NBC Olympic Games

From Iwe

The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating.<ref name="EB" /> The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart.

Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.

The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability, and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The Deaflympics and Special Olympics are also endorsed by the IOC. The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic, political, and technological advancements.

The advent of the state-sponsored "full-time amateur athlete" of the Eastern Bloc countries further eroded the ideology of the pure amateur, as it put the self-financed amateurs of the Western countries at a disadvantage. The Soviet Union entered teams of athletes who were all nominally students, soldiers, or working in a profession, but many of whom were in reality paid by the state to train on a full-time basis. As a result, the Olympics has shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allowing participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialisation of the Games. World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games. The latter, however, attracted 140 National Olympic Committees, which was a record at the time.

The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games, and organises and funds the Games according to the Olympic Charter. The IOC also determines the Olympic programme, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 13,000 athletes compete at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games in 33 different sports and nearly 400 events. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze, respectively.

The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, and a terrorist attack in 1972. Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide unknown athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world.

[edit] Ancient Olympics

Main article: Ancient Olympic Games

[edit] Modern Games

[edit] Forerunners

[edit] Revival

[edit] 1896 Games

Main article: 1896 Summer Olympics

[edit] Changes and adaptations

Main article: Summer Olympic Games

[edit] Winter Games

Main article: Winter Olympic Games

[edit] Paralympics

Main article: Paralympic Games

[edit] Youth Games

Main article: Youth Olympic Games

[edit] 21st-century games

[edit] Cost of the Games

See also: Cost of the Olympic Games

[edit] Economic and social impact on host cities and countries

[edit] International Olympic Committee

Main article: International Olympic Committee

[edit] Criticism

[edit] Commercialisation

[edit] Under national organising committees

[edit] Under IOC control

[edit] Budget

[edit] Effect of television

[edit] Controversy

[edit] Cost

[edit] Symbols

Main article Olympic symbols

[edit] Ceremonies

Main article: Olympic Games ceremony

[edit] Opening

[edit] Closing

[edit] Medal presentation

[edit] Sports

Main article: Olympic sports

[edit] Amateurism and professionalism

[edit] Team Canada

[edit] Controversies

Main article: Olympic Games scandals and controversies

[edit] Boycotts

[edit] Politics

[edit] Use of performance enhancing drugs

Main article: Use of performance-enhancing drugs in the Olympic Games

[edit] Russian doping scandal

[edit] Sex discrimination

Main article: Women at the Olympics

[edit] Terrorism and violence

[edit] Colonialism

Main article: Colonialism and the Olympic Games

[edit] Citizenship

[edit] IOC rules for citizenship

[edit] Reasons for changing citizenship

[edit] Citizenship changes and disputes

[edit] Champions and medallists

Further information: Lists of Olympic medallists and List of multiple Olympic gold medalists

[edit] Nations

[edit] Nations at the Summer Olympics

Main article: List of participating nations at the Summer Olympic Games

[edit] Nations at the Winter Olympics

Main article: List of participating nations at the Winter Olympic Games

[edit] Host nations and cities

Main article: List of Olympic Games host cities

See also: List of Olympic medals by host nation

[edit] See also

[edit] Footnotes

[edit] References

[edit] Further reading

[edit] External links

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