Vancouver 2010. Australia at the Olympics. Australia has hosted the Summer Olympic games twice.
In 1956 in Melbourne and in 2000 in Sydney finished 3rd and 4th in the respective medal counts. In the Summer Olympics since 2000, Australia has placed 4th, 4th, 6th and 10th respectively. Given Australia has a population of only around 20 million people (ranked 53rd in the world[4]) this fact is frequently cited as noteworthy by the mainstream Australia media due to a strong sporting culture.[5] Other observers have suggested this may also be a result of the generous funding the Australian Government has invested into elite sports development with the specific intention of improving performance at the Olympic games.[6][7] Many of Australia's gold medals have come in swimming, a sport which is popular in Australia, with swimmers from Dawn Fraser to Ian Thorpe ranking amongst the sport's all-time greats.
Other sports where Australia has historically been strong include: Medal tables by Games[edit] Most successful Olympians[edit] History, Mythology, The Athlete, Sport Events. 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. Olympia Olympia, 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. Primary History - Ancient Greeks - The Olympic Games. Ancient Olympic Games. During the celebration of the games, an Olympic Truce was enacted so that athletes could travel from their countries to the games in safety.
The prizes for the victors were olive leaf wreaths or crowns. The games became a political tool used by city-states to assert dominance over their rivals. Politicians would announce political alliances at the games, and in times of war, priests would offer sacrifices to the gods for victory. The games were also used to help spread Hellenistic culture throughout the Mediterranean. The Olympics also featured religious celebrations and artistic competitions. Origins An artist's impression of ancient Olympia Another myth, this one occurring after the aforementioned myth, is attributed to Pindar.
History The games were held to be one of the two central rituals in Ancient Greece, the other being the much older religious festival, the Eleusinian Mysteries.[16] Olympic sports. Olympic sports are sports contested in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
The 2012 Summer Olympics included 26 sports, with two additional sports due to be added to the 2016 Summer Olympics. The 2014 Winter Olympics will include seven sports.[1] The number and kinds of events may change slightly from one Olympiad to another. Each Olympic sport is represented by an international governing body, namely an International Federation (IF).[2] Previous Olympic Games included sports which are no longer present on the current program, like polo and tug of war.[5] These sports, known as "discontinued sports", were later removed either because of lack of interest or absence of an appropriate governing body.[2] Archery and tennis are examples of sports that were competed at the early Games and were later dropped by the IOC, but managed to return to the Olympic program (in 1972 and 1988, respectively).
List of Summer and Winter Olympic Sports and Events. Olympic Games. The modern Olympic Games (French: Jeux olympiques[1]) are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions wherein thousands of athletes variously compete.
The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating.[2] The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating by occurring every four years but two years apart. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894.