The Olympic Games

Ancient Greece

We begin in the 8th century BC in the western Peloponnese. Here lies the ancient sanctuary of Olympia, a sacred site dedicated to the cult of Zeus. In 776 BC, during a religious ceremony, a sporting event is held for the first time, known as the “stadion”. It is a sprint of 600 classical feet, which is equivalent to about 192 meters today. Coroebus, probably a cook from Elis, is the first winner. Today, this is considered to be the first Olympic Games in history, even if it was primarily a religious ceremony. From then on, every four years, during the ceremony in honor of Zeus, a stadion is organized, reserved exclusively for Greek men. This period of four years is called an "Olympiad". It isn't until the 14th Olympiad in 724 BC that a second event, called the “diaulos”, is added. This event involve running two stadions, which means one to the end of the racetrack, and one back. Four years later, the “dolichos” appears, an endurance race lasting 24 stadions. In 708 BC, the pentathlon is introduced, in which athletes compete in the long jump - without a running start and with weights in their hands - the javelin throw, the discus throw, the stadion, and wrestling. Other events are gradually added, such as “hoplitodromos”, a race of two stadions while wearing a helmet and a shield; “pygmachia”, the forerunner of boxing, where you must defeat your opponent using only your fists; and “pankration”, a mixture of wrestling and pygmachia where almost any blow is allowed. Finally, a hippodrome is built to host horse races, and chariot races using two or four horse chariots. But as these races are very costly, they are mainly reserved for the wealthiest of society. They sometimes even choose a slave or an employee to run the race for them, while still retaining the prestige in the case of a victory.

Competition between Greek cities

Only victory counts. There's no podium. Even finishing second is a failure. The winner takes all the glory and receives a crown of olive branches. He is considered a hero in his city, which rewards him with numerous privileges, and erects a statue of him in his honor. In 696 BC, Pantacles is the first Athenian to win the stadion, and four years later, he is the very first to retain his title. But generally speaking, it is Sparta, Athens' great rival, that dominates the games, largely because the city specializes in military training from an early age. Between 664 and 656 BC, Chionis of Sparta is the first to win the stadion and the diaulos three times in a row. In 632 BC, the first competitions for children are integrated, and from 580 BC, games specially dedicated to women, called Heraia, are held two weeks after the men's games, in which they are not allowed to participate. With the growing success of the Olympic Games, other cities begin to organize their own competitions, some of which are integrated into the Olympiad. Thus, in addition to the Olympic Games held in the first year of the period, the Isthmian Games in honor of Poseidon, and the Nemean Games in honor of Zeus, are held in the second and fourth years. And in the third year, the Pythian Games are held in honor of Apollo. Some of these games include artistic events, mainly musical. These four competitions, known as the Panhellenic Games, become the most prestigious in the entire Greek world, attracting an ever-growing number of athletes, including professionals who make a living from their sport.

The Greek world

Before a competition, emissaries are sent to Greek cities to announce the exact date of the event. A sacred truce is then called to allow athletes and spectators to travel to Olympia. The entire Greek world, which is scattered across the Mediterranean basin, puts aside its quarrels and wars to unite around a common language, religion, and culture. It is also an opportunity to forge alliances and organize trade. As the number of professionals increases, Sparta loses its leadership. In Magna Graecia, Croton becomes a serious competitor. One of its citizens, Milo, dominates wrestling, winning some thirty titles in the four Panhellenic games. This earns him the prestigious title of "periodonikes", reserved for those who win all four Panhellenic games during the same Olympiad. In 488 BC, at the 73rd games, Astylos, another citizen of Croton, wins the stadion and the diaulos. Four years later, he repeats the feat, but this time for Syracuse. In Croton, the people are furious, his statue is destroyed, and his house turned into a prison. From 472 BC, the Olympic Games are reorganized, with only two days of religious ceremony and five days of sporting competition. A huge temple dedicated to Zeus is built, inside of which stands a 12.4 meter high statue of him made of gold and ivory. It's one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

The Hellenistic world

In the East, the immense Persian Achaemenid Empire dominates Asia Minor for more than a century and a half, and despite several failed attempts to subdue the Greek world, it nevertheless continues to instill fear. King Philip II of Macedon, three-time winner of Olympic horse races, dreams of uniting the Greek and Macedonian worlds into a great power capable of rivaling Persia. After numerous military victories, he establishes the League of Corinth, a pan-Hellenic alliance. But the following year he is assassinated. His son, Alexander the Great, takes over, and sets off with a Greco-Macedonian army to subdue the entire Achaemenid Empire as far as the Indus River. After his death, Hellenistic kingdoms are established and new cities founded, attracting many Greeks who import their culture and organize their own games, naming them Isolympics. To attract professionals, prizes, sometimes of great value, are offered to the winners. But the greatest prestige remains winning a simple crown in a Panhellenic game. Between 164 and 152 BC, Leonidas of Rhodes wins the stadion, diaulos, and hoplitodromos four times in a row, winning 12 Olympic crowns, a record that will not be beaten until the year 2016.

The Roman domination

In 146 BC, the Romans raze Corinth, and come to dominate the Greek world. But the games persist, and even inspire the Romans to organize their own competitions. In 80 BC, a year of Olympic Games, all Greek athletes are summoned to Rome to take part in a game. As a result, that year only the children's competitions are organized in Olympia. Later, the Roman emperor Nero dreams of becoming a periodonikes. But lacking the time to travel to Greece for four years, he postpones the 211th Olympic Games that are scheduled from 65 to 67 AD, as well as the other three competitions. He then manages to win seven Olympic crowns, including in a horse race, which he doesn’t finish due to a fall. In 81, Hermogenes of Xanthus, nicknamed the Horse, wins the stadion, diaulos, and hoplitodromos. He then dominates all the games in which he takes part, whether the Panhellenic Games, the Isolympic Games, or even the Capitoline Games in Rome. But gradually, interest in the Olympic Games is waning. In the 4th century, Christianity becomes the religion of the Roman Empire, and in 392, Theodosius bans all pagan rites and cults, putting an end to the Olympic Games after more than 1,000 uninterrupted years. The site is abandoned, looted, and destroyed by earthquakes. Finally, the two nearby rivers gradually cover the ruins during major floods, and the site is forgotten.

The renaissance of the games

In 1766, an English archaeologist locates the ancient site of Olympia, now in the Ottoman Empire. After Greek independence, more extensive excavations are organized by the French and then the Germans. The numerous discoveries revive interest in the Olympic Games. In France, Pierre de Coubertin dreams of re-establishing the games. In 1894, he organizes the first Olympic Congress in Paris, during which he defends amateur sport and creates the International Olympic Committee, or IOC, to prepare for the modern Olympic Games. His dream is to have them in Paris in 1900, during the Exposition Universelle. But the IOC finally decides to hold the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. The Panathenaic Stadium, dating back to 330 BC, is completely renovated, thanks to donations from a wealthy Greek businessman living in Alexandria. In April 1896, over a 10-day period, 14 countries compete in 43 events in athletics, gymnastics, wrestling, cycling, weightlifting, tennis, shooting, fencing, and swimming, which takes place in the sea. Winners are rewarded with a silver medal, and 2nd place runners-up are given a bronze and copper medal. A major change from the Ancient Games is the appearance of events played by teams. The marathon also makes its first appearance. This race is inspired by a legend that in 490 BC, a messenger named - depending on the source - Eucles or Pheidippides, who ran some 40 km from Marathon to Athens to announce a military victory over the Persians and then died of exhaustion. Spyridon Louis, a Greek water carrier, wins the 40 km race in 2 hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds, becoming a national hero. As in ancient times, he receives numerous gifts and privileges, including jewelry, and a lifelong free shave at a barber.

The Mixed 1900 Paris Games

After the success of Athens, the Greek king wants to keep the Games in his country. But de Coubertin opposes this, and maintains his plan to hold the next Games in Paris during the Exposition Universelle. But the organizer of the World’s Fair himself is not interested, and organizes his own international sports competition, which takes place during the five months of the Fair and includes 477 events of all kinds, including automobile racing, cannon shooting, and even a balloon race in which the winner covers 1925 km in 35 hours and 45 minutes, landing near Kiev in Russian Empire. For its part, the IOC cannot organize separate Olympic Games, and has to recognize some of the events of the Fair as Olympic events, but without being able to organize them. Rowing, equestrian, rugby, golf, football, and water polo are recognized as new Olympic sports, as well as tug-of-war, which will disappear in 1920. Additionally, as long as some events of the Fair are also open to women, de Coubertin, although hostile, has to recognize the first participation of women in the Olympic Games. While the international sports competitions of the Exposition Universelle are a great success, the Olympic Games themselves are somewhat overshadowed, were transparent, with no ceremonies whatsoever, so that many athletes didn't even know they were also taking part in the Olympic Games.

Saint-Louis and London

After Paris, de Coubertin wants to change the continent. St. Louis in the United States is then chosen by the IOC, again during the World's Fair. However, as the journey is long and expensive, very few athletes make the trip, resulting in 86% of participants being North Americans. Boxing and diving, in particular, make their appearance. For the first time, the top three finishers are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals. The event is marred by the organization of a sporting competition pitting indigenous people from all over the world in sports mainly unknown to them, in an attempt to demonstrate their inferiority. The next games are to be held in Rome, but after a devastating eruption of Mount Vesuvius, the country gives up in order to concentrate on reconstruction. London is chosen at the last minute, and in record time, it succeeds in building an Olympic stadium with a cycling track, an athletics track, and a swimming pool at its center. Twenty-two nations take part, including the Ottoman Empire for the first time, and Australia and New Zealand, who compete under a common delegation called Australasia. For the first time, a parade of athletes is held during the opening ceremony. Field hockey is played for the first time, as is water motorsports, which makes its only appearance. On the United States team, athlete Raymond Ewry, who as a child had suffered from polio and was for a time in a wheelchair, wins the high jump and the long jump without a run-up, thus claiming his 7th and 8th individual Olympic titles.

International success

In 1912, it is Stockholm's turn to host the Games. For 15 days, 28 nations from every continent compete in 102 events. For the first time, artistic competitions are included, in architecture, sculpture, literature, music, and painting. Pierre de Coubertin himself anonymously wins the literature competition. The marathon is marked by the mysterious disappearance of a Japanese runner who does not finish the race. The man will be found 50 years later in Japan, and will tell his story. Under a blazing sun and exhausted by the race, he had asked for hospitality in a house to take a little nap. But too tired, he didn't wake up until the next morning. Ashamed of not having finished the race, he preferred to return home discreetly without giving any news. For the record, he returned to Stockholm in 1967 to finish his marathon in 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 5 hours, 32 minutes, and 20 seconds, and 3 tenths. The next Games of 1916, to be held in Berlin, are canceled due to World War One. They resume in 1920 in Antwerp, in a Belgium still devastated by the war. The former members of the Central Empires are not invited. 2626 athletes from 29 nations take part. At the opening ceremony, the Olympic flag, conceived and designed by de Coubertin, is raised for the first time. Ice hockey makes its appearance.

Reorganization

While women's participation remains limited to certain sports, and in the face of de Coubertin's refusal to include new women's events, women's games are organized in Monte Carlo in 1921. That same year, de Coubertin, who wants to make up for the disappointing experience of the Paris Games, imposes on the IOC to organize new Games in his city. It is also decided to organize a separate Winter Games in Chamonix. Sixteen countries compete in a range of winter sports, including bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, skating, curling, and ski jumping. Paris, meanwhile, hosts what is now known as the Summer Olympics. These are marked by the success of the Finns in endurance racing. One of them, Paavo Nurmi, wins 5 gold medals, including 2 in team events. After the Games, Pierre de Coubertin considers that he has achieved his goal and steps down as President of the IOC. In 1926, new women's games are organized in Gothenburg, Sweden, and are a great success. The IOC relents and introduces new women's events at the Amsterdam Games. For the first time, an Olympic flame is lit in the stadium. Germany makes a comeback after a 16-year absence, and becomes the second most decorated nation behind the USA. At the same time, as football becomes increasingly popular around the world, many players turn professional, thereby becoming ineligible for the Olympic Games, which are reserved for amateurs. FIFA therefore decides to organize its own soccer competition, which will become the World Cup. Four years later, Los Angeles hosts the Olympic Games, but after the stock market crash of 1929 and with the world in the throes of an economic crisis, only 1,332 athletes take part, half as many as at the previous Games. Paavo Nurmi, the Finnish champion, is refused entry because he is accused of having received money at meetings, thereby being considered a professional.

World War II

In 1933, Hitler comes to power in Germany and quickly realizes that the Berlin Games, scheduled for 1936, are a propaganda opportunity for Nazi Germany. The budget for the Games skyrockets, and the country's young people are required to train for a sport. But at the same time, Jews are excluded from sports organizations. Voices rise around the world, calling for a boycott of the Berlin Games. In Barcelona, alternative games are prepared, but on the day of their inauguration, the Spanish Civil War breaks out and they are canceled. Twelve days before the Berlin Games, for the first time, a ceremony is held in Olympia to light a flame using a parabolic mirror that concentrates the sun's rays. Over 3,000 athletes take turns carrying the flame to the Berlin stadium. Forty-nine nations compete in 19 sports, including handball, canoeing, and basketball for the first time. Germany dominates the competition, winning 38 gold medals. But the star of the Games is the black American Jesse Owens, who wins 4 gold medals, in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and long jump. The next Games in 1940 are scheduled to be held in Tokyo, but the country is at war with China and has to pull out. Helsinki is then chosen, but the outbreak of World War II puts the Olympic Games on hold. The Games resume in London in 1948, in a city still under reconstruction. The athletes are housed in military camps or schools, and bring with them food and equipment. The star of the Games is Dutchwoman Fanny Blankers-Koen, who wins the 100m, 200m, 80m hurdles, and 4x100m. She could also have won the long jump and high jump, but women are then prohibited from competing in more than 3 individual events.

The Cold War

The 1952 Games are held in Helsinki, and see the return of Germany and Japan, and above all, the first participation of the USSR. In the midst of the Cold War, with the world divided between the Western and Soviet camps, two separate Olympic villages are built. The Games become the only arena for direct confrontation between the USA and the USSR, with the aim of winning as many titles as possible. The USA dominates, winning 40 gold medals to the USSR's 22. But the star of the Games is Czechoslovakian Emil Zatopek, who wins the 5000m, 10,000m, and marathon, while his wife Dana Zatopkova wins gold in the javelin throw. Four years later, Melbourne hosts the first Games to be held in the Southern Hemisphere. But Australian policy is very strict on the introduction of animals, so the equestrian events are held separately in Stockholm. A few months before the Games, the Suez Canal crisis and the Hungarian revolt, which is violently put down by the USSR, provoke a boycott by a number of countries opposed to the participation of Israel or the USSR. China, meanwhile, refuses to take part, as Taiwan is admitted. Geopolitics take center stage at the Games. In water polo, the USSR and Hungary face off in the semi-finals in an extremely tense match. This time, on the medal table, the USSR beats the USA. The following Games are held in Rome and are the first to be broadcast live on television in Europe. Ethiopia's Abebe Bikila wins the marathon barefoot, and even breaks the world record. In boxing, Cassius Clay, later to be known as Mohammed Ali, wins the gold medal in his category at the age of 18, launching an immense and illustrious career. On the medal table, the Soviet Union maintains its domination. A week after the Games, Rome organizes what are considered the first Paralympic Games, reserved for athletes with disabilities.

Internationalization

In 1964, Tokyo organizes the first Games to be held in Asia. Many African countries that have recently gained their independence participate for the first time. On the other hand, apartheid South Africa is no longer invited. These Games are the first to be broadcast live worldwide. Judo, a national sport, makes its appearance, as does volleyball. Soviet gymnast Larissa Latynina wins her 18th medal, including her 9th in gold, a record that will not be beaten until 48 years later. In 1968, a year of revolts, mainly student uprisings in many parts of the world, Mexico City hosts the Games. The country is not spared by revolts, and fearing that it could taint its Games, 10 days before the inauguration, the government decides to fire on a crowd of demonstrators, killing many students. The Games go ahead anyway. The city's altitude of 2,300m means lower atmospheric pressure, making sprints and jumps easier. As a result, many world records are broken, including in the 200m, which is won by Tommie Smith for the USA. On the podium, he and his compatriot John Carlos, who finished 3rd, bow their heads and raise their black-gloved fists in solidarity with the fight for civil rights. In response, the IOC bans them for life from the Games. In 1972, it is Munich's turn to host the Games. US swimmer Mark Spitz wins 7 gold medals in 7 days, beating the world record each time. But the Games turn tragic when Palestinian terrorists break into the Olympic village and take 11 Israeli athletes hostage, ultimately killing them in the process. The Games go ahead in spite of everything, but in a heavy atmosphere.

Boycotts

In 1976, Montreal hosts the Games. But many African countries decide to boycott them because New Zealand is taking part, and its rugby team had just returned from a tour of apartheid South Africa. Romanian Nadia Comaneci, only 14 years old, dominates gymnastics, winning 5 gold medals and scoring the maximum 10 points 7 times. In the gold medal table, East Germany climbs to second place. But it will later be revealed that the country had set up a vast program of doping athletes, often without their knowledge. From a financial point of view, the poor management of the construction sites causes the budget to explode, putting the city in debt for the next 30 years. The next Games in 1980 are scheduled for Moscow. But the USSR’s invasion of Afghanistan leads to a boycott by 51 nations, while athletes from 13 other nations take part only under the Olympic banner. Four years later, Los Angeles hosts its second Games. The USSR and its allies, on their turn, boycott the Games. Conversely, China makes a comeback. The star of the Games is Carl Lewis, who wins 4 gold medals on home soil, in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m, and long jump. The next Games in 1988 are scheduled for Seoul. North Korea asks to co-host the event, but is refused. The country and some of its allies then decide to boycott the Games. Meanwhile, in South Korea, the population protests for greater democracy. Under pressure and fearing that this could mar the Games, the government gives in, revises the constitution, and organizes elections. Table tennis is introduced at the Games. The IOC also gradually authorizes the participation of professionals. Tennis then makes a comeback after an absence of 64 years.

The World Games

After the Cold War, the Games become less politicized, and almost every nation in the world takes part, while the event is now watched by billions of television viewers. The 1992 Games are held in Barcelona. Most of the countries of the former USSR form a unified team. The German team is reunited, and South Africa returns with a mixed delegation. In basketball, NBA stars take part for the first time, and the US team dominates the competition. Baseball and badminton make their debut. Athens dreams of hosting the next Games in 1996, to celebrate the centenary of the modern Games at their origins. But the IOC prefers Atlanta in the USA, home to Coca Cola company, a major sponsor of the Games since 1928. The event is marred by a bomb attack carried out by an anti-abortion supremacist terrorist. In 2000, it is Sydney's turn to host the Games. The theme of the opening ceremony is reconciliation between Aborigines and the descendants of European settlers. Cathy Freeman, an Aboriginal woman, becomes the country's star when she wins the 400m on home soil. But the race takes place in the absence of her greatest competitor, Marie-José Pérec, who had fled the country, feeling intimidated.

Athens, Beijing and London

In 2004, the Games finally return to Athens. The city sees the big picture and invests heavily, but financial mismanagement causes the budget to explode, impacting the country's economy. At just 19, US swimmer Michael Phelps wins 8 medals, 6 of them gold, while German kayaker Birgit Fischer wins her 8th gold medal in 24 years. The next Games are scheduled to take place in Beijing, as China continues its rise to international prominence. For the occasion, the Olympic flame is to travel 137,000 km across all the continents. Along the way, however, there are a number of incidents caused by demonstrations for human rights or in support of Tibet. After passing over the summit of Mount Everest, the flame finally arrives in Beijing for the inauguration. Forty world records are broken, including 7 by Michael Phelps, who wins 8 gold medals in 8 days. Another star of the Games, Jamaica's Usain Bolt, breaks world records in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m, but this last victory is later nullified due to doping by another relay runner. China wins the most gold medals on home soil. Four years later, London becomes the first city to host the Olympic Games for a third time. After lobbying Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Brunei, for the first time women from every nation in the world are represented.

Rio de Janeiro, Tokyo and Paris

In 2016, Rio de Janeiro organizes the first Games to be held in South America. For the first time, an Olympic team reserved for political refugees is created. Michael Phelps wins his 23rd gold medal, including his 13th as an individual, becoming by far the greatest Olympic champion in history. Usain Bolt, meanwhile, wins the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m for the third time in succession. The next Games are scheduled to take place in Tokyo, but in 2019, the worldwide Covid19 pandemic jeopardizes their organization. They are then postponed by a year to be held in 2021, but without spectators, which has a major impact on the budget. Furthermore, as Russia is accused of doping, Russian athletes can take part under a neutral banner. Climbing, karate, skateboarding, and surfing make their debut. In 2022, a few days after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the IOC decides to exclude Russia and Belarus from the next Games in 2024. However, athletes from both countries will be allowed to compete under a neutral banner, provided they do not support the war. But they will not be allowed to participate in the opening ceremony in Paris. The ceremony is planned to take place on the Seine, which will also host swimming events, if the quality of the water permits. These Games will be the first to respect perfect parity between men and women. Breakdancing will make an appearance, as will a few events open to the general public, such as a marathon. In 4 more years, Los Angeles will become the third city to host its third Olympic Games.