History of the Olympic Games - Term Paper Example

History of the Olympic Games The words “Olympic Games” have lingered in the ears of many people for centuries. However, not everyone has paid much attention to the history of Olympic Games. All that is known about the games is that they are a festival of sports happening every four years and involves sportspersons from all over the world. The trajectory of Olympic Games is three-phased (Miller 26). There existed the original Olympic Games that collapsed at some point before their late revival in 1896. The Original Games, just like the current ones, were held every four years, and this happened for centuries before the dawn of Christianity, which caused their collapse (University of Pennsylvania 1). Upon their re-birth in 1896, the Games have consistently been held every four years save for the short stint of the world wars that inconvenienced the organization of the games. The original games and the current ones have remarkable differences, though the manner of organization has not changed much. The main difference between the games is the overall purpose behind them. The ancient games were a form of appreciation to the Greek gods for the wonderful work they were doing on the land. On the contrary, the modern games appreciate the wealth of talent in the world, and that is why the games attract global participation. The modern games also aim at uniting the world to avoid conflicts (Scholastic 1). Moreover, there is a difference in the types and number of games that were played. The ancient games incorporated music and theatre performances whereas the modern games emphasize on the athletic agenda. The Ancient Olympics There existed little records about Olympics at their launch. However, the earliest and most reliable data indicates that the games initially took place in 776 B.C (Miller 15). This date, to some historians, appears to be a little later than the actual onslaught of the games. Available records show that some little festival was held in Olympia in 776 B.C. during the summer period, an event that soon grew into the Olympic Games today. This festival was then scheduled to happen after every four years during the golden age before Christ. Primarily, the games were an appreciation to the Greek god – Zeus – who was the most important god at the time. During the festival, no war took place (History 1). The first 13 Olympics involved only one simple event – a footrace – that went no farther than the stadium’s length. As with all new events and festivals, the first Olympics had little appeal and only attracted locals. Moreover, gender discrimination was at its peak in the games as only men could participate. The 14th Olympic added a second race that involved going round the stadium twice. The games kept increasing as time went (Miller 117). Things took a huge turn when the festival attracted personalities that are more powerful. These people highly influenced the agenda of the games. At the 18th Olympics, the number of games had increased significantly – spear throwing, running, jumping, wrestling and discus throwing. The 23rd Olympiad introduced another new game – boxing. The increase in the number of games strengthened the significance of the games and made the festival more appealing. By 632 B.C, the 37th Olympiad had a wide range of games, including chariot racing. Moreover, the duration of the games was increased to five days from the previous one-day festival (Miller 309). The games were instrumental to the competitors as they helped nurture their professionalism. Sadly, however, the significance of the games dwindled due to the affluence associated with them. Winners would earn themselves much glory. Moreover, the gods influencing the events maximized their powers at the festival. Emperor Theodosius officially ended the games in 394 A.D. due to what he considered “pagan connotations” of the games (Miller 356). The New Dawn The re-birth of the Olympic Games is fresh in the minds of most historians. Greeks had made failed attempts in 1800s to revive the games (Miller 380). It appeared more like a curse from the gods. However, the first sight of light at the tunnel end occurred between 1863 and 1937 when a French educationist – Pierre de Coubertin – rolled out his efforts to integrate the Greek formula of symmetrical body and mind development into the French educational program (Miller 384). The modern Olympic movement drew inspiration from Coubertin’s efforts. He convened an international sports congress in France on 16 June 1894. Delegates attended the event from the United States and most European countries – Greece, Russia, Italy, England, France, Sweden, Belgium and Spain. Coubertin spoke plainly at the congress. He called for the re-birth of the Olympic Games. His prayers were answered as the delegates backed him entirely (Miller 391). However, his plan to have the games held in France was opposed. Instead, the delegates recommended the first games to be held in Greece then the rest of the games will rotate through other great cities worldwide at intervals of four years. The first Olympic Games took place in Athens in 1896 with the participation of 13 countries. Nine great sports were held at the games – wrestling, swimming, lawn tennis, cycling, shooting, gymnastics, weightlifting, fencing, track and field events. The United States won most of the events (Miller 401). Based on the manner in which the 1896 games faired, there was little doubt as to the future growth of the games. France hosted the games in 1900. By 1908, the games had attracted a huge number of competitors (2,082 from the previous 311). Winter Olympics were introduced in 1924 to match the Summer Games (Jenner 73). However, the latter still dominate modern Olympics due to the multitude of fans and the huge number of supporters. Moreover, the number of events at the Olympics is quite high today, making the event go for two and a half weeks. The modern events include canoeing, kayaking, basketball, fencing, gymnastics, rowing, field hockey, boxing, swimming, soccer, volleyball, wrestling, water polo, yachting, shooting, weightlifting, driving, track events, and tennis (Scholastic 1). At least one new event is added to each Olympic Games. Some of the latest additions include triathlon, baseball and martial arts. The International Olympics Committee is the body in charge of the management and organization of the Olympic Games. It is seated in Lausanne, Switzerland. Although the Winter and Summer Games initially went concurrently, they were split in 1992 due to the vast nature of each of the games (Jenner 70). The future of Olympic Games is brighter than ever. Care should be taken to avoid regional divisions because politics now dominate the issue of holding the games. The huge number of supporter turnout has always boosted the economies of hosts (Davis 106). This trend has the potential to destroy the games as other developing countries will not tolerate their continuous sidelining. Works Cited Davis, John A. The Olympic Games Effect: How Sports Marketing Builds Strong Brands. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2012. 33-202. History. The Olympic Games. History 2014. Accessed from http://www.history.com/topics/olympic-games Jenner, Marc. Inside the Summer Olympic Games: History of the Summer Olympics. London: Anthem Press, 2012. 10-96. Miller, David. The Official History of the Olympic Games and the IOC: Athens to London 1894- 2012. Edinburgh: Mainstream Publishing, 2012. 15-401. Scholastic. Origin and History of the Olympic Games. Scholastic 2014. Accessed from http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/athens_games/history.htm University of Pennsylvania. The Real Story of the Ancient Olympic Games. University of Pennsylvania 2014. Accessed from http://www.penn.museum/sites/olympics/olympicorigins.shtml Read More