Olympics

The Olympics are an Ancient Greek sporting event that was held from 776 B.C. to A.D. 394 and resurrected as a world-wide modern competition in the late 19th century. The first Olympics have been said by some to have marked the beginning of classical civilization.

According to a legend, Hercules built a temple to Zeus and wanted people to come and worship there, so he made a series of games to attract people. This event was so unifying that people started to count time by it.

The modern Olympic Games (often simply called the Olympics) are held every two years. The games are alternated between the "Summer" and "Winter" Olympics, each featuring sports typical of the respective season. The first of the modern Olympics took place in Athens in 1896.

Impact

The impact of the Olympics as setting a world standard spread to the underdeveloped world. The Committee for International Olympic Aid was founded by the developed nations in 1961 to help fund Third World countries so they could join the Olympic family. The National Olympic Committees of these new countries gained some measure of control over the development of sport on the international level and, in conjunction with individual international sports federations, shifted the overall balance of power within the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Egypt

In the 1920s Egyptians of all classes were captivated by news of the Egyptian national football (soccer) team's performance in international competitions. Success or failure in the Olympic football tournaments of 1924 and 1928 was not just evaluated in terms of sport; rather, they were understood against the backdrop of Egyptian independence and a desire to be seen as modern by their European opponents. Moreover, it suggests that Egyptians also saw these competitions as a way to distinguish themselves from the premodernity of other African countries.

China

The impact on China was seen in China's participation in the 1932, 1936, and 1948 Olympics. The idea of 'tiyu' (physical education and/or sports) was introduced into China at the turn of 20th century, but from early on, its advocates saw it as a way to strengthen one's body and to get rid of the humiliating label of "Sick Man of Asia," a derogatory term imposed on the Chinese by foreign powers. In response, a desire to save face and free China from foreign control and to gain an equal place in the world led the Nationalist government to seize the opportunity to promote modern sports and physical education. Chiang Kai-shek and the KMT leadership realized that 'tiyu' was not only a vehicle by which they could strengthen the sense of nationalism but also one by which they could promote an international presence. China implemented a number of measures, ranging from improving physical education, establishing official institutions, to promoting a 'war-like spirit' among citizens. 'Tiyu' also became part of Chiang Kai-shek's "New Life Movement," a nation-building effort to create modern citizens. The article concentrates on how sports became a venue in which China tried to engage the outside world. China's participation in the three Olympic Games before 1949, in spite of its negligible impact on sports per se, demonstrated China's motivation to use sports to win international recognition and to renew nationalism at home. The same spirit, now backed by an economically powerful nation, motivated China in 2008.

Past games

1948 London

Despite some fears that Britain was too impoverished by World War II to host an international event, the Labour government, led by the efforts of Philip Noel-Baker (1889-1982), proceeded to relaunch the games following a 12-year hiatus. The goal was to tell the world that Britain was back. The press and the public generally saw the project as a success, one that reasserted Britain's international importance. The memory of the war meant that Germany and Japan were excluded. The emerging Cold War meant that the Soviet Union did not come.

1956 Melboune

Modernity clashed with traditionalism when Melbourne, History of Australia, became host of the 1956 summer Olympics. Journalists speculated that the expected floods of American tourists, accustomed to central heating and prompt room service, would react coldly to the traditional Aussie hotel routine of getting out of bed on to the chilly linoleum, and tip-toeing across the floor to the old-time wash basin and jug. What would sophisticated Frenchmen make of a city where all bars closed at 6 PM? Melbourne, the sophisticates feared, would be regarded as a hick town, too provincial and too staid to be entrusted with the hosting of a world event. A small but vocal minority of Labor politicians and welfare workers opposed the Games as an unjustifiable extravagance; in rural Victoria the folk saw the event as yet another treat for city people. Traditional clergymen feared the approach of that iniquitous institution, the 'Continental Sunday'. However the Chamber of Commerce won the day, hailing the Olympics as a boost to tourism and investment. Modernist architects and designers embraced the Games as their chance to bring local taste before the bar of international opinion. The Olympic Pool, for example, won praise for its high originality and imagination. The hotels were modernized, upper middle class residents took in vistors, and even the Japanese--the hated foes of the 1940s, were made welcome. In the event the preparations transformed and upgraded Melbourne's self-image as a bastion of modernity, and the rest of the world paid little attention.

1988 Seoul

South Korean leaders hoped for both increased economic development and a heightened sense of national identity. Tangible economic results, including the growth of the telecommunications industry, seemed positive, as did the less concrete social, cultural, and political aspects of the games: democratic reforms in South Korea, better relations with Communist countries, and a boost in the nation's collective sense of self-confidence.

2000 Sydney

The Melbourne Olympic Games in 1956 were well handled, but few international tourists came to Australia for it. By contrast when Sydney, Australia, hosted the 2000 Summer Olympic Games, it gained global attention for an efficiently organized world-class event. The Queen opened the 1956 games but was not invited in 2000, as the spirit of republicanism was too strong. However, many of the hoped-for legacies failed to materialize. General levels of participation in physical activity and sport did not rise, although passive spectatorship including television watching did. Many of the costly Australian facilities built for the games remain underutilized in their wake. While in the short term, some of the economic and political goals were achieved, and a new and better method to collect and disseminate knowledge about games preparation was established, such events remain problematic in their long-term effects on local, populations, societies, and environments.

2008 Beijing

The Games of the 2008 Summer Olympics - Beijing 2008 took place from 8 to 24 August 2008. The Games in Beijing played host to the 28 summer sports currently on the Olympic program. Approximately 10,500 athletes participated in the Games with around 20,000 accredited media bringing the Games to the world.

Future Games

The host city for the Games of the XXX Olympiad in 2012 will be the city of London.

External links

• The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad
• International Olympic Committee
• Interactive Map of Olympic Medals, New York Times