With both summer and winter sports activities, the Olympic Games are the top sporting event in the world. The Games, which include more than 200 teams from sovereign nations and territories, usually take the place of world championships in the year they are held. The Summer and Winter Olympics have rotated every two years since 1994 when they were first contested every four years. Every class keeps track of its records, giving athletes all around the world a varied and competitive experience.

History of the Olympic Games

• The Olympic Games have a long history that spans more than 2,000 years and is a custom that unites sport and culture.
• The Greeks started measuring time in the Olympics in 776 BC, which is when the first written records of the official Games appeared. Every four years, the first Olympic Games were staged in Zeus’ honour.
• From that point on, the Pythian or Delphic Games served as the venue for cultural events including theatre, music, singing, and poetry.
• Theodosius I of Rome outlawed the inaugural Olympic Games in 393 AD due to religious objections; nonetheless, they were reinstated in the modern era.

Modern Era Olympic Games

• Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s inaugural Olympic Congress in Paris in 1894 brought back the Olympic Games. Promoting mental and physical attributes, teaching youth via sports, disseminating Olympic values, and uniting athletes for a significant celebration every four years were among the event’s guiding themes.
• Athens held the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, while Paris hosted the second in 1900. Wimbledon winner Charlotte Cooper became the first female Olympian.
• The International Olympic Committee (IOC) seeks to advance women in athletics across all tiers and frameworks by putting the equality of men and women into practice.
• Since then, there has been a significant growth in the number of female Olympians; 48.9% of competitors are anticipated to be female at the 2020 Tokyo Games.
• For more than 20 years, the IOC has collaborated with worldwide federations and the organising committees of the Olympic Games to raise the proportion of women’s competitions in the Games.

Significance of the Olympic Games

• Olympism is a philosophy that integrates athletics with culture and education by uniting the body, will, and intellect.
• The Olympic Movement seeks to educate young people via sport in the Olympic spirit and without prejudice to promote peace and a better world.
• Several initiatives have been put into place by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), including Olympism365, Olympic Solidarity, gender equality, integrity, and sustainability.
• Olympic Solidarity promotes sport globally and encourages athlete involvement by redistributing broadcast rights from the Olympic Games to all 206 National Olympic Committees.
• To guarantee that the Olympic Games leave a lasting legacy for the host towns and nations, the IOC also places a strong emphasis on sustainability.
• In response to the global refugee crisis, the IOC Refugee Olympic Team was founded in 2015, and the Olympic Refuge Foundation (ORF) was founded in 2017 to offer assistance to refugees throughout the globe. Through sports, the ORF helps young people who are displaced find opportunities, strengthen social bonds, and enhance their overall well-being.
• By 2024, a million youth who have been displaced are expected to have access to safe sports.

Conclusion

The Olympic Games, the greatest athletic event in the world, have a 2,000-year history and combine culture and sport. In 776 BC, the first games were played; in 1894, the first games of the modern era were played. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) works to increase gender equality and the status of women in athletics. The Olympic Games further foster international peace and betterment by employing programs such as Olympic Solidarity, Olympism365, and Sustainability. A million young people who are displaced will have access to safe sports by 2024.