Olympic Facts

Starting in 776 B.C. the ancient original Olympics began at the base of Mount Olympus in Greece. The games took place every four years and brought athletes from all over Greece.

A truce between the city-states that made up Greece at the time helped the athletes, spectators, and religious leaders travel safely to the Games. Only male citizens could participate. No medals, but winners received olive leaf crowns and bragging rights.

In 1896 after a long lapse, the modern day Olympics were held in Athens, Greece at the new Panathenaic Stadium. This stadium still exists. About the same time, the IOC (International Olympic Committee) was formed and then invited athletes from all over the world. The five rings represent the five continents. These games were the beginning of the Summer Olympics and in 1908 the Winter Olympics were added.

Controversy and cheating have been around forever. During the 1904 Olympics there were 650 athletes, 580 were from the United States. The winner of the marathon was disqualified because there was a photograph taken of him riding in an automobile during his race. In 1936 Olympics were held in Berlin, Germany and was boycotted by several countries because they would not admit Jewish athletes.

That year Jesse Owens, United States track and field athlete and African-American, won four gold medals and squashed Germany’s myth of Aryan supremacy. During the 1972 Olympics held in Munich, Germany, 11 Israeli athletes were murdered by a militant Palestinian group. Doping athletes has been a standard yet secretive activity and continues to grab headlines and to give an advantage.

Seven new sports were added this year. One, the monobob is for women only, so nicknamed The Mom Bob, demands one person to push, leap and drive. Two, 30-plus year old United States women bobsledders took gold and silver in this first of its kind event.

Although the Games have been held, there have been no official medal ceremonies, no playing of the national anthem of the winners, even though many preventive measures have been taken Covid-19 has greatly affected the outcome of events, no spectators, no spectacular opening and closing ceremonies, one hopes for the return of “The Thrill of Victory…The Agony of Defeat” and the well-known musical introduction, “Bugler’s Dream” when four years from now, hopefully the Olympics will return.