The History of Modern Olympic Games and Their Symbols

The first Olympic Games immediately after the ancient Greek instances had been held following Wholesale Jerseys a 1503 year break! In a lot of methods, the event was nonetheless really considerably an amateur contest. In the competition over 300 athletes (but with out the participation of females) from 13 countries: England, Austria, Australia, Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, France, Greece, Germany, the United states of america, Switzerland, Sweden and Hungary participated, but the nations didn't situation a formal representation.

These games brought many firsts for the competitions:

It was here that the American sprinter Thomas Burke, for the first time in history, started his run, a hundred meter sprint, by doing a slow start. He won the race as a result of that begin; his low commence is standard in contemporary sprints.

The swimming competition was conducted on the high seas, and winner of two races Alfred Hajos of Hungary, won regardless of the fact that he was late for the start with the competitors.

There's a rumor which has been told for years, about the winner from the marathon, Greek by the name of Sprindon Louis. The rumor states that during the marathon Springon Louis allowed himself to stop and take a break at an inn that was close to the route with the race, and strengthened him by drinking significantly very good wine. Immediately after the break and wine drinking, the marathon participant went back to the marathon and actually won it.

Paris 1900

The Games occurred as a part of an international exhibition that illustrated the technological progress, which is proof that the Games didn't appreciate significantly prestige for the duration of these occasions. The Games lasted for 5 along with a half months, which took away the emotional dynamic of a large event. In Paris, inside the Games more than 1,300 athletes from 22 countries participated.

A few of the more fascinating details about individuals Games:

The athletes competed in the Bois de Boulogne Park, where they also had to contend with high grass and trees. The park was utilised for two competitions inside the Games: Croquet and Tug-of-War.

The Marathon was won by Frenchman Michel Theato. This Olympic gold medalist worked every day in his regular job as a supplier of bread and also the sport of running had little in typical with his perform.

The winners of these Olympic Games didn't obtain medals. The prizes awarded were gifts such as slippers that prevented injuries or combs.

Saint Louis 1904

These Games had been the next large failure with a total lack of professionalism shown by the organizers in the event. In the competitors, 600 participants participated, of whom about 540 were Americans. Immediately after the St. Louis Games, the existence and further organization with the Olympics became a huge query mark.

London 1908

Olympics, which have already been preserved in memory of folks as a great event, had been raised to that rank due to the highly respectable event held in London in 1908. For the first time the Olympic Games had been held inside a expert manner, even though organizers had very tiny time to prepare the competitions.

In these Games 2008 athletes participated, such as 37 ladies from 22 countries. It was in London that the famous words were spoken: "The most significant point inside the Olympic Games just isn't winning but taking component; the essential point in life isn't conquering but fighting well". This quote captures the spirit in the Olympic Games and is used to this day.

A Characteristic of those Games was also the stadium - White City. With 80,000 spectators it was a distinctive object: the audience could simultaneously see the competitions in athletics, swimming and football, due to the reality that each of the stands surrounded the fields and operating tracks. That is the Cheap NFL Jerseys only stadium within the history with the Games. The Royal Family was the patronages in the Olympics which gave its .

These Olympic Games, even so, was not completely free of charge of shortcomings. These days, these shortcomings will be seen as unthinkable:

The competitors judges had been practically exclusively British, which resulted in many questioning their judgments, which favored their countrymen.

Traditionally, the marathon had the dramatic finish. Dorando Pietri of Italy, who very first ran in to the stadium and collapsed just ahead of the finish. To cross the finish line 1st, viewers truly physically helped him up and helped him cross the finish line. Obviously, he was disqualified.

Stockholm 1912

Great Olympics was the exceptional organization in the occasion equaled having a high level of performance from the athletes. The prestige of the Olympics absolutely gained consequently of these Games.

2500 athletes from 28 nations representing all of the continents, participated inside the competitors, which meant a significant enhance in the popularity of competitions and the Games itself, in the world.

Olympic Symbols & Colors

5 Olympic rings mean the union of athletes on five continents

Blue: Europe
Yellow: Asia
Black: Africa
Green: Australia and Oceania
Red: America

The Olympic Anthem

The Olympic anthem is really a song adopted by the IOC in 1958. The authors are Greek artists. Kostis Palamas wrote the words and music was written by Spiros Samaras. The premiere with the Olympic Anthem took place through the Modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896.

The words are as follow:
Immortal spirit of antiquity,
Father from the true, beautiful and great,
Descend, appear, shed more than us thy light
Upon this ground and under this sky
Which has 1st witnessed thy imperishable fame.

Give life and animation to individuals noble games!
Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers towards the victors
In the race and in strife!
Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!

In thy light, plains, mountains and seas
Shine inside a roseate hue and form a vast temple
To which all nations throng to adore thee,
Oh immortal spirit of antiquity!

From 1896 years Latin expression Citius - Altius - Fortius will be the official slogan in the Olympic Games. The expression, in translation to English, means simply faster - higher - stronger. The author is really a friend of Coubertin, Dominican Henri le Didon. The content of this term refers not only to the physical aspect from the games, but it also encompasses the moral and aesthetic purpose. It is widely accepted around the globe and it is an crucial hallmark of contemporary philosophy from the Olympic Games.

The Olympic Mascot

The first Olympic mascot was the "Schuss", a puppet skier. It functioned informally during the Winter Games in Grenoble in 1968. Neither in Mexico in 1968, nor in Sapporo in 1972 had any mascot been present. A mascot was present later in Germany in Munich in 1972. The Mascot was a dachshund "Waldi", the initial unofficial Olympic mascot. From then on, all subsequent Olympic Games, winter and summer, had their own mascot. Since 1991, the presence of a mascot is sanctioned by the Olympic Charter

Mascots during the Olympic Games

1972 Dachshund - "Waldi" the dachshund
1976 Montreal - "Amika" the beaver
1980 Moscow - "Misha" the bear, a project by Joze Trobec
1984 Los Angeles - "Sam" the eagle, a project by Robert C. Moore
1988 Seoul - "Hodori" the tiger, a project by Kim Hyon
1992 Barcelona - "Kobi" the dog, a project by Javier Mariscal
1996 Atlanta - "Izzy" the mascot, a project by John Ryan
2000 Sydney - "Syd", "Mille" and "Olly", a project by Matthew Hatton

The official Olympic mascots had been the Kingfisher "Olly", "Syd" the platypus and Millie the short-beaked echidna. Their names are derived from the words of the Olympic Games, Sydney, and millennium.

Athens 2004 - Athena and Apollo symbolize the sun and sky and sea of Greece.