by Stephen Andrews
I’ve been glued to* the Olympic Games on TV over the past few days.
It’s just mind-blowing what these brilliant athletes can do, isn’t it? The gymnasts are amazing – if I tried leaping about like them, I’d do myself some serious mischief! **
*Sat in front of the TV for hours
**Serious injury
Here are a few interesting facts about the Games that you might not know ...
The first Olympic Games took place in 776BC.
Now, there are two Olympic Games, the Summer and the Winter, which started in 1924. And let’s not forget the Paralympics for disabled athletes. This started in 1960 and has run during every Olympics since then.
The Olympic torch
In ancient times, a flame burned throughout the Games as a tribute to the goddess, Hestia. Since 1928, this tradition has continued in the modern Games, but instead of an altar, the flame burns in a special torch.
This is always lit by the sun in Olympia, Greece, since this is where the first Greek Games was held. Then, it’s passed from torch to torch in a massive international relay that ends in the host city.
For the Tokyo Olympics in 2022, the design of the torch was inspired by sakura cherry-blossom. It flared out at the top to form five petals from which the flame emerged in the shape of a cherry-blossom flower.
The Olympic Medals
Gold, silver and bronze medals awarded to the top three competitors in every Olympic event and represent first, second and third place. The design of the medals is different every time. Until 1912 the gold medals were made of 100% gold! Now, they usually only contain a smaller amount of gold, silver or bronze. The design of the current 2024 French Olympics medal actually contains an 18-gram hexagonal piece of iron from the Eiffel Tower embedded in its design.
Which countries take part?
In the first modern Summer Olympic Games in 1896 just 14 counties took part.
Teams from 11 European countries originally joined those of Australia, Chile, and the USA at the first host city, Athens. Now, more than 200 countries compete in the Olympics. Japan first took part in the fifth Games, in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1912. Two athletes, sprinter Yahiko Mishima and marathoner Shizo Kanaguri, became the first Japanese to participate.
The Olympic symbol
The famous Olympic rings were first produced in 1913. Their five colours (along with the white backdrop) reflect colours found on the flags of all participating nations, so everyone is represented. The overlaps also represent international cooperation, and the coming together of athletes from all over the world.
Olympic Sports Old and New
Motorboat sailing, hot air ballooning, and tug of war all used to be Olympic sports!
Over time, different sports and events are voted into and out. Some disappear, then return, like golf, or rugby, while others, like running deer shooting, or duelling pistols, go out of fashion forever – thank goodness.
There are several new sports at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Breaking (acrobatic street dancing) will make its Olympic debut, while sport climbing, skateboarding, BMX freestyle and surfing are appearing at the Games for just the second time after debuting at the 2020 Japan Olympics.
Japan at the Olympics
Japan hosted its first Olympics in 1964 and the second in 2022. As you might remember, that was rather unusual because Covid prevented people attending and athletes had to perform without an audience.
Since it first participated at the Olympic Games in 1912, Japan has competed at every Games apart from the 1948 Games after World War II.
Japan won its first medals in 1920, and its first gold medals in 1928. Japanese athletes have won 497 medals at the Summer Olympic Games, with the most gold medals won in judo, skateboarding and karate, as of the end of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Japan has also won 58 medals at the Winter Olympic Games. Its most successful Olympics are the 1964 and 2020 Games, both hosted in Tokyo. In 2020, Japan won an amazing 27 golds, 14 silvers and 17 bronzes.
And lots more have been won this year in Paris!
Go Japan!
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