The Olympics are a time of unity and celebration for the world. It’s an event that brings together cultures, beliefs, and athletes from all over the globe to compete in events ranging from track to field, swimming, gymnastics, shooting – you name it! Keep reading below for some amazing facts about this international competition.
The olympics takes place every four years and it is run by a non-profit organization. It has been going on since 1896 with the exception of 1916, 1940 and 1944 because of world wars happening during those time periods. When you watch olympic events you are not only watching athletes from different countries compete against each other but also seeing them come together as one united olympian team to celebrate their sportsmanship while still trying to win gold!
Olympics Logo Representation
The logo of the olympics represents olympism and olympic ideals. It has a Greek goddess named ompia who is the ompics’ symbol and she is shown holding up an olympian discus (a large, heavy metal saucer) on one arm while balancing it with her other hand – this shows how well-balanced olympians are in general!
The Olympics Motto
The olympic motto “Citius – Altius – Fortius” translates to: Faster – Higher – Stronger which was created by Pierre de Coubertin as the ompic creed in 1894. It has been translated from Latin to English since 1928 and it reflects the three ideals on Olympism; excellence of performance, respect for universal moral standards and international brotherhood or solidarity among all nations.
The olympic motto is a representation of what those who strive for excellence in olympics are all about. It embodies how they live their lives every day – striving for constant improvement, reaching higher by training harder than anyone else can imagine, pushing themselves beyond what others think possible.
The Growth of Olympics
The olympic games have grown in size over its history – there were 145 participants at the first olympics where men competed for 14 sports (track & field, cycling, wrestling, weightlifting) and women competed for 11 (track & field, swimming, tennis). In olympics today there is a total of 28 sports that are contested.
Olympics Representation
Every country sends their best athlete(s) who qualifies by meeting specific standards set forth by their respective olympic committee if they want to participate in olympics games. What olympic athlete doesn’t want to be their country’s best and represent in the olympics games?
Olympics Ceremonies
Aside from being an international celebration where athletes come together as one united team there are also many other events that happen during olympics time which include opening ceremonies (host nation opens up the event with fanfare), torch relay (a symbolic journey bringing the flame from Olympia) and closing ceremony (showcasing olympic legacies and celebrating olympians).
Olympics Planning
Olympics do not happen by chance. They are planned out strategically to provide a time for countries to come together, share their culture on an international stage, learn about other cultures through olympian cooperation and competition, spread the word of olympism (ideals)and inspire us all with its message – “Citius – Altius – Fortius.”
Controversy at the Olympics
The olympics have had their fair share of controversy with countries being banned from olympic competition. In 1980 olympic games in Moscow, the United States pulled out after president Jimmy Carter called for a boycott due to Russia’s invasion of Afghanistan earlier that year and it would later create an embarrassing situation where they played each other at the basketball game;
In 1984 olympic games in Los Angeles, several Eastern bloc nations refused to take part following Soviet Union’s decision not to attend on September 14th. These include: Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia and East Germany (GDR) which were all still communist states during this time period as well as Poland who was boycotting because they wanted more freedom than under communism;
In 2016 olympic games in Rio, it was reported that members of the Russian olympic team were caught using a sophisticated system to drug test samples. To avoid sanctions Russia’s olympians would have had to prove they did not dope which is why only one person has been banned from olympics and will be allowed back after his or her suspension ends on January 25th 2020;
Legendary Olympic Records
Nadia Comaneci’s all-around perfect score of ten in 1976 Montreal Olympics for gymnastics is a milestone achievement that may never be surpassed.
The Romanian gymnast stunned the world with her flawless performance on four different events, including the floor exercise and vault. She was only fourteen years old at the time, but still managed to beat Olga Korbut’s record of seven perfect scores.
Comaneci continues to inspire people today as she has been named one of The 10th Wonder Of The World by Time Magazine.
Tokyo Olympics Facts
Tokyo will be hosting the Olympics for a second time, joining Athens, Paris and London as one of just five cities chosen to host the summer games more than once. This is Tokyo’s third time being awarded with Summer Olympic Games with their first award in 1940 when they were forced to abandon them due to World War II; then again in 1964 before receiving yet another award this year – giving Japan the honor of host country three times under its belt but 2 officially!
Stars to Watch at Tokyo Olympics
Naomi Osaka
This tennis champion, born in Japan, will represent her home country at the Tokyo Olympics. “I think there’s no other place that I’d rather play my first Olympics,”Osaka said.
Teddy Riner
At the Tokyo Olympics, spectators will have to keep an eye on Teddy Riner. He stands a chance at winning Japan’s national sport of judo. Teddy Riner won the gold in 2012 and 2016 and would be aiming to become the first person to achieve 3 gold medals in Judo.
Eliud Kipchoge
Eliud Kipchoge won the 2019 Vienna Marathon in a world record time of 1:59.25, breaking fellow Kenyan Dennis Kimetto’s previous mark by 74 seconds and becoming the first man to ever run under two hours for 26 miles on pavement. At the Tokyo Olympics, he may have the opportunity to become the third person to win back-to-back Olympics medals after American Frank Shorter (1972) and Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie (2008).
