All You Need to Know About the Olympic Games

The Olympic games have been a set of competitions that have taken place for many years. The games, events, and medals have been a source of pride for many athletes and their home countries. The Olympics continue to be a worldwide phenomenon that many people enjoy.

History of the Olympic Games

The ancient Olympics began in the 8th century BC. The first games were held in Olympia, Greece, in an area that was dedicated to the god Zeus. Instead of receiving medals, winners were given a wreath of olive leaves and were considered local heroes in their hometowns. The original Olympic games only took place in Greece and were for Greek citizens. There were fewer sports for participation and most of them were outdoors. Some of the original sports were running contests and chariot racing. Each group of Olympic games took place every four years and lasted from one to five days in length. The games were abolished in the 4th century AD during the time of Roman rule because they were considered to be pagan practices. The International Olympic Committee was formed in 1894, and the modern Olympic games started again in 1896 in Athens. The games have continued to increase in number of participants and expand in total events. It is now one of the most popular events on earth; its games followed by millions of people.

Winter Olympic Games

Winter sports have varied through the years, with some games being added and others ending. There are several sports that are specific to the winter games. The biathlon is a sport that started in 1924 and both men and women compete in this activity. It is a combination of rifle shooting and cross-country skiing, where participants ski to a point and then shoot a target. The bobsled is where a team rides in a sled downhill through an iced track. The track is angled and sloped, and winners are judged according to their time of completion. The sport of curling resembles a game of shuffleboard on ice. Teams push a heavy stone using brooms toward a target on a marked piece of ice. Cross-country skiing involves wearing large skis fitted for walking or sliding across snow. Individual athletes compete to cover distance across the snow. Downhill skiers wear smaller skis fitted for racing downhill. Medals are awarded for those with the best time. Figure skating is a well-known sport where couples or individuals participate in an ice-skating routine set to music. They are judged by their performance. Athletes who compete in freestyle skiing must ski a rugged course with moguls and jumps. Winners are decided by who completes the course in the best time. Ice hockey is a popular sport where teams compete to advance a puck into the competitor’s net. It consists of both male and female teams. The luge is where one to two people lie on their backs in a sled. They then travel downhill at a very fast speed through a banked course on ice. The Nordic combined is the joining of cross-country skiing and ski jumping. Participants begin with ski jumping, and then move to cross-country skiing. This sport currently is only done by men in the Olympics. The skeleton is a type of sledding that uses the same track as the bobsled or luge. The sled is not maneuvered manually; only by shifting body position and dragging the feet. Ski Jumping is where an athlete skis downhill to a ramp at the end, where they jump off. They then receive points for distance and style. Slalom skiing is skiing downhill and changing back and forth between sets of poles that are spaced about on the course. The number of poles ranges from 45-70, depending on the course. Snow boarding is similar to skiing, but on a snowboard that is attached to the feet on a boot mechanism. Athletes are judged on speed of distance and style. Speed skating is a type of ice skating race. The distances vary depending on track length, and the winner is judged by who is the fastest.

Summer Olympic Games

The summer games also have varied through the years, with many popular sports continuing through time. In archery, athletes use a bow and arrow to shoot an arrow toward a target. Badminton is played in singles or doubles. Players use a racquet, to hit a shuttlecock back and forth across a net to score points. In basketball, teams of five players score points by making baskets through a hoop on the court. This popular game has teams for both men and women. Boxing is a supervised sport where two people fight in a ring with large gloves on their fists. Traditionally this has always been a sport for men, but the next summer Olympics in 2012 will offer it for women. Canoeing, or kayaking, is where one to two people in a boat race down a body of water. The winner of this sport is found by those with the best time. In cycling, participants ride bicycles down a course of a certain distance. Both men and women participate. Diving is jumping off a springboard into water for competition. There are different types of diving sports such as high diving and synchronized teams. The equestrian sports take horses through several arrangements to show trotting style and jumping ability. Fencing is two-person combat using swords and making moves of stabbing or thrusting with the weapon. In football, two teams of eleven players move a ball down a field for a goal at the opponents end. This Olympic sport has both male and female teams. Gymnastics includes many types of events showing flexibility and agility. Several examples are floor exercises, rings, the vault, the balance beam, and the trampoline, among others. Handball is where two teams of seven pass a ball down a court to get a goal in the net of the other team. This is done by bouncing or throwing the ball. Judo is a form of martial arts involving subduing the opponent or forcing them to the ground. It is performed by men and women, and is based on weight. In rowing, teams row a boat on a body of water, racing for time. They are judged by how much time to cover a certain distance. Several types of running events are contested during the Olympics. Some consist of short sprints, medium lengths, and the marathon. Swimming is for men and women. Athletes swim certain distances, which can be short or long. There is also synchronized swimming that is done in teams. Tennis is played in singles or doubles. Players hit a ball with a racquet back and forth across a net, playing to a high score. The triathlon is three events comprised of swimming, cycling, and running; all of which must be completed in a certain time. In volleyball, six players hit a ball over a high net using their arms and hands. Beach volleyball was introduced to the Olympics in 1992. Weightlifting has been an Olympic sport since 1920. It is a competition to see who lifts the heaviest weights according to their size. Wrestling is one of the oldest Olympic competitions. It involves two people of similar size; one person attempts to force their opponent to the ground using physical strength.

  • Summer Games: Explanation of events that take place in summer.
  • TeamUSA: The official website of the United States Olympic Committee.
  • Go For the Gold: Information about Olympic weightlifting.

Competing Countries

Many countries compete in the Olympics. The number has changed over the years, as some countries have abstained at times and then resumed participation. Currently there are 201 countries that participate. Each country has three-letter code as assigned by the International Olympic Committee. The countries and their codes are as follows:

 1.   Afghanistan (AFG)
 2.   Albania (ALB)
 3.   Algeria (ALG)
 4.   Andorra (AND)
 5.   Antigua (ANT)
 6.   Argentina (ARG)
 7.   Armenia (ARM)
 8.   Aruba (ARU)
 9.   Samoa (ASA)
10.   Australia (AUS)
11.   Austria (AUT)
12.   Azerbaijan (AZE)
13.   Bahamas (BAH)
14.   Bangladesh (BAN)
15.   Barbados (BAR)
16.   Burundi (BDI)
17.   Belgium (BEL)
18.   Benin (BEN)
19.   Bermuda (BER)
20.   Bhutan (BHU)
21.   Bosnia and Herzegovina (BIH)
22.   Belize (BIZ)
23.   Belarus (BLR)
24.   Bolivia (BOL)
25.   Botswana (BOT)
26.   Brazil (BRA)
27.   Bahrain (BRN)
28.   Brunei (BRU)
29.   Bulgaria (BUL)
30.   Burkina Faso (BUR)
31.   Cambodia (CAM)
32.   Canada (CAN)
33.   Cayman Islands (CAY)
34.   Congo (CGO)
35.   Chad (CHA)
36.   Chile (CHI)
37.   China (CHN)
38.   Cote d’Ivoire (CIV)
39.   Cameroon (CMR)
40.   Democratic Republic of the Congo (COD)
41.   Cook Islands (COK)
42.   Colombia (COL)
43.   Comoros (COM)
44.   Cape Verde (CPV)
45.   Costa Rica (CRC)
46.   Croatia (CRO)
47.   Cuba (CUB)
48.   Cyprus (CYP)
49.   Czech Republic (CZE)
50.   Denmark (DEN)
51.   Djibouti (DJI)
52.   Dominica (DMA)
53.   Dominican Republic (DOM)
54.   Ecuador (ECU)
55.   Egypt (EGY)
56.   Eritrea (ERI)
57.   El Salvador (ESA)
58.   Spain (ESP)
59.   Estonia (EST)
60.   Ethiopia (ETH)
61.   Fiji (FIJ)
62.   Finland (FIN)
63.   France (FRA)
64.   Oceania (FSM)
65.   Gabon (GAB)
66.   Gambia (GAM)
67.   Great Britain (GRB)
68.   Guinea-Bissau (GBS)
69.   Georgia (GEO)
70.   Guinea-Equator (GEQ)
71.   Germany (GE)
72.   Ghana (GHA)
73.   Greece (GRE)
74.   Granada (GRN)
75.   Guatemala (GUA)
76.   Guinea (GUI)
77.   Guam (GUM)
78.   Guyana (GUY)
79.   Haiti (HAI)
80.   Hong Kong (HKG)
81.   Honduras (HON)
82.   Hungary (HUN)
83.   Indonesia (INA)
84.   India (IND)
85.   Iran (IRI)
86.   Ireland (IRL)
87.   Iraq (IRQ)
88.   Iceland (ISL)
89.   Israel (ISR)
90.   United States Virgin Islands (ISV)
91.   Italy (ITA)
92.   British Virgin Islands (IVB)
93.   Jamaica (JAM)
94.   Jordan (JOR)
95.   Japan (JPN)
96.   Kazakhstan (KAZ)
97.   Kenya (KEN)
98.   Kyrgyzstan (KGZ)
99.   Kiribati (KIR)
100.   Korea (KOR)
101.   Saudi Arabia (KSA)
102.   Kuwait (KUW)
103.   Laos (LAO)
104.   Latvia (LAT)
105.   Libya (LBA)
106.   Liberia (LBR)
107.   Saint Lucia (LCA)
108.   Lesotho (LES)
109.   Lebanon (LIB)
110.   Liechtenstein (LIE)
111.   Lithuania (LTU)
112.   Luxembourg (LUX)
113.   Madagascar (MAD)
114.   Morocco (MAR)
115.   Malaysia (MAS)
116.   Malawi (MAW)
117.   Moldova (MDA)
118.   Maldives (MDV)
119.   Mexico (MEX)
120.   Mongolia (MGL)
121.   Marshall Islands (MHL)
122.   Macedonia (MKD)
123.   Mali (MLI)
124.   Malta (MLT)
125.   Montenegro (MNE)
126.   Monaco (MON)
127.   Mozambique (MOZ)
128.   Mauritius (MRI)
129.   Mauritania (MTN)
130.   Myanmar (MYA)
131.   Namibia (NAM)
132.   Nicaragua (NCA)
133.   Netherlands (NED)
134.   Nepal (NEP)
135.   Nigeria (NGR)
136.   Niger (NIG)
137.   Norway (NOR)
138.   Nauru (NRU)
139.   New Zealand (NZL)
140.   Oman (OMA)
141.   Pakistan (PAK)
142.   Panama (PAN)
143.   Paraguay (PAR)
144.   Peru (PER)
145.   Philippines (PHI)
146.   Palestine (PLE)
147.   Palau (PLW)
148.   Papua New Guinea (PNG)
149.   Poland (POL)
150.   Portugal (POR)
151.   North Korea (PRK)
152.   Puerto Rico (PUR)
153.   Qatar (QAT)
154.   Romania (ROU)
155.   South Africa (RSA)
156.   Russia (RUS)
157.   Rwanda (RWA)
158.   Samoa (SAM)
159.   Senegal (SEN)
160.   Seychelles (SEY)
161.   Singapore (SIN)
162.   Sierra Leone (SLE)
163.   Slovenia (SLO)
164.   San Marino (SMR)
165.   Solomon Islands (SOL)
166.   Somalia (SOM)
167.   Serbia (SRB)
168.   Sri Lanka (SRI)
169.   Sao Tomè and Prìncipe (STP)
170.   Sudan (SUD)
171.   Switzerland (SUI)
172.   Suriname (SUR)
173.   Slovakia (SVK)
174.   Sweden (SWE)
175.   Swaziland (SWZ)
176.   Syria (SYR)
177.   Tanzania (TAN)
178.   Tonga (TGA)
179.   Thailand (THA)
180.   Tajikistan (TJK)
181.   Turkmenistan (TKM)
182.   Timor (TLS)
183.   Togo (TOG)
184.   Taipei (TPE)
185.   Trinidad (TRI)
186.   Tunisia (TUN)
187.   Turkey (TUR)
188.   Tuvalu (TUV)
189.   United Arab Emirates (UAE)
190.   Uganda (UGA)
191.   Ukraine (UR)
192.   Uruguay (URU)
193.   United States (USA)
194.   Uzbekistan (UZB)
195.   Vanuatu (VAN)
196.   Venezuela (VEN)
197.   Vietnam (VIE)
198.   Saint Vincent (VIN)
199.   Yemen (YEM)
200.   Zambia (ZAM)
201.   Zimbabwe (ZIM)

Olympic Games….When and Where?

The first Olympic games took place in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. There were few events, and only men were allowed. The games stayed in Greece until they were banned. When the modern games began, the first year was in Athens, Greece in 1896. Four years later, they were in Paris France, and have continued to change locations every four years. There have been Olympic games in the United States, England, Amsterdam, Norway, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Australia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Canada, Russia, Korea, Spain, Switzerland, Austria, and Yugoslavia. The year 2008 was an enormous milestone for China, who hosted their first ever Olympic games and opened their country to visitors from around the world. The 2010 winter games will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the 2012 summer games will be in London. In 2014, the winter games will take place in Sochi, Russia, and in 2016, the summer games will be in Rio de Janeiro. The first summer games were in 1896 in Athens, but winter games did not start until1924. Since then, both summer and winter were in the same year until 1992 when it started alternating every two years for each. The first winter games were in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994.

Fascinating Facts about the Olympics

With such a long history, there are several fascinating facts about the Olympics that have occurred over time.
Original participants in ancient Olympics competed in the nude.
Women were not allowed to participate in ancient Olympics but did have their own competition, Heraea, which honored Hera, the female counterpart to the god Zeus.
Women were allowed to take part in the modern Olympics starting in 1900.
The country with the most medals awarded for the winter games is Norway, with 280 medals.
The country with the most medals awarded during the summer games is the United States with 2,189 medals.
The Olympic symbol of five rings stands for the five continents on earth.
The first Olympics that were televised were the summer games in Rome in 1960.
The last medal made of solid gold was awarded in 1912; since then medals have been plated gold.
The United States has hosted the Olympics more times than any other country.
The first Olympics in 1896 had only nine sports that were contested.
Ten sports have been dropped entirely from the modern Olympics since its inception, including polo, cricket, and motor boating.
The oldest person to win an Olympic medal was 72 years old at the 1920 games.
The Olympic games did not take place in 1916, 1940, and 1944 because of World Wars I and II.
The first year that included opening ceremonies was in 1908.
The Olympic athlete with the most medals ever was Larissa Latynina from the Soviet Union during the 1960s. Fun facts

Last Updated on Dec092009