olympic games information

The ancient Olympic Games were primarily a part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the father of the Greek gods and goddesses. The festival and the games were held in Olympia , a rural sanctuary site (model shown here, courtesy of the British Museum) in the western Peloponnesos.


The Greeks that came to the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia shared the same religious beliefs and spoke the same language. The athletes were all male citizens of the city-states from every corner of the Greek world, coming from as far away as Iberia (Spain) in the west and the Black Sea (Turkey) in the east.

The sanctuary was named in antiquity after Mt. Olympos , the highest mountain in mainland Greece. In Greek mythology, Mt. Olympos was the home of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses.

The ancient Olympic Games began in the year 776 BC, when Koroibos, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadion race, a foot race 600 feet long. The stadion track at Olympia is shown here. According to some literary traditions, this was the only athletic event of the games for the first 13 Olympic festivals or until 724 BC. From 776 BC, the Games were held in Olympia every four years for almost 12 centuries.

Contrary evidence, both literary and archaeological, suggests that the games may have existed at Olympia much earlier than this date, perhaps as early as the 10th or 9th century BC.



What's that, you ask?

A series of bronze tripods have been found at Olympia, some of which may date to the 9th century BC, and it has been suggested that these tripods may in fact be prizes for some of the early events at Olympia. Source: Deutsches Archaologisches Institut, Athen



The marathon was NOT an event of the ancient Olympic games. The marathon is a modern event that was first introduced in the Modern Olympic Games of 1896 in Athens, a race from Marathon northeast of Athens to the Olympic Stadium, a distance of 40 kilometers.

The race commemorates the run of Pheidippides, an ancient "day-runner" who carried the news of the Persian landing at Marathon of 490 B.C. to Sparta (a distance of 149 miles) in order to enlist help for the battle. According to the fifth century B.C.ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides delivered the news to the Spartans the next day.

The distance of the modern marathon was standardized as 26 miles 385 yards or 42.195 km. in 1908 when the Olympic Games were held in London. The distance was the exact measurement between Windsor Castle, the start of the race, and the finish line inside White City Stadium.


NUDITY AT THE GAMES?

There are two stories relating to the question of nudity at the ancient Olympic Games. One story states that it was a runner from Megara, Orsippos or Orrhippos who, in 720 B.C. was the first to run naked in the stadion race when he lost his shorts in the race. Another tradition is that it was the Spartans who introduced nudity to the Olympic Games in the 8th century B.C. as it was a Spartan tradition. It is not clear if the very first recorded victor at Olympia, Koroibos, who won the stadion race in 776 B.C. wore shorts or not. It seems fairly clear that by the late 8th century nudity was common for the male contestants.


FROM ANCIENT TO MODERN

Although the ancient Games were staged in Olympia, Greece, from 776 BC through 393 AD, it took 1503 years for the Olympics to return. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. The man responsible for its rebirth was a Frenchman named Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who presented the idea in 1894. His original thought was to unveil the modern Games in 1900 in his native Paris, but delegates from 34 countries were so enthralled with the concept that they convinced him to move the Games up to 1896 and have Athens serve as the first host.


THE OLYMPIC FLAME

The idea of the Olympic torch or Olympic Flame was first inaugurated in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam. There was no torch relay in the ancient Olympic Games. There were known, however, torch relays in other ancient Greek athletic festivals including those held at Athens. The modern Olympic torch relay was first instituted at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

The Olympic Oath was introduced in 1920.

BEIJING - On a sweltering Sunday afternoon at iconic Tiananmen Square, 600 years of history gave way to the dizzying changes of the new China.

An ant-like stream of humanity flooded the plaza to take photographs in front of a giant rotating sign promoting the 2008 Summer Olympics that open Friday in this sprawling city of more than 15 million.

A few also posed by the mausoleum of Mao Zedong, the father of the People's Republic. But most came to the world's largest public space to have their smiling mugs commemorated with the Olympic sign and a bed of freshly cut flowers spelling the Games' motto, "One World, One Dream."

Even a foreigner, or wai guo ren, attracted more photo ops than anything the Ming Dynasty and Chairman Mao could offer.

"Welcome to China!" two sisters from Hunan province said. "May we take a photo with you?"

Others made similar requests, saying they want to welcome visitors for the Beijing Games.

"Excited?" asked Du Sha, a Beijing jade exporter. "Everybody is happy the Olympics are coming."

With the Beijing Games four days away, the city's inhabitants are embracing the spectacle in a way few residents have in recent Olympics. Whereas the Greeks and Italians were decidedly indifferent as hosts of the 2004 and 2006 Games, the Chinese hardly can contain their enthusiasm.

Concerns about the Chinese government's handling of the Games don't seem to worry much of the Chinese population. Worldwide, the

focus has been on the failure so far to deliver clean air for the athletes (stifling pollution returned Sunday night after a brief respite); the government's broken promise to provide unfettered Internet access for reporters; and concerns about human rights, Tibet and Darfur.

Instead, getting tickets to see the Games is a top priority. With almost all events sold out, most Chinese won't actually witness the history-making moment for the world's most populous country. 'It's frustrating for us," Beijing resident He Bailing said. "But it won't stop us from enjoying it."

Perhaps echoing He's sentiment, thousands crammed a prime vantage point Saturday to watch fireworks shot into the sultry night during a rehearsal of the opening ceremony, set for Friday night. With so much interest, the Chinese government has called upon thousands of troops and city volunteers to ensure a secure and well-organized event. Almost 20,000 volunteers will work at Beijing subway stations alone, Games organizers said.

With an unprecedented $40 billion spent for an event that has less to do with swim star Michael Phelps than it does with the transformation of China, the enthusiasm among Beijingers is understandable. Orville Schell, a China expert who is the former dean of the UC-Berkeley graduate school of journalism, said in a recent roundtable discussion that the Olympic hosts want nothing less than worldwide respect. He says the Chinese are trying to overcome "100 years of humiliation" at the hands of the West.

But "it is doubtful that any one single event, no matter how global, iconic and well-executed, can succeed in healing such deep historical wounds," Schell added.

But the Olympics might ease feelings of inferiority - on the fields of competition and elsewhere. Although it made its Olympic debut only 24 years ago, at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, China is favored to overtake the United States as the gold-medal winner this month.

But the Communist leadership understands it might take more than a victory in the medal count to safeguard its investment.

"The Games are very short, but what is left behind will last," China Premier Wen Jiabao promised Sunday while meeting with some of China's athletes.

A businesswoman from Tianjin province, like most Chinese interviewed Sunday, said she hopes Wen is right. But even more important to her was getting a glimpse of one famous basketball player at the Olympic park, in the northern part of the city.

"I'm going to look for Yao Ming," she said while riding on a bus.

Hundreds of centuries ago, the Mings built Tiananmen Square as an addition to the sweeping grounds of the Forbidden City. But in the new China, a 7-foot-6 Ming in basketball shoes is the one who holds court.

http://www.mercurynews.com/sportsheadlines/ci_10091221?nclick_check=1

The Main Press Center is pleased to invite foreign accredited journalists to an exclusive presentation and visit to Quanjude Roast Duck Restaurant. We will watch the process of making roast ducks and have a taste.

Departure & Location:

16:00 p.m. Monday, 4 August, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, CAS, Beichen West Road, Chaoyang District.

Please confirm your attendance prior to 10:00 on Monday, 4 August by faxing your acknowledgment to 84371065.

Every media has a quota of 2 persons. First come, first served.

For registration and further details, please contact:

Ms. Liu Xiaohui Ms. Tang Hui

Telephone: 6662 5259 6662 5258

Fax: 8437 1065

The Main Press Center for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad is pleased to announce this media schedule for August 5 to 6. All press conferences will be held at the Press Conference Hall of the Main Press Center (MPC) on the Olympic Green.

On Tuesday, August 5 from 11:00 a.m. - noon there will be a news conference highlighting the featured music used during sports exhibitions and victory ceremonies during the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. This press conference will be held in Conference Room 1. Spokespersons from BOCOG Cultural Activities Department will brief you at this press conference and take your questions.

Contact & Telephone Lv Limin 13511077683

Also on Tuesday, from 14:00 to 15:00 in Press Conference Room 1, a news conference highlighting 'Wushu Tournament Beijing 2008' will take place. Spokespersons from General Administration of Sport will brief you at this press conference and take your questions.

Contact & Telephone Qin Ye 13911999733

On Wednesday, August 6 from 11:00 - noon there will be a news conference highlighting the preparation work for the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games. This press conference will be held in Conference Room 1. Spokespersons from BOCOG Opening & Closing Ceremonies will brief you at this press conference and take your questions.

Contact & Telephone Qiang Zhenmin 13426053567

Accredited journalists are kindly requested to take their Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card (OIAC) as a pass to enter though West Gate of the MPC.

Journalists who hold Vehicle Access and Parking Permits (VAPP) may park their cars in the MPC parking lot. Journalists who do not have VAPPs are recommended to take public transportation/taxi to the MPC.

E-Mail: pressconference@vip.sohu.com