Class.________Name.________

The Olympic and Paralympics Flames

Unlike the Olympic Flame and its links to Olympia in Greece, the Paralympic Flame has no historical home, so each Host City can choose a lighting site that is important to their nation.

In Australia, the flame was lit in front of Parliament House in Canberra. The Paralympic Flame then toured Australia’s capital cities until it arrived at Stadium Australia for the Opening Ceremony.

The Olympic RingsThe five rings represent the five continents. They are interlaced to show the universality of the Olympics and the meeting of the athletes of the world during the Olympic Games. On the Olympic flag, the rings appear on a white background. Combined in this way, the six colors of the flag (blue, yellow, black, green, red and white) represent all nations. The five Olympic Rings were designed in 1913.

History

Even though Pierre de Coubertin intended the Olympic Games to be an international event from the time of their reestablishment in 1896 in Athens (Greece), it was only at the 1912 Games in Stockholm (Sweden) that, for the first time, the participants came from all five continents. One year later, in 1913, the five rings appeared at the top of a letter written by Pierre de Coubertin. He drew the rings and colored them in by hand. It was also Coubertin who had the idea for the Olympic flag. He presented the rings and flag in June 1914 in Paris at the Olympic Congress. The First World War prevented the Games from being celebrated in 1916 in Berlin (Germany) as planned. It was not until 1920 in Antwerp (Belgium) that the flag and its five rings could be seen flying in an Olympic

stadium. The universality conveyed by the symbol and the flag was a new idea at the beginning of the 20th century. Nationalism was very strong and tension between certain countries was high. It was in this climate, however, that Coubertin proposed the symbol of the rings which aimed to encourage world unity

Olympic History

According to historical records, the first ancient Olympic Games can be traced back to 776 BC. They were dedicated to the Olympian gods and were staged on the ancient plains of Olympia. They continued for nearly 12 centuries, until Emperor Theodosius decreed in 393 A.D. that all such "pagan cults" be banned.

OlympiaOlympia, the site of the ancient Olympic Games, is in the western part of the Peloponnese which, according to Greek mythology, is the island of "Pelops", the founder of the Olympic Games. Imposing temples, votive buildings, elaborate shrines and ancient sporting facilities were combined in a site of unique natural and mystical beauty. Olympia functioned as a meeting place for worship and other religious and political practices as early as the 10th century B.C. The central part of Olympia was dominated by the majestic temple of Zeus, with the temple of Hera parallel to it.  

The Games and religionThe Olympic Games were closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus, but were not an integral part of a rite. Indeed, they had a secular character and aimed to show the physical qualities and evolution of the performances accomplished by young people, as well as encouraging good relations between the cities of Greece. According to specialists, the Olympic Games owed their purity and importance to religion.

Questions

1. When was the 1st Olympics held?___________________________________________________

2. Why were they held?___________________________________________________

3. Were the 1st Olympics games held at? ____________________________________________________________________

4. The Olympics games were closely linked to witch god? _____________________________________________________________________

The motto

Citius – Altius – Fortius faster — higher — strongerThese three words encourage the athlete to give his or her best during competition.To better understand the motto, we can compare it with the Olympic creed:The most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; The essential thing is not to have won, but to have fought well. Together, the Olympic motto and the creed represent an ideal that Coubertin believed in And promoted as an important life lesson that could be gained from participation in sport And the Olympic Games: that giving one’s best and striving for personal excellence was a Worth while goal. It is a lesson that can still be applied equally today, not just to athletes but to each one of us.

HistoryThe three Latin words became the Olympic motto in 1894, the date of the IOC’s creation. Pierre de Coubertin proposed the motto, having borrowed it from his friend henri didon, a Dominican priest who taught sport close to Paris.The inspiration for the creed would come later, following a sermon given by the Bishop of Pennsylvania, ethelbert Talbot, during the Games of London in 1908.

Copy and CompleteAnswer and fill in the blanks from the text above.

To better understand the ___________, we can compare it with the Olympic ___________:The most ___________thing in life is not the triumph, but the fight; The ___________thing is not to have ___________, but to have fought well. Together, the ___________ motto and the creed represent an ideal that ___________ believed in And promoted as an important life lesson that could be ___________ from participation in sport.

The three ___________ words became the Olympic motto in 1894, the date of the IOC’s ___________.

Pierre de Coubertin ___________ the motto, having borrowed it from his friend henri didon, a ___________ priest who ___________ sport close to Paris.

Inspirational story in the 2012 London OlympicsIf there is a unique story that embodies the spirit of the Olympics, it comes from Guor Marial. Marial, who escaped Sudan after much of his family was killed in the country’s second civil war, fulfilled his dream of competing in the Olympics in London.Born in Panrieng, a small village in what is now South Sudan, Murial experienced nothing but war as a child. Over twenty members of his family were killed, including eight of his own siblings. At age eight, Marial was abducted  by Sudanese government forces and forced to work in a labor camp. He escaped at age 15 and ran to Egypt before immigrating to the United States. Having fled war-torn Sudan, Marial received refugee status in the United States when he turned 16. He ran track in high school in New Hampshire and in college became an All-American  at Iowa State University.For only the third time in history, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has allowed Marial, a stateless participant, and three other athletes to compete in the Olympic Games as Independent Olympic Athletes. Marial walked under the banner of the Olympic flag in the opening ceremonies, and, should he have won the men’s marathon, the official Olympic anthem would have been played. On the other hand, Marial feels that he is also running for his fellow South Sudanese compatriots. “The voice of South Sudan has been heard”, he proclaimed, “South Sudan has finally got a spot in the world community.”

Sudan experienced a civil war between the central government and political factions from the South who felt underrepresented and mistreated. The Sudanese government has been accused of committing war crimes against its own people during the war. The war lasted between 1983 and 2005 and ended in a Comprehensive Peace Agreement mediated by the United Nations. Over two million people, mostly South Sudanese, were killed during the war. South Sudan finally gained independence from Sudan on July 9, 2011.Now that South Sudan is an independent country, Marial is proud to represent  the fledgling nation. He was offered a spot on the Olympic team from Sudan, but Marial refused, stating: “If I ran for Sudan, I would be betraying my people”. Marial said he would like to compete under the banner of his native South Sudan someday. The year-old nation did not send a delegation to the 2012 Olympics.

From escaping Sudan by foot to running the Marathon in the Olympics, Marial’s unique journey certainly deserves recognition of Olympic proportion.

Marial finished 47th overall in the Men’s Marathon.

Give 1 reason how/hasn’t Marial has Inspired you. 1)

Australian men’s Basketball Team.

The Australian national basketball team is the men's basketball side that represents Australia in international competitions. The team is known in Australia as the Boomers, an Australian slang term for Kangaroo. Australia is ranked 9th in the world and finished 7th at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

Australia is a regional power in all forms of basketball. Placed in the relatively weak FIBA Oceania region, the Boomers' qualification for Olympic Games and World Championships is often a three match competition against the other regional power, the New Zealand Tall Blacks.

Traditionally, the Boomers have been selected from the teams making up the Australasian National Basketball League. This has changed in recent years, with many Australian players heading to the stronger Euroleague to play. The Boomers now have two players, Patrick Mills and Andrew Bogut, in the National Basketball Association in the United States. Further, several players who make up the squad are student athletes in the US College system. Overall, close to half of the squad plays outside of Australia. The development of the Australian Institute of Sport has helped the establishment of Australia on the international stage.

Australia is the nation that has participated in the most Olympic men's basketball tournaments without winning a medal; it has also participated in 10 World Championships without a medal.

Questions1) What is the Australians basketball team nick name and what dose it stand

for?_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2) What is there current ranking in the world and what did they finish in the last Olympics?___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3) What 2 players have the Australian basketball team chose from the NBA (national basketball Association) and how many squad members are in the us college system? __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

4) Why has the traditional way for picking the squad changed over the last few years? __________________________________________________________________

Pick a country what takes part in the Olympics draw their flag on the blank flag below and answer the following questions.

1. Highlight there place on the map

2. What was there last result in the 2008 Beijing Olympics

3. Name 3 current sports they are taking part in the 2012 Olympic Games? 1._______________________ 2.______________________ 3.______________________

4. Name 3 athletes from that country what are taking in the 2012 Olympic Games?

1._______________________ 2.______________________ 3.______________________

Olympic Quiz

1. In which month will the London Olympics begin? _____________

2. Which Country held the last Olympic Games? ________________

3. Which of these Olympic venues is outside of London?* Wembley Stadium* The Olympic Stadium*The Millennium Stadium

4. Who are the 2012 Olympic Mascots?*Wendy and Matthew* William and Mary* Wenlock and Mandeville

5. What is the capacity of the 2012 Olympic Stadium?*50,000* 60,000* 70,000* 80,000

6 Which Sport will the Velodrom be used for?* Basketball*Hockey*Swimming* Cycling

7. Which country won the most gold medals at the 2008 Olympics?*China*Russia*Great Britain* United States

8. Epée, Foil, Sabre, and Lunge are terms used in which Olympic sport?* Swimming* Gymnastics* Fencing* Shooting

Olympic Sports

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