The Olympics originated in ancient Greece where only men could compete in sports like boxing, long jump, and wrestling. Nearly 1500 years later, the modern Olympics were revived by Pierre de Coubertin in 1896. The first modern Olympics had 285 athletes from 13 countries compete in athletics, swimming, and other sports. Key symbols of the Olympics include the Olympic rings representing the five continents and the Olympic flame that is lit during each opening ceremony.

1. Olympic Games’
History

2. Introduction
• The Olympics are a major international event, with summer
sports and winter, when thousands of athletes participate in
various competitions.

3. Ancient Olympics
• Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia,
Greece, the eighth century BC to fifth century AD.
• Only men could participate.

4. The Sports of Ancient Olympics
• The sports held in the Olympic Games of classical times,
were the: boxing, the pentathlon, dart, long jump, race,
wrestling, rowing, equestrian races and running messengers
and trumpeters.

5. The Modern Olympics
• Fifteen centuries after their extinction, the Games were
restored thanks to the efforts of the French educator Pierre
de Fredi, Baron de Coubertin.
• Two years after the Baron de Coubertin launched his idea at
a conference in Paris and set up the IOC, held in 1896, the
first Games of the modern era, with the participation of 285
athletes from 13 countries.

6. Sports of the Modern Olympics
• Some of the famous Olympics' sports are:
• Athletics;
• Kayaking;
• Football;
• Gymnastics;
• Volleyball;
• Pentathlon;
• Swimming;
• ...

7. Symbols
• The Olympic flag with five interlocking rings on a white
background, was designed in 1914 by Baron de Coubertin, the
color of each ring representing a continent: blue, Europe;
yellow, Asian, black, African, green, Australia; and red
America.
• Another tradition of the Olympic Games is to carry the
Olympic flame, in rotation to the location of the Games.
The flame is extinguished only in the closing ceremony of the
Games.

8. Biblioraphy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games;
Google Images;
http://olimpiadas.com.sapo.pt/home.htm;
http://www.quadrodemedalhas.com/olimpiadas/historia
dos-jogos-olimpicos.htm;
http://www.superdicas.com.br/milenio/olimpico.asp.