The Olympics are one of the most important events currently taking place as they bring together all the countries on the planet. The Olympics represent the union of all peoples that meet every four years in a designated place to celebrate different types of sports and compete healthily in various disciplines. Besides being one of the few moments of complete union and integration between the different nations of the world, the Olympics are the perfect moment to establish itself as a sporting, economic, political and even cultural power. Its current logo, the union of five different colored circles, represents the union of the five continents.
The origin of the Olympics takes us to Ancient Greece, where the tradition of gathering around Mount Olympus and honoring the gods in various ways reached each and every city. In this way, the representatives of each polis were periodically in that place and all political, economic and military activities were stopped until the Olympics ended. Among the most important disciplines of antiquity we must mention those related to athletics (javelin, high and long jump, running, wrestling and ball shooting). Important religious ceremonies were also held in which animal sacrifices were central.
While the Greek tradition remained neglected throughout the Middle Ages and the Modern Ages, it slowly began to recover in the late 18th century. It would not be until 1890 that it was decided to reimplement the Olympics event, but now on a global scale, including all the countries that wished to participate in it. Four years later, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) would be created, which still exists to this day and is ultimately responsible for organizing the games.
The first Olympic Games of the Modern Era were played, logically, in Athens, Greece. Since then, cities such as Paris, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Amsterdam, Melbourne, Rome, Mexico, Moscow, Montreal, Barcelona, Beijing and Seoul would host the event. The next meeting, to be held in 2012, will take place in London again.
Needless to say, the Olympic Games have a very important variety of sports and disciplines. Among the most popular and appreciated today we can point to team sports (such as football, basketball, volleyball or polo), water sports (swimming, artistic swimming, synchronized swimming, jumping), athletic sports (high and long jump, marathon, running, javelin, discus throwing) and others such as cycling, different artistic gymnastics, boxing, weights or target shooting.
