage). Only naked men took part in the competition, and they were not even allowed to wear sandals. Women were forbidden to be present at the stadium, with the only exception being the priestess of the goddess Demeter.

Expanding the repertoire

The Olympic Games were held every four years, during which a truce was declared between warring states and cities, and all wars were prohibited. At each Olympics, new types of competitions appeared: running not only a stage, but also two stages (diaulos), and 24 stages (dolichodromo), running in combat clothing and with weapons, throwing a dart at a target, long jumping with dumbbells, discus throwing, fisticuffs, pentathlon. The winners of the Olympics were revered no less than the Gods; they were given statues and gifts.

There will be no more demonic games!

The Olympic Games were held for 1168 years, and already in 394 AD, the Roman Emperor Theodosius the First banned the competition, citing the fact that it was pagan entertainment. And 128 years later, as a result of a powerful earthquake, the Olympic buildings were wiped off the face of the earth.

Only in the 18th century did excavations begin in the area of ​​​​ancient Olympia, and only in late XIX century, the scientist Baron Pierre de Coubertin, inspired by the works of the French archaeologist Ernst Curtius, revived the Olympic Games and wrote a set of rules for their holding - the Olympic Charter.

Return of the Olympics

Thus, the first Olympic Games of modern times were competitions held in Athens on April 6, 1896. Athletes from 13 countries took part in the competition: Australia, Austria-Hungary, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Germany, Greece, Denmark, USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden. Russian athletes were unable to take part in the competition due to financial difficulties. The Olympic program included nine sports disciplines: classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. More than 80 thousand spectators were present at the new recreated stadium.

IN new history Several Olympic Games did not take place due to world wars: VI Olympic Games in Berlin (1916), XII Olympic Games in Helsinki (1940), XIII Olympic Games in London (1944). But, despite this, the numbering of the Games is preserved, and not a single Games is considered lost.

The emergence of winter games

Since 1924, the Olympic Games have been divided into winter and summer. This is how the numbering of the winter Olympics began (I Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix) and continued with the summer ones (VIII Summer Olympic Games in Paris). And in 1992, the last time the winter and summer Olympics were held in the same year. The next XVII Winter Olympic Games were held two years later (1994) in Lillehammer, and the XXVI Summer Olympic Games were held two years later (1996) in Atlanta.