The start of the delayed Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games are upon us, so here at Gamble Online, we’ve been diving into some Olympics history. You probably know that the Games are old, but did you know they’re older than steam power, paper, and clockwork?
In fact, the Olympics is around 2,400 years older than the USA. It’s hard to believe that the show-stopping spectacle of superhuman athleticism is a relic of ancient times, but the Games are 2,700 years old. While they took a long hiatus, the event we’ll witness next month is not all that different to the one the ancient Greeks took part in all those years ago.
Here is a brief look at the history of the Olympic Games:
Where Was the First Olympics Held?
The first Olympic Games ever recorded took place in Greece in 776 BC. As part of the Panhellenic Games, the Olympics was one of four sporting events shared between Greek territories. While the events had religious and social purpose, they also acted as important markers to measure time. In the year after an Olympics, the Isthmian and Nemean Games would be held. The next year, it was the turn of the Pythian Games. The following year, the Isthmian and Nemean Games would be held once more, before the Olympics rolled around again.
Any man from a Greek colony – from Asia Minor to modern-day Portugal – could take part. Women and non-Romans were excluded, except in special cases, like that of the Roman emperor Nero, who is famously rumored to have won the chariot race despite being flung from his carriage and seriously injured. Barring the chariot race which called for some protective clothing, all sporting events were competed in the nude.
Despite widespread public support for the Games, the ancient Olympics didn’t last. The event was abolished by the Roman emperor Theodosius I in 393 AD.
Foot racing — one of the first Olympic sports.
The first international modern Olympic Games was held in 1896, though the term was used to describe various sporting events from around the 17th century onwards. 14 nations participated in the competition which was held in Athens. The event was so well received in Greece that there was real momentum to make Athens the permanent host city, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided to rotate the Games. The second modern Olympics was therefore held in Paris.
The Winter Olympics was introduced in 1924 to aid the inclusion of sports which were impossible to play during the summer months while the Paralympics grew out of a sporting event between hospitalized war veterans in 1948. It wasn’t until 1960 that Sir Ludwig Guttmann, who had organized that first event, brought hundreds of athletes with disabilities together to participate in the first official Paralympics.
What is the Oldest Sport in Olympics History?
Though we do not have any reliable records stating the exact events offered at each Olympics from 776 BC onwards, according to the Greek writer Pausanius, the stade (192m footrace) was the sole event at the first Olympics.
At the Games in 724 BC there are mentions of a second race of around 400m as well as an additional “long race” from 720 BC. Historians estimate that the long race was around 7.5-9km, though accounts differ. In any case, it was a fraction of the length of the infamous marathon.
Through the years more diverse events were added to the ancient Olympics. A pentathlon consisting of running, jumping, discus throwing, wrestling and javelin was included around 708 BC. Combative skills like boxing, chariot racing, horse riding and what today would be classed as mixed martial arts were also featured.
In the first modern Olympics of 1896, there were 43 events spanning 9 sports. These included athletics, wrestling, weightlifting, tennis, shooting, fencing, gymnastics, swimming, and cycling. Many events held heats directly after the opening ceremony, but the first modern Olympic champion was America’s James Brendan Connolly who won the triple jump.
Since then, sports have been added incrementally. At Tokyo 2020 there will be 339 events across 33 sports. For the first time climbing, surfing, skateboarding, karate and breakdancing will be included.
Which Country Won the First Olympics?
The ancient Olympics was exclusively for Greek city states such as Athens and Sparta and it’s unknown who won the first footrace. The Greek states were military societies and often fought wars with or against one another. When the Olympics came around, a truce was called to ensure that the host city was safe and that athletes could travel to the Games. This principle has been implemented in the modern Olympics too.
At the 1896 Olympics, Greece dominated the competition. In total, the host nation won 47 medals (10 of them gold) across 43 events. The Americans came in second with 20 medals (11 gold) and Germany took third with 13 medals (6 gold). Both Greece and America achieved podium sweeps with Greece winning all three medals in the 200 metre military rifle and the 100 metre freestyle and America sweeping both the long and the high jump.
