What was the first competition in olympic games

The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in In the opening ceremony, King Georgios I and a crowd of 60, spectators welcomed participants from 12 nations all male , who would compete in 43 events, including track and field, gymnastics, swimming, wrestling, cycling, tennis, weightlifting, shooting and fencing.

The official symbol of the modern Games is five interlocking colored rings, representing the continents of North and South America, Asia, Africa, Europe and Australia. The Olympic flag, featuring this symbol on a white background, flew for the first time at the Antwerp Games in Some 3, athletes with more than women among them from 44 nations competed that year, and for the first time the Games featured a closing ceremony. The Winter Olympics debuted that year, including such events as figure skating, ice hockey, bobsledding and the biathlon.

Eighty years later, when the Summer Olympics returned to Athens for the first time in more than a century, nearly 11, athletes from a record countries competed. In a gesture that joined both ancient and modern Olympic traditions, the shotput competition that year was held at the site of the classical Games in Olympia.

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Modern Olympic history is full of heart-thumping victories and painful defeats. From Athens to Rio, in the The Winter Olympics are an international sports competition held every four years. The event, also called the Winter Games, includes cold-weather events on snow skiing, snowboarding, biathlon and ice figure skating, hockey, speed skating, curling, bobsled, luge, skeleton.

With icy conditions, slick surfaces and freezing temperatures, technological innovation is especially important for the athletes and organizers of the Winter Olympics.

From an all-weather torch to a souped-up bobsled, check out some of the many inventions the Games have Although inspired by the ancient Greeks, the Olympic marathon is a thoroughly modern invention. When the Olympic Committee announced that Squaw Valley would be the Funny Fill-In.

Amazing Animals. Weird But True! Party Animals. Try This! Explore More. Kelly Holmes of Great Britain shows off her gold medal for winning the women's meter race during the Athens Summer Olympics in Greece. An illustration of Olympia, the site of the ancient Greek Olympics. Women Heroes. African American Heroes.

Native Americans. History Learn about historical events and famous people from the past. With the rise of Rome, the Olympics declined, and in A. At a conference on international sport in Paris in June , Coubertin again raised the idea, and the 79 delegates from nine countries unanimously approved his proposal. In Athens, participants from 13 nations competed in 43 events, covering track-and-field, swimming, gymnastics, cycling, wrestling, weightlifting, fencing, shooting, and tennis.

All the competitors were men, and a few of the entrants were tourists who stumbled upon the Games and were allowed to sign up. The track-and-field events were held at the Panathenaic Stadium, which was originally built in B. Americans won nine out of 12 of these events.

The Olympics also featured the first marathon competition, which followed the mile route run by a Greek soldier who brought news of a victory over the Persians from Marathon to Athens in B. In , the marathon was standardized at 26 miles and yards.

In , the first truly successful Olympic Games were held in Paris, involving more than 3, athletes, including more than women, from 44 nations. The first Winter Olympic Games were also held that year. In , Coubertin retired. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the foremost international sports competition. At the Summer Olympics in Sydney, more than 10, athletes from countries competed, including nearly 4, women.

In , the Summer Olympics returned to Athens, with more than 11, athletes competing from countries. In a proud moment for Greeks and an exciting one for spectators, the shotput competition was held at the site of the classical Games in Olympia.

But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! The German air force launches Operation Castigo, the bombing of Belgrade, on April 6, , as 24 divisions and 1, tanks drive into Greece.