THE FIRST MODERN OLYMPICS
The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. They were inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which took place in Olympia from 776 BC until AD 393. The 1896 Games featured 43 events in nine sports, including athletics, swimming, and gymnastics, with around 280 athletes from 13 countries participating.
The event was organized by Pierre de Coubertin, who aimed to promote international peace and friendship through sports. The Olympic flame, a symbol of the Games, was first introduced during these Olympics. The success of the 1896 Games led to the revival of the Olympics as a regular international sporting event, held every four years.
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VOCABOLARY
the site of a battle
the place where a battle happened
legend:
a legend is a very old story that may be based on facts
exhaustion:
the state of being so tired that you have no energy left
abolished:
stopped
pagan influences:
if something has a pagan influence it is affected by beliefs that are not connected with any of the main religions of the world
movement:
A movement is a group of people who share the same ideas or opinions
aim:
an aim is something that a person or group of people want to achieve
through sport:
if you do something through another thing, you use that thing to achieve another. So here, the Olympic Movement is using sport to promote peace between nations
runners-up:
here, the people who come second in a race or game. Usually a runner-up is a person or team who do not finish first but do win a prize
a crown:
a circular ornament for the head, usually made of gold and jewels which Kings and Queens wear at official ceremonies
went home empty-handed:
did not receive anything. This phrase is used here to show the difference between the early Games and the new Games where people who finish in third place receive a bronze medal
