The Olympic Games
A. Ancient Roots
-1st Olympics 776 BC
-Founder was Oxylos and later continued by Ifitos
-All fighting in the Greek World ceased during games
-Held at sacred site of Olympia
-One event- foot race
-Later became 10 events
-No women as participants or spectators
-The time between two Olympic Games is called an Olympiad (4 years)
-Abolished in 593 AD by Romans as Christianity became official religion of the Roman Empire
-Olympics were viewed as idol worship
B. Revival
- Began in the 1800’s culminating in 1896 in Athens, Greece
- 1st Modern Olympic Games
- French Born Pierrer de Coubertin and Greek Dimitrios Vikelas founders
- At first only amateurs were allowed to compete
- mainly to keep the working class from participating
- Only 13 countries came in 1896 (including USA)
- Winter Olympics started in 1924
- Olympic Flame- symbolizes continuity between ancient and modern games
- Past- sacred flame at the altar of Zeus
- Today - lit at Olympia and carried to host city (1936)
- Olympic Symbol- 5 interlocked rings represents friendship
- 5 rings symbolize five continents at time of modern games
C. Tragedy and Politics
- 1936 Berlin Germany
- Adolf Hitler used the games to showcase his Nazi party
- “master race” was foiled by Jesse Owens
- Terrorism
- 1972 Munich, Germany
- Arab Terrorists attacked Israeli athletes at the Olympic village and killed them
- Protests
- Tommie Smith and John Carlos
- Raised black gloved fist on victory stand as national anthem played
-protested civil rights in US
-Cold War
- USSR vs USA
-Communism vs Capitalism fighting for world domination
- Taken to the playing fields
-USSR not allowed to play until 1952
-Began to immediately dominate winter games
D. National Pride
-1972 USSR wins controversial medal in Basketball
-1960 USA wins hockey gold medal
-Boycott
-1980 US and 50 countries refused to go to games in Moscow
-Protest Russian invasion of Afghanistan
-1984 USSR and 15 Eastern Bloc countries boycotted Olympics in Los Angeles
-3 times in history Olympics were cancelled dues to war
-1916, 1940, 1944
