20.12.202127.05.2017

Olympic Games(Olympiads) are the largest modern international complex sports 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.

The list of Olympic sports 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 on the list Olympic competitions competitions for musicians (harpists, heralds and trumpeters), poets, orators, actors and playwrights were included. 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 the official opening of the Games to the seventh day after. official closure 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 a few were considered Olympic exotic species competitions. 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 throwing a javelin with both hands, as well as throwing a club. 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. Since it was impossible to create uniform requirements for all participants in a short period of time, the 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.). Position " low start", generally accepted today, was accepted by only one athlete at the first Olympics - American Thomas Bark.

The 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 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 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, the 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 the running competition - 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 capture the sanctuary, thus hoping to gain control over 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 running 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 - street fight, limited only by the prohibition of biting and gouging out an opponent’s eyes.

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, this is not the case. 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 not all athletes played fair.

In Ancient Greece, people competed only to receive a laurel wreath and unfading glory. Of course, praise is a pleasant thing, and 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 leave 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 fights, the fighter himself, who decided to surrender, raised his right hand with his thumb extended upward - 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, this is not the case. Despite the fact that in the center of Elis there was a Pan-Hellenic shrine - the Temple of Zeus, at which 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 the sacred Mount 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 (solar 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. 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, a marathon (one of the disciplines of 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, competitions marathon running they followed a 40 km route laid between Marathon and Athens, but subsequently the length of the distance varied over a fairly 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 herself during one of the training sessions a few days before the Olympics. cervical vertebra, 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, track and field suits are designed to minimize the risk of muscle strain and reduce wind resistance, while 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.
Sports shoes specially designed taking into account the expected loads also contribute a lot to achieving high results. 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 necessarily. 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.

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NOU VPO "Russian New University"

"Tax Institute"

Department of Physical Culture

on the topic: « Storyemergence and development of the Olympic Games»

Female students 1 course

correspondence courses

Shustova Evgenia Alexandrovna

Direction: "Management"

profile: organization management

Scientific supervisor:

Rudenko Roman Igorevich

Moscow, 2015

Introduction
1. History of the Olympic Games
1.1 Olympia - the center of the Olympic Games
1.2 Olympic Renaissance
1.3 And again in Greece!
1.4 Russia Olympic
1.5 Popularity of the modern Olympic movement
1.6 Beginning of the formation of the city’s Olympic complex
1.7 A new stage in the development of the Olympic movement
1.8 Olympic Games on the Asian continent
1.9 XXII Olympic games
1.10 Games in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first Olympic Games
2. Winter Olympics
2.1 First Winter Olympics
3. Olympic flame
Conclusion
References

Introduction

The origins of the Olympic Games in Ancient Greece coincided with a time when history was made by myths and legends. From the works of ancient Greek historians, philosophers and poets that have come down to us, we learn that the Ancient Olympic Games are associated with the name of the folk hero Hercules, the legendary king Pelops, the Spartan legislator Lycurgus and the Hellenic king Iphitus.

There are many legends about the origin of the Olympic Games. So one of them claims that the first games were invented and organized by none other than the famous Hercules, the son of Zeus - the same one who performed his twelve legendary labors. In honor of one of the glorious victories of Hercules, the Olympic Games began to be held. Moreover, the legend brought to us one very interesting detail. Hercules measured the running distance with his own feet - six hundred feet. This is how one of the most common measures of length in Ancient Greece arose, it is called “stadium”. This is where the word “stadion” arose.

Legend claims that for a long time athletes identified the winner only in this type of competition. Hercules introduced other sports disciplines. For example, pankration is a rather harsh sport that combines wrestling and fist fighting. Hercules himself took part in this competition. And he won. Later, victory in wrestling and pankration began to be called Herculean. And the winner himself was called the second Hercules.

History has not left us much reliable information about Ancient Olympia. It is known for certain that the Olympic Games existed along with other sports competitions.

The games helped the Greeks not so much to fight well as to make good friends - to meet regularly, talk, carry out cultural exchanges, to see that in front of you is not an enemy from hated Sparta, as propaganda claimed, but a friendly guy with an open smile.

How did this legendary, this amazing phenomenon called the Olympic Games arise?

In my essay I want to trace the history of the origin and development of the Olympic Games. To explore the topic, I used popular science, periodical literature and Internet resources.

1. History of the Olympic Games

The first games took place in 776 BC. This year is considered to be the starting date. The name of the winner of those games is even known. This is Karoibos, an athlete from the city-polis of Elis. But still, the most famous hero of the ancient Olympic competitions was Leonidas - from Rhodes. This great athlete won running competitions twenty times.

Initially, only residents of the Peloponnese took part in the Olympics. Then representatives of neighboring states - Corinth and Sparta - began to participate in them.

1.1 Olympia - the center of the Olympic Games

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 Kladei stream. In this beautiful town of Hellas, traditional pan-Greek competitions in honor of the Thunder God were held almost three hundred times. At the foot of Kronos Hill lies a protected area, the silence of which was broken once every four years by the Olympic celebrations.

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

Nowadays Olympia is a typical provincial town, inhabited by tourists who flock to the Olympic ruins from all over the world. Everything about it is absolutely Olympic: 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.

Olympia owes its surviving glory entirely to the Olympic Games, although they were held there only once every four years and lasted only a few days. During the breaks between games, a huge stadium located nearby, in a hollow near Kronos Hill, was empty.

But during the Olympic Games, life was seething here. Tens of thousands of arriving athletes and guests filled the then grandiose sports facilities to capacity. In those distant times, only the winner in certain types of competitions was identified at the Olympics - Olympionik. In modern terms, no one recorded the absolute achievements of athletes. Few people were interested in the perfection of the competition venues. Everyone was most interested in the ritual side of the holiday dedicated to Zeus.

In Ancient Greece, only Greeks by origin could become Olympians, and only free people and only men. The competition was incredibly intense, and the winners were awarded an olive branch or a laurel wreath. Immortal glory awaited them not only in their hometown, but throughout the Greek world. The winner of the games was given the honors bestowed upon the gods by their compatriots; monuments were created in their honor during their lifetime, odes of praise were composed, and feasts were held. The Olympic hero rode into his hometown in a chariot, dressed in purple and crowned with a wreath. He did not enter through the usual gate, but through a hole in the wall, which was sealed that same day so that the Olympic victory would enter the city and never leave it.

In 394 AD e. The Roman Emperor Theodosius 1 issued a decree banning the further holding of the Olympic Games. The emperor converted to Christianity and decided to eradicate anti-Christian games glorifying pagan gods. And for one and a half thousand years the games were not held. In subsequent centuries, sport lost the democratic significance that was attached to it in Ancient Greece and for a long time ceased to play the role of the most accessible means of communication between peoples.

1.2 Olympic Renaissance

With the advent of the Renaissance, which restored interest in the art of Ancient Greece, people remembered the Olympic Games. At the beginning of the 19th century. the sport gained universal recognition in Europe, and a desire arose to organize something similar to the Olympic Games. Local games organized in Greece in 1859, 1870, 1875 and 1879 left their mark on history. Although they did not produce tangible practical results in the development of the international Olympic movement, they served as an impetus for the formation of the modern Olympic Games.

The emergence of modern modes of transport paved the way for the revival of the Olympic Games on an international scale. That is why the call of Pierre De Coubertin: “We need to make sport international, we need to revive the Olympic Games!” found a proper response in many countries.

On June 23, 1894, at the Congress in Paris, the International Olympic Committee - IOC was created, which included the most authoritative and independent citizens different countries. Pierre De Coubertin became the General Secretary. Congress decided: in two years the first Olympic Games will be held! And this was a great victory for world sports, a great feat of Pierre De Coubertin.

1.3 And again in Greece!

By decision of the IOC (International Olympic Committee), the games of the first Olympics were held in April 1896 in the capital of Greece, Athens, at the Panathenian Stadium.

At the beginning of preparations for the Games in Athens, difficulties associated with the economic weakness of Greece emerged. The country's Prime Minister Trikonis immediately told Coubertin that Athens was not able to carry out such a large international event, associated with large expenses and volumes of work for the reconstruction of the city and sports facilities. Only the support of the population helped to overcome this obstacle. Prominent public figures in Greece formed an Organizing Committee and raised funds. The fund for the preparation of the games received private contributions, which amounted to large sums. Postage stamps were issued in honor of the Olympic Games. The proceeds from their sales went to the Olympic Games preparation fund.

Coubertin's energy and the enthusiasm of the Greeks overcame many obstacles and made it possible to fulfill the planned program of the first games of our time.

Competitions were held in athletics, gymnastics, swimming, weight lifting, wrestling, shooting, fencing, cycling and tennis. From that moment on, the Olympic Games became the main international sporting event.

Greece's unpreparedness for serious events of this scale affected primarily the sporting results of the competition, which were low even according to estimates of that time. There was only one reason for this - the lack of properly equipped facilities. The sports arena did not stand up to any criticism. Too narrow, with a slope towards one edge, it turned out to be poorly suited for track and field competitions. The soft cinder track to the finish had a rise, and the turns were too steep. Swimmers competed in the open sea, where the start and finish were marked by ropes stretched between the floats.

In such conditions one could not even dream of high achievements. It became clear that athletes could not achieve high results in the primitive stadium arena. In addition, the unprecedented influx of tourists flocking to Athens revealed the need to adapt the city's economy to receive and serve them.

However, spectators enthusiastically received the colorful opening and closing ceremonies of the revived sports festival and the awarding of competition winners. The interest in the competition was so great that the marble stands of the Panathenaic Stadium, designed for 70 thousand seats, accommodated 80 thousand spectators. The success of the revival of the Olympic Games was confirmed by the public and press of many countries, which greeted the initiative with approval.

Currently, the Marble Stadium in Athens is not used for competitions, remaining a monument to the first games.

When making a decision on the next games in 1900, 19004 in Paris and St. Louis, the IOC proceeded from the fact that world exhibitions were held in these cities at the same time. The calculation was simple - selected cities in France and the USA already had the minimum necessary sports facilities, and preparations for world exhibitions provided conditions for serving tourists and participants in the games. These games left an inconspicuous mark on the history of the Olympic movement.

The organizers of the IV Olympics in London (1908) took into account the mistakes of their predecessors. In the capital of Great Britain, the White-city stadium with a stand for 100 thousand seats was erected in a short time. A hundred-meter swimming pool, an arena for wrestling competitions and an artificial ice skating rink were also located on its territory.

The Olympic Games in London marked the beginning of the construction of special sports complexes to carry them out. The correctness of this decision was confirmed by the high results shown by the competing athletes at the White-city stadium, and the great interest in the games shown by sports fans and the press of many countries. During the construction of “White-city”, the architects for the first time arose the question of creating a complex of sports facilities on the same territory.

1.4 Russia Olympic

Our Motherland stood at the origins of the Olympic movement, and General A.D. Butovsky was even elected one of the members of the IOC. But nevertheless, Russia was clearly lagging behind in Olympic development; 1896, 1900, 1904 - The Games of these three Olympics took place without our participation.

A small group of Russians - 8 athletes - went to the games in London (IY Olympic Games).

Wrestlers Nikolai Orlov and Alexander Petrov quite sensationally won silver medals in their weight categories. Figure skater Nikolai Panin-Kolomenkin becomes Olympic champion in figure skating.

1.5 Popularity of the modern Olympic movement

The popularity of the modern Olympic movement was reinforced by the games of the V Olympiad in Stockholm (1912). Their clear organization, and most importantly the specially built royal stadium, brought the games well-deserved success. The small size of the stadium and the wooden canopy over the stands created good visibility and acoustics. The stadium was equipped with circular passages and tunnels. All subsequent games left an indelible mark on the history of the Olympic movement, not only in the form of high sporting achievements, but also in the form of unique works of architecture, equipped with progressive technical devices that contributed to the high achievements of athletes, improving the structure of the cities - the capitals of the Olympic Games.

The VI Olympic Games, by decision of the IOC adopted on May 27, 1912, were planned to be held in 1916 in Berlin. Due to the outbreak of World War I, the games were cancelled.

The Olympic cycle was disrupted only three times: in 1916 due to the First World War, and in 1940 and 1944 due to the Second World War.

The games of the VII Olympiad in 1920 took place in the Belgian city of Antwerp. The Olympic Stadium was designed as a city building. Here sports fans watched for the first time hockey matches held at artificial ice. A large “Garden-city” velodrome was equipped for the cyclist competition. A section of the Wilbreck canal has been transformed into a water stadium for rowing competitions. The football tournament took place at the Beerschot stadium. At the Olympic stadium, during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, a white flag with five intertwined rings was raised, symbolizing the unity of athletes from all continents, and the Olympic oath was taken.

In 1924, the thirtieth anniversary of the Olympic movement was celebrated. The honor of organizing the games of the VIII Olympiad was given to Paris. This time Paris carefully prepared for the Olympic Games. For this purpose, an architectural competition was announced for the best design of the Olympic Stadium. The winner of the competition, M. Faure-Dujarik, developed a project for a modern stadium with stands for 100 thousand seats, with a complex of sports facilities for sports competitions various types sports and an Olympic village for 2 thousand athletes. Although it was not possible to implement the project, it served as an incentive for the creation of similar complexes in the future. On the outskirts of Paris, the Colomb stadium was built with stands for 40 thousand seats, meeting the requirements of the time, but not particularly beautiful or comfortable for spectators. Swimmers competed in the Turel pool. The games were a great success. High ones were shown sports results. More than 600 thousand spectators attended the competition.

The games of the IX Olympiad (1928) took place in Amsterdam, a major economic and cultural center of the Netherlands. Within the city limits, a stadium was built for the games, which was adjacent to the city park. There are auxiliary rooms in the under-tribune space. The stadium with 40 thousand seats was distinguished by a tower above the stands, imitating a windmill.

The Olympic complex also included a swimming pool, tennis court, halls for boxing, wrestling, fencing, training grounds. Near the stadium there is a canal, a yacht harbor, and a hotel. In subsequent years, the stadium was rebuilt. Its capacity has increased to 60 thousand seats.

1.6 Beginning of the formation of the city’s Olympic complex

The Games of the Xth Olympiad in the American city of Los Angeles (1932) marked the beginning of the formation of the city's Olympic complex, which included a stadium, a swimming pool, and an Olympic village. The Coliseum stadium, built in antique style (1923), was reconstructed for the Olympics, its stands began to accommodate over 100 thousand spectators. For that time the stadium was highest achievement sports architecture. The Olympic torch burned above the central arch of the stadium. Having outlined a large program of games, the organizers were faced with the need to disperse the venues for competitions in various sports. Thus, rowers competed on a specially built canal in Long Beach, cyclists competed in the city of Pasadena, where a temporary cycling track was built, which was dismantled after the Games. Equestrian competitions were held outside the city.

For the first time, an Olympic village was built to accommodate athletes. It consisted of 700 prefabricated residential houses, located in it a community center. The organization of the village provided favorable conditions for close contacts and mutual understanding between athletes from different countries.

However, the remoteness of the venue for the European Games and the insufficient development of transport links had a negative impact on the number of participants.

In 1932, it was decided to hold the Games of the XI Olympiad (1936) in Berlin. In 1933, the Nazis came to power in Germany. They began to use the preparations for the Olympics for their own propaganda purposes. To host the Games in Berlin, a complex was built that was distinguished by its excessive pomp. The project by architect Werner March was awarded a gold medal at the games. The main arena of the stadium accommodated 100 thousand spectators. Another 150 thousand watched the competitions held in swimming pool, sports hall and stadium intended for hockey.

The Games of the XIV Olympiad, held in 1948 in London, showed firsthand how great is the desire of people for peace and mutual cooperation. Organized under the conditions of a brutal post-war austerity regime, they nevertheless attracted a record number of participating countries for that time (59) and many tourists.

No new sports facilities were built for the games. The old Olympic stadium, built for the 1908 games, was unsuitable due to a poor running track. The main sports facility of the Olympics was the Imperial Stadium in Wembley with 60 thousand seats. For the first time in London, swimming competitions were held in an indoor pool.

The opening ceremony of the post-war games was greeted with enthusiasm at Wembley Stadium. At that time, naturally, there was no expectation of high sporting results, or splendor of decoration, or special concerns about increased comfort for sports fans who came to England. But the very fact of holding world holiday physical education shortly after the end of World War II became a confirmation of the life of the Olympic movement.

The games of the XV Olympiad in 1952 in Helsinki turned out to be even more representative. It was there, among the 69 national teams athletes entered the Olympic arena for the first time Soviet Union. The debutants, contrary to predictions, achieved amazing success. In the unofficial standings, they shared first and second places on points with the generally recognized favorites - US athletes.

The high sports results achieved by athletes at the 52 Olympics were largely a consequence of optimal conditions competitions created in facilities specially built for the games.

The stadium includes a running track (400 m), a football field, and athletics sectors. The main stand is covered with a canopy. Below it there are auxiliary rooms.

1.7 A new stage in the development of the Olympic movement

The year 1956 marked a new stage in the development of the Olympic movement. The games of the XVI Olympiad were held for the first time on the Australian continent in Melbourne. The remoteness of the new Olympic capital from the vast majority of developed countries and the peculiar climatic conditions created certain difficulties for the participants and guests of the games who arrived on the “green continent”. But the organizers made a lot of effort to overcome these obstacles. High sporting achievements, shown by envoys from different countries, became the best assessment of the activities of the organizing committee.

Preparation for the games of the XVI Olympiad became an outstanding event for Australian architects and largely determined the nature of the further development of architecture on the continent.

The games of the XVII Olympiad in 1960 in Rome can rightfully be considered the beginning of a new direction in organizing the preparation of subsequent Olympiads. For the first time, an attempt was made to cover in general the entire range of issues to be decided by the organizing committee. Along with the preparation and construction of sports complexes and individual facilities, much attention was paid to improving the infrastructure of the Olympic capital - Rome. New modern highways were laid through the ancient city, and a number of old buildings and structures were demolished. Symbolizing the connection of the current games with the Ancient Greek ones, some of the most ancient architectural monuments of Rome were converted to host competitions in individual sports. Some idea of the scale of the preparations is given by a simple listing of the Olympic facilities that were used to host competitions and accommodate the participants of the games.

The main Olympic stadium, Stadio Olimpico, with a capacity of 100 thousand spectators, topped the list. It hosted the opening and closing ceremonies of the games, as well as athletics and equestrian competitions.

One of the most notable objects was the Velodromo Olimpico, a track where cyclists competed. This building is still considered one of the best velodromes in the world today.

After the Olympics in Rome, experts began to attach great importance to the possibility of using the structures in the post-Olympic period.

The Games of the Roman Olympiad are also notable for the fact that they were broadcast on television to some European countries. Although the broadcasts were carried out over radio relay and cable lines, this was already a sign of the entry into the sports arenas of the scientific and technological revolution.

olympic game sport

1.8 Olympic Games on the Asian continent

In preparation for the Games of the XVIII Olympiad in Tokyo (1964), $2,668 million were spent, including $460 million to provide the material and technical base for the games, the rest of the funds went to organizational purposes and to the development of the city's infrastructure.

The organizers of the first Olympic Games on the Asian continent prepared more than 110 different facilities for competitions and training of athletes. The huge capital of Japan has been transformed. New metro lines and a monorail urban railway have appeared. Dilapidated buildings were demolished and streets were widened. To solve the city's transport problem, highways were built through it. Street junctions were constructed by constructing overpasses and bridges. The Japanese capital's hotel industry has expanded significantly. The true center of the Tokyo Olympics was the indoor facilities - the gyms in Yoyogi Park. Their architectural appearance was borrowed from nature.

The Olympic construction largely predetermined the future direction of Japanese urban planning.

A characteristic feature of the Tokyo Games was the full-fledged entry of electronics into the Olympic arenas. Its use in sports refereeing has greatly increased its accuracy and efficiency. A new stage in the development of the media was opened by television broadcasts through space, which crossed the boundaries of continents and brought previously unimaginable numbers of viewers to what was happening in the Olympic arenas. The opportunity for anyone on earth to see the Olympic Games immeasurably increased the popularity of the Olympic movement.

In 1968, the Olympic Games were held in Latin America for the first time. The city of Mexico honorably fulfilled its honorable duty as host of the Games of the XIX Olympiad. This was largely facilitated by the growing flow of tourists from different countries, which has a beneficial effect on the Mexican economy and the expansion of international contacts, contributing to the expansion of the national culture.

The organizers of the XX Olympiad in Munich (1972) took into account the experience of Rome, Tokyo and Mexico City and did everything possible to surpass the achievements of their predecessors. First of all, the infrastructure of the capital of the 72 Olympics was improved. The grandiose Olympic complex of sports facilities “Oberwiesenfeld” was rebuilt. It included: an original stadium design, a universal sports palace, an indoor cycling track and a swimming pool. In addition, a shooting complex was built, rowing channel, hippodrome and a number of other sports facilities. The organizers of the Games declared Munich to be the Olympic center of short distances and green landscapes.

Taking into account the unusual influx of tourists, the organizers reconstructed the city center, built metro lines, laid new access roads to the city, and increased the hotel stock 10 times. To accommodate the athletes, huge buildings of the Olympic village were erected, in which 10-15 thousand temporary residents could live.

1.9 XXII Olympic Games

The Moscow Games are such an important event in the history of world, and most importantly, our, domestic sport that it is impossible not to say something special about it.

From July 19 to August 3, 1980, the XXII Summer Olympic Games were held in Moscow at the Great Sports Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium. These were the first Games in the history of the Olympic movement to be held in Eastern Europe, and the first in a socialist country. It must be said that some of the competitions of this Olympics were held in other cities of the USSR - for example, sailing regattas started in Talin, several football tournaments- in Kyiv. Within 15 days best athletes world competed in Moscow, Kyiv, Leningrad, Minsk and Talin. In general, the organizers approached the preparation of the Games very responsibly, and all competitions were held at a high level. For the first time in the history of the Olympics, six large sports centers were built specifically for the Games: the Olimpiysky sports complex on Mira Avenue, the equestrian center in Bitsa, the universal sports hall in Izmailovo, the cycling track in Krylatskoye, the Druzhba gym in Luzhniki, the football and track and field arena in CSKA , and also the Olympic Village.

Athletes from 80 countries took part in the Moscow Games - a total of 5,283 participants, including 1,134 women. 203 sets of awards were raffled off. There were 5,651 journalists working in Moscow. About two billion people watched the games.

Athletes from 36 countries won prizes at the XXII Summer Olympic Games. During the competition, 36 world and 74 Olympic records were set. In the overall team unofficial competition, first place went to the hosts of the Olympics - Soviet athletes - they won 195 medals, 80 of which were gold. Second place goes to the GDR team, which has 126 medals (47 gold), and third place to the Bulgarian team (41 medals, 8 gold).

The absolute record holder for medals was our gymnast Alexander Dityatin, who won 3 gold, 4 silver and 1 bronze awards.

Swimmer Vladimir Salnikov won 3 gold medals, and at a distance of 1500 meters he set an outstanding world achievement.

The victories of the Ethiopian stayer Mirus Ifter, who won Olympic gold in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, were beautiful and memorable.

Everyone who saw the Moscow Games will remember them forever. They brought a lot of joy, a lot of real happiness to millions of sports fans.

The mascot of the 1980 Summer Games was the bear cub Misha, a hero of Russian folk tales.

At the closing ceremony of the Olympic Games, L. Leshchenko, T. Antsiferova and the ensemble “Flame” took to the field. To the song “Goodbye, Moscow” by A. Pakhmutova and N. Dobronravov, which became the anthem of the 1980 Olympics, the huge brown Misha, who was in the center of the stadium, flew into the sky in countless balloons. Seeing off the mascot of the Moscow Olympic Games, the entire stadium stood up. Some people even had tears streaming down their faces.

The Games of the XXIII Olympiad were held in Los Angeles, California, USA from July 28 to August 12, 1984. Los Angeles hosted the Olympic Games for the second time after 1932. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum remains the only stadium to host the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics twice (other stadiums have been used on other occasions when a city has hosted the Olympics again).

169 countries participated in the XXV Summer Olympic Games in 1992, held in Barcelona (Spain). The Barcelona Games were distinguished by their impeccable organization and a very interesting and rich cultural program. On Spanish soil, the former USSR Olympians last time performed together.

1.10 Games in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first Olympic Games

The XXVI Summer Olympic Games were held in Atlanta (Georgia, USA) from July 19 to August 4, 1996. The election of the capital of the games took place on September 18, 1990 in Tokyo at the 96th session of the IOC. Athens was the undisputed favorite in the election race. It was believed that the Games were to be held in the Greek capital in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first Olympic Games. This was the main focus of the application committee of the Greek capital. Atlanta was initially an underdog in the race. However, assurances from members of the Atlanta bid committee that the city was more prepared for the Games convinced the IOC to transfer the right to host the games to the American city.

For the first time since 1912, the Russian team took part in the Summer Olympic Games. For sixteen days, envoys from 197 countries competed for awards at the anniversary Olympics, but only 69 stood on the podium.

This time the hosts turned out to be the strongest, ahead of the teams of Russia, Germany, and China in the unofficial team competition. The result of the Russian team is 63 medals, of which 26 are gold, 21 are silver and 16 are bronze. In terms of spectator attendance, Atlanta set a record - over six million spectators visited its stadiums.

The XXVIII Summer Olympic Games were held in the capital of Greece, Athens, from August 13 to 29, 2004.

The 2012 Olympic Games (XXX Summer Olympic Games) are the thirtieth Summer Olympic Games. They took place in London, the capital of Great Britain, from July 27 to August 12, 2012. Note that London became the first city to host the Games for the third time (before that they were held there in 1908 and 1948). The XXXI Summer Olympic Games will be held from August 5 to 21, 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These will be the first Olympic Games to be held in South America.

2. Winter Olympics

Winter sports themselves were first presented at the Olympics long before the first Winter Games, but also before the very idea of carrying them out. Thus, with the creation in 1894 of the International Olympic Committee, among other sports, the future Olympic program it was proposed to include ice skating. However, at the first three Olympic Games there were no “ice” disciplines. They first appeared at the 1908 Games in London: skaters competed in 4 types of programs. Swede Ulrich Salchow turned out to be the strongest among men in performing compulsory figures; in free skating, Russian Nikolai Panin-Kolomenkin was the strongest. The women's competition was won by Madge Sayers (Great Britain), and pair skating- Germans Anna Hübleri Heinrich Bürger .

Since 1924, in addition to the Summer Olympic Games, winter - world competitions in winter sports - began to be held. They are also held under the auspices of the IOC. At first, the winter and summer Games took place in the same year, but since 1994, they have been held two years apart. To date, the program of the Winter Olympic Games has expanded significantly, the number of participants has increased, including many athletes from southern countries.

2.1 First Winter Olympics

In 1924, the First Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France. 293 athletes (including 13 women) from 16 countries arrived at the competition. The best athletes from the northern countries - Norway, Finland, Sweden - took part. Medals were awarded in 14 types of competitions in 5 sports. The program included bobsleigh, skiing(racing, ski jumping, biathlon), speed skating, figure skating skating, hockey. Women competed only in figure skating. The first gold medal went to the US athlete Jutrow, who, in a bitter struggle with the Norwegian Olsen, managed to win the speed running ice skating at a 500-meter distance. However, all other medals (14 out of 15 awarded in this sport) went to representatives of Finland and Norway. The hero of the competition was the Finnish speed walker Thunberg, who managed to achieve convincing victories with Olympic records at distances of 1500 and 5000 m, as well as in the all-around

3. Olympic flame

Among the Olympic rituals, the ceremony of lighting the fire in Olympia and delivering it to the main arena of the games is especially emotional. This is one of the traditions of the modern Olympic movement. Millions of people can watch the exciting journey of fire through countries, and even sometimes continents, with the help of television.

The Olympic flame first broke out at the Amsterdam Stadium on the first day of the 1928 Games. This is an indisputable fact. However, until recently, most researchers in the field Olympic history they find no confirmation that this flame was delivered, as tradition dictates, by a relay race from Olympia.

The torch relay races that carried the flame from Olympia to the city of the Summer Olympics began in 1936. Since then, the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games have been enriched by the exciting spectacle of the lighting of the torch carried by the relay in the main Olympic stadium. The Torchbearers' Run has been the ceremonial prologue to the Games for more than four decades. On June 20, 1936, a fire was lit in Olympia, which then traveled a 3,075-kilometer journey along the route of Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and Germany. And in 1948, the torch made its first sea voyage.

Conclusion

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

Over many centuries, the Olympic movement has overcome many obstacles, oblivion and alienation. But, despite everything, the Olympic Games are still alive today. Of course, these are no longer the same competitions in which naked young men took part and the winner of which entered the city through a hole in the wall. These days, the Olympics are one of the biggest events in the world. The games are equipped with the latest technology - the results are monitored by computers and television cameras, the time is determined with an accuracy of thousandths of a second.

Thanks to the media, there is not a single person left in the civilized world who does not know what the Olympics are or has not seen the competition on TV.

In recent years, the Olympic movement has acquired enormous proportions, and the capitals of the games become the capitals of the world during their holding. Sport is playing an increasingly important role in people's lives!

References

1. Korobeinikov N.K. etc. Physical education. M.: Higher. school, 1993. - 384 p.

2. V.L. Steinbach Great Olympic Encyclopedia in 2 volumes, Olympia Press, 2006/2007, 1749 pp.

3 Physical education of students. / Ed. N.Ya. Petrova and others - Mn.: Polymya, 1988. - 256 p.

4. Modern Olympic Games. Ed. B.I. Zagorsky. - M.: Higher. school, 2000

5. Yu. Shanin “From the Hellenes to the present day.” Moscow, 1975

6. B. Bazunov “Olympic Torch Relay”. Moscow 1990

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The myth of the birth of the Olympic Games

IN ancient times these were the greatest national festivals. Who is the founder of the ancient Olympic Games is unknown. Myths and legends played a significant role in the social and cultural life of the ancient Greeks. The Hellenes believed that the origin of the Olympic Games dates back to the time of Kronos, the son of the first god Uranus. In a competition between mythical heroes, Hercules won the race, for which he was awarded an olive wreath. Subsequently, the winner insisted that sports competitions be held every five years. Such is the legend. There are, of course, other legends about the origins of the Olympic Games.

Historical sources confirming the holding of these festivals in Ancient Greece include Homer's Iliad. This book mentions a chariot race organized by the inhabitants of Elis, the region in the Peloponnese where Olympia was located.

Holy Truce

A mere mortal who played a significant role in the development of the ancient Greek Olympic Games was King Iphitus. During his reign, the interval between competitions was already four years. Having resumed the Olympic Games, Iphit declared a sacred truce. That is, during these celebrations it was impossible to wage war. And not only in Elis, but also in other parts of Hellas.

Elis was considered a sacred place. It was impossible to wage war with her. True, later the Eleans themselves invaded neighboring regions more than once. Why were the ancient Olympic Games called holidays of peace? Firstly, the holding of these competitions was associated with names of the gods who highly revered by the ancient Greeks. Secondly, the aforementioned truce was declared for a month, which had a special name - ἱερομηνία.

Scientists have still not come to a consensus about the types of sports in the Olympic Games held by the Hellenes. There is an opinion that initially athletes competed only in running. Later, wrestling and chariot racing were added to the sports in the Olympic Games.

Participants

Among the citizens in Ancient Greece there were those who were subjected to public dishonor and contempt of others, that is, atymia. They could not become participants in competitions. Only dear Hellenes. Of course, barbarians, who could only be spectators, did not take part in the ancient Olympic Games. An exception was made only in favor of the Romans. At the ancient Greek Olympic Games, a woman did not even have the right to attend unless she was a priestess of the goddess Demeter.

The number of both spectators and participants was huge. If at the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece (776 BC) competitions were held only in running, then later other sports appeared. And over time, poets and artists got the opportunity to compete in their skills. During the celebrations, even deputies competed with each other in the abundance of offerings to mythical deities.

From the history of the Olympic Games it is known that these events had quite an important social and cultural significance. Deals were made between merchants, artists and poets introduced the public to their creations.

Competitions were held on the first full moon after the summer solstice. Lasted five days. A certain part of the time was devoted to rituals with sacrifices and a public feast.

Types of competitions

The history of the Olympic Games, as already mentioned, is full of tales and legends. However, there is reliable information regarding the types of competitions. At the first Olympic Games in Ancient Greece, athletes competed in running. This sport was represented by the following varieties:

Distance running.
Double run.
Long run.
Running in full armor.

The first fist fight took place at the 23rd Olympics. Later, the ancient Greeks added martial arts such as pankration, wrestling. It was said above that women had no right to take part in competitions. However, in 688 BC, special competitions were created for the most purposeful inhabitants in Ancient Greece. The only one a sport in which they could compete, there were horse races.

In the fourth century BC, a competition between trumpeters and heralds was added to the program of the Olympic Games - the Hellenes believed that aesthetic pleasure and sport had a logical connection. Artists exhibited their works on the market square. Poets and writers, as mentioned above, read their works. Sometimes, after the completion of the Games, sculptors were commissioned to create statues of the winners, and lyricists composed songs of praise in honor of the strongest and most dexterous.

Ellanodon

What were the names of the judges who watched the competition and awarded awards to the winners? Ellanodons were appointed by lot. The judges not only presented the award, but also managed the organization of the entire event. At the first Olympic Games there were only two of them, then nine, and even later ten. Beginning in 368 BC, there were twelve Hellanodons. However, later the number of judges was reduced. Ellanodons wore special purple clothing.

How did the competition begin? The athletes proved to the spectators and judges that they had devoted the previous months exclusively to preliminary preparation. They took an oath in front of the statue of the main ancient Greek god - Zeus. Relatives of those wishing to compete - fathers and brothers - also took an oath. A month before the competition, the athletes demonstrated their skills in front of judges in the Olympic Gymnasium.

The order of the competition was determined by drawing lots. Then the herald publicly announced the name of the person entering the competition. Where were the Olympic Games held?

Sanctuary of Ancient Greece

Where the Olympic Games took place is clear from the name. Olympia is located in the northwestern part of the Peloponnesian Peninsula. This was once located here temple-cultural complex and sacred grove of Zeus. On the territory of the ancient Greek sanctuary there were religious buildings, monuments, sports facilities and houses in which participants and guests lived. This place was the center of Greek art until the fourth century BC. Later they were burned by order of Theodosius II.

The Olympic Stadium was built gradually. He became the first in Ancient Greece. In the fifth century BC, this stadium hosted about forty thousand spectators. For training, a gymnasium was used - a structure treadmill which was equal in length to the one located in the stadium itself. Another platform for preliminary preparation - palaestra. It was a square building with a courtyard. Mostly athletes who competed in wrestling and fist fighting trained here.

Leonidoion, which performed the functions, was built in the fifth century BC according to the design of a famous architect in Ancient Greece. The huge building consisted of a courtyard surrounded by columns and included many rooms. Olympic Games played important role in the religious life of the Hellenes. Therefore, local residents erected several temples and sanctuaries here. The structures fell into disrepair after an earthquake that occurred in the sixth century. The racetrack was finally destroyed during a flood.

The last Olympic Games in Ancient Greece took place in 394. Banned by Emperor Theodosius. In the Christian era, these events were regarded as pagan. The revival of the Olympic Games took place two millennia later. Although already in the 17th century, competitions reminiscent of the Olympic ones were held repeatedly in England, France and Greece.

Revival of ancient Greek traditions

The predecessors of the modern Olympic Games were the Olympias, held in the mid-19th century. But they, of course, were not so large-scale and had little in common with the competitions, which in our time are held once every four years. The French Pierre de Coubertin played a significant role in the revival of the Olympic Games. Why did Europeans suddenly remember the traditions of the ancient Greeks?

In the middle of the 17th century, archaeological research was carried out in Olympia, as a result of which scientists discovered the remains of temple buildings. The work continued for more than ten years. At this time, everything related to Antiquity was popular in Europe. The desire to revive olympic traditions Many public and cultural figures became infected. At the same time, the French showed the greatest interest in the culture of sports competitions in Ancient Greece, although the archaeological discoveries belonged to the Germans. This can be easily explained.

In 1871, the French army suffered a defeat, which significantly undermined the patriotic spirit in society. Pierre de Coubertin believed that the reason was the poor physical training of the soldiers. He did not try to inspire his countrymen to fight Germany and other European powers. A French public figure spoke a lot about the need to improve physical culture, but also advocated for overcoming national egoism and establishing international understanding.

The first Olympic Games: modern times

In June 1894, a congress was held at the Sorbonne, at which Coubertin presented to the world community his thoughts on the need to revive ancient Greek traditions. His ideas were supported. On the last day of the congress, it was decided to hold the Olympic Games in two years. They were supposed to take place in Athens. The committee for holding international competitions was headed by Demetrius Vikelas. Pierre de Coubertin took over as secretary general.

The 1896 Olympic Games were the largest sporting event. Greek statesmen put forward a proposal to hold the Olympic Games exclusively in their homeland. However, the committee decided otherwise. The location of the Games changes every four years.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Olympic movement was not widely popular. This is partly due to the fact that at that time the World Exhibition was being held in Paris. Some historians believe that the Olympic ideas were saved thanks to the intermediate games of 1906, held again in Athens.

Differences between modern Games and ancient Greek ones

The competitions were resumed on the model of ancient sports competitions. The modern Olympic Games unite athletes from all countries; discrimination against individuals on religious, racial, or political grounds is not allowed. This, perhaps, is the main difference between the modern Games and the ancient Greek ones.

What did the modern Olympic Games borrow from the ancient Greek ones? First of all, the names themselves. The frequency of competitions was also borrowed. One of the purposes of the modern Olympic Games is to serve peace and establish mutual understanding between countries. This is consistent with the ideas of the ancient Greeks about a temporary truce during the days of the competition. The Olympic flame and torch are symbols of the Olympics, which arose, of course, in antiquity. Some terms and rules for conducting competitions were also borrowed from the ancient Greeks.

There are, of course, several significant differences between modern Games and antique. The ancient Greeks held sports competitions exclusively in Olympia. Today the Games are organized each time in a different city. In Ancient Greece there was no such thing as the Winter Olympic Games. And the competitions were different. In antiquity in the Olympic Not only athletes, but also poets participated in the games.

Symbolism

Everyone knows what the symbol of the Olympic Games looks like. Five fastened rings of black, blue, red, yellow and green. However, few people know that these elements do not belong to any specific continent. sounds in Latin, translated into Russian means “faster, higher, stronger.” The flag is a white panel with the image of rings. It has been lifted at every Games since 1920.

Both the opening and closing of the Games are accompanied by a grandiose, colorful ceremony. The best organizers of mass events are involved in developing the scenario. Famous actors and singers strive to take part in this spectacle. The broadcast of this international event attracts tens of millions of viewers around the world to television screens.

If the ancient Greeks believed that in honor of the Olympic Games it was worth suspending any military action, then in the twentieth century the opposite happened. Sports competitions canceled due to armed conflicts. The games were not held in 1916, 1940, 1944. The Olympics have been held in Russia twice. In 1980 in Moscow and in 2014 in Sochi.

Five rings and the slogan “Faster. Higher. Stronger" are some of the most recognizable symbols in the world. The Olympic Games are criticized for being politicized, pompous, expensive, and doping scandals, but they are always eagerly awaited. The modern Olympic Games turn 120 this year, but of course their history goes back much, much further.

According to one of the myths, King Oenomaus, the ruler of the city of Pisa, organized sports competitions for those who wanted to marry his daughter Hippodamia. Moreover, the conditions of these competitions were obviously losing - all because Oenomaus was predicted that his son-in-law would be the cause of his death. The young people lost their lives one after another, and only the cunning Pelops managed to overtake his future father-in-law in chariot races, so successfully that Oenomaus broke his neck. The prediction nevertheless came true, and the new king, to celebrate, ordered a sports festival to be held in Olympia every four years.

The well-known word “gymnastics,” according to one version, comes from the ancient Greek “gymnos,” which means “naked.” It was in this form that ancient athletes participated in competitions, so in those days the organizers of the games significantly saved on sports uniform. Some, such as wrestlers, also rubbed themselves with oil to make it easier to slip out of the opponent’s grip.

According to another version, the Olympic Games were founded by none other than the main ancient Greek superman, Hercules. Having cleared the Augean stables, the hero not only did not receive the promised reward, but also received a royal kick in the ass. Naturally, the demigod was offended and after a while returned with a large army. Having destroyed the offender morally and physically, Hercules, in gratitude for his help, made a sacrifice to the gods and personally planted an entire olive grove around the sacred plain in honor of the goddess Athena. And on the plain itself he ordered regular sports competitions to be held.

According to ancient historians, the first Olympic Games took place during the reign of King Iphitus (approximately 884–828 BC). Iphit, the king of Elis, on whose territory Olympia was located, was very concerned about what was happening in the state and beyond. At that time, Greece was a seething cauldron, where many small, disparate kingdoms were constantly at war with each other. Iphit went to Lycurgus, the king of Sparta, and said that he no longer wanted to fight, but wanted to organize sports competitions. Lycurgus liked the idea, and the other warring rulers also agreed. As a result, Elis received neutral status and immunity in exchange for the fact that nationwide sports tournaments would be held at Olympia every four years. During the games, all wars stopped. The Olympic Games united Greece, tormented by civil strife, which, however, did not stop the states from fighting with each other the rest of the time before and after the games.

However, even ancient Greek historians were not sure of the exact date, so they considered the first Olympics to be competitions about which they had more or less accurate information. These games took place in 776 BC. BC, and Korebus of Elis won the race.

The only type of antique Olympic competitions the first thirteen games were run. Then - the pentathlon, which includes running, long jump, javelin throw, discus throw and wrestling itself. Later, fist fighting and chariot racing were added. The program of the modern Olympic Games includes 28 summer and 7 winter species sports, respectively 41 and 15 disciplines depending on the season.

With the arrival of the Romans, a lot changed. If previously only Hellenic athletes could take part in the games, then after Greece was annexed to the Empire, the national composition of participants expanded. In addition, gladiator fights were added to the program. The Hellenes ground their teeth, but had to endure it. True, not for long - after Christianity became the official religion of the empire, the event, as pagan, was banned by Emperor Theodosius I. In 394 AD. e. the games were cancelled, and a year later many Olympic buildings were destroyed during the war with the barbarians. Olympia, like Atlantis, disappeared from the face of the earth.

Olympia today

However, the Olympic Games did not sink into oblivion forever, although they had to remain in oblivion for fifteen long centuries. Ironically, the first step towards the revival of the Olympic Games was made by a church leader - the Benedictine monk Bernard de Montfaucon, who was very interested in the history of Ancient Greece and was convinced that it was necessary to conduct excavations at the site where the legendary Olympia had previously been located. Soon, many European scientists and public figures of the 18th century began talking about the need to find her.

In 1766, the English traveler Richard Chandler discovered the ruins of some ancient structures near Mount Kronos in Greece. It turned out that the find was part of the wall of a huge temple. In 1824, archaeologist Lord Stanhoff began excavations on the banks of the Alpheus, then French archaeologists took up the baton in 1828–1829. In October 1875, German specialists under the leadership of Ernst Curtius continued the excavations of Olympia. Inspired by the results of archaeological research, public and sports figures gave entire lectures about the delights of the Olympic movement and the need for its revival. Government officials listened to them attentively and nodded in agreement, but for some reason they refused to allocate funds for the games.

And yet, finally, there was someone who managed to convince everyone: the Olympic Games are exactly what humanity needs. It was the French public figure Pierre de Coubertin. He was sincerely convinced that the ideas of the Olympic movement carried within them the spirit of freedom, peaceful competition, harmony and physical improvement. Coubertin found many supporters around the world. On November 25, 1892, he gave a lecture in Paris on “The Olympic Renaissance,” the main idea of which was that sport should be international. Coubertin called his contemporaries the heirs of the great Hellenic civilization, which elevated the harmonious development of man, intellectual and physical perfection into a cult.

At the end of the 19th century, the international sports movement gradually began to gain momentum. With the growth of cultural and economic ties between countries, international sports associations began to appear, international competitions. This was the ideal moment to implement Coubertin's ideas. Together with friends and associates, he organized the Founding Congress, where supporters of the Olympic movement from all over the world were to gather. A meeting of two thousand delegates from twelve countries took place in June 1894 at the Sorbonne. It was there that a unanimous decision was made to revive the Olympic Games and establish the International Olympic Committee. At the same time, national Olympic committees were created. They decided to hold the first international competitions in 1896 in Athens. The Olympic Games were revived in the same place where they originated - in Greece.

The first resumed games became the largest sporting event of their time. The Greek authorities, inspired by the success, proposed to permanently hold the games on their territory, but this clearly contradicted the spirit of internationalism, and the IOC decided to choose a new location for the Olympics every four years. Gradually, attributes and rituals of the games appeared, which have now become familiar: the emblem and flag, the Olympic oath and mascots, the parade, the opening and closing ceremonies, the Olympic torch relay. It’s hard to imagine these competitions without them.

Unlike the ancient games, during which armed conflicts ceased, the modern Olympic Games were not held three times due to world wars - in 1916, 1940 and 1944. A Summer Olympics The year 1972 in Munich was marred by a terrorist attack: Palestinian terrorists took hostage members of the Israeli national team. The liberation operation completely failed due to poor organization - eleven athletes were killed.

Since 1924, the Winter Olympics have been added to the classic Olympic Games - Summer. At first the games were held in one year, but since 1994 the Winter and Summer Games began to alternate every two years.

In our country, the Olympic Games have been held twice. The first Olympics took place in 1980 in the USSR, the second, Winter, in 2014 in Sochi. Hosting the Games has always been very important for the prestige of any state, so there is always a tense struggle for the right to host athletes from all over the world. And, of course, there is a fight for medals - only the best representatives of their country go to the competition. And although the games are considered individual competitions between individual athletes, the result is invariably determined by the number of “precious metals” earned by the entire team. The funny thing is that, according to the original plan of Pierre de Coubertin, these were competitions exclusively for amateur athletes, but now the Olympics are a purely professional sport. And, of course, a spectacular show and big money - where would we be without it?

Where did the Olympic Games come from? History of the Olympic Games

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Introduction

1. History of the Olympic Games

1.1 Olympia - the center of the Olympic Games

1.2 Olympic Renaissance

1.3 And again in Greece!

1.4 Russia Olympic

1.5 Popularity of the modern Olympic movement

1.6 Beginning of the formation of the city’s Olympic complex

1.7 A new stage in the development of the Olympic movement

1.8 Olympic Games on the Asian continent

1.9 XXII Olympic Games

1.10 Games in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first Olympic Games

2. Winter Olympics

2.1 First Winter Olympics

3. Olympic flame

Conclusion

References

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Submitting your good work to the knowledge base is easy. Use the form below

Introduction

1. History of the Olympic Games

1.1 Olympia - the center of the Olympic Games

1.2 Olympic Renaissance

1.3 And again in Greece!

1.4 Russia Olympic

1.5 Popularity of the modern Olympic movement

1.6 Beginning of the formation of the city’s Olympic complex

1.7 A new stage in the development of the Olympic movement

1.8 Olympic Games on the Asian continent

1.9 XXII Olympic Games

1.10 Games in honor of the 100th anniversary of the first Olympic Games

2. Winter Olympics

2.1 First Winter Olympics

3. Olympic flame

Conclusion

References

Similar documents

The myth of the birth of the Olympic Games

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Ellanodon

Sanctuary of Ancient Greece

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The first Olympic Games: modern times

Differences between modern Games and ancient Greek ones

Symbolism

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