Paris 2024: History of the Olympics — How the Summer Games have changed since the first edition in 1896
The 33rd edition of the Summer Olympics is set to commence in Paris, France from July 26 and will run till August 12.
The history of the Olympics, also known as the modern Olympics, is more than a century old, with the maiden leg, under the aegis of the International Olympic Committee, in the Greek capital of Athens dating back to 1896. The Olympics have since been held every four years barring 1916, 1940 and 1944, which were abandoned due to the World Wars.
OLYMPICS 2024 FULL SCHEDULE.pdf
While the Games in Paris will have as many as 205 nations sending their athlete representatives, the highest ever, the inaugural edition was conducted with just 14 countries. The event in Athens had just nine sports — athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, swimming, shooting, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. In comparison, Paris 2024 will have 45 sports with 329 events.
The Athens Games saw only men participate. In the next edition in Paris, 22 took part, competing in five sports — tennis, sailing, croquet, equestrian events and golf. The first woman to become an Olympic champion was the tennis player Charlotte Cooper. In the upcoming edition, 5,250 female athletes will be contesting for medals, in parity with the number of male athletes.
The showpiece as we know it today may be a race to collect the most medals, but the first gold, silver and bronze medals were not awarded until the third edition in 1904 in St. Louis.
Pierre de Coubertin is considered as the father of modern Olympics.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Pierre de Coubertin is considered as the father of modern Olympics.
| Photo Credit:
THE HINDU ARCHIVES
Pierre de Coubertin, the second president of the IOC, is considered as the father of the modern Olympics. The French baron designed the five-ringed symbol for the Olympics, which came into effect in 1920, and pronounced the first Olympic oath.
The Olympic flame has been another fundamental symbol at the Olympics with the Games beginning when the Olympic cauldron is lit and ending when it is extinguished. The flame was lit for the first time at the Amsterdam Games in 1928. The Olympic torch, which is used to for the ceremonious commencement of the Games today, became a part of the programme only at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
De Coubertin is also credited for devising the Olympic motto — Citius, Altius, Fortius — which is Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger. It has been in use since the inaugural Games in Athens.
When were the first Paralympics conducted?
Sir Ludwig Guttmann is considered as the father of the modern Paralympic Games. He held the first Stoke Mandeville Games in 1948 in London.
However, the first official Paralympics were conducted in 1960 in Rome, one week after the conclusion of the Rome 1960 Summer Games. It had 57 events across eight sports.