The Origin of the Olympic Games

By: Avery Calvert

Now one of the most beloved international sports competitions, the Olympic Games have a long and somewhat surprising history. In ancient Greece, the purpose of the Games was to honor the god Zeus. The first documented Olympic Games was held in 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. At that time, the only competition was a footrace. Throughout the decades more events were added such as diaulos (similar to a 400 meter race), a long-distance race, wrestling, and a pentathlon. In 393 AD, Theodosius I, a Christian emperor, banned the Games because of their association with pagan worship. From 776 BC to 393 AD, the Olympics took place all over Greece.

In 1896, Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games. Inspired by the ancient Games, he founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in hopes of bringing the world together through sports. This first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens, Greece to commemorate the origins of the games. Two hundred eighty male athletes from twelve different countries decided to participate. Interestingly, Hungary was the only country to send a formal national team; most athletes were financially well-off college students participating because of the esteem of the Games.

This year the Summer Olympics is being held in Paris, France. It starts today at 12:30 pm central time. Five hundred and ninety-two US athletes will be participating this year with 314 female athletes and 278 male athletes participating. This makes the Paris Olympics the first time the US team has achieved gender parity. We hope that everyone stays tuned not only to the Olympics, but also to our Instagram page to check out our athlete highlights!