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Summer Olympics: Then and Now
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The Beginning
"The first celebration of the modern Olympic Games took place in its ancient birthplace of Athens. The Games attracted athletes from 14 nations, with the largest delegations coming from Greece, Germany, France and Great Britain (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Rushed Preparations
"The 1908 Olympic Games were originally awarded to Rome, but were reassigned to London when it became apparent that Rome would not be ready. Despite the short notice, the Games were exceptionally well organized. For the first time, a stadium was specially prepared for the Games, and swimming events did not take place in the open water (Olympic, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Hard Times
"The 1916 Olympic Games were scheduled to be held in Berlin but were cancelled due to World War I. The 1920 Games were awarded to Antwerp to honour the suffering that had been inflicted on the Belgian people during the war (Olympic, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Opening Ceremony
"During the Opening Ceremony, the Olympic flag with the five rings signifying the universality of the Olympic Games was raised for the first time at an Olympic Games. The Olympic oath was taken for the first time by an athlete on behalf of all competitors, and for the first time doves were released as a symbol of peace (Olympic, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Jesse Owens
"The Berlin Games are best remembered for Adolf Hitler’s failed attempt to use them to prove his theories of Aryan racial superiority. As it turned out, the most popular hero of the Games was the African-American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay and long jump (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Rising to the Challenge
"The Olympic Games had not been held in either 1940 or 1944 due to World War II, and London was called upon at short notice to host them. Despite shortages of essential products due to rationing, the city rose magnificently to the challenge - a true victory over dark times (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
INNOVATION AND PROGRESS
"The London Games were the first to be shown on home television, although very few people in Great Britain actually owned sets. Starting blocks for athletes in sprint races were introduced for the first time, and the Empire Pool was the first covered Olympic pool to be used at the Games (Olympics, 2016).
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
A Star is Born
"Cassius Marcellus Clay of the US, later known as Muhammad Ali, first gained international prominence by winning the light-heavyweight gold medal. He would later turn professional and embark on a phenomenal career (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Terrorist Attack
"On 5 September, eight Palestinian terrorists broke into the Olympic Village, killing two members of the Israeli team and taking nine hostages. In the ensuing battle, all nine Israeli hostages were killed, as were five of the terrorists and one policeman. In defiance of the terrorists, the IOC ordered the competitions to resume after a pause of 34 hours (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Boycott
"A US-led boycott reduced the number of participating nations to 80, the lowest number since 1956, as part of a series of measures to protest against the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Memorable Champions
"Men's basketball became open to all professionals and the US sent a "Dream Team" of superstars including Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. Needless to say they dominated the event and won gold. Another impressive performer was gymnast Vitaly Scherbo, who won six golds, including four in one day (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
Biggest Games
"A record 201 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in the Olympic Games. The overall tally for events on the programme was 301 (one more than at the Sydney Games in 2000) (Olympics, 2016)."
Olympics | Rio 2016 Schedule, Medals, Results & News. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.olympic.org/ -
RIO
2016 Summer Olympic Games