The first modern Olympics were held more than 100 years ago
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Before the first modern Olympics, did you know, the first-ever Olympic Games in history took place in Greece in 776 BCE?
The ancient Games were held every four years in honour of the Greek god Zeus. Records from the ancient Games show the names of some early champions. For example, there was a wrestler named Milon who won six Olympic championships. Another famous name was a runner named Leonidas. The ancient Games continued until the Roman emperor Theodosius I stopped them in 393 CE.
After that, for the next 1,500 years, there were no Olympics.
Then, in the late 1800s, a Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin worked to revive them. It led to the first modern Olympics in 1896, which was held in Greece. This was the Summer Olympics.
Pierre de Coubertin also introduced the motto of the modern Olympics: Citius, Altius, Fortius which means “Faster, higher, stronger”.
Then, in 1924 the first Winter Olympic Games started. After that, in 1932, athletes began staying at a single place, called the Olympic Village, during the Games.
Since the first modern Olympics, for about 80 years, only amateur athletes took part in the Games. Amateur athletes do not get paid to play sports. Later on, in the 1970s, professional athletes were allowed to take part.
The basic difference between the ancient and modern Olympics is that the former was saluting their gods. But the modern Games are a manner of saluting the athletic talents of citizens of all nations.
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