Summer Olympics

Over half the world tunes in to watch the Olympics every four years. It is estimated that about 4 billion people watch the event worldwide. I feel that people may also be interested in other things about the Olympics other than just the competition. To truly understand what the Olympic spirit is all about, one needs to know about the origin of the games and their importance to the ancient Greeks.

The first games were held in Athens, Greece. They were celebrated as a religious festival in honor of their god Zeus. Some traditions the Olympics hold include the Olympic rings and flags. The athletes must also be sworn in under the Olympic oath, "If you want to play, you have to take the pledge." Among those traditions also involve the Olympic hymn, the flame, the Olympic torches and torch relays, along with the famous Olympic medals. The most commonly known traditions are the opening and closing ceremonies.

The summer Olympics contains many different events. Athletes from all around the world compete in the triathlon, modern pentathlon, tennis, table tennis, badminton, rowing, canoeing, kayaking, sailing, handball, rugby, hockey, basketball, shooting, archery, equestrian, cycling, judo, taekwondo, wrestling, boxing, weightlifting, fencing, volleyball, aquatics, athletics, and gymnastics. Although over the past few years some sports have been discontinued. Those include croquet, cricket, polo, tug-of-war, lacrosse, motor boating, roller hockey, ballooning, and several others.

The qualifying process differs for each country. There are Olympic tournaments and trials that are held within each country. Usually the top 3 in each event will advance to the Olympic games. That is assuming they meet the Olympic qualifying standards. Most Olympians spend years and years of training. A lot of the athletes train for hours and hours upon each day. Some commit their lives to their training. The training requirements depend on the type of athlete. Most Olympians have strict diets as well.

At first the silver medals were awarded to the first place winners and bronze to second place, but then in 1904 the gold medal was introduced. The design of the medals has changed over the years. To the athletes they are priceless, but some of the medals are actually under five dollars. It is estimated that the gold medals costs around $644. The silver medal averages $330. The bronze medal only costs a whopping $4.70. Every national flag in the world includes one of the five colors from the rings. The famous Olympic symbol of the five interlocking rings represent the five continents brought together by the Olympic movement.

Hosting the Olympics is a lot like throwing the world's largest and most expensive party. The host city has to do a lot of building in preparation for the games. They have to build an Olympic village to house all the athletes. There needs to be enough hotel rooms for the visitors. Another concern is the amount