| After waiting for four long years the time for the | | | | and ivory statue of Zeus, who sat upon his |
| winter Olympics has finally arrived again and is | | | | throne in the high temple which was one of the |
| only a month away. For the fanatics out there | | | | seven wonders of the ancient world. Enough |
| many of you have probably arranged your tickets | | | | about the ancient Olympics and on to the actual |
| to Torino, Italy a long time ago but certainly those | | | | "birth" of the modern Olympics. Do you know |
| of you not fortunate enough to be able to travel | | | | when this was? |
| there have been able to schedule some time of | | | | The very first modern day Olympic Games were |
| from work in order to stay home as much as | | | | held in Athens, Greece in 1896 and was much |
| possible to follow the Olympic games. | | | | smaller than what the Olympics are today. The |
| Not very many people knows how long the | | | | 1896 Olympics had about 245 athletes, who were |
| Olympics have actually been held or how and | | | | all men, and they were from 14 nations. As you |
| where it all started. Historians' knowledge about | | | | can see over the hundred+ years since the first |
| the most ancient Olympics has long been lost but | | | | Olympics the games have grown quite a bit. This |
| according to tradition the first recorded Olympics | | | | was a little information about the very first |
| took place in 776 BC and took place in Greece. | | | | modern Olympics which was a summer event. |
| From this knowledge it is fair to assume that in | | | | Five years after the first Olympics in Athens the |
| the beginning there was no winter Olympics. | | | | winter games were held in Sweden. It was not |
| Basically there are two legends on how the | | | | called the Olympics at this time but was called the |
| Olympics got started, one which states these | | | | Nordic games. All the athletes taking part in this |
| games were established by Heracles (Hercules) | | | | first winter event were from Scandinavia. It took |
| who brought a sacred olive tree to Olympia. The | | | | until 1924 before they (the Olympic committee) |
| other legend myth has it that the hero Pelops | | | | decided to actually call these games the winter |
| started it all after defeating King Oenomaus in a | | | | Olympics. In 1924 the winter Olympics were held |
| chariot race. Regardless of the actual origin of the | | | | in Chamonix, France |
| Olympics they became a central aspect of Greek | | | | With this you may have gained some new |
| culture very early on and were among the most | | | | knowledge about the Olympics that you did not |
| important factor in uniting the Greeks. | | | | already know. All the sports fans out there are |
| Over time the site of Olympia became famous | | | | now anxiously awaiting February when the games |
| for its temples and monument especially the gold | | | | are to begin, may the best athlete win. |