The five Olympic rings were designed in 1913, adopted in 1914 and debuted at the Games at Antwerp, 1920. The Olympic symbols are the icons Flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1920

The Olympic Games^[1] is an international multi-sport event subdivided into summer and winter sporting events. A multi-sport event -- 246717740 ( talk) 1859 5 October 2008 (UTC is an organized sporting event often held over multiple days and featuring competition in many Summer is one of the four Temperate Seasons Summer marks the warmest time of year with the longest days Winter is one of the four Seasons of Temperate zones Calculated astronomically, it begins on the Solstice and ends on the Equinox Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively The summer and winter games are each held every four years (an Olympiad^[2]). An Olympiad is a period of four years associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. Until 1992, they were both held in the same year. The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Barcelona, Since then, they have been separated by a two year gap.

The original Olympic Games (Greek: Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες; Olympiakoi Agones) were first recorded in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece, and were celebrated until AD 393. The Ancient Olympic Games, originally referred to as simply the Olympic Games (Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Olympiakoi Agones) were a series of Athletic Greek (el ελληνική γλώσσα or simply el ελληνικά — "Hellenic" is an Indo-European language, spoken today by 15-22 million people mainly Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία ^[3] Interest in reviving the Olympic Games proper was first shown by the Greek poet and newspaper editor Panagiotis Soutsos in his poem "Dialogue of the Dead" in 1833. Alexandros Soutsos (1803 – 1863 was a Greek poet from a prominent Phanariote family ^[4] Evangelos Zappas sponsored the first modern international Olympic Games in 1859. Evangelis Zappas (1800&ndash1865 aka Evangelos Zappas, was a Greek businessman Philanthropist, and founder of the He paid for the refurbishment of the Panathinaiko Stadium for Games held there in 1870 and 1875. The Panathinaiko ( Panathenaic) Stadium (also known as the Kallimarmaron, i ^[4] This was noted in newspapers and publications around the world including the London Review, which stated that "the Olympian Games, discontinued for centuries, have recently been revived! Here is strange news indeed . . . the classical games of antiquity were revived near Athens". ^[5]

The International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894 on the initiative of a French nobleman, Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the The first of the IOC's Olympic Games were the 1896 Summer Olympics, held in Athens, Greece. The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were an International Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's Greece (Ελλάδα transliterated: Elláda, historically, Ellás,) officially the Hellenic Republic (Ελληνική Δημοκρατία Participation in the Olympic Games has increased to include athletes from nearly all nations worldwide. With the improvement of satellite communications and global telecasts of the events, the Olympics are consistently gaining supporters. ^[6] The most recent Summer Olympics were the 2004 Games in Athens and the most recent Winter Olympics were the 2006 Games in Turin. The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in The upcoming games in Beijing are planned to comprise 302 events in 28 sports. The Olympic sports comprise all the Sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. ^[7] As of 2006, the Winter Olympics were competed in 84 events in 7 sports. The Olympic sports comprise all the Sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. ^[8]

Ancient Olympics

Athletes trained in this Olympia facility in its ancient heyday.

Main article: Ancient Olympic Games

There are many myths surrounding the origin of the ancient Olympic Games. The Ancient Olympic Games, originally referred to as simply the Olympic Games (Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες Olympiakoi Agones) were a series of Athletic The most popular legend describes that Heracles was the creator of the Olympic Games, and built the Olympic stadium and surrounding buildings as an honor to his father Zeus, after completing his 12 labours. In Greek mythology, Heracles or Herakles ("glory of Hera " or Zeus (zjuːs in Greek: nominative: Zeús /zdeús/ genitive: Diós; Modern Greek /'zefs/ in Greek mythology According to that legend he walked in a straight line for 400 strides and called this distance a "stadion" (Greek: "Στάδιον")- (Roman: "stadium") (Modern English: "Stage") that later also became a distance calculation unit. This is also why a modern stadium track is 400 meters in circumference — the distance a runner travels in one lap (1 stadium = 400 m). The circumference is the distance around a closed Curve. Circumference is a kind of Perimeter. Another myth associates the first Games with the ancient Greek concept of ἐκεχειρία (ekecheiria) or Olympic Truce. The date of the Games' inception based on the count of years in Olympiads is reconstructed as 776 BC, although scholars' opinions diverge between dates as early as 884 BC and as late as 704 BC. An Olympiad is a period of four years associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece.

From then on, the Olympic Games quickly became much more important throughout ancient Greece, reaching their zenith in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. The Olympics were of fundamental religious importance, contests alternating with sacrifices and ceremonies honouring both Zeus (whose colossal statue stood at Olympia), and Pelops, divine hero and mythical king of Olympia famous for his legendary chariot race with King Oenomaus of Pisatis, and in whose honour the games were held. The Statue of Zeus at Olympia was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece In Greek mythology, Pelops ( Greek Πέλοψ, from pelios: dark and ops: face eye king of Pisa in the Peloponnesus was venerated In Greek mythology, King Oenomaus (or Oinomaos, Oenamaus) of Pisa was the son of Ares by Harpina (daughter of Phliasian Pisa, or Pisatis was the name of an ancient Greek town or district in Elis, famous for containing Olympia, the site of the Ancient Olympic Games. The number of events increased to twenty, and the celebration was spread over several days. Winners of the events were greatly admired and were immortalised in poems and statues. ^[9] The Games were held every four years, and the period between two celebrations became known as an 'Olympiad. ' The Greeks used Olympiads as one of their methods to count years. The most famous Olympic athlete lived in these times: the sixth century BC wrestler Milo of Croton is the only athlete in history to win a victory in six Olympics. Milo or Milon of Croton (late 6th century BC was a famous ancient Greek athlete ^[10]

The Games gradually declined in importance as the Romans gained power in Greece. Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC After Emperor Theodosius I proclaimed Christianity the religion of the Empire and banned pagan rites, the Olympic Games were outlawed as a pagan festival in 393 AD. Flavius Theodosius (January 11 347 – January 17 395 also called Theodosius I and Theodosius the Great ( Greek: Θεοδόσιος Α΄ ^[11]

During the ancient times normally only young men could participate. ^[10] Competitors were usually nude, not only as the weather was appropriate but also as the festival was meant to be, in part, a celebration of the achievements of the human body. Upon winning the games, the victor would have not only the prestige of being in first place but would also be presented with a crown of olive leaves. The olive branch is a sign of hope and peace. The olive branch is a Branch of an Olive tree In Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, it symbolizes peace or goodwill ^[12]

Even though the bearing of a torch formed an integral aspect of Greek ceremonies, the ancient Olympic Games did not include it, nor was there a symbol formed by interconnecting rings. These Olympic symbols were introduced as part of the modern Olympic Games. The Olympic symbols are the icons Flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games.

Revival

In the early seventeenth century, an "Olympic Games" sports festival was run for several years at Chipping Campden in the English Cotswolds, and the present day local Cotswold Games trace their origin to this festival. Chipping Campden is a small Market town within the Cotswold district of Gloucestershire, England. See also Cotswold The Cotswolds is a range of Hills in west-central England, sometimes called the "Heart of England" “Olympicks” redirects here For the international games see Olympic Games.

In 1850, an "Olympian Class" was begun at Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England. For the game see 1850 (board game. 1850 ( MDCCCL) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link Much Wenlock, earlier known simply as " Wenlock " ("White Place" in Celtic ("Gwyn-loc" is a small town in central Shropshire, England Shropshire (ˈʃrɒpʃɪə/ /-ʃə alternatively known as Salop or abbreviated in print only Shrops, is a county in the England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland This was renamed "Wenlock Olympian Games" in 1859 and continues to this day as the Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common The Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games are usually held every year in Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England. A national Olympic Games was organised by their founder, Dr William Penny Brookes, at Crystal Palace in London, in 1866. Dr William Penny Brookes ( 13 August 1809 &ndash 11 December 1895) was an English Physician, magistrate, Year 1866 ( MDCCCLXVI) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common

Meanwhile, a wealthy Greek philanthropist called Evangelos Zappas sponsored the revival of the first modern international Olympic Games. Evangelis Zappas (1800&ndash1865 aka Evangelos Zappas, was a Greek businessman Philanthropist, and founder of the ^[4] The first was held in an Athens city square in 1859. Zappas paid for the refurbishment of the ancient Panathenian stadium that was first used for an Olympic Games in 1870 and then again in 1875. That same stadium was refurbished a second time and used for the Athens 1896 Games. The revival sponsored by Zappas was a dedicated Olympic Games with athletes that participated from two countries: Greece and the Ottoman Empire. The Ottoman Empire (1299–1923 ( Old Ottoman Turkish: دولتْ علیّه عثمانیّه Devlet-i Âliye-yi Osmâniyye, Late Ottoman and Modern Turkish

The interest in reviving the Olympics as an international event grew further when the ruins of ancient Olympia were uncovered by German archaeologists in the mid-nineteenth century. Olympia ( Greek: Olympí'a or Olýmpia, older transliterations Olimpia, Olimbia) a sanctuary of ancient Greece Archaeology, archeology, or archæology (from Greek grc ἀρχαιολογία archaiologia – grc ἀρχαῖος archaīos At the same time, Pierre de Coubertin was searching for a reason for the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871). Pierre de Frédy Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 &ndash 2 September 1937 was a French Pedagogue and historian who is best known as the founder of the The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War ( 19 July, 1870 — 10 May, 1871 He thought the reason was that the French had not received proper physical education, and sought to improve this. Coubertin also sought a way to bring nations closer together, to have the youth of the world compete in sports, rather than fight in war. In 1890 he attended a festival of the Wenlock Olympian Society, and decided that the recovery of the Olympic Games would achieve both of his goals.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin stood on the ideas of both Dr Brookes and the foundations of Evangelis Zappas to found the International Olympic Committee. In a congress at the Sorbonne University, in Paris, France, held from June 16 to June 23, 1894 he presented his ideas to an international audience. An Olympic Congress is a large gathering of representatives from the different constituencies of the Olympic Movement organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC The historic University of Paris (Université de Paris first appeared in the second half of the 13th century Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Events 1180 - First Battle of Uji, starting the Genpei War in Japan 1305 - The Flemish Year 1894 ( MDCCCXCIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common On the last day of the congress, it was decided that the first IOC Olympic Games would take place in 1896 in Athens, in the country of their birth. Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's To organise the Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was established, with the Greek Demetrius Vikelas as its first president. Demetrius Vikelas, or Bikelas (Δημήτριος Βικέλας February 15 1835 &ndash July 20 1908 was a Greek businessman and writer he was the first president of the The Panathenian stadium that was used for Olympic Games in 1870, and 1875 was refurbished and reused for the Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896.

The total number of athletes at the the first IOC Olympic Games, less than 250, seems small by modern standards, but the games were the largest international sports event ever held until that time. The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were an International The Greek officials and public were also very enthusiastic, and they even proposed to have the monopoly of organizing the Olympics. The IOC decided differently, however, and the second Olympic Games took place in Paris, France. The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Paris was also the first Olympic Games where women were allowed to compete.

Modern Olympics

Main articles: Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games

The United States Olympic Committee's training facilities at their headquarters in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years The City of Colorado Springs is a Home Rule Municipality that is the County seat and most populous city of El Paso County, Colorado,

After the initial success, the Olympics struggled. The celebrations in Paris (1900) and St. Louis (1904) were overshadowed by the World's Fair exhibitions in which they were included. The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in St Expo (short for "exposition" and also known as World Fair and World's Fair) is the name given to various large public exhibitions held since the The 1906 Intercalated Games (so-called because of their off-year status, as 1906 is not divisible by four) were held in Athens, as the first of an alternating series of Athens-held Olympics. Although originally the IOC recognised and supported these games, they are currently not recognised by the IOC as Olympic Games, which has given rise to the explanation that they were intended to mark the 10th anniversary of the modern Olympics. The 1906 Games again attracted a broad international field of participants—in 1904, 80% had been American—and great public interest, thereby marking the beginning of a rise in popularity and size of the Games.

From the 241 participants from 14 nations in 1896, the Games grew to nearly 11,100 competitors from 202 countries at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated Athens (ˈæθənz Αθήνα Athina,) the Capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery as one of the world's The number of competitors at the Winter Olympics is much smaller than at the Summer Games; at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin Italy, 2,633 athletes from 80 countries competed in 84 events. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in

The Olympics are one of the largest media events. In Sydney in 2000 there were over 16,000 broadcasters and journalists, and an estimated 3. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 8 billion viewers watched the games on television. The broadcasting of sports events is the coverage of Sports on Television, Radio and other Broadcasting mediums Television ( TV) is a widely used Telecommunication medium for sending ( Broadcasting) and receiving moving Images, either monochromatic The growth of the Olympics is one of the largest problems the Olympics face today. Although allowing professional athletes and attracting sponsorships from major international companies solved financial problems in the 1980s, the large number of athletes, media and spectators makes it difficult and expensive for host cities to organize the Olympics. For example the 2012 Olympics, which will be held in London, is based on an updated budget of over £9bn which is one of the biggest budgets for an Olympics to date. Even if sponsorships do lighten the load in terms of the debt that these countries make, one of the biggest problems faced is how will their economies cope with the extra financial burdens put on them.

Despite the Olympics usually being associated with one host city, most of the Olympics have had events held in other cities, especially the football and sailing events. There were two Olympics where some events were held in a different country: during the 1920 Antwerp Olympics two sailing races were held in the Netherlands; and during the 1956 Melbourne Olympics equestrian events were held in Sweden. The 2008 Beijing Olympics will mark the third time that Olympic events will have been held in the territories of two different NOC's: at the 2008 Olympics, equestrian events will be held in Hong Kong (which competes separately from mainland China. )

203 countries currently participate in the Olympics. This is a noticeably higher number than the number of countries belonging to the United Nations, which is only 193. The United Nations ( UN) is an International organization whose stated aims are to facilitate cooperation in International law, International security The International Olympic Committee allows nations to compete which do not meet the strict requirements for political sovereignty that many other international organizations demand. As a result, many colonies and dependencies are permitted to host their own Olympic teams and athletes even if such competitors hold the same citizenship as another member nation. Examples of this include territories such as Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and Hong Kong, all of which compete as separate nations despite being legally a part of another country. Puerto Rico (ˌpwertoˈriko officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ("Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico" {{lang-en|"Associated Free State of Puerto Rico"}} Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Hong Kong ( officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located on China 's south coast on the Pearl River Delta, and borders Also, since 1980, Taiwan has competed under the name "Chinese Taipei", and under a flag specially prepared by the IOC. Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China (ROC, commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some International Prior to that year the People's Republic of China refused to participate in the Games because Taiwan had been competing under the name "Republic of China". Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES The Republic of the Marshall Islands was recognised as a nation by the IOC on February 9, 2006, and should compete in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. The Marshall Islands, officially the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI is a Micronesian nation of islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean ^[13]

Youth Olympic Games

Main article: Youth Olympic Games

The Youth Olympic Games (YOG)^[14] are planned to be a "junior" version of the Games, complementing the current "senior" Games,^[15] and will feature athletes between the ages of 14 and 18. The Youth Olympic Games (YOG are planned to be an international Multi-sport event held every four years in staggered summer and winter events complementing the current ^[16] The idea for such an event was envisioned in 2001 by IOC president Jacques Rogge,^[17] and at the 119th IOC session in Guatemala City in July 2007, the IOC approved the Games. Jacques Count Rogge (born May 2 1942 ( pronounced in Dutch) is a Belgian sports functionary This is the list of International Olympic Committee (IOC meetings Guatemala City (in full La Nueva Guatemala de la Asunción; locally known as Guatemala or Guate) is the Capital and largest city of the ^[18]

The Youth Games versions will be shorter: the summer version will last at most twelve days; the winter version will last a maximum of nine days. ^[19][20] The IOC will allow a maximum of 3,500 athletes and 875 officials to participate at the summer games, while 970 athletes and 580 officials are expected at the winter games. ^[18] Each participating country would send at least four athletes. The sports contested at these games will be the same as those scheduled for the traditional Games,^[17] but with a limited number of disciplines and events, and including some with special appeal to youth. Education and culture are also key components for this Youth edition.

Estimated cost for the game are currently $30 million for the summer and $15–$20 million for winter games. ^[21] It has been stated the IOC will "foot the bill" for the Youth Games.

The first host city will be Singapore in 2010; the bidding for the first Winter edition in 2012 is underway. The 2010 Summer Youth Olympic Games (officially known as 1st Summer Youth Olympic Games) is the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, a major international sports The 2012 Winter Youth Olympics (YOG is a planned international youth Multi-sport event featuring winter events which complements the current Olympic Games

Olympic problems

Boycotts

The 1956 Melbourne Olympics were the first Olympics to be boycotted. The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne A boycott is a form of Consumer activism involving the act of voluntarily abstaining from using buying or dealing with someone or some other organization as an expression of The Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland refused to attend because of the repression of the Hungarian Uprising by the Soviet Union; additionally, Cambodia, Egypt, Iraq, and Lebanon, boycotted the games due to the Suez Crisis. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 ( Hungarian: 1956-os forradalom) was a spontaneous nationwide Revolt against the Stalinist government of The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The Kingdom of Cambodia ( formerly known as Kampuchea (, transliterated: Preăh Réachéanachâkr Kâmpŭchea) is a country in South East This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. Lebanon (ˈlɛbənɒn Arabic: ar لبنان Lubnān) officially the Republic of Lebanon or Lebanese Republic (ar الجمهورية اللبنانية The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي Crise du canal de Suez מבצע קדש Kadesh ^[22]

In 1972 and 1976, a large number of African countries threatened the IOC with a boycott, to force them to ban South Africa, Rhodesia, and New Zealand. The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Munich, in what was The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec The Republic of South Africa (also known by other official names) is a country located at the southern tip of the continent of Africa Rhodesia was the name adopted when the formerly British colony of Southern Rhodesia declared itself independent ( Unilateral Declaration of Independence New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island The IOC conceded in the first two cases, but refused in 1976 because the boycott was prompted by a New Zealand rugby union tour to South Africa, and rugby was not an Olympic sport. Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short The countries withdrew their teams after the games had started; some African athletes had already competed. A lot of sympathy was felt for the athletes forced by their governments to leave the Olympic Village; there was little sympathy outside Africa for the governments' attitude. Twenty-two countries (Guyana was the only non-African nation) boycotted the Montreal Olympics because New Zealand was not banned. Montreal, or Montréal in French ( pronounced in French, in English) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Quebec ^[23]

Also in 1976, due to pressure from the People's Republic of China (PRC), Canada told the team from the Republic of China (Taiwan) that it could not compete at the Montreal Summer Olympics under the name "Republic of China" despite a compromise that would have allowed Taiwan to use the ROC flag and anthem. Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Talk People's Republic of China) PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. REPUBLIC OF CHINA ARTICLE GUIDELINES Taiwan ( Taiwanese: Tâi-oân/Tāi-oân (historically 大灣/台員/大員/台圓/大圓/台窩灣 is an Island in East Asia. The National Flag of the Republic of China ( is a well-known symbol of the Republic of China (ROC " National Anthem of the Republic of China " is the current National anthem of the Republic of China (ROC The Republic of China refused and as a result did not participate again until 1984, when it returned under the name "Chinese Taipei" and used a special flag. Chinese Taipei is the designated name used by the Republic of China (ROC, commonly known as Taiwan, to participate in some International ^[24]

Countries that boycotted the 1976 (yellow), 1980 (blue) and 1984 (red) games

In 1980 and 1984, the Cold War opponents boycotted each other's games. Cold War is the state of conflict tension and competition that existed between the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR and their respective allies from the Sixty-five nations refused to compete at the Moscow Olympics in 1980 because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but 16 nations from Western Europe did compete at the Moscow Olympics. The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet The Soviet war in Afghanistan, also known as the Soviet-Afghan War or just the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, was a nine-year conflict involving The boycott reduced the number of nations participating to only 81, the lowest number of nations to compete since 1956. The Soviet Union and 14 of its Eastern Bloc partners (except Romania) countered by skipping the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, arguing the safety of their athletes could not be guaranteed there and "chauvinistic sentiments and an anti-Soviet hysteria are being whipped up in the United States". The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Romania ( dated: Rumania, Roumania The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, ^[25] The 1984 boycotters staged their own Friendship Games in July-August. The Friendship Games or Druzhba Games or Druzhba-84 Competition was an international multisport event that was held in 1984 in nine different countries ^[26][27]

There have been growing calls for boycotts of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing in protest of China's poor human rights record and response to the recent disturbances in Tibet, Darfur, and Taiwan. Definitions of Tibet See also Definitions of Tibet Name In English The English word Tibet, like the word for Tibet in most European There are also campaigns calling for Chinese goods to be boycotted. ^[28][29][30]

Doping

One of the main problems facing the Olympics (and international sports in general) is doping, or performance enhancing drugs. In the early 20th century, many Olympic athletes began using drugs to enhance their performance. For example, the winner of the marathon at the 1904 Games, Thomas J. Hicks, was given strychnine and brandy by his coach, even during the race. The marathon is a long-distance foot race with an official distance of 42 The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in St Thomas J Hicks ( January 7, 1875 &ndash December 2, 1963) was an American track and field athlete, winner of the Strychnine (ˈstrɪkniːn (British US /-naɪn/ or /-nɪn/ (US Brandy (from brandywine, derived from Dutch brandewijn — “burnt wine” is a spirit produced by distilling Wine As these methods became more extreme, gradually the awareness grew that this was no longer a matter of health through sports. In the mid-1960s, sports federations put a ban on doping, and the IOC followed suit in 1967.

The first and so far only Olympic death caused by doping occurred in 1960. At the cycling road race in Rome the Danish Knud Enemark Jensen fell from his bicycle and later died. A coroner's inquiry found that he was under the influence of amphetamines.

The first Olympic athlete to test positive for doping use was Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, a Swedish pentathlete at the 1968 Summer Olympics, who lost his bronze medal for alcohol use. Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall (born July 9, 1941) is a Swedish modern pentathlete who caused the disqualification of the Swedish men's team at The modern pentathlon is a Sports contest that includes five events derived from the Greek root of pente, meaning five The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Mexico City Seventy-three athletes followed him over the next 38 years, several medal winners among them. The most publicised doping-related disqualification was that of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who won the 100m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but tested positive for stanozolol. Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Benjamin Sinclair "Ben" Johnson CM (b December 30, 1961) is a Canadian former sprinter, who enjoyed a high-profile The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event staged in 1988 in Stanozolol, commonly sold under the name Winstrol (oral and Winstrol Depot (intra-muscular was developed by Winthrop Laboratories in 1962

Despite the testing, many athletes continued to use doping without getting caught. In 1990, documents were revealed that showed many East German female athletes had been unknowingly administered anabolic steroids and other drugs by their coaches and trainers as a government policy. The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Anabolic steroids, or anabolic-androgenic steroids ( AAS) are a class of Steroid hormones related to the hormone Testosterone.

In the late 1990s, the IOC took initiative in a more organised battle against doping, leading to the formation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 1999. The World Anti-Doping Agency ( WADA) Agence mondiale antidopage is an independent foundation created through a collective initiative led by the International Olympic Committee The recent 2000 Summer Olympics and 2002 Winter Olympics have shown that this battle is not nearly over, as several medalists in weightlifting and cross-country skiing were disqualified due to doping offences. One innocent victim of the anti-doping movement at the Olympics was the Romanian gymnast Andreea Răducan who was stripped of her gold medal-winning performance in the All-Around Competition of the 2000 Sydney games. Andreea Mădălina Răducan (born September 30, 1983) is a retired gymnast from Bârlad, Romania. Test results indicated the presence of the banned-stimulant pseudophedrine which had been prescribed to her by an Olympic doctor. Pseudoephedrine (commonly abbreviated as PSE is a sympathomimetic Amine commonly used as a Decongestant. Raducan had been unaware of the presence of the illegal substance in the medicine that had been prescribed to her for a cold she had during the games.

During the 2006 Winter Olympics, only one athlete failed a drug test and had a medal revoked. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in The only other case involved 12 members with high levels of haemoglobin and their punishment was a five day suspension for health reasons. Hemoglobin ( also spelled haemoglobin and abbreviated Hb or Hgb) is the Iron -containing Oxygen -transport Metalloprotein

The International Olympic Committee introduced blood testing for the first time during these games.

Politics

Main article: Politics in the Olympics

Politics interfered with the Olympics on several occasions, the most well-known of which was the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, where the games were used as propaganda by the German Nazis. There are numerous examples of politics in the Olympic Games. The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Propaganda is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people The, officially National Socialist German Workers' Party, ( abbreviated NSDAP) was a Political party in Germany between 1919 and 1945 At this Olympics, a true Olympic spirit was shown by Luz Long, who helped Jesse Owens (a black athlete) to win the long jump, at the expense of his own silver medal. Carl Ludwig "Lu(tz" Long ( 27 April 1913 in Leipzig &ndash 13 July 1943 in San Pietro Clarenza) was a German James Cleveland "Jesse" Owens ( September 12, 1913 – March 31, 1980) was an American track and field athlete The term black people usually refers to a racial group of Humans with dark Skin color, but the term has also been used to categorise a number of diverse ^[31] The Soviet Union did not participate in the Olympic Games until the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The 1952 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Helsinki, Finland Helsinki (in Finnish;) or Helsingfors (in Swedish;) is the Capital and largest city of Finland. Instead, the Soviets organized an international sports event called Spartakiads, from 1928 onward. Spartakiad initially was the name of an international sports event that the Soviet Union attempted to use to both oppose and supplement the Olympics. Many athletes from Communist organizations or close to them chose not to participate or were even barred from participating in Olympic Games, and instead participated in Spartakiads. Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based ^[32]

A political incident on a smaller scale occurred at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Mexico City Mexico City (in Spanish: Ciudad de México, México DF, México or simply Méjico) is the Capital city of Mexico Two American track-and-field athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, performed the Black Power salute on the victory stand of the 200-meter track and field race. For others with a similar name see Tommy Smith. Tommie Smith (born June 5, 1944) is an African American former John Wesley Carlos (born June 5, 1945 in Harlem New York) is an African American former Track and field athlete and professional The 1968 Olympics Black Power salute was a noted black civil rights protest and one of the most overtly political statements in the 110 year history of the modern Olympic Games In response, the IOC's autocratic president Avery Brundage told the USOC to either send the two athletes home, or withdraw the complete track and field team. Avery Brundage ( September 28 1887 &ndash May 8 1975) was an American athlete sports official art collector and philanthropist The USOC opted for the former. ^[33]

The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran specifically orders its athletes not to compete in any olympic heat, semi-final, or finals that includes athletes from Israel. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. At the 2004 Olympics, an Iranian judoka who had otherwise earned his place, did not compete in a heat against an Israeli judoka. meaning "gentle way" is a modern Japanese martial art ( Gendai budō) and Combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late ^[34]

Violence

Despite what Coubertin had hoped for, the Olympics did not bring total peace to the world. In fact, three Olympiads had to pass without Olympics because of war: due to World War I the 1916 Games were cancelled, and the summer and winter games of 1940 and 1944 were cancelled because of World War II. An Olympiad is a period of four years associated with the Olympic Games of Classical Greece. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The anticipated 1916 Summer Olympics, which were to be officially known as the Games of the VI Olympiad, were to have been held in Berlin, Germany. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

Terrorism has also become a recent threat to the Olympic Games. In 1972, when the Summer Games were held in Munich, West Germany, eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by terrorist group Black September in what is known as the Munich massacre. Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. West Germany ( Inf German: Westdeutschland or West-Deutschland) was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany ( For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion The Black September Organization (منظمة أيلول الأسود munazzamat aylul al-aswad) was a Palestinian militant group founded in 1970 The Munich massacre occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken A bungled liberation attempt led to the deaths of the nine abducted athletes who had not been killed prior to the rescue as well as that of a policeman, with five of the terrorists also being killed. ^[35]

During the Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta, a bombing at the Centennial Olympic Park killed two and injured 111 others. The Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a terrorist Bombing on July 27, 1996 in Atlanta Georgia during the 1996 Summer Centennial Olympic Park is a 21 acre (85000 m² public Park located in Downtown Atlanta, Georgia, USA that is owned and operated The bomb was set by Eric Robert Rudolph, an American domestic terrorist, who is currently serving a life sentence at Supermax in Florence, Colorado. Eric Robert Rudolph (born September 19, 1966) also known as the Olympic Park Bomber, is an American radical described by the FBI as a Terrorist A domestic Terrorist is one who is a citizen of the country the acts of terrorism is directed against Supermax is the name used to describe "control-unit" Prisons or units within prisons which represent the most secure levels of The City of Florence is a Statutory City located in Fremont County, Colorado, United States. The State of Colorado ( or chiefly by nonresidents) is a state located in the Rocky Mountain region of the United States of America. ^[36]

The 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City were the first Olympic Games since the September 11, 2001 attacks. The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U Olympic Games since then have required an extremely high degree of security due to the fear of possible terrorist activities. ^[37]

Olympic Movement

A number of organizations are involved in organizing the Olympic Games. Together they form the Olympic Movement. The rules and guidelines by which these organizations operate are outlined in the Olympic Charter. The Olympic Charter, last updated July 7 2007 is a set of rules and guidelines for the organization of the Olympic Games, and for governing the Olympic Movement

At the heart of the Olympic Movement is the International Olympic Committee (IOC), currently headed by Jacques Rogge. Jacques Count Rogge (born May 2 1942 ( pronounced in Dutch) is a Belgian sports functionary It can be seen as the government of the Olympics, as it takes care of the daily problems and makes all important decisions, such as choosing the host city of the Games, and the programme of the Olympics.

Three groups of organisations operate on a more specialised level:

• International Federations (IFs), the governing bodies of a sport (e. g. FIFA, the IF for football (soccer), and the FIVB, the international governing body for volleyball. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (French for International Federation of Association Football) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB is the international governing body for the sport of Volleyball. Volleyball is an Olympic team sport in which two teams of 6 active players (5 normal players and one 'libero' are separated by a net that is usually four feet )
• National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which regulate the Olympic Movement within each country (eg. USOC, the NOC of the United States)
• Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs), which take care of the organisation of a specific celebration of the Olympics. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the

At present, 202 NOCs and 35 IFs are part of the Olympic Movement. OCOGs are dissolved after the celebration of each Games, once all subsequent paperwork has been completed.

More broadly speaking, the term Olympic Movement is sometimes also meant to include everybody and everything involved in the Olympics, such as national sport governing bodies, athletes, media, and sponsors of the Olympic Games.

Criticism

Most Olympic Games have been held in European and North American cities; only a few games have been held in other places, and all bids by countries in South America and Africa have failed. Many believe the games should expand to include locations in poorer regions. Economists point out that the massive infrastructure investments could springboard cities into earning higher GDP after the games. An economist is an expert in the Social science of Economics. A springboard or diving board is used for Diving and is a board that is itself a spring, i However, many host cities regret the high costs associated with hosting the games as a poor investment^[38].

In the past, the IOC has often been criticised for being a monolithic organisation, with several members remaining a member at old age, or even until their deaths. The leadership of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch especially has been strongly criticised. Juan Antonio Samaranch Torelló Marquess of Samaranch (born 17 July 1920) is a Spanish sports official and was president of the International Olympic Under his presidency, the Olympic Movement made great progress, but has been seen as autocratic and corrupt. Samaranch's ties with the Franco's regime in Spain and his long term as a president (21 years, until he was 81 years old) have also been points of critique. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula.

In 1998, it became known that several IOC members had taken bribes from the organising committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah, in exchange for a vote on the city at the election of the host city. The 2002 Olympic Winter Games bid scandal was a Scandal involving allegations of Bribery to obtain the 2002 Olympic The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002 Salt Lake City is the Capital and the most populous city of the U The State of Utah (ˈjuːtɔː or) is a western state of the United States. The IOC started an investigation, which led to four members resigning and six being expelled. The scandal set off further reforms, changing the way in which host cities are elected to avoid further bribes. Also, more active and former athletes were allowed in the IOC, and the membership terms have been limited.

The same year (1998), four European groups organized the International Network Against Olympic Games and Commercial Sports to oppose their cities' bids for future Olympic Games. Also, an Anti-Olympic Alliance had formed in Sydney to protest the hosting of the 2000 Games. Sydney (ˈsɪdniː is the most populous city in Australia, with a Metropolitan area population of approximately 4 Later, a similar movement in Vancouver and Whistler, British Columbia organized to protest the hosting of the 2010 Winter Games. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal British Columbia (ˌbrɪtɨʃ kəˈlʌmbiə ( BC) ( (la Colombie-Britannique C These movements were particularly concerned about adverse local economic impact and dislocation of people to accommodate the hosting of the Olympics.

A BBC documentary aired in August 2004, entitled Panorama: "Buying the Games", investigated the taking of bribes in the bidding process for the 2012 Summer Olympics. Panorama is the longest-running current affairs documentary series in the world The documentary claimed it is possible to bribe IOC members into voting for a particular candidate city. In an airborne television interview on the way home, the Mayor of Paris Bertrand Delanoë, specifically accused the British Prime Minister Tony Blair and the London Bid Committee (headed by former Olympic athlete Sebastian Coe) of breaking the bid rules with flagrant financial and sexual bribes. Bertrand Delanoë (born 30 May 1950) /bɛʁtʁɑ̃ dəlanɔe/ ( is a French Politician, and has been the mayor of Paris Sebastian Newbold Coe Baron Coe, KBE (born 29 September 1956, and often nicknamed Seb Coe) is a British former top-level He cited French President Jacques Chirac as a witness but President Chirac gave rather more guarded interviews. In particular, Bulgaria's member Ivan Slavkov, and Muttaleb Ahmad from the Olympic Council of Asia, were implicated. The state of Bulgaria (България transliterated bg-Latn ''Balgaria'' The country preserves the traditions (in ethnic name language and alphabet of the First Bulgarian They have denied the allegations. Mayor Delanoë never mentioned the matter again. Others have alleged that the 2006 Winter Olympics were held in Turin because officials bribed the IOC and so Turin got the games and Sion, Switzerland (which was the favorite) did not. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in Sion ( German Sitten, Latin Sedunum) is the capital of the Swiss canton of Valais.

The Olympic Movement has been accused of being overprotective of its symbolism (in particular, it claims an exclusive and monopolistic copyright over any arrangement of five rings and the term "olympics"), and have taken action against things unrelated to sport, such as the role-playing game Legend of the Five Rings. A role-playing game ( RPG; often roleplaying game) is a Game in which the participants assume the roles of Fictional characters. Legend of the Five Rings (often abbreviated L5R) is a fictional setting created by the Alderac Entertainment Group in 1995. It was accused of homophobia in 1982 when it successfully sued the Gay Olympics, an event now known as the Gay Games, to ban it from using the term "olympics" in its name. BenPhelpsJPG|thumb|right|Westboro Baptist Church picket signs with Ben Phelps grandson of Fred Phelps The Gay Games is the world's largest sporting and cultural event organized by and specifically for LGBT athletes artists musicians and others ^[39]

Olympic symbols

Main article: Olympic symbols

The Olympic movement uses many symbols, most of them representing Coubertin's ideas and ideals. The Olympic symbols are the icons Flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. The Olympic Rings are the most widely used symbol. The Olympic symbols are the icons Flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. These five intertwined rings represent the unity of the five inhabited continents (with the Americas regarded as one continent). The Americas are the lands of the Western hemisphere or New World, consisting of the Continents of North America and South America The five colored rings on a white field form the Olympic Flag. The Olympic symbols are the icons Flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. The colors, white, red, blue, green, yellow, and black, were chosen such that each nation has at least one of these colors in its national flag. The flag was adopted in 1914, but the first Games at which it was flown were Antwerp, 1920. The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1920 It is hoisted at each celebration of the Games.

The Olympic Motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius", a Latin phrase meaning "Swifter, Higher, Stronger". The Olympic symbols are the icons Flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Coubertin's ideals are probably best illustrated by the Olympic Creed:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The Olympic Oath is taken by one athlete and one judge at the opening ceremonies of each Olympic Games. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well. "

Prior to each Games, the Olympic Flame is lit in Olympia, Greece and brought to the host city by runners carrying the torch in relay. The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a Symbol of the Olympic Games. There it plays an important role in the opening ceremonies. Though the torch fire has been around since 1928, the relay was introduced in 1936 as part of the then German government's attempt to promote their National Socialist ideology. The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin

The Olympic mascot, an animal or human figure representing the cultural heritage of the host country, was introduced in 1968. The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Mexico City It has played an important part of the games since 1980 with the debut of Misha, a Russian bear. The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Moscow in the Soviet This page is about the Olympic mascot For the Anime / Manga character see Misha (Pita-ten, for the Ar tonelico Melody of Elemia character Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending

French and English are the official languages of the Olympic movement. French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States

Olympic ceremonies

Opening

Opening ceremonies climax with the lighting of the Olympic Flame. For lighting the torch, modern games feature elaborate mechanisms such as this spiral cauldron arrangement lit by the 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey team at the 2002 Winter Olympics. The The 2002 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIX Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 2002

Apart from the traditional elements, the host nation ordinarily presents artistic displays of dance and theatre representative of that country. ^[40]

Various traditional elements frame the opening ceremonies of a celebration of the Olympic Games. The ceremonies typically start with the hoisting of the host country's flag and the performing of its national anthem. The traditional part of the ceremonies starts with a "parade of nations" (or of athletes), during which most participating athletes march into the stadium, country by country. One honoured athlete, typically a top competitor, from each country carries the flag of his or her nation, leading the entourage of other athletes from that country.

Traditionally (starting at the 1928 Summer Olympics) Greece marches first, because of its historical status as the origin of the Olympics, while the host nation marches last. The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 (Exceptionally, in 2004, when the Games were held in Athens, Greece marched last as host nation rather than first, although the flag of Greece was carried in first. The Flag of Greece ( Σημαία της Ελλάδος, popularly referred to as the Γαλανόλευκη or the Κυανόλευκη ) Between these two nations, all other participating nations march in alphabetical order of the dominant language of the host country, or in French or English alphabetical order if the host country does not write its dominant language in an alphabet which has a set order. In the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, both Spanish and Catalan were official languages of the games, but due to politics surrounding the use of Catalan, the nations entered in French alphabetical order. The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Barcelona, Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia Catalan ˈkætəˌlæn ( català kətəˈla or) is a Romance language, the national and official language of Andorra, and a co-official French ( français,) is a Romance language spoken around the world by 118 million people as a native language and by about 180 to 260 million people The XVIII Olympic Winter Games in Nagano, Japan saw nations entering in English alphabetical order since the Japanese language grouped both China and Chinese Taipei together in the Parade of Nations. The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XVIII Olympic Winter Games were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1998 the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers on the English is a West Germanic language originating in England and is the First language for most people in the United Kingdom, the United States is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities

After all nations have entered, the president of the host country's Olympic Organising Committee makes a speech, followed by the IOC president who, at the end of his speech introduces the representative of the host country who declares the Games open by reciting the formula:

«I declare open the Games of . . . (name of the host city) celebrating the . . . (number of the Olympiad) Olympiad of the modern era. »^[41] (There is a similar recital for the Winter Games. )

Before 1936, the Opener often used to make a short Speech of Welcome before declaring the Games open. However, since 1936 when Adolf Hitler opened both the Garmisch Partenkirchen Winter Olympics and the Berlin Summer Olympics, the Openers have unswervingly stuck to that formula. Hi and welcome to Wikipedia! Please understand that this article is frequently vandalized and vandalism is reverted immediately

Despite the Games having been awarded to a particular city and not to the country in general, the Opener is usually – but not always – the host country's Head of State. Head of state is the generic term for the individual or collective office that serves as the chief public representative of a Monarchic or Republican Nation-state There have been many cases where someone other than the host country's Head of State opened the Games. The first example was at the Games of the II Olympiad in Paris in 1900, when there wasn't even an Opening Ceremony. The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in There are five examples from the United States alone where the Games were not opened by the Head of State. ^[42]

Next, the Olympic Flag is carried horizontally (since the 1960 Summer Olympics) into the stadium and hoisted as the Olympic Anthem is played. The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event held in Rome, Italy The Olympic Hymn ( Greek: Ολυμπιακός Ύμνος also known informally as the Olympic Anthem, is a musical piece The flag bearers of all countries circle a rostrum, where one athlete (since the 1920 Summer Olympics) and one judge (since the 1972 Summer Olympics) speak the Olympic Oath, declaring they will compete and judge according to the rules. The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1920 The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Munich, in what was The Olympic Oath is taken by one athlete and one judge at the opening ceremonies of each Olympic Games. ^[41] Finally, the Torch is brought into the stadium, passed from athlete to athlete, until it reaches the last carrier of the Torch, often a well-known athlete from the host nation, who lights the fire in the stadium's cauldron. The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a Symbol of the Olympic Games. ^[41] The Olympic Flame has been lit since the 1928 Summer Olympics, but the torch relay did not start until the 1936 Summer Olympics. The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, an International Multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin Beginning at the post-World War I 1920 Summer Olympics, the lighting of the Olympic Flame was for 68 years followed by the release of doves, symbolizing peace. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1920 ^[41] This gesture was discontinued after several doves were burned alive in the Olympic Flame during the opening ceremony of the 1988 Summer Olympics. The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event staged in 1988 in ^[43] However, some Opening Ceremonies have continued to include doves in other forms; for example, the 2002 Winter Olympics featured skaters holding kite-like cloth dove puppets.

Opening ceremonies have been held outdoors, usually on the main athletics stadium, but those for the 2010 Winter Olympics will be the first to be held indoors, at the BC Place Stadium. ^[44]

Closing

Various traditional elements also frame the closing ceremonies of an Olympic Games, which take place after all athletic events have concluded. Flag bearers from each participating country enter the stadium in single file, but behind them march all of the athletes without any distinction or grouping of nationality – a tradition that began at the 1956 Summer Olympics at the suggestion of Melbourne schoolboy John Ian Wing, who thought it would be a way of bringing the athletes of the world together as "one nation". The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne John Ian Wing (born c 1939 is a British resident of Chinese descent ^[45] (In 2006, the athletes marched in with their countrymen, then dispersed and mingled as the ceremonies went on). The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in

Three national flags are hoisted on flagpoles one at a time while the corresponding national anthems are played: The flag of Greece is raised on the middle pole honoring the birthplace of the Olympic Games, the flag of the host country on the lefthand pole, and then the flag of the country hosting the next Summer or Winter Olympic Games, on the righthand pole. ^[46] (Exceptionally, in 2004, when the Games were held in Athens, only one Greek flag was raised. )

In what is known as the "Antwerp Ceremony" (because the tradition began in 1920), the mayor of the city that organized the Games transfers a special Olympic Flag to the president of the IOC, who then passes it on to the mayor of the city hosting the next Olympic Games. ^[41] The receiving mayor then waves the flag eight times. There are three such flags, differing from all other copies in that they have a six-coloured fringe around the flag, and are tied with six coloured ribbons to a flagstaff:

• The Antwerp flag: Was presented to the IOC at the 1920 Summer Olympics by the city of Antwerp, Belgium, and was passed on to the next organising city of the Summer Olympics until the Games of Seoul 1988. The 1920 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1920 ||-||-||-||} Antwerp ( Dutch:, French: Anvers) is a City and Municipality in Belgium and the capital of the The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event staged in 1988 in
• The Oslo flag: Was presented to the IOC at the 1952 Winter Olympics by the city of Oslo, Norway, and is passed on to the next organising city of the Winter Olympics. The 1952 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VI Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in (called Christiania from 1624 to 1878 and Kristiania from 1878 to 1924 is the Capital and largest city of Norway. The Winter Olympic Games are a winter Multi-sport event held every four years
• The Seoul flag: Was presented to the IOC at the 1988 Summer Olympics by the city of Seoul, The Republic of Korea (South Korea), and is passed on to the next organising city of the Summer Olympics, which was Barcelona, Spain, at that time. The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event staged in 1988 in Seoul ( soʊl is the Capital and largest City of South Korea. Barcelona ( Catalan bəɾsəˈlonə Spanish baɾθeˈlona is the capital and most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia

This tradition posed a particular challenge at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin, Italy. The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in The flag was passed from Sergio Chiamparino, the mayor of Turin, to Sam Sullivan, the mayor of Vancouver, Canada. Sergio Chiamparino (born September 1, 1948 in Moncalieri) is the current Mayor of Turin, Italy. Sam Sullivan, CM (born 1960) is the current Mayor of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal Mayor Sullivan, who is a quadriplegic, waved the flag by holding it in one hand and swinging his motorized wheelchair back and forth eight times. Quadriplegia, also known as tetraplegia, is a Symptom in which a human experiences Paralysis affecting all four limbs although not necessarily total paralysis

After these traditional elements, the next host nation introduces itself with artistic displays of dance and theatre representative of that country. This tradition began with the 1976 Games. The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Montreal, Quebec

The president of the host country's Olympic Organising Committee makes a speech, followed by the IOC president, who at the end of his speech formally closes the Olympics, by saying:

«I declare the Games of the . . . Olympiad/. . . Olympic Winter/Summer Games closed and, in accordance with tradition, I call upon the youth of the world to assemble four years from now in . . . to celebrate the Games of the . . . Olympiad/. . . Olympic Winter/Summer Games. »

The Olympic Flame is extinguished, and while the Olympic anthem is being played, the Olympic Flag that was hoisted during the opening ceremonies is lowered from the flagpole and carried horizontally from the stadium.

Medal Presentation

After medals are awarded and presented for a particular event, the flags of the nations of the three medalists are raised. The flag of the gold medalist's country is in the center and always raised the highest while the flag of the silver medalist's country is on the left facing the flags and the flag of the bronze medalist's country is on the right, both at lower elevations to the gold medalist's country's flag. The flags are all raised while the national anthem of the gold medalist's country plays. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's

This format of medal presentation is also seen in other multi-sporting events such as the Southeast Asian Games, the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games, as well as some motor racing events including Formula 1 and MotoGP

Olympic sports

Main article: Olympic sports

Currently, the Olympic program consists of 35 different sports, 53 disciplines and more than 400 events. The Southeast Asian Games (also known as the SEA Games) is a biennial Multi-sport event involving participants from the current 11 countries of Southeast The Commonwealth Games is a multinational Multi-sport event. Held every four years it involves the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. The Asian Games, also called the Asiad, is a Multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The Olympic sports comprise all the Sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. The Summer Olympics includes 28 sports with 38 disciplines and the Winter Olympics includes 7 sports with 15 disciplines. ^[47] Nine sports were on the original Olympic programme in 1896: athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, weightlifting, shooting, swimming, tennis, and wrestling. Cycling is the use of Bicycles or - less commonly - Unicycles Tricycles Quadricycles and other similar wheeled Human powered vehicles Fencing is the art of armed Combat involving Cutting, Stabbing, or slapping bludgeoning Weapons directly manipulated by hand Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Weightlifting, also called Olympic weightlifting or Olympic-style weightlifting, is a sport in which participants attempt a maximum weight single lift of a barbell Shooting is the act or process of firing Rifles Shotguns or other projectile Weapons such as bows or Crossbows Even the firing of Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Tennis is a sport played between two players ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles) Amateur wrestling is the most widespread form of sport Wrestling. If the 1896 rowing events had not been cancelled due to bad weather, they would have been included in this list as well. GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004 ^[48]

At the most recent Winter Olympics, 15 disciplines in seven sports were featured. Of these, cross country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been featured on the programme at all Winter Olympics. Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a Winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields primarily Northern Europe, Figure skating is an athletic Sport in which individuals pairs or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging Ice hockey, often referred to simply as hockey, is a team Sport played on Ice. The Nordic combined is a Winter sport in which athletes compete in both Cross-country skiing and Ski jumping. Ski jumping is a Sport in which skiers go down an "inrun" with a take-off ramp (the jump attempting to go as far as possible Speed skating or speedskating is a competitive form of Skating in which the competitors race each other in travelling a certain distance In addition, figure skating and ice hockey also have been contested as part of the Summer Games before the introduction of separate Winter Olympics.

In recent years, the IOC has added several new sports to the programme to attract attention from young spectators. Examples of such sports include snowboarding and beach volleyball. Snowboarding is a sport that involves descending a Snow -covered slope on a Snowboard attached to a participant's feet using a special boot set into a mounted binding The growth of the Olympics also means that some less popular (modern pentathlon) or expensive (white water canoeing) sports may lose their place on the Olympic programme. The modern pentathlon is a Sports contest that includes five events derived from the Greek root of pente, meaning five Canoeing is the activity of paddling a Canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip Sport, or transportation. The IOC decided to discontinue baseball and softball beginning in 2012. Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each Softball is a team Sport popular especially in the United States. Cricket and Rugby union used to be in the Olympic Games but were discontinued; a revival is now seen as possible. Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Overview See also Playing rugby union A rugby union match lasts for 80 minutes (plus stoppage time with a short

Rule 48. 1 of the Olympic Charter requires that there be a minimum of 15 Olympic sports at each Summer Games. Following its 114th Session (Mexico 2002), the IOC also decided to limit the programme of the Summer Games to a maximum of 28 sports, 301 events, and 10,500 athletes. The Olympic sports are defined as those governed by the International Federations listed in Rule 46 of the Olympic Charter. A two-thirds vote of the IOC is required to amend the Charter to promote a Recognised Federation to Olympic status and therefore make the sports it governs eligible for inclusion on the Olympic programme. Rule 47 of the Charter requires that only Olympic sports may be included in the programme.

The IOC reviews the Olympic programme at the first Session following each Olympiad. A simple majority is required for an Olympic sport to be included in the Olympic programme. Under the current rules, an Olympic sport not selected for inclusion in a particular Games remains an Olympic sport and may be included again later with a simple majority. At the 117th IOC Session, 26 sports were included in the programme for London 2012.

Until 1992, the Olympics also often featured demonstration sports. A demonstration sport is a sport which is played in order to promote itself most commonly during the Olympic Games, but also at other sporting events The objective was for these sports to reach a larger audience; the winners of these events are not official Olympic champions. These sports were sometimes sports popular only in the host nation, but internationally known sports have also been demonstrated. Some demonstration sports eventually were included as full-medal events.

Amateurism and professionalism

Further information: Amateurism

The ethos of English public schools greatly influenced Pierre de Coubertin. Amateurism (from Fr amateur "lover of" from OFr from L The public schools had a deep involvement in the development of many team sports including all British codes of football as well as cricket and hockey. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Cricket is a bat-and-ball team Sport that originated in England and is now played in more than 100 countries Field hockey is a Team sport in which players attempt to score goals by hitting the Ball across the pitch with a stick

The English public schools of the second half of the 19th century had a major influence on many sports. An independent school in the United Kingdom is a school relying upon private sources for all of its funding predominantly in the form of school fees The schools contributed to the rules and influenced the governing bodies of those sports out of all proportion to their size. They subscribed to the Ancient Greek and Roman belief that sport formed an important part of education, an attitude summed up in the saying: mens sana in corpore sano – a sound mind in a healthy body. The Ancient Greek language is the historical stage in the development of the Hellenic language family spanning the Archaic (c Mens sana in corpore sano (a healthy mind in a healthy body is a famous Latin quotation often translated as "A sound mind in a sound body In this ethos, taking part has more importance than winning, because society expected gentlemen to become all-rounders and not the best at everything. The term gentleman (from Latin gentilis, belonging to a race or "gens" and "man" Cognate with the French word gentilhomme Class prejudice against "trade" reinforced this attitude. The house of the parents of a typical public schoolboy would have a tradesman's entrance, because tradesmen did not rank as the social equals of gentlemen. This article is about the skilled manual worker meaning of the term for other uses see Tradesperson (disambiguation A tradesman is a skilled manual worker Apart from class considerations there was the typically English concept of "fairness," in which practicing or training was considered as tantamount to cheating; it meant that you considered it more important to win than to take part. Those who practiced a sport professionally were considered to have an unfair advantage over those who practiced it merely as a "hobby. "

The International Olympic Committee invited a representative of the Headmasters' Conference (the association of headmasters of the English public schools) to attend their early meetings. The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference (HMC is an association of the headmasters or headmistressess of 242 leading day and boarding independent schools in Headmaster redirects here For the type of Transformers please see Headmaster (Transformers. The Headmasters' Conference chose the Reverend Robert Laffan, the headmaster of Cheltenham College, as their representative to the IOC meetings. The Reverend is a style used as a Prefix to the names of many Christian Clergy and ministers It is correctly called a style rather Cheltenham College is a Co-educational Independent school, located in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. He was made a member of the IOC in 1897 and, following the first visit of the IOC to London in 1904, he was central to the founding of the British Olympic Association a year later. The British Olympic Association ( BOA) is responsible for the United Kingdom 's participation in the Olympic Games. ^[49][50][51]

In Coubertin's vision, athletes should be gentlemen. Initially, only amateurs were considered such; professional athletes were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. Professional sports, as opposed to amateur Sports are those in which athletes receive payment for their performance A short-lived exception was made for professional fencing instructors. ^[52] This exclusion of professionals has caused several controversies throughout the history of the modern Olympics.

1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon champion, Jim Thorpe, was disqualified when it was discovered that he played semi-professional baseball prior to winning his medals. The pentathlon (as opposed to the Modern pentathlon) was an athletic event in the Olympic Games and other Panhellenic Games of Ancient The decathlon is an Athletic event consisting of ten Track and field events Jacobus Franciscus "Jim" Thorpe ( Sac and Fox (Sauk: Wa-Tho-Huk) (28 May 1888 – 28 March 1953 was an American athlete Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each He was restored as champion on compassionate grounds by the IOC in 1983. Swiss and Austrian skiers boycotted the 1936 Winter Olympics in support of their skiing teachers, who were not allowed to compete because they earned money with their sport and were considered professionals. The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games, were a Winter Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1936

It gradually became clear to many that the amateurism rules had become outdated, not least because the self-financed amateurs of Western countries often were no match for the state-sponsored "full-time amateurs" of Eastern bloc countries. Nevertheless, the IOC, led by President Avery Brundage, held to the traditional rules regarding amateurism. Avery Brundage ( September 28 1887 &ndash May 8 1975) was an American athlete sports official art collector and philanthropist In the 1970s, after Brundage left, amateurism requirements were dropped from the Olympic Charter, leaving decisions on professional participation to the international federation for each sport. A sport governing body is a sports organization that has a regulatory or sanctioning function This switch was perhaps best exemplified by the American Dream Team, composed of well-paid NBA stars, which won the Olympic gold medal in basketball in 1992. The United States men's national basketball team is the representative for the United States of America in international men's Basketball. Basketball is a team Sport in which two teams of five active players each try to score points against one another by propelling a ball through a 10 feet (3 m As of 2004, the only sport in which no professionals compete is boxing (though even this requires a definition of amateurism based on fight rules rather than on payment, as some boxers receive cash prizes from their National Olympic Committees); in men's football (soccer), the number of players over 23 years of age is limited to three per team. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered

Advertisement regulations are still very strict, at least on the actual playing field, although "Official Olympic Sponsors" are common. Athletes are only allowed to have the names of clothing and equipment manufacturers on their outfits. The sizes of these markings are limited.

Olympic champions and medalists

Ray Ewry is the only competitor with ten modern Olympic titles, but two of them are from the 1906 Intercalated Games, which are presently not included in the official records, where he is surpassed by a number of people, including four with nine gold medals each.

Main article: Lists of Olympic medalists

See also: List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

The athletes (or teams) who place first, second, or third in each event receive medals. This article includes lists of all Olympic Medalists since 1896, organized by each Olympic sport or discipline and also by Olympiad All-time Olympic Games medal tableList of multiple Olympic medalistsThe page lists individuals who have won multiple gold medals at the Olympics. The winners receive "gold medals". (Though they were solid gold until 1912, they are now made of gilded silver. Gold (ˈɡoʊld is a Chemical element with the symbol Au (from its Latin name aurum) and Atomic number 79 Gilding is the art of applying a thin layer of gold simulated gold or other metal to a surface ) The runners-up receive silver medals, and the third-place athletes bronze medals. Silver (ˈsɪlvɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol " Ag " (argentum from the Ancient Greek: ἀργήντος - argēntos gen Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus In some events contested by a single-elimination tournament (most notably boxing), third place might not be determined, in which case both semi-final losers receive bronze medals. A single-elimination tournament, also called a knockout, cup or sudden death tournament, is a type of Tournament where the loser of each Boxing (sometimes also known as English boxing or pugilism) is a Combat sport in which two participants generally of similar weight, The practice of awarding medals to the top three competitors was introduced in 1904; at the 1896 Olympics only the first two received a medal, silver and bronze, while various prizes were awarded in 1900. The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, were an International The 1900 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the II Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1900 in However, the 1904 Olympics also awarded silver trophies for first place, which makes Athens 1906 the first games that awarded the three medals only. The 1904 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the III Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in St In addition, from 1948 onward athletes placing fourth, fifth and sixth have received certificates which became officially known as "victory diplomas;" since 1976 the medal winners have received these also, and in 1984 victory diplomas for seventh- and eighth-place finishers were added, presumably to ensure that all losing quarter-finalists in events using single-elimination formats would receive diplomas, thus obviating the need for consolation (or officially, "classification") matches to determine fifth through eighth places (though interestingly these latter are still contested in many elimination events anyway). Certificates were awarded also at the 1896 Olympics, but there they were awarded in addition to the medals to first and second place. Commemorative medals and diplomas — which differ in design from those referred to above — are also made available to participants finishing lower than third and eighth respectively. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the first three were given wreaths as well as their medals. The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated

Because the Olympics are held only once every four years, the public and athletes often consider them as more important and valuable than world championships and other international tournaments, which are often held annually. Many athletes have become celebrities or heroes in their own country, or even world-wide, after becoming Olympic champions.

The diversity of the sports, and the great differences between the Olympic Games in 1896 and today make it difficult to decide which athlete is the most successful Olympic athlete of all time. This is further complicated since the IOC no longer recognises the Intercalated Games which it originally organised. The Intercalated Olympic Games were to be a series of International Olympic Games half-way between what we now call Games of the Olympiad. When measuring by the number of titles won at the Modern Olympic Games, the following athletes may be considered the most successful.

Athlete	Nation	Sport	Olympics	1st	2nd	3rd	Total
Latynina, LarissaLarissa Latynina	USSR	Gymnastics	1956–1964	9	5	4	18
Andrianov, NikolaiNikolai Andrianov	USSR	Gymnastics	1972–1980	7	5	3	15
Nurmi, PaavoPaavo Nurmi	FIN	Athletics	1920–1928	9	3	0	12
Spitz, MarkMark Spitz	USA	Swimming	1968–1972	9	1	1	11
Lewis, CarlCarl Lewis	USA	Athletics	1984–1996	9	1	0	10
Dæhlie, BjørnBjørn Dæhlie	NOR	Cross-country skiing	1992–1998	8	4	0	12
Fischer, BirgitBirgit Fischer	GDR /  GER	Canoeing (flatwater)	1980–2004	8	4	0	12
Kato, SawaoSawao Kato	JPN	Gymnastics	1968–1976	8	3	1	12
Thompson, JennyJenny Thompson	USA	Swimming	1992–2004	8	3	1	12
Biondi, MattMatt Biondi	USA	Swimming	1984–1992	8	2	1	11
CaslavskaVěra Čáslavská	TCH	Gymnastics	1960–1968	7	4	0	11
Ewry, RayRay Ewry	USA	Athletics	1900–1908	8	0	0	8

Medals per country

The IOC does not publish lists of medals per country, but the media often does. Larissa Semyonovna Latynina (Лари́са Семёновна Латы́нина born December 27, 1934 in Kherson, Ukrainian SSR) is The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Nikolai Ost Yefimovich Andrianov (Никола́й Ефи́мович Андриа́нов (b The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Paavo Johannes Nurmi ( ( 13 June 1897 &ndash 2 October 1973) was a Finnish runner. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. Mark Andrew Spitz (born February 10 1950 is a retired American Swimmer, best known for winning seven gold medals at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Frederick Carlton ("Carl" Lewis (born July 1 1961 is a retired American track and field athlete who won 10 Olympic medals including 9 golds and 10 The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Bjørn Dæhlie (born June 19, 1967) is a retired Norwegian cross-country skier. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Cross-country skiing (also known as XC skiing) is a Winter sport popular in many countries with large snowfields primarily Northern Europe, Birgit Fischer (born 25 February 1962 in Brandenburg an der Havel, then East Germany) is a kayaker, who has won 8 gold medals over The German Democratic Republic ( GDR; Deutsche Demokratische Republik DDR; commonly known in English as East Germany) was a Socialist state Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. This article discusses flatwater racing (sprint and marathon racing, competitive forms of Canoeing and Kayaking on more or less flat water Sawao Kato (加藤 沢男 Katō Sawao, born October 11, 1946) is a Japanese gymnast and one of the most successful athletes of all For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Jennifer ("Jenny" Beth Thompson (born February 26, 1973) is a former competitive swimmer and one of the most decorated Olympians in history The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Matthew Nicholas Biondi (born October 8, 1965 in Palo Alto, California) is a three-time U The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Swimming is the movement by humans or animals through Water, usually without artificial assistance Věra Čáslavská 'ʧaslafska (born May 3, 1942) is a Czech gymnast. Czechoslovakia may also refer to what is now the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Gymnastics is a Sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength agility and coordination Raymond "Ray" Clarence Ewry ( October 14, 1873 &ndash September 29, 1937) was an American track and field athlete The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A comparison between countries would be unfair to countries with fewer inhabitants, so some have made calculations of medals per number of inhabitants, such as [1] for the 2004 Olympics and [2] for a few more. A problem here is that for a very small country, gaining just one medal could mean the difference between the very top and the very bottom of the list (a point illustrated by the Bahamas' per capita number one position in 2004). The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an independent sovereign English -speaking country consisting of two thousand Cays and On the other hand, a large country may not be able to send a number of athletes that is proportional to its size because a limit is set for the number of participants per country for a specific sport.

A comparison of the total number of medals over time is further complicated by the fact that the number of times that countries have participated is not equal, and that many countries have gained and lost territories where medal-winning athletes come from. A point in case is the USSR, which not only participated relatively rarely (18 times, versus 45 times for the UK), but also ceased to exist in 1991. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The resulting Russian Federation is largely, but not entirely equal to the former USSR. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Also, one would have to use population statistics at the time.

The IOC medal tally chart is based on the number of gold medals for country. Where states are equal, the number of silver medals (and then bronze medals) are counted to determine rankings. Since 1996, the only countries that have appeared in the top 10 medal tallies for summer Olympics have been the Russian Federation, United States, China, France, Germany, Australia and Italy. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Since 1994, the only countries that have appeared in the top 10 medal tallies for winter Olympics have been Norway, the Russian Federation, the United States, Canada, Germany, Austria, South Korea, Switzerland, France and Italy. Norway ( Norwegian: Norge ( Bokmål) or Noreg ( Nynorsk) officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Constitutional Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. Austria (Österreich ( officially the Republic of Austria (Republik Österreich South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea and often referred to as Korea ( Korean: 대한민국 tɛː Switzerland (English pronunciation; Schweiz Swiss German: Schwyz or Schwiiz Suisse Svizzera Svizra officially the Swiss Confederation This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest

Olympic Games host cities

Main article: List of Olympic host cities

By 2010, the Olympic Games will have been hosted by 41 cities in 22 countries. The upcoming 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing, and the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver. Vancouver (vænˈkuːvɚ is a coastal The number in parentheses following the city/country denotes how many times that city/country had then hosted the games, with said exclusions.

This table does not include the "Olympic Games" organized by Evangelos Zappas prior to the IOC's creation in 1894. Evangelis Zappas (1800&ndash1865 aka Evangelos Zappas, was a Greek businessman Philanthropist, and founder of the It does list the "Intercalated Games" of 1906, but it is not included in the counts as the IOC no longer considers them to be official Olympic Games.

Olympic Games host cities

Summer Olympic Games				Winter Olympic Games
Year	№	Host city	Country	№	Host city	Country
1896	I	Athens (1)	Greece (1)
1900	II	Paris (1)	France (1)
1904	III	St. Louis, Missouri(1) (1)	United States (1)
1906	Int'd	Athens (not recognized)	Greece
1908	IV	London (1)	United Kingdom (1)
1912	V	Stockholm (1)	Sweden (1)
1916	VI (2)	Berlin	Germany
1920	VII	Antwerp (1)	Belgium (1)
1924	VIII	Paris (2)	France (2)	I	Chamonix (1)	France (1)
1928	IX	Amsterdam (1)	Netherlands (1)	II	St Moritz (1)	Switzerland (1)
1932	X	Los Angeles, California(1)	United States (2)	III	Lake Placid, New York (1)	United States (1)
1936	XI	Berlin (1)	Germany (1)	IV	Garmisch-Partenkirchen (1)	Germany (1)
1940	XII (3)	Tokyo→ Helsinki	Japan→  Finland	V (3)	Sapporo→ St Moritz→ Garmisch-Partenkirchen	Japan→  Switzerland→  Germany
1944	XIII (3)	London	United Kingdom	V (3)	Cortina d'Ampezzo	Italy
1948	XIV	London (2)	United Kingdom (2)	V	St Moritz (2)	Switzerland (2)
1952	XV	Helsinki (1)	Finland (1)	VI	Oslo (1)	Norway (1)
1956	XVI	Melbourne, Victoria (1) + Stockholm (2)(4)	Australia (1) +  Sweden (2)	VII	Cortina d'Ampezzo (1)	Italy (1)
1960	XVII	Rome (1)	Italy (1)	VIII	Squaw Valley, California (1)	United States (2)
1964	XVIII	Tokyo (1)	Japan (1)	IX	Innsbruck (1)	Austria (1)
1968	XIX	Mexico City (1)	Mexico (1)	X	Grenoble (1)	France (2)
1972	XX	Munich (1)	West Germany (2)	XI	Sapporo (1)	Japan (1)
1976	XXI	Montreal, Quebec (1)	Canada (1)	XII	Innsbruck (2)	Austria (2)
1980	XXII	Moscow (1)	Soviet Union (1)	XIII	Lake Placid, New York (2)	United States (3)
1984	XXIII	Los Angeles, California (2)	United States (3)	XIV	Sarajevo (1)	Yugoslavia (1)
1988	XXIV	Seoul (1)	South Korea (1)	XV	Calgary, Alberta (1)	Canada (1)
1992	XXV	Barcelona (1)	Spain (1)	XVI	Albertville (1)	France (3)
1994				XVII	Lillehammer (1)	Norway (2)
1996	XXVI	Atlanta, Georgia (1)	United States (4)
1998				XVIII	Nagano (1)	Japan (2)
2000	XXVII	Sydney, New South Wales (1)	Australia (2)
2002				XIX	Salt Lake City, Utah (1)	United States (4)
2004	XXVIII	Athens (2)	Greece (2)
2006				XX	Turin (1)	Italy (2)
2008	XXIX	Beijing (1)+ Hong Kong (1)(5)	China (1)+  Hong Kong (1)
2010				XXI	Vancouver, British Columbia (1)	Canada (2)
2012	XXX	London (3)	United Kingdom (3)
2014				XXII	Sochi (1)	Russia (1)