A Brief History of the Olympics

MissWight
 Olympia, Greece
• First settledduringthe3rd millenniumBC.
• 776BC. issaidtobetheyear of thefirst Olympic
games.
• Thefirst Olympicgameswereheldin honor of the
Greek God, Zeus.
 Ancient Olympic Games

• Slavesandwomen werenot permittedto

watch.
• A competitor hadtobeafree, unpunished
Greek.
• Competitorsdidnot win money, but were
given great honor.
• If caught cheating, thecompetitor hadto
commission astatueof Zeus.
 The Games
• Diaulos: two-staderace(400meters)
• Dolichos: about 5km.
• Hoplitodromos:
runningin full or
partial armor.
• Pygme: boxing
• Pale: wrestling
• Pankration: full-contact
fighting
• Chariot Racing
• Pentathalon: wrestling, longjump, javelin
throw, anddiscusthrow.
 Honor of the Olympics

• Theawardceremony took placeon thelast

day of theOlympicGames.
• Theheraldannouncedthenameof the
winner, hisfather’
sname, andhomeland.
• Each winner receivedan olivewreath.
 Olympic Art
• Sculptors, poets, andother artisansdisplayedtheir
worksat thegames.
• Poetswerecommissionedto
writeprosein honor of winners.
• Sculptorscreatedworksthat
highlightednatural human
movement.
• TheOlympicsbecamean
artisticcompetition.

Myron’
sDiscbolus
Karl Hein

• Carpenter
• German Athlete
• Goldmedalist in thehammer
throwduringthe1936Summer
Olympics(Berlin, Germany).
• Brokeaworldrecordin hammer
throwingthat wasthen heldfor
24years.
James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens
• AttendedOhioState
University andwasknown
asthe“BuckeyeBullet.”
• American Track andField
Athlete
• Participatedin the1936
Summer Olympics(Berlin,
Germany).
• AchievedInternational
Fameby winningfour gold
medals.
 Wilma Rudolph

• Tutoredat homebecauseshewas
crippleduntil theageof 12.
• Playedbasketball in high school.
• Participatedin track andfield
eventsat TennesseeState
University.
• Wasthefirst woman towin three
Olympicgoldmedalsat the1960
Summer Olympics(Rome, Italy).
Norma Enriqueta Basillo

• Mexican Athlete
• Consideredthebest femaleathlete
of her time.
• First woman toever light the
OlympicCauldron.
• Participatedin the1968Summer
Olympics(MexicoCity, Mexico).
 Jackie Joyner

• American Athlete
• Attended University of Californiaat LosAngeles.
• Ranked amongtheall-timegreatest athletesin thewomen'sheptathlon and long
jump.
• Won atotal of threegold, onesilver, and two bronzeOlympicmedals.
• Competed in the1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996Summer Olympics.
 Bibliography
Please contact me for a list of my resources.
stacie.wight@wilkes.edu