The Olympic Games - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages However, there was not enough positive response from the delegates. That was actually devised for the study of amateur sports, he again voiced his view on the revival of the Olympic Games and was delighted when the other countries participating in the Congress agreed with him. Following this consensus, delegates decided to have Coubertin construct a committee, comprising members of various countries, to conduct the first Modern Olympics in Athens, Greece. That committee headed by Demetrious Vikelas from Greece oversaw the preparations for the games and that committee only became the later day and now functioning International Olympic Committee. So, Pierre de Coubertin is widely-acknowledged as the originator of the modern Olympic Games, along with Demetrios Vikelas. The three Latin words of Citius, Altius, and Fortius became the Olympic motto, with Coubertin himself proposing after having borrowed it from his friend Henri Didon, a Dominican priest who taught the sport to students. The games started at the Athens’ Panathenaic Stadium in a celebratory mood on 6th April 1896 and concluded on 15th April. “The modem games were inaugurated in style, with the ritual and fanfare that Coubertin felt was essential to their social purpose.” Competitors came from 14 nations, with around 245 athletes, all of whom were male. From those beginnings, the games continued to take place with increasing number of countries and athletes every four years, with the exception of the years during the World Wars. ...Download file to see next pagesRead More