Olympic Games began over 2700 years ago in Olympia, in South West Greece.
Every 4 years , around 50000 people came from all over the Greek World to watch and take part . The ancient games were also a festival, held in honour of Zeus, the king of Gods. There were no Gold, Silver, and Bronze medal during that period.
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes around the world participate in variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world’s foremost sports competition. It observed that more than 200 nations participated in the Olympic Games .
It is held every 4 years alternating between Summer and Winter games every 2 years in that 4 year period.
The modern day Olympics was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games (ancient Greek) which was held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century B.C. to the 4th century A.D.
Pierre de Coubertin founded the international Olympic committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the 1st modern Games in Athens in 1896.
Some more information is provided below from Wikipedia about International Olympic Committee.
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International Olympic Committee |
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| Formation | 23 June 1894; 125 years ago |
| Type | Sports federation |
| Headquarters | Lausanne, Switzerland |
| Membership | 105 active members, 45 honorary members, 2 honour members (Senegal and United States), 206 individual National Olympic Committees |
| Official language | French (reference language), English, and the host country’s language when necessary |
| Honorary President |  Jacques Rogge[1] |
| President |  Thomas Bach[1] |
| Vice Presidents |  Juan Antonio Samaranch Salisachs Uğur Erdener Anita DeFrantz[1] Yu Zaiqing |
| Director General |  Christophe De Kepper |
| Website | www.olympic.org |
| Motto: Citius, Altius, Fortius (Latin: Faster, higher, stronger) |
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OLYMPIC GAMES QUOTES
1. The Olympic Games were created for the exaltation of the individual athlete …..PIERRE de COUBERTIN.
2. The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well. …… PIERRE de COUBERTIN (primarily responsible for the revival of the Olympic Games).
3. One shouldn’t be afraid to lose; this is sport. One day you win; another day you lose. Of course, every one wants to be the best. This is normal. This is what sport is about. This is why I love it. ……..OKA SANA BAIUL (Olympic Gold medalist).
4. An Olympic medal is the greatest achievement and honour that can be received by an athlete. I would swap any world title to have won gold at the Olympics. …….JEFF FENECH (Australian boxer, 1984 summer Olympic).
5. The Olympics remain the most compelling search for excellence that exists in sport, and may be in life itself. …….DAWN FRASER (Australian swimmer, 3 time winner at the Olympics)
6. For athletes, the Olympics are the ultimate test of their worth. ……MARY LOU RETTON (American gymnast, 1984 summer Olympics)
7. It has been said that the opening ceremony of the Olympic games is something that an athlete will remember for the most of their life. It is true. That moment when you walk into Olympic stadium as part of the Australian Olympic team, is a moment that I will never forget. …..JEFF FENECH (Australian boxer).
8. If you don’t try to win you might as well hold the Olympics in some body’s backyard. ……JESSE OWENS (American athlete, 4 time Gold medalist in track and field at the 1936 Olympic games, 1913-1980).
9. The greatest memory for me of the 1984 Olympics was not the individual honours, but standing on the podium with my teammates to receive our team Gold medal. ……MITCH GAYLORD.
10. I wanted no part of politics. And I wasn’t in Berlin to compete against any one athlete. The purpose of the Olympics, anyway , was to do your best. As I ‘d learned long ago from Charles Relay the only victory that counts is the one over yourself. …. JESSE OWENS.
11. At the Olympics, you are their to do a job. I feel you should take it seriously. You should be respectful. You are putting on the red-white-and-blue and going out their to perform for your country. …..SHANNON MILLER
12. My only focus was the Olympics because in my sport, i.e. the ultimate. Everything is geared toward that , and my entire life was geared around getting their and winning gold. …..CAMMI GRANATO
13. Everything about the Olympics was first class, and women were treated as athletes and equals. ….ELIZABETH ROBINSON SCHWARTZ
14. There is something in the Olympics, indefinable, springing from the soul, that must be preserved….CHRIS BRASHER
15. The Olympics are a wonderful metaphor for world cooperation, the kind of international competition that’s wholesome and healthy, an interplay between countries that represents the best in all of us…JOHN TOWNER WILLIAMS
16. I still cannot believe I won the Olympics. That’s what I feel right now – completely alive as a human being. It’s really beautiful moment…CLARA HUGHES
17. Holding an Olympic games means evoking history…..PIERRE de COUBERTIN
18. The Olympic games are for the world and all nations must be admitted to them ….PIERRE de COUBERTIN.
19. The six colours including the white background, represent the colours of all the world’s flags…this is a true International emblem… PIERRE de COUBERTIN
20. I run to be known as the greatest runner, the greatest of all time. I could not eat or sleep for a week after I lost in the (1992) Olympics. I have to win or die …NOURIDDENE MORCELI (Algerian athlete from the 1996 summer Olympics).
21. It is the inspiration of the Olympic games that drives people not only to compete but to improve, and to bring lasting spiritual and moral benefits to the athlete and inspiration to those lucky enough to witness the athletic dedication….HERB ELLIOTT ( Australian middle-distance runner).
22. To anyone who has started out on a long campaign believing that the gold medal was destined for him, the feeling when, all of a sudden, the medal had gone somewhere else is quite indescribable …..SEBASTIAN COE (English middle – distance runner after losing the 800 m final in 1980).
23. The Olympic games must not be an end in itself, they must be a means of creating a vast program of physical education and sports competitions for all young people …….AVERY BRUNDAGE (American sports administrator and President of IOC).
24. The advise I will give to my children, if and when they have Olympic aspirations , will be to go for it…..KERRI WALS (Gold medal, beach Volleyball player)
25. The Olympic games is a celebration of discipline…SUNDAY ADELAJA.
26. Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you have done before…..BONNIE BLAIR (American speed skater and five-time gold medalist.)
27. There can be distractions, but if you are isolated from the heart of the games, the Olympics become just another competition….MARY LOU RETTON
28. Arguing is the Olympics of talking….STEWART STAFFORD
29. The important thing in life is not victory but combat; it is not to have vanquished but who have fought well…. PIERRE de COUBERTIN
30. When any one tells me I can’t do anything, I am just not listening any more …FLORENCE GRIFFITH JOYNER
31. I don’t run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet…NADIA COMANECI (Gold medal gymnast)
32. I am building a fire, and every day I train, I add more fuel. At just the right moment, I light the match…MIA HAMM (Gold medal soccer player )
33. Failure I can live with. Not trying is what I can’t handle….SANYA RICHARDS-ROSS. (Gold medal track and field athlete)
34. Never quit. Never give up……GABY DOUGLAS (Gold medal gymnast)
35. Don’t put a limit to anything. The more you dream, the further you get…MICHAEL PHELJPS (Gold medal swimmer)
36. The advice I will give to my children, if and when they have Olympic aspirations, will be to go for it…..KERRI WALSH (Gold medal, beach volleyball player )
37. For too long the world has failed to recognize that the Olympic games and the Olympic movement are about fine athletics and fine art…AVERY BRUNDAGE
38. Never put an age limit on your dreams…DARA TORRES
39. Most other competitions are individual achievements, but the Olympic games is some thing that belongs to everybody….SCOTT HAMILTON
40. We live in a world where sports have the potential to bridge the gap between racism, sexism, and discrimination. The 2012 Olympic game was a great start but hopefully what these games taught us is that if women are given an opportunity on an equal playing field the possibilities for women are endless….JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE
41. In the name of all competitors, I promise that we will take part in these Olympic games, respecting and abiding by all the rules which govern them, in the true sprite of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams….. PIERRE de COUBERTIN
42. Everybody knows my life. I won a lot of tournaments and scored more than 1000 goals, won three World Cups but I could not play in the Olympic…PELE
CLOSING
The Olympic games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This has brought about numerous challenges and controversies including boycotts, doping, bribery, and a terrorist attack in 1972.
Every two years due to exposure at Olympics, the athletes have a chance to attain national or even International fame and reputation.
The games provide great opportunity to every nation as well as athletes to showcase their talent at the world level platform.
….Ratikanta Singh