The Olympic Games

History

The Olympic Games began as a festival in ancient Greece where rival nation states came together to compete against each other. These games were held every four years at Olympia to honour the Greek God Zeus, and included athletics, music and even poetry.

When Rome came to power in the 4th century AD, the ancient Olympics were suspended by Emperor Theodosius I of Rome.

Modern games

The modern games were re-established in Athens in 1896. To organise these Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was established.

The Olympics have grown over the years and today 203 countries participate. There are summer and winter events separated by two years, and the Games themselves are held in different locations.

Cities compete to host the Olympics and the decision is made by the IOC. Hosting the Olympics is considered to be a great honour and can provide the host city with many benefits.

Paralympic Games

In 1948, a sports competition was held in Stoke Mandeville, England, for World War II veterans with spinal cord injuries. Four years later, competitors from the Netherlands joined the games and an international movement was born. Olympic style games for athletes with a disability, now called the Paralympics, were organized for the first time in Rome in 1960.

Today, the Paralympics are elite sport events for athletes from six different disability groups, emphasising the participants' athletic achievements and not their disability. The Paralympic Games have always been held in the same year and in the same place as the Olympic Games.

Source: www.paralympic.org