The document provides an overview of key symbols and traditions of the Modern Olympic Games, including: 1) The Olympic rings represent the union of the five continents and meeting of the world's athletes. 2) The Olympic Oath is taken by one athlete and judge to represent all competitors and officials and promise fair play and adherence to rules. 3) The Olympic flag features the rings on a white background to symbolize peace and universality.

1. The Modern Olympic Games

2. Physical Department
2 The Modern Olympic Games
Index:
1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................................................1
2. What do the Olympic rings mean?....................................................................................................... 2
3. The Olympic Oath................................................................................................................................ 3
4. Rings and Flag....................................................................................................................................... 4
5. Anthem...................................................................................................................................................5
6. Motto ..................................................................................................................................................... 6
7. Release of Doves..........................................................................................................................................7
THE MODERN OLYMPIC GAMES
1. INTRODUCTION
It wasn't until after efforts by French Baron Pierre De Coubertin and the Greek
Dimitrios Vikelas that the games were
brought back to life after nearly 1500
years in the wilderness. P. Coubertin
believed that sport was a very strong
power that could inspire a feeling of unity
and peace among the many nations of the
world. He believed that this desire could
be brought about with the revival of the
Olympic Games.
After an unsuccessful attempt at reviving
the games, he finally achieved his
ambition. In 1894 at an international
congress, which was actually devised for the study of amateur sports, he voiced
his view on the revival of the Olympic Games, and was delighted when the other
countries participating in the congress agreed with him. The International
Olympic Committee (IOC) was founded that year.
Held in Athens in 1896 at the Panatheniac Stadium, the games heralded a
welcomed return to the original beliefs and virtues of the ancient games. With
competitors from 14 nations, the games commenced on April 6th and came to a
climax on 15th April. There were 43 events, which were competed in by 245
athletes, all of whom were male.
Probably the biggest cheer of the 1896 Olympics was when a Greek Sheppard,
Spiridon Louis, was victorious in the most popular of all events, the marathon.
The athletes from the United States were also big winners in these games,
winning 9 events.
What is even more remarkable regarding this is that their Olympic squad barely
made it to Athens in time to compete.
The Olympics have taken place every four years, since the first games in 1896.
However, even the ideals of the Olympic Truce could not prevent the games
being cancelled during the first and second world wars. The games cancelled
were the 1916 Olympics, due to be held in Berlin, the 1940 games to be held in
Tokyo and the 1944 games to be held in Helsinki.

3. Physical Department
3 The Modern Olympic Games
The Winter Olympic Games were introduced in 1924, and also took place every
four years. However, it wasn't until 1992 that it was decided that the Olympic
and Winter Olympic games would not take place in the same calendar year. The
Winter Games were moved forward two years to 1994, and would continue to
take place at four-year intervals.
Since the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, the games have
continued to grow throughout the years and more and more nations have been
taking part, as well as more events being included. During the 1896 games, 14
nations took part. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 199 nations took part. In 1896
there were 245 athletes (all male), in 2000 there were 10,651 (4069 women and
6582 men). And in 1896 there were 43 events, compared to the 300 events at
the 2000 Olympics.
1.1. What do the Olympic rings mean?
The colours of the interlinked Olympic rings were chosen by the International
Olympic Committee (IOC) , to
represent the union of the 5 continents
, Australia , Africa , America , Asia and
Europe and further signify the meeting
of the worlds athletes at the Olympic
Games.
The plain white background of the
Olympic flag is symbolic of peace throughout the games .
The five colors of the rings from left to right are blue, black and red across the
top with yellow and green along the bottom , these colors may be found on most
flags of the world and officially hold no other particular significance , although
some believe each color represents a particular continent
Blue
=Europe
Yellow
=Asia
Black
=Africa
Green
=Australia
Red
=America
1.2. The Olympic Oath
The Olympic Oath is taken by one athlete and one judge from the home nation
during the Opening Ceremony of every Olympics, acting on behalf of all the
competitors and judges. Since 1984, this has been taken while holding a corner
of the Olympic flag. Until then, the national flag of the home nation was used.
The oath was first taken by an athlete in 1920. Originally, this was primarily a
declaration that all the athletes were
amateurs. The wording has been revised
considerably over the years, however;
amateurism is no longer a general
requirement, and a specific reference to
doping was added in 2000. The current
form is:
In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic
Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a

4. Physical Department
4 The Modern Olympic Games
sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory
of sport and the honor of our teams."
The oath was first taken by a referee in 1972. The current form of that oath is:
"In the name of all the judges and officials, I promise that we shall officiate in these
Olympic Games with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules which
govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship."
1.3. Flag
The Olympic flag places the Olympic rings on a white background. As every
national flag in the world contains at least one of the flag's six colors (black,
blue, green, red, yellow, white), this further symbolizes the universality of the
Olympics.
The Olympic rings and flag were designed by de Coubertin after the 1912 Games
in Stockholm. Those Games were the first to include athletes from all five
continents. The rings were going to be used in the 1916 Games, but those games
were cancelled because of World War I, so the rings made their debut in the
1920 Games in Antwerp, Belgium.
1.4. Anthem
The Olympic Anthem was written for the first modern Games in 1896,
composed by Spyros Samaras to lyrics written by Kostas Palmas. Each
subsequent Olympics through 1956 had its own musical composition, played as
the Olympic flag was raised during the Opening Ceremony. From the 1960
Games onward, the Samaras/Palamas work has been the official anthem played
at every Olympics.
The English translation of the anthem is as follows:
Immortal spirit of antiquity
Father of the true, beautiful and
good,
Descend, appear, shed over us thy
light
Upon this ground and under this sky
Which has first witnessed thy
imperishable fame
Give life and animation to those
noble games!
Throw wreaths of fadeless flowers to
the victors
In the race and in the strife!
Create in our breasts, hearts of steel!
In thy light, plains, mountains and
seas
Shine in a roseate hue and form a
vast temple
To which all nations throng to adore
thee,
Oh immortal spirit of antiquity!
1.5. Motto

5. Physical Department
5 The Modern Olympic Games
The Olympic motto is Citius—Altius—Fortius,
which is Latin for "faster, higher, stronger." The
intended meaning is that one's focus should be on
bettering one's achievements, rather than on
coming in first.
The motto has been with the Games from the
foundation of the International Olympic
Committee in 1894. It was proposed by the father
of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, who got it from a speech
given by a friend of his, Henri Didon, a Dominican priest and principal of an
academy that used sports as part of its educational program.
1.6. Release of Doves
After the cauldron is lit, doves are released, as a symbol
of peace. This was first done in the 1896 Olympics, and
then in the 1920 Olympics. Since 1920, this has been an
official part of the Opening Ceremony of the Summer
Games. They are generally not released during the Winter Games, because it's
too cold for the birds, but symbolic substitutions are sometimes used. In the
1994 Winter Games, for example, white balloons were released.
The order—first lighting the cauldron, then releasing the doves—is important. In
the 1988 Seoul Games, they tried it the other way around. Unfortunately, many
of the doves were in the area of the cauldron just before it burst into flames,
leading to their unexpected demise.