The Olympics

The word “Olympic” comes from the name of the town Olympia in Greece, where the ancient Olympic Games were always held. The first recorded Olympic Games were held in 776 B.C; the Games took place every fourth year after the date until they were abolished by a Roman emperor in A.D. 394.

It was not until 1875, when archeologists discovered the ruins of the Olympic Stadium in Greece, that interest in the Games was renewed. Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a French scholar and educator, proposed that the Games should be revived as an international competition to encourage both sport and world peace.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Like their classical predecessors, the athletes were men only; women were admitted to the Games in 1900. Since that time, the Games have been held at four-year intervals as in ancient Greece. However, since de Coubertin’s dream of world peace has not been realized, the two World Wars prevented those of 1961, 1940 and 1944 from being held.

The Olympic Games have been confined to amateur athletes despite a few recent exceptions. There are pressures on the Olympic authorities to admit other professionals to the Games. Such a step would damage the entire concept of the Olympics. The following words appear on the scoreboard at every Olympic opening: “The most important thing is not to win but to take part.” In contrast, the aim of every professional is to win.