Olympics stays constant through history

As men swim their final lap, a nation holds their breath. When a skier makes her way up the mountain, a nation cheers all the way down. From its historic beginnings to the modern publicized games, the Olympics continues to bring the world together, all the while strengthening countries’ nationalism.

 

This year’s Olympic games are in Vancouver, Canada and have come a long way from its Greek origins in 776 B.C.E. Both Summer and Winter Olympics combined have been hosted in 46 cities around the globe, including coming to the U.S. nine times. The modern Olympic games have been around for 114 years and awarded 25,058 medals without any signs of slowing down this life time. The history of the Olympic games lives on in the memories of those who competed and witnessed its games. Its history dates back to when there was only one nation competing against each other instead of competing against 205 other nations.

 

According to Greek legend the ancient Olympic Games was founded by Heracles, Roman Hercules. The first recorded games was in 776 BCE, even though there is speculation the games had been going on many years before. Coroebus was the Olympics first champion in history winning the gold in a 210 yard race. The games was hosted at Olympia and became a bond between Greeks and the Greek national unity was strengthened.

 

The Olympic games was held in ancient Greece for close to twelve centuries before being banned in AD 394. Modern Olympic games was reinstated in 1896 and was made international. Fittingly the first modern games was held in Athens and took to the world from then and adding the Winter games in 1944. The games had only been cancelled three times due to World War I and World War II in 1916, 1940, and 1944. The games resumed in 1948 and was held every four years since just as the original Greek games. After the 1992 Winter and Summer Olympic games the two were separated not to be in the same calendar year with a two year interval between the two staying true to the four year intervals.

 

Regardless of its history the games have stayed the same in an ever changing world. But it continues to bring the world together and reunite countries even for a couple days of head to head sport competition.