Friday, August 1, 2008

Count down to the 2008 Olympics



The Olympic Games is an international sports competition, held every four years at a different site. During the competition, athletes from different nations compete against each other in various sports, some of which are football, basketball, swimming, wrestling, baseball, hockey, gymnastics, rowing, javelin etc

This year, the Olympic Games will be held in Beijing from the 8th to the 24th day of August 2008. So it is tagged Beijing 2008. (That reminds me of Beijing 1995!)


History has it that the ancient Olympic Games were founded by Hercules, son of Zeus. Although the Olympic Games had been going on for many years, the first Olympics ever recorded was held in the year 776 BCE. It was at during this Olympic Games that a cook from Elis, Coroebus won the only event at the Olympics. Having accomplished that, Coroebus became the very first Olympic champion in history.

Another important historical fact worthy of note is the five Olympic Rings. The rings were adopted by the founder of the modern Olympic Movement, Baron Pierre de Coubertin in the year 1913. However it was debuted at the Olympic Games 1920, although there was no record of the Olympic Games. The five rings represent the five major regions of the world, that is Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. Also of note is the fact that every national flag in the world includes at least one of the five colors, which are blue, yellow, black, green, and red.


Do you know that there is a motto for the Olympic Games? Well there is, and the motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius." These Latin words mean "Swifter, Higher, Stronger." These words were borrowed from Father Henri Martin Dideon, the then headmaster of Arcueil College in Paris. Father Dideon used the motto to describe the great achievements of the athletes at his school. Baron de Coubertin borrowed the motto because he felt it could be used to describe the goals of great athletes all over the World.

The theme for this years Olympic Games is - One World One Dream!

It is 7 more days to the 2008 Summer Olympic Games! Brace yourself for some entertaining events!

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