Olympics

The Ancient Olympic Games officially began in 776 BC and were held until 393 AD, and were a series of sporting events and athletic competitions between various city-states of Ancient Greece.

The Olympics were held every four years, a period of time which was coined an Olympiad. It is believed that the ancient Greeks kept track of time in Olympiads, rather than year long periods like those common today. The Ancient Olympics were the first historical occurrence of athletic nudity, when the Greek word for naked ‘gymnos' was coined - a word that has evolved into the English word ‘gymnasium'.

Olympic Competitors

Only men who spoke Greek were allowed to compete in the Ancient Olympic Games. They were however not restricted to citizens of Olympia, and eventually competitors came from as far as the shores of the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The Olympic Games originally consisted of one event, the ‘stadion', a short sprint of between 180 and 240 metres - the length of the stadium. 

Olympic Sports

For the subsequent 200 years or so, three other running events were added to the Games, but it wasn't until after 520 BC that non-athletics sporting events became part of the Olympics. Over the years, forms of boxing, wrestling, martial arts, chariot racing, long jump, javelin throw and discus throw were added (although the latter three were 3/5^th of a pentathlon, not separate events).

Men Only!

The Ancient Olympics saw only male competitors allowed in the Games, except for equestrian events where women could enter horses for chariot races. It is thought that only unmarried women and the high priestesses that lit the candles were permitted to watch the Games.

The International Olympic Committee

After fifteen centuries of dormancy, the Olympics were inaugurated as the Modern Olympic Games in 1896. The International Olympic Committee (IOC), a professional body that still stands today, was founded in 1894 by French nobleman Pierre de Coubertin. de Coubertin re-invented the Games as a tribute to ancient Grecian athleticism and to promote international competition. Today, the IOC consists for 205 individual National Olympic Committees from almost every corner of the globe, and is the key organiser and decision-maker of everything Olympic.

Olympic Emblem

The Olympic logo of five rings was designed by de Coubertin in 1913 and adopted in 1914 as the official Olympic emblem. It was first used in the next Olympic Games in Antwerp 1920. The colour rings were chosen to represent the world congress of 1914, five parts of the world which had chosen to adhere to the ideals of healthy international competition. 

Olympic Medals

The Olympic Medals are 70mm in diameter, and 6mm thick. The first place prize is not wholly comprised of gold, instead it is mostly silver, plated in at least 6 grams of gold. In the Ancient Games, the first place winner was given an olive wreath on his head for his achievements, while second and third place winners received nothing. Palm branches and woollen ribbons were also given before medals were introduced.

New Zealand and the Olympics

New Zealand first participated in the Olympic Games in 1908, as part of an Australasian team with Australia, and has sent athletes to every Olympics since then. New Zealand first competed as an independent country in 1920.

For most of the 20^th century, New Zealand sent a very small Olympic team to each Games. For the first thirty years until the 1950s, New Zealand took home less than one medal each Games, with zero medals won in London 1948. Kiwis began to gain ground in Helsinki 1952, winning 3 medals, and our team hovered under five medals per Games for the next thirty years.

The 1980s saw New Zealand's most successful Olympic decade to date. The New Zealand Olympic team took home a smashing 11 medals in Los Angeles 1984, 8 of them gold, and 13 total medals in Seoul 1988. New Zealand remained strong in Barcelona 1992 with 10 medals, but has since dwindled back down to an average of 5 medals each Games for the Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 Games.

The New Zealand team is extremely strong for Beijing 2008, with many Olympic athletes eyeing up the top spot on the podium this year. Which Kiwi competitors will take home the gold? Make sure you're checking the Olympic Medals tally daily throughout the 2008 Games to find out who has made our country proud.

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Sports images from Flickr: Neon Brights, Yachts and Cricket.