The Olympic Sprit: Participation Matters
More than 10.000 Athlets from all five continents will participate
in 38 different disciplines. It is the 28th time since the first modern
Olympic Games took place 1896, more than 100 years ago. It was the
french Pierre Baron de Coubertin who had the idea of a peaceful
competition of the nations and invented the modern Olympic Games.
The idea dates back more than 2500 years in history. It was in the
year 776 B.C. when the very first Olympic Games took place in the
acient city of Olympia, today a part of the modern Athen. The Games
don't take place in Athens every time. Since 1896 they have been held
every four years in a number of Cities around the world. In fact, being
the host of the Olympic Games is a big thing for a city and the
governments work hard to apply for Olympia. In 2008 the Games will be
held in Bejing, the Capital of China. It is still open where the games
will take place in 2012. Maybe one day Kabul will be hosting the
Olympics.
Every sportsman and sportwoman is excercising hard and wants to
win. But in each discipline, there are only three people who can win
the gold, silver or bronce medal. This is why the Olympic motto
"Participation Matters" has spread. After all, the games are a fair
competition and everyone who is even sent there has already gone
through a thorrogh qualification procedure in his or her home country.
So not only the winner is a hero but every single athlet who has made
it all the way there up to the day where he or she will be part of the
opening ceremoy - guarded by billions of spectators on TV.
The Olympic Games are organised by the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) and its member National Olympic Committees (NOC). The
Olympic Movement is a non-governmental, supra-national, indepdendent
organisation. More information about the IOC can be found on the
Internet at
http://www.olympic.org/.