THE OLYMPIC GAMES

The Olympic Games, which originated in Ancient Greece as many as 3,000 years ago, were revived in the late 19th century and have become the world’s preeminent sporting competition. From the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD, the Games were held every four years in Olympia, located in the western Peloponnese peninsula, in honour of the god Zeus. The first modern Olympics took place in 1896 in Athens and featured 280 participants from 13 nations competing in 43 events. Since 1994, the Summer and Winter Olympic Games have been held separately, and have alternated every two years. The first Summer Olympic Games took place in 1896, in Athens, Greece. Among the first Olympic Games were cycling, gymnastics, swimming, tennis, wrestling and weightlifting. The first Winter Olympic Games were held in Chamonix, France in 1924. Among the sports in the Winter Olympic Games are skiing, curling, ice hockey, ski jumping and snowboarding.