A Brief History of the OlympicsMiss Wight

Olympia, Greece

• First settled during the 3rd millennium BC.• 776 BC. is said to be the year of the first Olympic

games.• The first Olympic games were held in honor of

the Greek God, Zeus.

Ancient Olympic Games

• Slaves and women were not permitted to watch.

• A competitor had to be a free, unpunished Greek.

• Competitors did not win money, but were given great honor.

• If caught cheating, the competitor had to commission a statue of Zeus.

The Games• Diaulos: two-stade race (400 meters)• Dolichos: about 5 km.• Hoplitodromos:

running in full or partial armor.

• Pygme: boxing• Pale: wrestling• Pankration: full-contact

fighting• Chariot Racing• Pentathalon: wrestling, long jump, javelin

throw, and discus throw.

Honor of the Olympics

• The award ceremony took place on the last day of the Olympic Games.

• The herald announced the name of the winner, his father’s name, and homeland.

• Each winner received an olive wreath.

Olympic Art

• Sculptors, poets, and other artisans displayed their works at the games.

• Poets were commissioned to write prose in honor of winners.

• Sculptors created works that highlighted natural human movement.

• The Olympics became an artistic competition.

Myron’s Discbolus

Karl Hein

• Carpenter• German Athlete• Gold medalist in the hammer

throw during the 1936 Summer Olympics (Berlin, Germany).

• Broke a world record in hammer throwing that was then held for 24 years.

James Cleveland “Jesse” Owens

• Attended Ohio State University and was known as the “Buckeye Bullet.”

• American Track and Field Athlete• Participated in the 1936 Summer

Olympics (Berlin, Germany).• Achieved International Fame by

winning four gold medals.

Wilma Rudolph

• Tutored at home because she was crippled until the age of 12.

• Played basketball in high school.

• Participated in track and field events at Tennessee State University.

• Was the first woman to win three Olympic gold medals at the 1960 Summer Olympics (Rome, Italy).

Norma Enriqueta Basillo

• Mexican Athlete• Considered the best female

athlete of her time.• First woman to ever light the

Olympic Cauldron.• Participated in the 1968 Summer

Olympics (Mexico City, Mexico).

Jackie Joyner

• American Athlete• Attended University of California at Los Angeles.• Ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon and

long jump.• Won a total of three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals.• Competed in the 1984, 1988, 1992, and 1996 Summer Olympics.

BibliographyPlease contact me for a list of my resources.

stacie.wight@wilkes.edu