The Olympics began in ancient Greece as a way to honor the god Zeus. They have since grown into a massive international event held every two years, alternating between Summer and Winter games. The Olympics feature competition across dozens of sports and are viewed by billions worldwide. A key symbol of the Olympics is the interlocking rings on a white background, representing the global reach of the games. Host cities are chosen to hold the events and showcase their facilities to the world.

1. The Olympics
How did they start are why are they
so popular?

2. What are the Olympics?
• The Olympics are a game which was founded in
Olympia, Greece, back in the 8th Century BC.
• The games are held every two years, alternating
between summer and winter Olympics.
• The Olympics mostly consist of athletic games, and
there are about 40 sports played in the Olympics
every year.
• In the 2008 Olympics, there was about 3.2 billion
viewers who watch the Olympics from their TV’s.

3. The Olympic rings
Ever since the modern Olympics started, the Olympic rings have been their sign.
These rings were designed by Pierre de Coubertin in 1912. They show five rings
all connected. The colors are blue, yellow, black, green, and red, all on a white
background. The colors were picked because all of the colors came from the 5
parts of the world which had won an Olympic metal in the past, and which were
now still involved in the Olympics.

4. The Medals
The Olympic Metals are awarded for winning 1st, 2nd, of 3rd Place in the
Olympics. The metals are different every 4 years, depending on the country which is
hosting the Olympics. The Olympic metals above were given in Beijing, China, in
2008. The 2nd place and 3rd place are pure Bronze and silver, but the gold medal is
just gold plated. The last pure gold medal was Given in the 2012 Olympics.

5. The Games
• There are many sports played in the Olympics. These are
some games played in the summer Olympics:
• Archery Athletics
• Badminton Basketball
• Boxing Fencing
• Field hockey Football
• Handball Table tennis
• Tennis Triathlon
• Weightlifting

6. The games
• These are some of the games played in the winter Olympics:
• Figure Skating Speed Skating
• Short Track Speed Skating Ice Hokey
• Curing Cross Country
• Alpine Skiing Ski Jumping
• Free Style Skiing Snowboarding
• Biathlon: Luge Bobsleigh Skeleton

7. Ancient Olympic Games
• The games were originally held in honor of Zeus.
• Only free-men who spoke Greek could compete in the games.
• The games did not travel. They were held in Olympia, Greece every four years.
• The winner had his name written in the official Olympic Record, and they were crowned
with a olive wreath.
• If a married woman tried to enter the stadium during the games, they would be killed.
• The ancient Olympic sports were:
• Boxing Discus (part of Pentathlon)
• Equestrian Events Javelin (part of Pentathlon)
• Jumping Pankration
• Pentathlon Running
• Wrestling
• They Lasted 776 BC to 393 AD

8. What happens after the games?
• After the Olympics are gone and over, the stadium is
used for other things. Sometimes the stadium is
opened to the public, but other times they are
opened for people to train in and to prepare for the
next Olympics.
• The stadiums can be used for things non-athletic as
well. Some stadiums become used for Conference
Halls, public events, or other things that the owners
of the stadium would want to do with it.

9. Which Cities have hosted the
Olympics?
• The Olympics are always hosted in a city. The Olympic Board, who choses
the city doesn’t like to choose a certain country. They do not announce
the Olympics as ‘the 2012 England Olympics.’ They announce it as the
2012 London Olympics.
• Here are some of the cities that have hosted the Olympics in the past:
City, Country Season Year
Seoul, South Korea Summer 1988
Barcelona, Spain Summer 1992
Atlanta, United States Summer 1996
Sydney, Australia Summer 2000
Athens, Greece Summer 2004
Beijing, China Summer 2008
London, England Summer 2012