When was the last time the Olympics took place? The mysterious and unpredictable history of the Olympic Games. Ancient Olympic Games

Olympic Games(Olympiads) - the largest modern international complex sport competitions, held every four years. The Summer Olympic Games have been held since 1896 (only during the world wars were these competitions not held). The Winter Olympic Games, established in 1924, were originally held in the same year as the Summer Olympics. But in 1994, it was decided to shift the timing of the Winter Olympic Games by two years relative to the timing of the Summer Olympics.

According to Greek myths, the Olympics were founded by Hercules after the successful completion of one of his glorious feats: cleaning the Augean stables. According to another version, these competitions marked the successful return of the Argonauts, who, at the insistence of Hercules, swore eternal friendship to each other. In order to adequately celebrate this event, a place was chosen above the Alpheus River, where a temple to the god Zeus was later erected. There are also legends that say that Olympia was founded by an oracle named Yam or by the mythical hero Pelops (son of Tantalus and ancestor of Hercules, king of Elis), who won the chariot race of Oenomaus, king of the city of Pisa.

Modern archaeological scientists believe that competitions similar to the Olympic ones were held in Olympia (western Peloponnese) around the 9th - 10th centuries. BC. And the most ancient document, which describes the Olympic Games dedicated to the god Zeus, dates back to 776 BC. According to historians, the reason for such a high popularity of sports competitions in Ancient Greece extremely simple - the country in those days was divided into small city-states that were constantly at war with each other. In such conditions, in order to defend their independence and win the battle, both soldiers and free citizens were forced to devote a lot of time to training, the purpose of which was to develop strength, agility, endurance, etc.

List Olympic events sport initially consisted of only one discipline - running short distance- 1st stage (190 meters). The runners lined up at the starting line at full height, holding out right hand forward, and waited for the signal from the judge (hellanodika). If one of the athletes was ahead of the starting signal (i.e. there was a false start), he was punished - the judge beat the offending athlete with a heavy stick reserved for this purpose. Somewhat later, running competitions appeared. long distances- in stages 7 and 24, as well as running in full combat weapons and running after a horse.

In 708 BC. Javelin throwing (the length of the wooden spear was equal to the height of the athlete) and wrestling appeared in the program of the Olympic Games. This sport had rather cruel rules (for example, tripping, grabbing an opponent by the nose, lip or ear, etc. were allowed) and was extremely popular. The winner was declared the wrestler who managed to knock his opponent to the ground three times.

In 688 BC. Fist fighting was included in the list of Olympic sports, and in 676 BC. they added a competition in chariots drawn by four or a pair of horses (or mules). At first, the owner of the team was obliged to drive the animals himself; later, for this purpose, it was allowed to hire an experienced driver (regardless of this, the owner of the chariot received the winner’s wreath).

Somewhat later, long jump competitions began to be held at the Olympics, and the athlete, after a short run-up, had to push off with both feet and sharply throw his arms forward (in each hand the jumper held a weight, which was supposed to carry him along with him). Also included in the list of Olympic competitions were competitions for musicians (harpists, heralds and trumpeters), poets, speakers, actors and playwrights. At first the festival lasted one day, later - 5 days. However, there were times when the celebrations dragged on for a whole month.

To ensure the safety of the participants in the Olympics, three kings: Cleosthenes (from Pisa), Iphitus (from Elis) and Lycurgus (from Sparta) entered into an agreement according to which any hostilities ceased during the games - messengers were sent from the city of Elis announcing a truce ( The IOC tried to revive this tradition in our days, in 1992, by calling on all nations of the world to renounce hostilities during the Olympics. In 1993, it was proclaimed that the truce should be observed “from the seventh day before official opening Games until the seventh day after the official closing of the Games." The corresponding resolution was approved in 2003 by the UN General Assembly, and in 2005 the above-mentioned call was included in the Millennium Declaration, signed by the leaders of many countries around the world).

Even when Greece, having lost its independence, became part of the Roman Empire, the Olympic Games continued to exist until 394 AD, when Emperor Theodosius I banned this type of competition, because he believed that the festival dedicated to the pagan god Zeus could not be held in an empire whose official religion is Christianity.

The revival of the Olympics began about a hundred years ago, when in 1894 in Paris, on the initiative of the French educator and public figure Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the International Sports Congress approved the foundations of the Olympic Charter. It is this charter that is the main constitutional instrument that formulates the fundamental rules and main values ​​of Olympism. The organizers of the first revived Olympics, who wanted to give the competition the “spirit of antiquity,” experienced many difficulties in choosing sports that could be considered Olympic. For example, after long and heated debate, football was excluded from the list of competitions at the First Olympics (1896, Athens), since IOC members argued that this team game was sharply different from ancient competitions - after all, in ancient times, athletes competed exclusively in individual competitions.

Sometimes quite exotic types of competitions were considered Olympic. For example, at the II Olympics (1900, Paris), competitions were held in underwater swimming and swimming with obstacles (athletes covered a distance of 200 meters, diving under anchored boats and going around submerged logs). At the VII Olympics (1920, Antwerp) they competed in javelin throwing with both hands, as well as in club throwing. And at the V Olympics (1912, Stockholm), athletes competed in the long jump, high jump and standing triple jump. Also, competitions in tug-of-war and cobblestone pushing (which was only replaced in 1920 by the shot, which is still used today) were considered an Olympic sport for a long time.

The judges also had a lot of problems - after all, each country at that time had different competition regulations. Because for short term It was impossible to draw up uniform requirements for all participants; athletes were allowed to perform in accordance with the rules to which they were accustomed. For example, runners at the start could stand in any way they wanted (taking a high start position, with their right arm extended forward, etc.). The “low start” position, generally accepted these days, was adopted by only one athlete at the first Olympics - American Thomas Bark.

Modern olympic movement has a motto - "Citius, Altius, Fortius" ("Faster, Higher, Stronger") and its own emblem - five intersecting rings (this sign was found by Coubertin on one of the Delphic altars). The Olympic rings are a symbol of the unification of the five continents (blue symbolizes Europe, black - Africa, red - America, yellow - Asia, green - Australia). The Olympic Games also have their own flag - a white cloth with the Olympic rings. Moreover, the colors of the rings and the flag are chosen so that at least one of them is found on the national flag of any country in the world. Both the emblem and the flag were adopted and approved by the IOC at the initiative of Baron Coubertin in 1913.

Baron Pierre Coubertin was the first to propose reviving the Olympic Games. Indeed, thanks to the efforts of this man, the Olympics became one of the largest sporting competitions in the world. However, the idea of ​​reviving this type of competition and bringing it to the world stage was expressed somewhat earlier by two more people. The Greek Evangelis Zapas organized the Olympics in Athens with his own money back in 1859, and the Englishman William Penny Brooks in 1881 proposed to the Greek government to hold competitions simultaneously in Greece and England. He also became the organizer of the games called "Olympic Memory" in the town of Much Wenlock, and in 1887 - the initiator of the nationwide British Olympic Games. In 1890, Coubertin attended the games in Much Wenlock and praised the Englishman's idea. Coubertin understood that by reviving the Olympics it was possible, firstly, to raise the prestige of the capital of France (it was in Paris, according to Coubertin, that the first Olympics should have taken place, and only persistent protests from representatives of other countries led to the fact that primacy was given to the birthplace of the Olympic Games - Greece), secondly, to improve the health of the nation and create a powerful army.

The motto of the Olympics was invented by Coubertin. No, olympic motto, consisting of three Latin words - "Citius, Altius, Fortius!" was first pronounced by the French priest Henri Didon at the opening ceremony of sports competitions in one of the colleges. Coubertin, who was present at the ceremony, liked the words - in his opinion, this particular phrase expresses the goal of athletes around the world. Later, at the initiative of Coubertin, this statement became the motto of the Olympic Games.

The Olympic flame marked the beginning of all Olympics. Indeed, in ancient Greece, competitors lit fires on the altars of Olympia to honor the gods. The honor of personally lighting a fire on the altar to the god Zeus was given to the winner of running competitions - the most ancient and revered sports discipline. In addition, in many cities of Hellas there were competitions of runners with lit torches - Prometheus, dedicated to the mythical hero, god-fighter and protector of people Prometheus, who stole fire from Mount Olympus and gave it to people.

At the revived Olympic Games, the flame was first lit at the IX Olympiad (1928, Amsterdam), and, according to researchers, it was not delivered, according to tradition, by a relay from Olympia. In fact, this tradition was revived only in 1936 at the XI Olympiad (Berlin). Since then, the running of torchbearers delivering the fire lit by the sun in Olympia to the site of the Olympics has been a solemn prologue to the games. The Olympic flame travels thousands of kilometers to the competition site, and in 1948 it was even transported across the sea to give rise to the XIV Olympic Games held in London.

The Olympics have never caused conflict. Unfortunately, they did. The fact is that the sanctuary of Zeus, where the games were usually held, was under the control of the city-state of Ellis. According to historians, at least twice (in 668 and 264 BC) the neighboring city of Pisa, using military force, attempted to seize the sanctuary, hoping in this way to gain control over the holding of the Olympics. After some time, from the most respected citizens of the above-mentioned cities, a panel of judges, which assessed the performance of the athletes and decided which of them would receive the winner’s laurel wreath.

In ancient times, only Greeks participated in the Olympics. Indeed, in ancient Greece, only Greek athletes had the right to participate in competitions - barbarians were prohibited from entering the stadium. However, this rule was abolished when Greece, which had lost its independence, became part of the Roman Empire - representatives of different nationalities began to be allowed to participate in competitions. Even emperors condescended to participate in the Olympics. For example, Tiberius was a champion in chariot racing, and Nero won a musician's competition.

Women did not participate in the ancient Olympics. Indeed, in Ancient Greece, women were not only prohibited from participating in the Olympic Games - beautiful ladies were not even allowed into the stands (an exception was made only for the priestesses of the fertility goddess Demeter). Therefore, sometimes especially passionate fans resorted to tricks. For example, the mother of one of the athletes, Kalipateria, dressed up as a man to watch her son’s performance and perfectly played the role of a coach. According to another version, she took part in a runners' competition. Calipateria was identified and sentenced to death - the brave athlete was to be thrown from the Typhian cliff. But, given that her husband was an Olympian (that is, an Olympic winner), and her sons were winners of youth competitions, the judges pardoned Kalipateria. But the panel of judges (Hellanodics) obliged the athletes to continue to compete naked in competitions in order to avoid a repetition of the above-described incident. It should be noted that girls in Ancient Greece were by no means averse to sports, and they loved to compete. Therefore, games dedicated to Hera (the wife of Zeus) were held at Olympia. In these competitions (which, by the way, men were not allowed), exclusively girls participated, competing in wrestling, running and chariot racing, which took place in the same stadium a month before or a month after the competition of male athletes. Women athletes also took part in the Isthmian, Nemean and Pythian Games.
It is interesting that in the Olympic Games, revived in the 19th century, at first only male athletes competed. It was not until 1900 that women took part in competitions in sailing, equestrian sports, tennis, golf and croquet. And representatives of the fair sex joined the IOC only in 1981.

The Olympics are just an opportunity to demonstrate strength and prowess, or a veiled way of selecting and training trained fighters. Initially, the Olympic Games were one of the ways to honor the god Zeus, part of a grandiose cult festival, during which sacrifices were made to the Thunderer - of the five days of the Olympics, two (the first and the last) were dedicated exclusively to solemn processions and sacrifices. However, over time, the religious aspect faded into the background, and the political and commercial components of the competition became more and more apparent.

In ancient times, the Olympic Games contributed to the peaceful coexistence of peoples - after all, during the Olympic truce, wars stopped. Indeed, the city-states participating in the games stopped hostilities for a period of five days (that’s how long the Olympics lasted) to allow athletes to freely get to the venue of the competition - Elis. According to the rules, competition participants and fans had no right to engage in combat with each other, even if their states were at war with each other. However, this does not mean a complete cessation of hostility - after the end of the Olympic Games, hostilities resumed. And the disciplines themselves chosen for the competition were more like preparation good fighter: javelin throwing, running in armor and, of course, the extremely popular pankration - a street fight, limited only by the prohibition of biting and gouging out the eyes of an opponent.

The saying “The main thing is not victory, but participation” was coined by the ancient Greeks. No, the author of the saying “The most important thing in life is not victory, but participation. The essence is in an interesting fight” was Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who in the 19th century revived the tradition of the Olympic Games. And in Ancient Greece, victory was the main goal of competitors. In those days, prizes were not even awarded for second and third places, and the losers, as written sources testify, were very hurt by their defeat and tried to hide as quickly as possible.

In ancient times, competitions were conducted fairly, only nowadays athletes use doping, etc., to achieve better results. Unfortunately, it is not. At all times, athletes, striving for victory, used not entirely honest methods. For example, wrestlers rubbed oil on their bodies to make it easier to free themselves from an opponent’s grip. Long-distance runners cut corners or trip up an opponent. There were also attempts to bribe judges. The athlete convicted of fraud had to fork out money - bronze statues of Zeus were made with this money, which were installed along the road leading to the stadium. For example, in the 2nd century BC, during one of the Olympics, 16 statues were erected, which indicates that even in ancient times fair play Not all athletes were leading.

In Ancient Greece, people competed only to receive a laurel wreath and unfading glory. Of course, praise is a pleasant thing, and the hometown greeted the winner with joy - the Olympian, dressed in purple and crowned with a laurel wreath, entered not through the gate, but through a specially prepared gap in the city wall, which was immediately sealed, “so that the Olympic glory would not left the city." However, not only the laurel wreath and praise were the goal of the competitors. The word “athlete” itself, translated from ancient Greek, means “competing for prizes.” And the rewards that the winner received in those days were considerable. In addition to the sculpture installed in honor of the winner either in Olympia at the sanctuary of Zeus, or in the athlete’s homeland, or even deification, the athlete was entitled to a considerable sum for those times - 500 drachmas. In addition, he received a number of political and economic privileges (for example, exemption from all types of duties) and until the end of his days he had the right to dine for free every day in the city government.

The decision to end the wrestling match was made by the judges. This is wrong. Both in wrestling and in fist fight the fighter himself, who decided to surrender, raised his right hand with his hand protruding upward thumb- this gesture served as a signal for the end of the fight.

Athletes who won competitions were crowned with laurel wreaths. This is true - it was the laurel wreath that was a symbol of victory in Ancient Greece. And they crowned not only athletes, but also horses that ensured their owner victory in a chariot race.

The inhabitants of Elis were the best athletes in Greece. Unfortunately, it is not. Despite the fact that in the center of Elis there was a Pan-Hellenic shrine - the Temple of Zeus, where the Olympics were regularly held, the inhabitants of this area enjoyed a bad reputation, because they were prone to drunkenness, lies, pederasty and laziness, little corresponding to the ideal of a population strong in spirit and body. However, one cannot deny their belligerence and foresight - having managed to prove to their neighbors that Elis was a neutral country against which war could not be waged, the Eleans, nevertheless, continued attacks on nearby regions with the aim of capturing them.

Olympia was located near sacred mountain Olympus. Wrong opinion. Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, on the top of which, according to legend, the gods lived, located in the north of the country. And the city of Olympia was located in the south - in Elis, on the island of Peloponnese.

In addition to ordinary citizens, the most famous athletes of Greece lived in Olympia. Only priests lived permanently in Olympia, and athletes and fans, who flocked to the city in huge numbers every four years (the stadium was designed for the presence of 50,000 spectators!), were forced to huddle in self-made tents, huts, or even just in the open air . A leonidayion (hotel) was built only for honored guests.

To measure the time it took athletes to cover a distance, in Ancient Greece they used a clepsydra, and the length of jumps was measured in steps. Wrong opinion. Instruments for measuring time (sun or hourglass, clepsydra) were inaccurate, and distances were most often measured “by eye” (for example, a stage is 600 feet or the distance that a person can walk at a calm pace during full sunrise, i.e. i.e. in about 2 minutes). Therefore, neither the time it took to complete the distance nor the length of the jumps mattered - the winner was the one who reached the finish line first or jumped the furthest.
Even today, visual observation has been used for a long time to evaluate the achievements of athletes - until 1932, when at the X Olympics in Los Angeles a stopwatch and a photo finish were first used, which greatly facilitated the work of judges.

The length of the marathon distance has been constant since ancient times. This is wrong. Nowadays, the marathon (one of the disciplines athletics) is a race over a distance of 42 km 195 m. The idea of ​​​​organizing the race was proposed by the French philologist Michel Breal. Since both Coubertin and the Greek organizers liked this proposal, the marathon was one of the first to be included in the list of Olympic sports. There are road marathons, cross-country running and half marathons (21 km 98 m). The road marathon has been included in the Olympic Games program since 1896 for men and since 1984 for women.
However, the length of the marathon distance has changed several times. Legend has it that in 490 BC. The Greek warrior Pheidippides (Philippides) ran non-stop from Marathon to Athens (approximately 34.5 km) to please his fellow citizens with the news of victory. According to another version, set forth by Herodotus, Pheidippides was a messenger sent for reinforcements from Athens to Sparta and covered a distance of 230 km in two days.
At the first modern Olympics, marathon running competitions took place along a 40 km route laid between Marathon and Athens, but subsequently the length of the distance varied within quite a wide range. For example, at the IV Olympics (1908, London), the length of the route laid from Windsor Castle (royal residence) to the stadium was 42 km 195 m. At the V Olympics (1912, Stockholm), the length of the marathon distance was changed and was 40 km 200 m, and at the VII Olympics (1920, Antwerp) runners had to cover a distance of 42 km 750 m. The length of the distance changed 6 times, and only in 1921 the final length of the marathon race was established - 42 km 195 m.

Olympic awards are awarded to athletes who show the best results in competitions, after a long struggle with worthy opponents. This is true, but there are exceptions to this rule. For example, gymnast Elena Mukhina, who injured a cervical vertebra during one of her training sessions a few days before the Olympics, was awarded the Olympic Order for courage. Moreover, IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch personally presented her with the award. And at the III Olympics (1904, St. Louis, Missouri), American athletes became the undisputed winners due to the almost complete lack of competition - many foreign athletes who did not have enough money were simply unable to take part in the competition, giving the palm to the hosts of the Olympics .

Athletes' equipment can influence the results of competitions. This is true. For comparison: at the first modern Olympics, the athletes’ uniforms were made of wool (an accessible and inexpensive material), and shoes, the soles of which were equipped with special spikes, were made of leather. It is clear that this form caused a lot of inconvenience to the competitors. The swimmers suffered the most - after all, their suits were made of cotton fabric, and, being heavy from the water, slowed down the speed of the athletes. It should also be mentioned that, for example, there were no mats for pole vaulters - the competitors were forced to think not only about how to clear the bar, but also about the correct landing.
Nowadays, thanks to the development of science and the emergence of new synthetic materials, athletes experience much less discomfort. For example, suits for track and field athletes are designed to minimize the risk of muscle strain and reduce the force of wind resistance, and the silk- and lycra-based materials used to make sportswear are low hygroscopic and ensure rapid evaporation of moisture. Special tight-fitting suits with vertical stripes are also created for swimmers, allowing them to overcome water resistance as efficiently as possible and develop the highest speed.
Contributes greatly to achieving high results and athletic shoes specifically designed to withstand the expected loads. It was thanks to a new shoe model equipped with internal chambers filled with carbon dioxide that American decathlete Dave Johnson demonstrated the best result in the 4x400 m relay in 1992.

Only young, full of energy athletes participate in the Olympic Games. Not necessary. The oldest participant in the Olympic Games is Oscar Swabn, a resident of Switzerland, who took second place in the shooting competition at the VII Olympics (1920, Antwerp) at the age of 72 years. Moreover, it was he who was selected to participate in the 1924 competition, but was forced to refuse due to health reasons.

The most medals at the Olympics were won by athletes from the USSR (later from Russia). No, in the overall standings (according to data on all Olympic Games, up to and including 2002), the USA is superior - 2072 medals, of which 837 are gold, 655 silver and 580 bronze. The USSR is in second place - 999 medals, of which 388 are gold, 317 silver and 249 bronze.

OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES, complex competitions for winter sports, conducted by the IOC once every 4 years. The decision to regularly hold independent Olympic Winter Games was made in 1925 at the IOC Session in Prague. This was facilitated by the success of world winter sports competitions - the International Sports Week on the occasion of the VIII Olympic Games (1924, Chamonix, France), to which the IOC gave the name “I Olympic Winter Games”; The term "Olympiad" in connection with the Olympic Winter Games is not accepted, but in sports and popular literature the name "White Olympics" is sometimes used. Until 1992, the Olympic Winter Games were held in the year of the Summer Olympic Games, since 1994 - in the middle of the Olympic cycle. The program includes 7 olympic sports .

In 1924–2014, 22 Olympic Winter Games were held - in the USA (4), France (3), Switzerland, Austria, Norway, Japan, Italy, Canada (2 each), Germany, Yugoslavia, Russia (1 each). Most often the capitals of the Olympic Winter Games were St. Moritz, Lake Placid and Innsbruck (2 times each). In 1968 at the Olympics winter games An Olympic mascot appeared for the first time in Grenoble. At the Olympic Winter Games the same ceremonies, as in summer Olympic Games, lighting of the Olympic flame, raising the Olympic flag (with the same emblem), opening and closing parades, awarding of Olympic champions and medalists, etc. Olympic records are registered only in speed running on skates. The high prestige of the competition is evidenced by the list statesmen and the crowned heads who officially opened them: Chamonix, 1924 - Gaston Vidal (Deputy Secretary of State of France); St. Moritz, 1928 – Edmund Schultes (President of Switzerland); Lake Placid, 1932 – Franklin Delano Roosevelt (Governor of New York, USA); Garmisch-Partenkirchen, 1936 – Adolf Hitler (Reich Chancellor of Germany); St. Moritz, 1948 – Enrico Celio (President of Switzerland); Oslo, 1952 – Princess Ragnhild (Her Royal Highness of Norway); Cortina d'Ampezzo, 1956 - Giovanni Gronchi (President of Italy); Squaw Valley, 1960 - Richard Nixon (Vice President of the USA); Innsbruck, 1964 - Adolf Scherf (Federal President of Austria); Grenoble, 1968 - Charles de Gaulle (President France); Sapporo, 1972 - Hirohito (Emperor of Japan); Innsbruck, 1976 - Rudolf Kirschhagler (Federal President of Austria); Lake Placid, 1980 - Walter Mondale (US Vice President); Sarajevo, 1984 - Mika Shpiljak (President of Yugoslavia) ; Calgary, 1988 - Jeanne Mathilde Sauvé (Governor General of Canada); Albertville, 1992 - Francois Mitterrand (President of France); Lillehammer, 1994 - Harald V (King of Norway); Nagano, 1998 - Akihito (Emperor of Japan); Salt Lake City, 2002 – George W. Bush (US President); Turin, 2006 – Carlo Azeglio Ciampi (President of Italy); Vancouver, 2010 – Michael Jean (Governor General of Canada); Sochi, 2014 – Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin (President of Russia) In the entire history of the White Olympiads, women have opened them only twice (Oslo, 1952; Calgary, 1988).

The largest number of medals in the entire history of the Olympic Winter Games (as of January 1, 2018) were won by athletes from the following national teams: Russia; Norway (22; 118, 111, 100); USA (22; 96, 102, 83); Germany; Sweden (22; 50, 40, 54); Finland (22; 42, 62, 57).

For the dates and main results of all Olympic Winter Games, see Table 1. About the athletes who won the most Olympic awards at the Olympic Winter Games, see Table 2. For athletes who took part in 6 or more White Olympics, see Table 3.

Table 1. The main results of the Olympic Winter Games (Chamonix, 1924 - Sochi, 2014)

* United German team.

** United team of the countries of the former USSR.

Table 2. Athletes who won the most victories at the Olympic Winter Games (Chamonix, 1924 - Sochi, 2014).

* In 2006 (Turin) he played for the national team of the Republic of Korea.

3 gold each olympic medals won the Olympic Winter Games in St. 50 athletes (as of January 1, 2018), including representatives of Russia (including the USSR): K. S. Boyarskikh, E. V. Vyalbe, N. V. Gavrylyuk, V. S. Davydov, V. G. Kuzkin , A. P. Ragulin, A. A. Reztsova, I. K. Rodnina, V. A. Tretyak, A. V. Firsov, A. V. Khomutov, Yu. A. Chepalova.

Table 3. Athletes who competed at 6 or more Olympic Winter Games (as of January 1, 2018)

*The athlete also competed at the Olympic Games.

In Paris, a commission to revive the Olympic Games met in the Great Hall of the Sorbonne. Baron Pierre de Coubertin became its general secretary. Then the International Olympic Committee - the IOC - was formed, which included the most authoritative and independent citizens of different countries.

The first modern Olympic Games were originally planned to be held in the same stadium in Olympia that hosted the Olympic Games of Ancient Greece. However, this required too much restoration work, and the first revived Olympic competitions took place in the Greek capital, Athens.

On April 6, 1896, at the restored ancient stadium in Athens, the Greek King George declared the first Olympic Games of modern times open. The opening ceremony was attended by 60 thousand spectators.

The date of the ceremony was not chosen by chance - on this day, Easter Monday coincided with three directions of Christianity at once - Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism. This first opening ceremony of the Games laid the foundation for two olympic traditions- opening of the Games by the head of state where the competitions are taking place, and the performance of the Olympic anthem. However, such indispensable attributes modern Games, like the parade of participating countries, the ceremony of lighting the Olympic flame and the recitation of the Olympic oath, there was no; they were introduced later. Did not have Olympic Village, the invited athletes provided their own housing.

241 athletes from 14 countries took part in the Games of the First Olympiad: Australia, Austria, Bulgaria, Great Britain, Hungary (at the time of the Games, Hungary was part of Austria-Hungary, but Hungarian athletes competed separately), Germany, Greece, Denmark, Italy , USA, France, Chile, Switzerland, Sweden.

Russian athletes were quite actively preparing for the Olympics, but due to lack of funds Russian team was not aimed at the Games.

As in ancient times, only men took part in the competitions of the first modern Olympics.

The program of the first Games included nine sports - classical wrestling, cycling, gymnastics, athletics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and fencing. 43 sets of awards were drawn.

According to ancient tradition, the Games began with athletic competitions.

Athletics competitions became the most popular - 63 athletes from 9 countries took part in 12 events. The largest number of species - 9 - were won by representatives of the United States.

The first Olympic champion was American athlete James Connolly, who won the triple jump with a score of 13 meters 71 centimeters.

Wrestling competitions were held without uniform approved rules for conducting fights, and there were also no weight categories. The style in which the athletes competed was close to today's Greco-Roman, but it was allowed to grab the opponent's legs. Only one set of medals was played among five athletes, and only two of them competed exclusively in wrestling - the rest took part in competitions in other disciplines.

Because the artificial swimming pools there was no swimming competition in Athens, the swimming competition was held in an open bay near the city of Piraeus; the start and finish were marked by ropes attached to the floats. The competition aroused great interest - by the start of the first swim, about 40 thousand spectators had gathered on the shore. About 25 swimmers from six countries took part, most of them naval officers and sailors of the Greek merchant fleet.

Medals were awarded in four events, all swims were held “freestyle” - you were allowed to swim in any way, changing it along the course. At that time, the most popular swimming methods were breaststroke, overarm (an improved way of swimming on the side) and treadmill style. At the insistence of the Games organizers, the program also included an applied swimming event - 100 meters in sailor's clothing. Only Greek sailors took part in it.

In cycling, six sets of medals were awarded - five on the track and one on the road. The track races took place at the Neo Faliron velodrome, specially built for the Games.

In competitions on artistic gymnastics Eight sets of awards were awarded. The competition took place outdoors at the Marble Stadium.

Five sets of awards were awarded in shooting - two in rifle shooting and three in pistol shooting.

Tennis competitions took place on the courts of the Athens Tennis Club. Two tournaments were held - singles and doubles. At the 1896 Games there was no requirement that all team members represent the same country, and some pairs were international.

Weightlifting competitions were held without division into weight categories and included two disciplines: squeezing a ball barbell with two hands and lifting a dumbbell with one hand.

Three sets of awards were competed for in fencing. Fencing became the only sport where professionals were allowed: separate competitions were held among “maestros” - fencing teachers (“maestros” were also admitted to the 1900 Games, after which this practice ceased).

The highlight of the Olympic Games was the marathon running. Unlike all subsequent Olympic marathon competitions, the marathon distance at the Games of the First Olympics was 40 kilometers. The classic marathon distance is 42 kilometers 195 meters. The Greek postman Spyridon Louis finished first with a result of 2 hours 58 minutes 50 seconds, who became a national hero after this success. In addition to the Olympic awards, he received a gold cup established by the French academician Michel Breal, who insisted on inclusion in the Games program marathon running, a barrel of wine, a coupon for free food for a year, free tailoring of a dress and the use of a hairdresser for life, 10 quintals of chocolate, 10 cows and 30 rams.

One of the most striking and massive events on the planet are the Olympic Games. Any athlete who manages to take the podium at the Olympic competitions receives the status Olympic champion for life and his achievements remain in the world history of sports for centuries. Where and how did the Olympic Games originate and what is their history? Let's try to take a brief excursion into the history of the origin and holding of the Olympic Games.

Story

The first modern Olympic Games took place in 1896 in the country where they originated - Greece, Athens. To organize the Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was created, whose first president was Demetrius Vikelas. Despite the fact that only 241 athletes from 14 countries took part in the first Games of our time, they were held with huge success, becoming significant sporting event Greece. Initially, it was intended that the Games would always be held in their homeland, but the Olympic Committee introduced a decision that the location would change every 4 years.

The II Olympic Games of 1900, held in France, in Paris, and the III Olympic Games of 1904, held in the USA, in St. Louis (Missouri), were less successful, as a result of which the Olympic movement as a whole experienced its first crisis after a significant success. Since the Games were combined with World Exhibitions, they did not generate much interest among spectators, and sports competitions lasted for months.

In 1906, the so-called “intermediate” Olympic Games were held again in Athens (Greece). At first, the IOC supported the holding of these Games, but now they are not recognized as Olympic Games. There is an opinion among some sports historians that the 1906 Games were a kind of salvation of the Olympic idea, which did not allow the Games to lose their meaning and become “unnecessary.”

All rules, principles and regulations are determined by the Charter of the Olympic Games, approved in Paris in 1894 by the International Sports Congress. The Olympiads have been counted since the first Games (I Olympiad - 1896-99). Even if the games are not held, the Olympics receives its own serial number, for example the VI Games in 1916-19, the XII Games in 1940-43 and the XIII in 1944-47. The Olympic Games are symbolized by five rings of different colors fastened together (Olympic rings), denoting the unification of the five parts of the world - the top row: blue - Europe, black - Africa, red - America, and the bottom row: yellow - Asia, green - Australia. The selection of venues for the Olympics is carried out by the IOC. All organizational issues related to the Games are decided not by the selected country, but by the city. The duration of the Games is approximately 16-18 days.

The Olympic Games, like any strictly organized event, have their own specific traditions and rituals

Before the opening and closing of the games, theatrical performances are held that present to the audience the appearance and culture of the country and city in which they are held;

Ceremonial passage central stadium athletes and members of delegations. Athletes from each country march in separate groups in alphabetical order by country name in the language of the country in which the Games are being held or in the official language of the IOC (English or French). Each group is preceded by a representative of the host country, who carries a sign with the name of the corresponding country. The standard bearer follows him, flag bearer of your country. This highly honorable mission is usually granted to the most respected and titled athletes;

Without fail, the President of the International Olympic Committee makes welcoming speeches. Also, the speech is made by the head of state in which the Games are being held;

The flag of Greece is raised as the country in which the Olympic Games originated. Her national anthem is played;

The flag of the country in which the Games are being held is raised and its national anthem is also performed; - one of the outstanding athletes of the host country of the Games takes an oath on behalf of all participants about fair fight and competitions that will comply with all the principles and rules of the sport;

The opening ceremony ends with the lighting and relay of the Olympic torch. The initial part of the relay passes through the cities of Greece, the final part - through the cities of the country in which the games are being held. The torch with fire is delivered to the city that organizes the Games on the opening day. The fire burns until the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games;

The closing ceremony is also accompanied by theatrical performances, a speech by the IOC President, the passage of participants, etc. The IOC President announces the closing of the Olympics, followed by the playing of the national anthem, the Olympic anthem, and the lowering of the flags. At the end of the ceremony the Olympic flame goes out.

Each country taking part in the Olympic Games develops its own official emblem and mascot of the Games, which become part of the souvenirs.

The following sports are included in the Olympic Games program:

A: Crossbow sport

B: Badminton, Basketball, Running, Skating, Bobsleigh, Biathlon, Billiards, Boxing, Freestyle wrestling, Greco-Roman wrestling

IN: Cycling, Water polo, Volleyball

G: Handball, Sports gymnastics, Rhythmic gymnastics, Alpine skiing,