The Olympic Games

The Olympic Games

Let me dwell on the following topic: “The Olympic Games”. The world's greatest international sports games are known as the Olympic Games. Actually, the Olympic idea means friendship, fraternity and cooperation among the people of the world. The Olympic Movement proves that real peace can be achieved through sport. Moreover, the Olympic emblem is five interlinked rings: blue, yellow, black, green and red. They represent the five continents.

Speaking about the history, I may say that the original Olympic Games began in ancient Greece in 776 B.C. These games were part of a festival held every fourth year in honour of God Zeus at the place called Olympia. It was a great athletic festival, including competitions in wrestling, foot racing and chariot racing, rowing and others. The games were for men only. Greek women were forbidden not only to participate but also to watch the Olympics.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896. Then they were resumed in London after the Second World War. Since then the Olympics are held every fourth year in different countries. The ancient Greeks had no winter sports. Only in 1924 the first Winter Olympic Games were held in France. Now they are being held regularly.

Nowadays there are summer and winter games. Up to 1994 both games were held in the same year, but now they are staged two years apart from each other.

So, in modern times the Olympic movement has become an enormous and expensive organisation. It's controlled by the International Olympic Committee, which consists of members from all the participating countries. The IOC is based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It chooses the locations of both summer and winter games. It also controls the rules of the competitions and selects new Olympic sports. The famous flag of the IOC shows five rings of different colours linked together. The rings represent the five continents.

Finally, I’d like to say that our country was lucky to host the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi and I’m really proud that I was volunteering there! They were hold from 7th to 23rd of February, 2014. Undoubtedly, Winter Olympic Games in Sochi are the most innovative one. They took place in the unique climatic zone where the warm sea with palm-trees all around adjoins to the snow tops of mountains.

In conclusion, I’d like to say that Games in Sochi will establish new standards of carrying out the largest international actions, will help to introduce advanced technologies in construction, ecology, management of projects and creation of the barrier-free environment. And the development of all these factors in the host country is a great advantage of carrying out of the Olympic Games.

The topic is made by Olga Verkhovskaya.

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