Olympic Games are international sports competitions held every four years in different cities... Thousands of athletes from all over the world compete against each other in individual and team sports. More than 1 billion people watch games on TV.

Modern Olympic Games

The first Olympic Games were held in Greece in 776 BC. They were named as ancient games and continued until the 4th century AD. Modern Olympic Games began in 1896 when Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin revived the games to bring peace and friendship to the world. There are summer and winter games. Until 1994, both games were played in the same year, but now they were staged two years apart.

The modern Olympic Games begin with the opening ceremony. Athletes from all participating countries enter the stadium. Greece comes out first because it was the first country to host the Olympics and the host of the competition comes out last. Olympic flag rises and the selected athlete lights the Olympic flame. He is a symbol of spirit, knowledge and life. The fire burns from the opening until the end of the games.

The Olympic rings were created in 1913 and represent the five continents (Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia and South America). All athletes must take the Olympic Oaths. One of them is to promise that all athletes will compete in a fair manner. After each event, medals are given to the first three athletes. They receive gold, silver and bronze medals. Their flags are hoisted and the national anthem of the victorious country is played.

International Olympic Committee

The IOC is the organization that governs the modern Olympic Games. He decides what sports and events will be held at the games. The IOC also selects the host city for the Summer and Winter Games. Cities that want to host games must show that they have enough stadiums for all events, they have enough space for all athletes, they can provide safety for athletes, they can transport athletes and spectators from one event to the next. They also need to build Olympic Village where all athletes will live during the games.

How can athletes take part?

As a rule, each country decides for itself which athletes will take part. Athletes must be eligible for games by winning competitions held prior to the start of the Olympic Games. Athletes who are sent to games from their country must be citizens of that country. For years, only amateurs could participate in the games, but in the modern Olympics today, most athletes are professionals who make money through sports.

Ancient games

The ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia and Greece every four years. They were held in honor of the god Zeus. Then, only Greek men were allowed to participate. Games consisted of races, wrestling, boxing, pentathlon and horse racing. The last were, as a rule, chariot races. When the Romans conquered Greece in 140 BC, the games began to lose their religious significance and in 393 the Roman emperor banned the event.

Summer Games take place during the summer season in the host country. They lasted 16 days. Today there are over 270 competitions. More than 15,000 athletes from 190 countries take part in them.

The first Winter Olympic Games were held in France in 1924. They usually took place in February. Currently, the Winter Olympics include over 60 events. Athletes from more than 60 countries participate in them.

The modern Olympic Games have become very successful and more and more people can watch them on TV, TV stations are spending everything more money for the right to broadcast games. The IOC is making more money than ever before. With this money, they help athletes in poor countries.

V Ancient Greece and throughout the ancient world, the Olympic Games were one of the most revered holidays. The founder of the Games, according to myths, was the demigod-half-man Hercules. But this is just a beautiful invention, and oh real person, who first invented and organized the Games, there is no reliable information, there are only different versions about who it could be. But it is quite clear that the Games got their name due to the fact that they were held in the Olympia region on the Peloponnese peninsula, in one of the largest sanctuaries of the ancient Greeks.

Olympic Games in Ancient Greece

The first Games, according to historical sources that have come down to us, took place in 776 BC. It is also known that a chef named Koroibos became the winner in the 192 meters race.

The ancient Greeks held their Games every four years and they lasted for five days. By tradition, before the start of the Games, a solemn procession was held, as well as honors for the god Zeus and the god Apollo. In addition, the participants had to take an oath that they would compete fairly, and the judges had to take an oath that they would be judged fairly. Then a special person blew a silver trumpet several times, which was a kind of invitation to the stadium for the start of the competition. By the way, the ancient stadium could accommodate quite a lot of spectators - about 40,000!

The standard program of the ancient Olympic Games included such disciplines as fistfights, wrestling, running, running with weapons, javelin and discus throwing. There was another extremely entertaining discipline - chariot races, harnessed by four horses. Ancient Greek athletes prepared very seriously for the Games - ten months a year they did it at home, and another month in Olympia, under the guidance of their coaches.

From the 4th century BC, not only athletes began to participate in the games, but also orators, playwrights, poets, historians, musicians and actors, they also competed among themselves for the amusement of the public - it was a grandiose performance for its time.

Not everyone could attend the Games as spectators. This right was denied to women, slaves, as well as citizens convicted of certain crimes. Ancient chroniclers described such a case: a popular fist fighter in Olympia, as it turned out, was trained by his mother, wearing men's clothing. Since then, athletes and coaches were required to appear at the competition completely naked - this excluded the possibility of deception.

Those who won the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece received universal honor - sculptors made their monuments, poets composed laudatory odes in their honor. The winners were solemnly greeted in their small homeland and awarded with wreaths made from the branches of a wild olive.

In addition to this, athletes who were able to become the best in the ancient Olympic Games were provided with food at the state expense for life, sponsored with large sums of money and were exempted from taxes.

During the Games, any hostilities between the belligerent Greek territories had to end. The ancient Greeks considered their Games to be a celebration of peace. And the presence of this holiday, of course, contributed to the strengthening of cultural ties between the Greek states.

V last time the ancient Olympiad (293 in a row!) was held in 394 AD, that is, already at the time when Greece was part of the Roman Empire. After that, they were banned as a pagan event by the Roman emperor Theodosius I (he was strongly influenced by the Christian clergy in this matter).

Rebirth 1500 years later!

In 1894, the second birth of the Summer Olympic Games takes place (and the Winter Olympics, which is obvious, the ancient Greeks simply did not have - the climate in the Peloponnese is too warm and mild). This year, the first International Sports Congress took place in Paris, in which delegations from 34 states (in particular, from Russia) took part. At the congress, it was decided to hold the Summer Olympic Games.

But only two years later it became a reality - the opening ceremony of the first resumed Games took place on April 5, 1896 in Athens. Representatives of 13 countries took part in them. Unfortunately, the Russian Empire did not send its athletes.

Competitions in 1896 were held only among men and only in nine disciplines: gymnastics, athletics and weightlifting, bullet shooting, fencing, wrestling, bicycle racing, tennis and swimming.

The public interest in the Games was colossal, a vivid confirmation of which is the presence of more than 90,000 spectators.

Since then and to this day, the Summer Games are held every four years in different cities of the world. However, three times in the turbulent XX century, the Summer Olympic Games were nevertheless canceled due to world wars (they were not held in 1916, 1940 and 1944).

Pierre de Coubertin - First Chairman of the IOC

The key role in the revival of the Olympic Games was played by the French baron, the representative of the old aristocratic family Pierre de Coubertin. (born in 1863). He really wanted to revive the Olympic mindset and the Olympic culture, and quite quickly found like-minded people on this issue throughout Europe. One of these like-minded people was the archaeologist Ernst Curtius - it was he who, after conducting his research, in fact, wrote the new rules for holding such competitions.

Coubertin believed that the French lost in the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) due to the fact that the soldiers were limping physical training... And he believed that by reviving the Olympic Games, he could change this situation. In addition, the Baron, of course, wanted to overcome the selfishness of national states with the help of the Games and contribute to the struggle for peace. The youth of the planet should not fight in real wars, but in sports - this was also one of the ideas of the revived Olympics.

It was Coubertin who became the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and held this post for a long time - from 1896 to 1916 and from 1919 to 1925. The three-year break is associated, as many might guess, with the First World War. During these years, de Coubertin served in the French troops. The symbol of the Olympic Games is five intersecting rings, which represent the unification of the five inhabited parts of the world. The color of the upper rings is black, blue and red, the color of the lower ones is yellow and green. This symbol, as well as the flag (the same rings on a white background), was approved by the IOC at the suggestion of Coubertin himself in 1914.

The legacy of de Coubertin can hardly be overestimated, and, for example, today there is a special IOC award - the Pierre de Coubertin Medal. It is awarded for the nobility shown during the Olympics and adherence to the spirit of Fair Play ("fair play"). Some fans and athletes consider this award even more important than gold medal.

The de Coubertin medal and one of its holders is the Brazilian marathon runner Wanderlei de Lima

Interesting champions and participants in the Olympics of the past

Women began performing at the games only in 1900. And the first champion was Countess Helene de Pourtale - in sailing. Her yacht "Lerina" came to the finish line first. And then many more women surprised the world with their sporting success and not only. For example, in the eighties, the runner Florence Griffith-Joyner caused a big stir. She at the 1988 Seoul Olympics managed to break three records and win three gold medals. But she was remembered primarily by the fact that she went on the track at those Games in makeup, with false nails, in very bold and unusual outfits.

And the most oldest medalist and oldest champion of the Olympics throughout history is the Swede Oscar Swann. In 1912 at the age of 64 he showed best result in shooting at the conditional "running deer"(there was such a discipline then). And in 1920, at the age of 72, he again took part in the Olympics and took silver as part of the Swedish national shooting team - this age record has not yet been broken.

A the youngest medalist of the Olympic Games- a ten-year-old boy Dimitros Lundras, representing Greece at the first revived Olympics in 1896. He only participated in team competition on the uneven bars, and ultimately his team finished third.

The 1904 Olympics in St. Louis, USA were also quite interesting. In particular, the Cuban poor man Felix Carvajal took part in it. For him, even getting to the Olympics was tricky business- he collected money for a ticket, begging for alms. Once in St. Louis, he became one of the participants in the marathon. And he ran almost the entire distance first, but shortly before the finish he stopped to pick and eat an apple - the fact is that Felix had not eaten for about 40 hours. As a result, Carvajal was overtaken, he came running fourth, but he became a real celebrity.

And at one of the Olympics at the beginning of the 20th century, there was a marathon runner who tried to deceive everyone. He, a few kilometers after the start, got into the car, and got out of it only shortly before the finish line. Of course, this deception was revealed and the fraudster did not receive any medals.

By the way, marathon distance was not in the ancient Greek Olympics. It was introduced by Pierre de Coubertin, based on a beautiful ancient Greek legend. In 490 BC. NS. the battle of the city of Marathon took place. The Persians were defeated by the troops of Athens, and a messenger named Phidippides was sent there to notify the citizens of the city. He allegedly ran all the way (about 42 kilometers long) without stopping. Once within the borders of Athens, he shouted: "Rejoice, we won!" Immediately after that, Fidippides fell dead - he could not stand the loads. This legend is not confirmed by historical sources, but it did not stop us from doing marathon run a compulsory discipline of the modern Summer Olympics.

A few more interesting facts about the Olympics

Baron de Coubertin himself believed that the Olympic Games should be strictly an amateur competition, in which there is no place for professionals who received money for sports. He believed that professionals have an unfair advantage over those for whom sport is only a hobby. And, for example, in 1913, the medals were taken away from Gene Thorpe - after newspapermen found out that Gene played semi-professional American baseball. After World War II, many countries (for example, the USSR) sent athletes to the Olympics, who were only formally amateurs. And this problem was especially acute in hockey. Canada even boycotted the 1972 and 1976 Olympic tournaments due to the fact that the USSR national team was actually recruited from professionals, while the Canadians, for example, could not send NHL players.

Over time, due to the objective professionalization of sports, the requirement of amateurism in most disciplines has become irrelevant. But, for example, the Olympic boxing tournament still has the status of an amateur and is held according to the relevant rules.

To this day Olympic tournaments boxers are held according to amateur rules (therefore, for example, boxers in helmets)

If we talk about the Winter Olympics, then it was first organized only in 1924 in the French city of Chamonix. The Winter Games are also held every four years today. However, their timing does not coincide with the summer (for example, the last Summer Olympic Games were held in 2016, and the last winter ones were held in 2018). Over time, the number of participants and the number of disciplines in both the Summer and Winter Games only grows. And, for example, in Sochi in 2014, the number of medal sets played was 98, and in Pyeongchang. Although, for example, at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, there were only 86 sets for play. new record- 102 sets of medals in 15 disciplines.

Lighting and relay of the Olympic flame

Separately, it is worth talking about the procedure for lighting the Olympic flame. This fire, a few months before the opening of the Games, is lit on the site of that very ancient Olympia, on the territory of Greece. 11 girls (actresses playing priestesses) conduct a ceremony, during which one of them, having said a special prayer, lights a fire through a convex mirror that receives and focuses the sun's rays. Approximately the same was done before the opening of the Games in antiquity, even before our era - this is truly amazing.

After lighting, the Olympic torch relay begins - it is delivered from torch to torch to the country and to the city that was honored to host the Olympic Games. Until 2007, the Olympic torch relay affected all five inhabited continents of the planet. Now (for security purposes) the torch passes its ground path only through the territory of the country where the Games are directly held. A famous athlete or other significant figure of this country runs his part of the relay and passes the fire on. It is considered a great honor to carry at least 100 meters of a torch with fire. All this action, of course, arouses great interest from ordinary spectators.

To the host city, on main stadium The Olympic flame is delivered towards the end of the opening ceremony. Here he rushes a number of times on a running loop and finally is given to the athlete who was entrusted with lighting the Olympic flame - this is a very honorable right. And after lighting the fire in a large beautiful bowl (all the organizers are trying to make its design unusual and unique) will burn all the time while the Olympics are going on.

Origins of the Olympic Games Documentary

Greetings, my inquisitive readers! All of you, of course, know about the Olympic Games, even from time to time, I am sure, you are rooting for our TV screens. Russian athletes... But has anyone thought about why these sports competitions are so named, where they took place for the first time and how old are they?

I think everyone can give a short answer to one or two questions. Well, so that you can freely talk about the history of the Olympics, I propose to get acquainted with the topic called "The first Olympic Games in history".

Lesson plan:

How it all began?

Ancient history will always remain a mystery to us, which even historians cannot fully discover. So in this matter. There is no reliable information about who actually and when founded the first Olympic Games in the history of mankind. Everything related to ancient times is always shrouded in myths.

The king of the small country of Elis, named Iphit, was concerned with one question: how to save his people from plunder and war, and came for advice to the fortuneteller. The oracle's answer was a little strange: "We need to found games pleasing to the gods!" And Iphit went to his neighbor - the ruler of Sparta, voiced a prediction, agreed on peace and in gratitude promised to organize an athletic competition.

The ancient Greek rulers established the order of the games and entered into a sacred alliance. The established competitions were to be held every four years in the ancient Greek town of Olympia. So the competition got its name Olympic.

There is another version of the appearance of the Olympic Games, according to which they began to be held thanks to the son of the god Zeus - Hercules, who brought the sacred olive branch to Olympia, marking the victory of his father over his fierce grandfather.

According to other information, the same Hercules, with the help of athletic competitions, immortalized the memory of Tsar Pelop for his victory in chariot races.

Which version is closer to you?

Organization of the first games

Whichever myth about the appearance of the first Olympic Games we are no longer inclined, according to the documents, the date when they took place for the first time is attributed to 776 BC. On the bronze disc of King Iphit, the rules of the competition were recorded and a clause was made on the mandatory military truce for the duration of the competition. The words of the text of reconciliation are inscribed around the circle of the disc.

The venue of the competition, Olympia, was declared sacred, where it was possible to enter only without weapons. Anyone who encroached on the shrine, holding a sword in their hands, was asked to be considered a criminal.

It was decided to hold a competition between harvest and grape harvest, in the holy month, which began after the summer solstice. Sports holiday at first it was one day, then the competition time was extended by five days, and later they began to compete for a month.

A specially created commission appointed the day for the start of the Olympic Games, and messengers traveled from Elis in different directions to inform about the beginning of the truce and the date of the holiday. A month before the start of the competition, athletes from different ancient Greek states came to Olympia to train. The envoys of the warring states of Ancient Greece gathered together to conduct peace negotiations and resolve conflicts.

Who could participate in ancient Greek competitions?

In order to apply to participate in the Olympic Games, one could not be a slave, or a barbarian, or a criminal. The ancient Greeks considered everyone who was not a citizen of their state to be barbarians. There was no age qualification for the participants of the competition - both an adult man and a young man under the age of 20 could become one.

At first, only athletes from Elis took part in the competition. After a dozen games, residents of other policies of Ancient Greece began to be admitted to the number of participants, and then athletes from the ancient Greek colonies joined them.

Olympic sports

In the programs of the Olympics of Ancient Greece, various sports were gradually included.

At first, only running was included in the competition of athletes.

It was a short-distance competition, with athletes running from one end of the stadium to the other. Subsequently, a double run was added, when the distance included a way back and forth. The fifteenth Olympic Games included in their program already running on long distance... The sixty-fifth competition was distinguished by a running competition with weights - shields, helmets, and greaves were hoisted on the athletes.

In the second ten Olympic years the program of the competition included chariot riding, as well as pentathlon, which included wrestling, running, long jump, javelin and discus throwing.

During the thirty-third Olympiad in Ancient Greece, such a sport as pankration appeared - martial arts with kicks and hands, suffocation techniques. By this time, athletes had already skillfully competed in fist fights, for participation in which they protected their heads with a bronze cap, and their hands with leather belts with metal tips. Around the same time, horse racing was added to the Olympic program.

Ancient Greek Olympic winners

For what the athletes tried so hard, transferring physical exercise and exercising annually? Of course, for the sake of glory, to glorify both themselves and the city where they came from!

The tradition of carving the names of the winners of the Olympiads on marble columns that were installed along the banks of the Alpheus River, which existed in Ancient Greece, played an invaluable role - the name of the first prize-winner has come down to modern times. It was a cook from Elis named Koreba.

All the winners of the competition were called Olympians. For their victory, the athletes received a wreath of olive leaves and money as a reward.

But the most important reward awaited them at home, in their city, when the heroes received various privileges. They gained fame throughout Ancient Greece and were held in high esteem at the level of great warriors. If an athlete won Olympic competitions three times, then in the city of residence he was given a bust and entered in the book of outstanding citizens.

If you already know such philosophers as Pythagoras and Plato, then you will be interested to know that at one time the former was a champion in fist fighting, and the latter in pankration.

Why did it end?

The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece began to lose their significance in the 2nd century BC. They began to turn into ordinary local competitions.

The reason for this is the conquest of the country by the Romans, who did not care about the sports spirit, they saw only a spectacle in the games. The change of religion to Christianity put an end to the Olympics. Many scholars say that the Roman emperor Theodosius officially banned the competition in 393 AD with his code of laws against paganism.

Only after the passage of centuries, in 1896, the Olympics were revived again thanks to the initiative of the Frenchman Pierre de Coubertin.

5 interesting facts about the ancient Olympics

1. Women were not allowed to participate in the Olympic Games, not only as participants, but also as spectators. An exception was made only for the priestess and chariot drivers.
2. All athletes taking part in the first Olympic Games performed completely without clothes. Yes, yes, and ran around naked!
3. An athlete who violated the rules in a pankration competition was hit with a stick by the referee.
4. The Olympic Games were to be repeated in 1417 days. This period of time was called the "Olympic year".
5. It is noteworthy that athletes used dumbbells for jumping distance. Apparently, she jumped into the distance with them more confidently.

And in 1978, an animated film was shot about how the Cossacks became Olympians. Want to watch it? Then run the video)

Here is such an interesting sports history... Now you can easily show off your knowledge in the lesson. I look forward to seeing you again on the ShkolaLa blog, check out new interesting stories.

Success in your studies!

Evgenia Klimkovich.

It was founded back in 1896. From the very beginning, the games were held both in the summer and in the winter of one year. How the modern Olympic Games are held, we will look at in this article.

Already in the twentieth century, the gap between the winter and summer games was two years. used to be held in Olympia and were of great importance to the locals. Previously, there was only one competition in the games - running on short distance... A little later, they began to hold competitions for horses and running in full uniforms. Only locals and Mediterranean guests. We all know perfectly well how the modern Olympic Games are held today: athletes from all over the world take part in the competitions.

The Olympiad Games are held in a different location each time. A certain country, city is selected and all athletes go to the competition exactly there. There are times when competitions are held repeatedly in certain countries, for example in Greece. Since it was in Greece that such competitions originated, after a certain period the Olympiad is held there again. Athens is fabulous, so the locals have been holding the Olympic Games with pride and dignity since 1896 (it was here that the first competitions were held).

How the modern Olympic Games are held is known to all spectators, but they should know one thing - the current version is very different from the past. The most exciting and largest in the world today are the Olympic Games. Programs are constantly changing, improving and mainly consist of twenty or more different types sports. As a rule, personal records and achievements are set in competitions. The potential of a particular team is rarely assessed, mostly every man for himself. Games are evaluated with three medals: gold, silver and bronze.

As for the comparative characteristics of the games, before, only Greeks and Mediterranean guests took part, and now - all well-established athletes from all over the world. Today, women compete on an equal footing with men and have the right to fight for in Greece, but this was simply impossible. At the Olympic Games, athletes compete for awards, the honor of their country, showing their physical abilities, and in ancient times they were even awarded for spiritual abilities. Nowadays it is considered a competition, in the past it was not. When games were held in Olympia, all hostilities ceased, all the time was devoted to competitions. As before, the games are held every four years, but the break between summer and winter games is two years.

Everyone has the opportunity to watch the modern Olympic Games on TV, read the results in the newspaper. To visit the country that hosts them is the dream of every sports fan. We were more fortunate, since in Greece almost everyone knew about the games, but only a few could get there, now the doors of the Olympic Games are open to all interested spectators!

Introduction
Chapter 1. History of the Olympic Games
Chapter 2. Modern Olympic Games
Chapter 3. Olympic views sports
3.1 Summer views sports
3.2 Winter views sports
3.3 Sports excluded from the Olympic program
3.4 Candidates for inclusion in the Olympic program
Chapter 4. Paralympic Movement
4.1 Paralympic Games.
4.2 History of the Paralympic Games.
4.3 Paralympic sports.
Conclusion
List of sources used

Introduction

The birthplace of the Olympic Games is Ancient Greece, namely the sanctuary of Olympia, revered by the Greeks, located in the western part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. Here, at the foot of Mount Kronos, in the valley of the Alpheus River, the Olympic flame is still lit modern Games... From here begins the torch relay ... The tradition of holding the Olympic Games, which existed in ancient Greece, originated as part of a religious cult. The games were held from 776 BC. NS. to 394 n. BC, a total of 293 Olympiads were held in Olympia. The name of the Games also originated from Olympia.

The games helped the Greeks not so much to fight well as to be good ... to be friends - to meet regularly, to talk, to carry out cultural exchanges, to generally see that you are facing not a "vile enemy from the hated Sparta", as propaganda claimed, but a friendly guy with an open smile. That is, the Olympic Games contributed to the destruction of the enemy image. But this is the most important thing in the matter of peoples' communication with each other!

In addition to the applied meaning, the Greeks also loved sports for the fact that it elevates, ennobles the soul, that it is inextricably linked with mental, aesthetic and moral development. You cannot be a cultured person if you are too lazy to engage in physical education, at least for yourself!

The Greeks had a wonderful formula for this. To the modern ear, it sounds like a joke. But this is such a joke, in which there is a lot of truth! The ancient Hellenes said about an uncultured person: "He cannot read or swim!"

Chapter 1. History of the Olympic Games

Information about the origin of the games is lost, but several myths have survived that describe this event. Many documents, buildings and sculptures of that period have come down to us from history. If you look closely, we will notice that all the statues of that period show the bodies of people and not just any bodies, but beautiful ones. During this period of history, the cult was widespread beautiful shapes for buildings and cult beautiful bodies... “A healthy mind in a healthy body” - this is how one of the ideas and reasons for the appearance of such beautiful sculptures can be described. Sports activities and sports competitions began already in this ancient period. Competition winners were revered as war heroes. The first documented celebration dates back to 776 BC. They were established by Hercules, although it is known that the games were held earlier. At the time of the Games, a sacred truce (έκεχειρία) was declared, at this time it was impossible to wage a war, although this was repeatedly violated. The Olympic Games lost their significance significantly with the arrival of the Romans. After Christianity became the official religion, games began to be seen as a manifestation of paganism, and in 394 AD. NS. they were banned by Emperor Theodosius I.

The center of the Olympic world of antiquity was the sacred district of Zeus in Olympia - a grove along the Alpheus River at the confluence of the Kladey stream into it. In this beautiful town of Hellas, traditional Greek competitions in honor of the God of Thunder have been held almost three hundred times. The winds of the Ionian sea haunted the mighty pines and oaks at the top of the Kronos hill. At its foot is a protected area, the silence of which was broken every four years by the Olympic celebration.

Such is Olympia, the cradle of games. It is not the silent ruins that remind of its former greatness. Testimonies from ancient authors, statues and depictions on vases and coins recreate the picture of the Olympic spectacles.

Near the sacred Olympia, the town of the same name subsequently grew, surrounded by orange and olive groves.

Nowadays Olympia is a typical provincial town, living with tourists who flock to the Olympic ruins from all over the world. Everything is Olympic in it: from the names of streets and hotels to dishes in taverns and souvenirs in countless shops. It is noteworthy for its museums - archaeological and Olympic. If it were not for these treasures of deep antiquity, one could leave the town without regret, cross the stone bridge over the Kladay stream, on the other side of which is the reserved Olympia. The entrance to the sacred grove is unremarkable. Blackened marble of steps and slabs of sacred shell rock underfoot. It is worth reaching out and touching the branch of the wild olive, which was crowned the head of Olympionicus.

Chapter 2. Modern Olympic Games

The principles, rules and regulations of the Olympic Games are determined by the Olympic Charter, the foundations of which were approved by the International Sports Congress in Paris in 1894, which, at the suggestion of the French educator and public figure Pierre de Coubertin, decided to organize the Games on the model of the ancient ones and to create an International Olympic Committee(IOC). According to the charter, the Olympic Games “... unite amateur athletes from all countries in fair and equal competition. In relation to countries and individuals, no discrimination on racial, religious or political grounds is allowed ... ”. The Games are held in the first year of the 4-year (Olympic) cycle. The Olympiads have been counted since 1896, when the first Olympic Games took place (I Olympiad - 1896-99). Summer Olympics gets its number in those cases when the games are not held (for example, VI - in 1916-19, XII-1940-43, XIII - 1944-47). In numbering Winter Olympics missed games are not counted (games IV of 1936 were followed by V games of 1948).

In the same year as the Olympics, the Winter Olympic Games have been held since 1924, which have their own numbering. Since 1994, the dates for the Winter Olympic Games have been shifted by 2 years relative to the summer. The venue of the Olympics is chosen by the IOC, the right to organize them is given to the city, not the country. The duration of the Games is on average 16-18 days. Taking into account climatic features different countries, Summer Games can be held not only in the "summer months". So the XXVII Summer Olympic Games 2000 in Sydney (Australia), due to Australia's location in the Southern Hemisphere, where summer begins in winter, were held in September, that is, in the spring.

The symbol of the Olympic Games is five connected rings, symbolizing the unification of the five parts of the world in the Olympic movement, the so-called. Olympic rings. The color of the rings in the top row is blue for Europe, black for Africa, red for America, in the bottom row, yellow for Asia, green for Australia. In addition to Olympic sports, the organizing committee has the right, at its choice, to include in the program demonstration competitions in 1-2 sports not recognized by the IOC.

Olympic movement has its own emblem and flag, approved by the IOC at the suggestion of Coubertin in 1913. The emblem is the Olympic rings. The motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius (Latin “faster, higher, stronger”). The flag is a white cloth with Olympic rings, since 1920 it has been raised at all Games.

Traditional rituals of the Olympic Games:

1. Lighting the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony.
2. Taking the Olympic Oath:

“On behalf of all athletes, I promise that we will participate in these Olympic Games, respecting and observing the rules by which they are held, in a truly sporting spirit, for the glory of sport and for the honor of our teams.”

1. Uttering the Olympic oath of the judges:

“On behalf of all judges and officials, I promise that we will carry out our duties in these Olympic Games with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules by which they are held, in a truly sporting spirit.”

1. Presentation of medals to the winners.
2. Raising the national flag and singing the national anthem in honor of the winner.

Since 1932, the host city has been building the "Olympic Village" - a complex of living quarters for the participants of the Games.

The organizers of the Games are developing the symbols of the Olympics: the official emblem and mascot of the Games. The emblem usually has a unique design, stylized according to the particular country. The emblem and mascot of the Games are an integral part of the souvenir products produced in large quantities on the eve of the Games. The proceeds from the sale of souvenirs can make up a large part of the income from the Olympics, but they do not always cover the costs.

According to the statute, the Games are competitions between individual athletes, not between national teams. However, since 1908, an unofficial team classification has become widespread - determining the place occupied by teams by the number of points awarded for the first 3 places: gold medal - 3 points, silver - 2, bronze - 1. The 5-3-1 system was also used. Thus, the relative merit of the medals was assessed by the leaders of the national teams, depending on which medals were most won by their team. Since the 1924 Games, a scheme has gained popularity, according to which points are awarded for the first 6 places (according to the number of finalists in individual disciplines Olympic program), often according to the 7-5-4-3-2-1 system. Since 1988, the medal classification has become widespread, in which the places of the teams are first distributed according to the number of gold medals, then the places of teams with an equal number of gold medals are ranked according to the number of silver medals. With an equal number of gold and silver medals, the teams' places are ranked according to the number of bronze medals. This corresponds to the fact that the title of Olympic champion is given for all time and the title of ex-Olympic champion does not exist.

Chapter 3. Olympic sports

3.1 Summer sports.

1. Badminton.
2. Basketball.
3. Boxing.
4. Wrestling: Greco-Roman wrestling, freestyle wrestling.
5. Cycling: BMX cycling, highway cycling, track cycling, mountain bike cycling.
6. Water sports: swimming, synchronized swimming, diving, water polo, open water, water skiing.
7. Volleyball: volleyball, beach volleyball.
8. Handball.
9. Gymnastics: gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, jumping on a trampoline.
10. Rowing is academic.
11. Rowing and canoeing.
12. Judo.
13. Horseback Riding.
14. Athletics.
15. Table tennis.
16. Sailing.
17. Modern pentathlon.
18. Archery.
19. Shooting: bullet shooting, clay trap shooting.
20. Tennis.
21. Triathlon.
22. Teikwondo.
23. Weightlifting.
24. Fencing.
25. Football.
26. Field hockey.

3.2 Winter sports.

1. Biathlon
2. Bobsleigh: bobsleigh, skeleton
3. Speed ​​skating: speed skating, figure skating, short track
4. Curling
5. Skiing: alpine skiing, nordic skiing, ski race, ski jumping, snowboarding, freestyle
6. Luge
7. Hockey

3.3 Sports excluded from the Olympic program.

1. Golf (1900, 1904).
2. Boat Races (1908).
3. Jeux de pom (1908).
4. Cricket (1900).
5. Croquet (1900).
6. Lacrosse (1904, 1908).
7. Basque Pelota (1900).
8. Tug of war (1900, 1904, 1908, 1912, 1920).
9. Polo (game) or Chovgan (national game) (1900, 1908, 1920, 1924, 1936).
10. Rackets (1908).
11. Rugby (1900, 1908, 1920, 1924).
12. Rock (sport) (1904).
13. Roller Hockey (1992).
14. Baseball.
15. Softball.

3.4 Candidates for inclusion in the Olympic program.

1. Rugby 7.
2. Golf.
3. Squash.
4. Karate.
5. Roller sports.
6. Speed ​​skiing (downhill skiing at speed).
7. Hockey with a ball.
8. Orientation.
9. Billiards.

Chapter 4. Paralympic Movement

4.1 Paralympic Games.

The Paralympic Games (Paralympic Games) are international sports competitions for people with disabilities... Traditionally held after the Olympic Games, starting with the 1988 Summer Paralympic Games - at the same sports facilities; in 2001, this practice is enshrined in an agreement between the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The Summer Paralympic Games have been held since 1960, the Winter Paralympic Games since 1976.

The emergence of sports in which disabled people can participate is associated with the name of the English neurosurgeon Ludwig Guttman, who, overcoming age-old stereotypes in relation to people with physical disabilities, introduced sports into the process of rehabilitation of patients with injuries spinal cord... He proved in practice that sport for people with physical disabilities creates conditions for successful life, restores mental balance, allows you to return to a full life regardless of physical disabilities, strengthens physical strength necessary to operate a wheelchair.

The name was originally associated with the term paraplegia paralysis lower limbs since these competitions were held among people with diseases of the spine, however, with the beginning of participation in the games of athletes and with other diseases, it was rethought as “near, outside the Olympics”; I mean the parallelism and equality of the Paralympic competitions with the Olympic ones. The spelling "Paralympic" is recorded in the academic "Russian Spelling Dictionary" and other dictionaries. The spelling "Paralympic" is non-normative and is not marked in dictionaries and is used only in official documents of state authorities, being a copy of the official name (IOC) in English - Paralympic Games.

At first, the term "Paralympic Games" was used informally. The 1960 Games were officially called the "Ninth International Stoke-Mandeville Games" and only in 1984 were they awarded the status of the first Paralympic Games. The first games to which the term "Paralympics" was officially applied were the 1964 Games. However, in a number of games up to the 1980 Games, the term “Olympic Games for the Disabled” was used, in 1984 - “ International Games disabled people. " Finally, the term "Paralympic" was officially enshrined since the 1988 Games. Since 2005, a system has been introduced that allows participants to speak not only with the disease, but also with deafness.

4.2 History of the Paralympic Games.

In 1948, a physician at Stoke Mandeville Rehabilitation Hospital, Ludwig Guttmann, gathered British veterans who had returned from World War II with spinal cord injury to participate in sporting events... Called “the father of sports for people with disabilities,” Guttman has been a strong advocate of using sports to improve the quality of life of people with disabilities with spinal cord injury. The first Games, which became the prototype of the Paralympic Games, were called the Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games 1948 and coincided with the Olympic Games in London. Guttman had an ambitious goal of creating an Olympic Games for athletes with disabilities. The British Stoke Mandeville Games were held annually, and in 1952, with the arrival of the Dutch team of wheelchair athletes to participate in the competition, the Games received international status and consisted of 130 participants. IX Stoke The Mandeville Games, which were open not only to war veterans, were held in 1960 in Rome. They are considered the first official Paralympic Games. In Rome, 400 wheelchair athletes from 23 countries competed. Since that time, the rapid development of the Paralympic movement in the world began.

In 1976, the first Winter Paralympic Games were held in Örnsköldsvik (Sweden), in which not only wheelchair users, but also athletes with other categories of disabilities took part for the first time. In the same 1976, the Summer Paralympic Games in Toronto made history, bringing together 1,600 participants from 40 countries, including the blind and visually impaired, paraplegic, as well as amputees, with spinal cord injuries and other types of physical disabilities.

Competitions, the purpose of which was originally the treatment and rehabilitation of disabled people, became sporting event top level, in connection with which it became necessary to create a governing body. In 1982, the Coordinating Council of International sports organizations for disabled people - ICC. In 1989, the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) was created and the coordinating council has completely transferred its powers to it since 1993.

Another landmark event in the Paralympic movement was the 1988 Summer Paralympic Games, which used the same venues that hosted the Olympic competition. The 1992 Winter Paralympics were held in the same city and arenas as Olympic competition... In 2001, the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee signed an agreement that the Paralympic Games must be held in the same year, in the same country, and use the same facilities as the Olympic Games. This agreement officially applies to the selection of the venue for the Olympic Games, starting from summer games 2012.

In November 2015, the first children's Paralympic Games were held in Azerbaijan, in which about 50 children took part, who represented both Baku and the regions of the country. Competitions in judo, swimming, table tennis and bocce as part of the Games were held at the Paralympic sports complex in the city of Sumgayit.

4.3 Paralympic sports.

Summer types: rowing; wheelchair basketball; kayaking; judo; Athletics; table tennis; paratriathlon; sailing; swimming; bullet shooting; wheelchair rugby; seated volleyball; archery; wheelchair tennis; Weightlifting; wheelchair fencing; football 5x5; football 7x7.

Winter sports: skiing; curling on wheelchairs; ski race; biathlon; sledge hockey (team sport game on ice, analogue of ice hockey for people with disabilities; consists in a confrontation between two teams on special sledges, which, passing the puck with their clubs, strive to throw it as many times as possible into the opponent's goal and not let it into their own; the team with the most goals in the opponent's goal wins).

Conclusion

Since ancient times, the Olympic Games have been the main sporting event of all times and peoples. During the days of the Olympiads, harmony and reconciliation reigned throughout the world. Wars ended, and all strong and worthy people competed in a fair fight for the title of the best.

Over the centuries, the Olympic movement has overcome many obstacles, oblivion and alienation. But in spite of everything, the Olympic Games are still alive today. Of course, these are not the same competitions in which naked youths took part and the winner of which entered the city through a hole in the wall. These days, the Olympiads are one of the largest events in the world. The games are equipped with the latest technology - computers and television cameras monitor the results, the time is determined with an accuracy of thousandths of a second, athletes and their results largely depend on technical equipment.

Per last years the Olympic movement has acquired enormous proportions and the capitals of the games become the capitals of the world at the time of their holding. Sport plays an increasing role in people's lives!

Nothing ennobles the human soul like art. And nothing is as close to art as real pure sport. “Art,” Coubertin said, should coexist with sports should be connected with practice of sports ".

This close unity - as the founder of the modern Olympic Games believed - will help the development of the human personality. At his suggestion, the program of the Olympic Games included art contests how it was done on ancient greek games... Such competitions were held from 1912 to 1948. The IOC then decided to replace the "art battles" with extensive cultural programs. And now the Olympic Games are adorned with concerts, exhibitions, theatrical performances. Another useful thing is various creative contests, events, where the main theme is sport, its masculinity and beauty. The Russian Olympic Committee, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the International Olympic Committee and the 100th anniversary of the modern Olympic Games, organized contests for the best work on sports theme in the field of literature, journalism, cinematography, theatrical and visual arts. Authors of musical compositions, television sports programs, photographers also took part in creative competitions.

The Olympic Games, having inherited the noble traditions and rituals of the ancient holiday, and today remain an event of world importance, great social significance, serve not only as an excuse to demonstrate sporting achievements, but also the opportunity for people of different views and nationalities to get to know each other better, to unite, albeit for a short time, in one common experience!

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Abstract on the topic "The Olympic Games and the Olympic Movement" updated: July 31, 2017 by the author: Scientific Articles.Ru