Olympics

Ancient Olympics
Full of blood, passion and extraordinary feats of athletic
endeavour, the Olympic Games were the sporting, social and
cultural highlight of the Ancient Greek calendar for almost 12
centuries.
“It is hard for us to exaggerate how important the Olympics
were for the Greeks,” Paul Christesen, Professor of Ancient
Greek History at Dartmouth College, USA, said.

“The classic example is that when the Persians invaded

Greece in the summer of 480 (BC) a lot of the Greek city
states agreed that they would put together an allied army but
they had a very hard time getting one together because so
many people wanted to go to the Olympics. So, they actually
had to delay putting the army together to defend the country
against the Persians.”

The threat of invasion or not, the Games took place every four
years from 776BC to at least 393AD. All free Greek males
were allowed to take part, from farmhands to royal heirs,
although the majority of Olympians were soldiers. Women
could not compete or even attend. There was, however, a
loophole to this misogynistic rule – chariot owners, not riders,
were declared Olympic champions and anyone could own a
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chariot. Kyniska, daughter of a Spartan king, took advantage
of this, claiming victory wreaths in 396BC and 392BC.

At their heart, the Games were a religious festival and a good

excuse for Greeks from all over the Mediterranean basin to
gather for a riotous barbeque. On the middle day of the
festival a vast number of cows were slaughtered in honour of
Zeus, King of the Greek Gods – once he had been given a
small taste, the rest was for the people.

For the first 250-plus years all the action took place in the
sanctuary of Olympia, situated in the north-western
Peloponnese. Pock-marked by olive trees, from which the
victory wreaths were cut, and featuring an altar to Zeus, it was
a hugely scared spot.

The Games lasted a full five days by the fifth century BC and
saw running, jumping and throwing events plus boxing,
wrestling, pankration and chariot racing. At least 40,000
spectators would have packed the stadium each day at the
height of the Games’ popularity, in the second century AD,
with many more selling their wares outside.

Modern Olympics

The modern Olympic Games or Olympics are leading

international sporting events featuring summer and winter
sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from
around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The
Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports
competition with more than 200 nations participating. The
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Olympic Games are normally held every four years,
alternating between the summer and Winter Olympics every
two years in the four-year period.
Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic
Games, held in Olympia, Greece from the 8th century BC to
the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded
the International Olympic Committee  in 1894, leading to the
first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the
governing body of the Olympic Movement with the Olympic
Charter defining its structure and authority.

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 Tokyo 2020 Olympics
Tokyo was selected as the host city during the 125th IOC
Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on 7 September
2013. Originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to
9 August 2020, the event was postponed to 2021 in March
2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the first such
instance in the history of the Olympic Games. However, the
event retained the Tokyo 2020 name for marketing and
branding purposes. It was largely held behind closed
doors with no public spectators permitted due to the
declaration of a state of emergency in the Greater Tokyo
Area in response to the pandemic. The Summer
Paralympics will be held between 24 August and 5 September
2021, 16 days after the completion of the Olympics.
The 2020 Games were the fourth Olympic Games to be held
in Japan, following the Tokyo 1964 (summer), Sapporo
1972 (winter) and Nagano 1998 (winter) games. Tokyo was
the first city in Asia to hold the Summer Games twice. The
2020 Games were the second of three consecutive Olympics
to be held in East Asia, following the 2018 Winter
Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea and preceding
the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China.
New events were introduced in existing sports for 2020,
including 3x3 basketball, freestyle BMX and mixed gender
team events in a number of existing sports, as well as the
return of madison cycling for men and an introduction of the
same event for women. New IOC policies also allowed the
host organizing committee to add new sports to the Olympic
program for just one Game. The disciplines added by
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the Japanese Olympic
Committee were baseball and softball, karate, sport
climbing, surfing and skateboarding, the last four of which
made their Olympic debuts.
The United States topped the medal count by both total golds
(39) and total medals (113), with China finishing second by
both respects (38 and 88). Host nation Japan finished third,
setting a record for the most gold medals and total medals
ever won by their delegation at an Olympic Games with 27
and 58. Great Britain finished fourth, with a total of 22 gold
and 65 medals, becoming the first nation at the Summer
Olympics to increase or equal their total medals won in the
two Games subsequent to hosting them. The Russian
delegation competing as the ROC finished fifth with 20 gold
medals and third in the overall medal count, with 71
medals. Bermuda, the Philippines and Qatar won their first-
ever Olympic gold medals. Burkina Faso, San
Marino and Turkmenistan won their first-ever Olympic
medals.

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 India in Tokyo Olympics
India competed at the 2020 Summer
Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. Originally scheduled to take place
from 24 July to 9 August 2020, the games were postponed to
23 July to 8 August 2021, due to the COVID-19
pandemic. India has appeared in every edition of the Summer
Olympics since 1920, although it made its official debut at
the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. The nation sent its
largest-ever contingent of 126 competitors to the 2020 Games.
To date, the 2020 Summer Olympics are the most successful
Games for India since its first regular Olympics appearance in
1920, with Indian Olympians winning 7 medals (1gold, 2
silver and 4 bronze). The Indian contingent participated in a
record 69 events, and earned medals across 18 athletic
disciplines.
In the men's javelin throw, Neeraj Chopra won India's first-
ever gold medal in athletics, the nation's second ever
individual gold and first individual gold since
the Beijing 2008 Olympics, won by Abhinav
Bindra (Shooting). This was also India's first athletics medal
since its first Olympics appearance as an independent nation
in 1948, and its third overall after Norman Pritchard's silver
medals in 1900. Saikhom Mirabai Chanu won India's first-
ever silver in women's weightlifting (49 kg), becoming the
first Indian Olympic medallist in the sport since 2000,
while P. V. Sindhu won a bronze in women's badminton to
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became the first Indian female athlete and second Indian to
win two consecutive Olympic medals for individual events
(having won a silver in badminton in 2016). The men's
national field hockey team won the bronze medal, their first
Olympic medal since 1980. The men's 4 x 400m relay team
set a new Asian record of 3:00:25. Aditi Ashok in women's
golf and Deepak Punia in men's freestyle wrestling (86
kg) both placed fourth in final rankings, as did the women's
national field hockey team, which achieved its best
performance since its Olympics debut in 1980.
India participated in Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Boxing,
Equestrian, Fencing, Field Hockey, Golf, Gymnastics, Judo,
Rowing, Shooting, Sailing, Swimming, Table Tennis, Tennis,
Weightlifting, and Wrestling.

Legendary six-time world champion boxer MC Mary Kom and

men's hockey team captain Manpreet Singh were India's flag
bearers for the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics on
July 23. Wrestler Bajrang Punia was India's flag bearer during
the closing ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics 2020 on Sunday
(August 8) as the 16-day event came to a close. The Tokyo
2020 Games were declared closed by IOC chief Thomas
Bach, ending the pandemic-hit Games. The Olympic Flame
was slowly extinguished in the cauldron. 
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 Opening ceremony
The opening ceremony was held on 23 July 2021 in
the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo. It included the
traditional Parade of Nations. Emperor Naruhito formally
opened the Games, and at the end of the torch relay the
Olympic cauldron was lit by Japanese tennis player Naomi
Osaka.
For the first time in the 2020 Olympic Games, it was decided
that one male and one female in each country would take
turns holding flags and serve as two of them. This was done
by embodying the "Agenda 2020" set during President Bach's
term.
At 10:14 am Japan Emperor Naruhito officially declares the
2021 Olympic Games open.
At 10:20 am Olympic anthem and the raising of the Olympic
flag happens.
At 10:38 am the Olympic Flame arrives at the Olympic
Stadium.

At 10:46 am Naomi Osaka lights the Olympic cauldron.

At 10:48 am the cauldron has been lit.

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 Winners of Tokyo Olympics
Sport               men                        women 
                            Gold           Silver        Bronze          Gold          Silver        Bronze 
Archeryturkey Italy japan Korea Taipei Italy
Badmin Denmar china Indones china Taipei India
ton k ia
Basketb usa France Australi usa japan France
all a
Boxing brazil Ukrain Philippi Britain china Netherl
e nes ands
Fencing Hungar Italy Korea r.o.c r.o.c France
y
Hockey Belgiu Austral India Nether Argentina Britain
m ia lands
Footbal brazil Spain Mexico Canad Sweden usa
l a
Golf usa Slovak Taipei usa japan New Ze
ia aland
Gymna r.o.c japan china r.o.c usa Britain
stics
Handba France Denma Spain France r.o.c Norway
ll rk
Judo japan Taipei France Kosov japan Ukraine
o
Rowing France Nether china Roman New Zealand Netherl
lands ia ands

Sailing New Ze France china china France Britain

aland
Shootin Iran Serbia china r.o.c Bulgaria china
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g
Tennis German r.o.c Spain Switze Czech Ukraine
y rland
Table china china German China china japan
tennis y
Volleyb France r.o.c Argenti usa brazil Serbia
all na
Weightl china Indone Kazakh china India Indones
ifting sia stan ia
Wrestli r.o.c India Kazakh Germa usa turkey
ng stan ny
100 Italy usa Canada Jamaic Jamaica Jamaica
Meters a
4x100 Italy Britain Canada Jamaic usa Britain
Relay a
Shot- usa usa New Ze china usa New Ze
put aland aland
Long Greece Cuba Cuba Germa usa Nigeria
jump ny
800 Kenya Kenya Poland usa Britain usa
Meters
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 Medal tally

Countries Gold Silver Bronze

United States 39 41 33
China 38 32 18
Japan 27 14 17
Great Britain 22 21 22
ROC 20 28 23
Australia 17 7 22
Netherlands 10 12 14
France 10 12 11
Germany 10 11 16
Italy 10 10 20
Canada 7 6 11
Brazil 7 6 8
New Zealand 7 6 7
Cuba 7 3 5
Hungary 6 7 7
South Korea 6 4 10
Poland 4 5 5
Czech 4 4 3
Republic
Kenya 4 4 2
Norway 4 2 2
Jamaica 4 1 4
Spain 3 8 6
Sweden 3 6 0
Switzerland 3 4 6
Denmark 3 4 4
Croatia 3 3 2
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 Iran 3 2 2
Serbia 3 1 5
Belgium 3 1 3
Bulgaria 3 1 2
Slovenia 3 1 1
Uzbekistan 3 0 2
Georgia 2 5 1
Chinese 2 4 6
Taipei
Turkey 2 2 9
Greece 2 1 1
Uganda 2 1 1
Ecuador 2 1 0
Ireland 2 0 2
Israel 2 0 2
Qatar 2 0 1
Bahamas 2 0 0
Kosovo 2 0 0
Ukraine 1 6 12
Belarus 1 3 3
Romania 1 3 0
Venezuela 1 3 0
India 1 2 4
Hong Kong 1 2 3
Philippines 1 2 1
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 Winners of our country

Neeraj chopra GOLD (javelin throw)

Ravi Kum Dahiya SILVER (wrestling)

Mirabai Chanu SILVER (weight lifting)

Indian Hockey Team BRONZE (hockey)

Lovlina Borgohain BRONZE (boxing)

PV Sindhu BRONZE (badminton)

Bajrang Punia BRONZE (wrestling)

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 Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony of the 2020 Summer Olympics took
place in the Olympic Stadium in Tokyo for about two and a
half hours from 20:00 (JST) on August 8, 2021. The closing
ceremony of the Olympic Games, which was postponed for
one year due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, was
unusual because it was held without spectators. The scale was
also reduced compared to past ceremonies as athletes were
required to leave the Olympic Village 48 hours after their
competitions finished.
The proceedings combined the formal ceremonial closing of
this international sporting event (including closing
speeches, the parade of athletes and the handover of the
Olympic flag) with an artistic spectacle to showcase the
culture and history of the current and next host nation
(France) for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. The theme
of the Olympic Ceremonies was Moving Forward, referencing
the COVID-19 pandemic, with the closing ceremony theme
being Worlds we share.
The closing ceremony was largely pre-recorded with some
live segments. Performers adhered to social distancing
measures during the live portions. The ceremony included a
"moment of remembrance", consisting of dances and other
performances representing and highlighting the culture of
Japan. The Japan National Stadium served as the main
stadium for the closing ceremony. Demolition of the old
National Stadium was completed in May 2015, followed by
the construction of the new stadium which began at the same
site on 11 December 2016. The stadium was handed over to
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the IOC on 30 November 2019 for necessary games and

ceremony preparations. Capacity during the Olympic Games
was 60,102 taking into account press and executive seating
areas. Now it is on to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.

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 India’s performance in
Olympic Games from 2004-
2020

5
India
4

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2004 2008 2012 2016 2020