CONTEMPORARY OLYMPIC GAMES

Every four years, the Olympic games, a multisport competition is held. The games have
their roots in Ancient Greece and were resurrected in the late 19th century by the French
baron Pierre de Coubertin and the Greek Demetrius Vikelas. With the exception of the years
of the World Wars and the year 2020 because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Olympic
Games, usually known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every four years since 1896.
The first snow Olympics for snow sports and the Special Olympics were held in 1924. The
Winter Olympics have not coincided with the Summer Olympics since 1994.

The contemporary Olympic games (1896 until today) were contacted for the first time in
1896 in Athens.

1936 Berlin-> political propaganda from Ηitler and Nazi

The Olympic games were conducted in Berlin 1-16th August 1936. Berlin won the bid to
host the Games over Barcelona while the other candidate cities withdrew. IOC discussed the
change of city, but Hitler assured that Jewish athletes would be accepted in the German
team. Yet, in April 1933, a participation policy was introduced for Aryans only, Jews or
people of Jewish descent were systematically excluded from German sports facilities and
federations. (there were exceptions such as Helene Mayer).

After the Olympic Flame was reinstated at the 1928 Games, the 1936 Summer Olympics
torch relay was the first of its type. It established the contemporary custom of carrying the
flame from Greece to the Olympic venue using a relay technique. It was also the first time
that the Games were broadcasted on TV and radio to 41 countries.
Adolf Hitler viewed the 1936 Olympics as a chance to advance his regime and ideas of racial
superiority. For the first time people in Europe and the USA called for a boycott of the games
because of the conquest of human rights by the host country which was not accepted.
During the two weeks that he hosted the games he covered up his antisemitic and
expansionist agenda. After the end of the games the conquest project continued.

1972 Munich-> Munich massacre

The 1972 Summer Olympics were the second Summer Olympics to be held in Germany, after
the 1936 Games in Berlin. The West German government was keen for the Munich Olympics
to show the world a democratic and hopeful Germany, as seen by the Games' official slogan,
"Die Heiteren Spiele," or "the Joyful Games."

However, the "Munich massacre"—as it has come to be known—largely overshadowed the

Games. On September 5, just before dawn, eight terrorists from the Palestinian Black
September group burst into the Olympic Village and held eleven Israeli athletes, coaches,
and officials, hostages in their apartments. Two of the captives who realized what was
happening and resisted were slain. The Munich tragedy, which took place in the second
week and resulted in the deaths of a police officer, five terrorists and the captives. The
ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians served as the attack's motive.

The president of the International Olympic Committee, Avery Brundage, stated that "the
Games must continue." After a mourning service in the Olympic stadium, the games
resumed after a 34-hour break. Additionally, the remaining three terrorists were detained
and held in prison for trial, but on October 29, 1972, the West German government
exchanged their release for the hijacked Lufthansa Flight 615.
One of the terrorists in the Olympic village, @AP Photo/Kurt Strumpf

1984 Los Angeles -> boycott

Fourteen Eastern Bloc nations, including the Soviet Union and East Germany, boycotted the
1984 Games with the excuse of a lack of security when it was actually "payback" to the
American-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, Russia, in opposition to the
Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Additionally, the Soviet Union planned to implement a
nationwide doping program in track and field in advance of the 1984 Summer Olympics in
Los Angeles, according to documents unearthed in 2016. The document, which was written
before the nation decided to boycott the Games, described the program's current steroid
operations and made recommendations for improvement.
SOYRCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1972_Summer_Olympics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1984_Summer_Olympics

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1936_Summer_Olympics_torch_relay

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/el/article/the-nazi-olympics-berlin-1936

https://www.cnn.gr/focus/story/280280/san-simera-monaxo-1972-h-sfagi-stoys-
olympiakoys-agones