History of Olympics
“I’m Number One”
Every four years numerous athletes from around the world come to compete in the coveted Olympic Games. But these 10,500 athletes just from the London Olympic Games, are not the same as the 241 that competed in the very first Olympics in Athens (Olympic Games). The Games themselves also are completely different. The intent of these participants and the countries they descend from are much different. Once a celebration of the Gods, this old-time worship ceremony has been brought into the modern world as something utterly different. In the first year of the modern revival of the games, it was not an expectation for the athletes to compete in honor of the Greek gods. At the time, it was meant to bring a country glory. As time went on however, that honorable purpose became warped and twisted. No longer was it about the country from any standpoint. Athletes sought personal glory while countries were more focused on entertaining their viewers. Now the intent, along with so many traditions had completely been altered. Though the original intent of The Olympic Games was to bring the represented country glory, over time it seems to have become more about entertainment and individual performance over time.
Almost everyone turns on the television every four years to partake in the viewing of one of their favorite sporting events being contested at the Olympics. Why? For entertainment of course. Most see no issue with this, but in fact, entertainment is now what drives these beloved Olympic Games. At first glance, this may seem false, but once one delves deeper into the true spirit of the Olympics, more is revealed. One of the biggest controversies regarding this topic is the actual events seen in the Games. Sports that lose interest over time can be removed from the schedule for that reason alone. There is even a board of people who have the power to eliminate an event. The International Olympic Committee, or IOC, for short, is held responsible for
Every four years numerous athletes from around the world come to compete in the coveted Olympic Games. But these 10,500 athletes just from the London Olympic Games, are not the same as the 241 that competed in the very first Olympics in Athens (Olympic Games). The Games themselves also are completely different. The intent of these participants and the countries they descend from are much different. Once a celebration of the Gods, this old-time worship ceremony has been brought into the modern world as something utterly different. In the first year of the modern revival of the games, it was not an expectation for the athletes to compete in honor of the Greek gods. At the time, it was meant to bring a country glory. As time went on however, that honorable purpose became warped and twisted. No longer was it about the country from any standpoint. Athletes sought personal glory while countries were more focused on entertaining their viewers. Now the intent, along with so many traditions had completely been altered. Though the original intent of The Olympic Games was to bring the represented country glory, over time it seems to have become more about entertainment and individual performance over time.
Almost everyone turns on the television every four years to partake in the viewing of one of their favorite sporting events being contested at the Olympics. Why? For entertainment of course. Most see no issue with this, but in fact, entertainment is now what drives these beloved Olympic Games. At first glance, this may seem false, but once one delves deeper into the true spirit of the Olympics, more is revealed. One of the biggest controversies regarding this topic is the actual events seen in the Games. Sports that lose interest over time can be removed from the schedule for that reason alone. There is even a board of people who have the power to eliminate an event. The International Olympic Committee, or IOC, for short, is held responsible for
Cited: Cole, Adam. "Olympic Bodies: They Just Don 't Make Them Like They Used To." npr.org. National Public Radio, 2013. Web. 5 March 2013. “Fencer Mariel Zagunis Selected as Flag Bearer for 2012 U.S. Olympic Team.” teamusa.org. United States Olympic Committee, 2013. Web. 11 May 2013. Nosotro, Rit. “The Olympic Games.” hyperhistory.net. Hyper History, 2010. Web. 11 April 2013. “Oscar Pistorius Makes Olympic History in 400m at London 2012.” bbc.co.uk. BBC, 2013. Web. 11 May 2013. Ryan. “A Standard, B Standard...Who gets in to the Olympic Games?.” flotrack.org. Flotrack, 2013. Web. 12 May 2013. Schwartz, Larry. “Owens Pierced A Myth.” espn.go.org. ESPN, 2013. Web. 12 May 2013. Soltis, Greg. “Olympic Events Through History.” livescience.com. LiveScience, 2012. Web. 11 April 2013. “The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.” olympicschool.ca. Canadian Olympic Committee, 2013. Web. 12 May 2013. “Usain Bolt Declares Himself the 'Greatest ' Athlete.” bbc.co.uk. BBC, 2013. Web. 11 May 2013.