Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove - The History of The Modern Olympics

Starting point is 00:00:00 Back by popular demand, the Sleep Cove Premium Sale has started. For the next two months, you can get Sleep Cove Premium for free. That's right, completely free. There you'll get access to all my exclusive episodes, as well as every episode, add free. You'll also have access to my own. other podcasts and their exclusive and ad-free content too. Sleepcove can't carry on without your support. So if you want to become a VIP member and get access to our premium feed,

Starting point is 00:00:46 please go to sleepcove.com slash support. That's sleepcove.com slash support. If you can't support the show right now, please subscribe with a bell to get alerts on all new free content thank you have you ever gazed in wonder at the great pyramid have you marvelled at the golden face of Tudankhamun

Starting point is 00:01:16 or admired the delicate features of Queen Nefertiti if you have you'll probably like the History of Egypt podcast every week we explore tales of this ancient culture The history of Egypt is available wherever you get your podcasting fix. Come, let me introduce you to the world of ancient Egypt. And welcome to Sleep Cove, the podcast to get a great night's sleep. Hi, I'm Christopher Fitton. And with the Paris Olympics starting,

Starting point is 00:01:59 I've decided to read the history and an overview of the modern Olympic Games. I really hope you enjoy it. I'll also be reading an overview of the ancient Greek Olympic Games, which can be found on my premium supporters feed on sleepcove.com slash support. So if you're interested in the ancient Greek games, please check it out there. So let's begin a history and overview of the ancient Greek Games. of the modern Olympic Games The Olympic Games

Starting point is 00:02:44 The modern Olympic Games are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes for around the world participate in a variety of competitions the Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 teams representing sovereign states and territories.

Starting point is 00:03:20 By default, the games generally substitute for any world championships during the year they take place. The Olympic Games are held every four years. Since 1994, they have been. alternated between the summer and winter Olympics every two years during the four-year Olympiad. The creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Burton, founded the International Olympic Committee, the IOC, in 1894, leading to the first

Starting point is 00:04:15 modern games in Athens and 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic movement, which encompasses all entities and individuals involved in the Olympic Games. The Olympic Charter defines their structure. The evolution of the Olympic movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in numerous changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of their Winter Olympic Games for snow and ice sports, their Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities.

Starting point is 00:05:05 The Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 18, the 5 continental games, Pan American, African, Asian, European and Pacific, and the World Games for sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games. The IOC also endorses the Deaf Olympics and the Special Olympics. The IOC has needed to adapt to a variety of economic, political and technological advancements. The abuse of amateur rules by the Eastern Bloc Nations prompted the IOC to shift away from pure amateurism as envisioned by Cooperton to the acceptance of the professional athletes participating at the Games today. The growing importance has created the issue of corporate sponsorship and general commercialization of the games

Starting point is 00:06:12 led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1920 and 44 Olympics. Large-scale boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics and the 2020 Olympics were the first of the same. postponed until 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions. The Olympic movement consists of international sports federations, national Olympic committees, and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each games, and organises and funds the Games, according to the Olympic Charter.

Starting point is 00:07:15 The IOC also determines the Olympic programme consisting of the sports to be contested at the games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag, torch and opening and closing ceremonies. Over 14,000 athletes competed at the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics combined in 40 different sports and 448 events. The first, second and third place finishes in each event receive Olympic medals, gold, silver and bronze, respectively. The games have grown to the point that nearly every nation is now represented, including colonies and overseas territories that are often allowed to field their own teams. This growth has created numerous challenges on controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery and terrorism.

Starting point is 00:08:29 Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure, provide athletes with the chance to attain national and international fame. The Games also provide an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world. The start of the modern games, various uses of the term Olympic to describe athletic events in the modern era had been documented since the 17th century. The first such event was the Cotswold Games or Cotswold Olympic Games. An annual meeting, it was first organised by the lawyer Robert Dover between 1612 and 1642, with several later celebrations leading up to the present day.

Starting point is 00:09:36 The British Olympic Association, in its bid for the 2012 Olympic Games in London, mentioned these games as the first stirrings of Britain's Olympic beginnings. The Olympiad de la Republic, a national Olympic festival held annually from 1796 to 1798 in Revolutionary France, also attempted to emulate to emulate the ancient Olympic games. The competition included several disciplines from the 1896 games, also marked the introduction of the metric system into sport. In 1834 and 1836, these Olympic games were held in Ramblesa, Sweden and in Stockholm, with at most 25,000 spectators seeing the games. In 1850, an Olympian class was started by William Penny Brooks at Much Wenlock in Shropshire, England.

Starting point is 00:10:50 In 1859, Brooks changed the name to the Wenlock Olympian Games. This annual sports festival continues to this day. The Olympian Society was founded by Brooks on the 15th of November 1860. Between 1862 and 1867, Liverpool held an annual Grand Olympic Festival devised by John Hully and Charles Pierre Maney. These games were the first to be wholly amateur in nature and international in outlook,

Starting point is 00:11:35 although only gentlemen amateurs could compete program of the first Olympiad in Athens in 1896 was almost identical to that of the Liverpool Olympics In 1865 Hully Brooks and E.G. Ravenstein founded the National Olympian Association in Liverpool a four-runner of the British Olympic Association

Starting point is 00:12:05 His articles of foundation provided the framework for the International Olympic Charter. In 1866, a National Olympic Games in Great Britain was organised at London's Crystal Palace. The Revival Greek interest in reviving the Olympic Games began with the Greek War of Independence

Starting point is 00:12:34 from the Ottoman Empire in 1821. It was first proposed by poet and newspaper editor Panagetos Soutes in the poem Dialogue of the Dead published in 1833 Evangelos Zappas

Starting point is 00:12:54 a wealthy Greek Romanian philanthropist first wrote to King Otto of Greece in 1856 offering to fund a permanent revival of the Olympic Games Games. Zappus sponsored the first Olympic Games in 1859, which was held in an Athens city square.

Starting point is 00:13:22 Athletes participated from Greece and the Ottoman Empire. Zappas funded the restoration of the ancient Panatheniac Stadium so that it could host all future Olympic Games. hosted Olympics in 1870 and 1875, with 30,000 spectators attending the Games in 1870, although no official attendance records were available for the 1875 games. In 1890, after attending the Olympian Games of the Wenlock Olympian Society, Baron Pierre de Cuberton was inspired to found the International Olympic Committee. Cuperton built on the ideas and work of

Starting point is 00:14:19 with the aim of establishing internationally rotating Olympic games that would occur every four years. He presented these ideas during the first Olympic Congress of the newly created International Olympic Committee. This meeting was held from the 16th to 23rd of June 1894.

Starting point is 00:14:45 At the University of Paris, the Congress, it was decided that the first Olympic Games were to come under the auspices of the IOC, and it would take place in Athens in 1896. The IOC elected the Greek writer Demetrius Veculas as its first president, 1896, games. The first games held under the auspices of the IOC was hosted in the Panathaniac Stadium in Athens in 1896. The Games brought together 14 nations and 241 athletes who competed in 43 events.

Starting point is 00:15:38 Zappas and his cousin Constantinos Zappas had left the Greek government. a trust to fund future Olympic Games. The trust was used to help finance the 1896 Games. George Everoff contributed generously for the refurbishment of the stadium in preparation for the games. The Greek government also provided funding which was expected to be recouped through sales of tickets

Starting point is 00:16:12 and from the sale of the first Olympic commemorative stamp set. Greek officials and the public were enthusiastic about the experience of hosting an Olympic Games were shared by many of the Athenites, who even demanded that Athens be the permanent Olympic host city tended for subsequent games to be rotated to various host cities around. the world. The second Olympics was held in Paris. The changes and adaptations. After the success of the 1896 Games, the Olympics entered a period of stagnation which threatened its survival. The Olympic Games

Starting point is 00:17:09 held at the Paris Exposition in 1900 and the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis in 1904 failed to attract much participation or notice. Of the 650 athletes in the 1904 Olympics, 580 were American and the winner of the marathon was later disqualified upon discovery of a photograph of him riding in a car during the race.

Starting point is 00:17:45 The Games rebounded, with the 1906 intercalated games, so-called because they were the second Olympics to take place within the third Olympiad, which were held in Athens. These games attracted a broad international field of participants and generated a great deal of public interest, making the beginning of a rise in both the popularity and the size of the size of the world. the Olympics. The 21st Century Olympic Games. Over 14,000 athletes competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics combined. In 40 different sports and 448 events, the Summer Olympics has grown from 241 participants representing 149 nations. Representing 148 in 1896 to more than 11,300 competitors representing 206 nations in 2020.

Starting point is 00:19:01 The scope and scale of the Winter Olympics is smaller. For example, Beijing hosted 2,971 athletes from 91 nations in 2022. Most of the athletes and officials are housed in the Olympic village for the duration of the Games. This accommodation centre is designed to be a self-contained home for all Olympic participants and is furnished with cafeterias, health clinics and locations for religious expression. The IOC has allowed the formation of National Olympic Committees to represent individual nations. These do not meet the strict requirements for political sovereignty

Starting point is 00:19:56 that other international organisations demand. As a result, colonies and dependencies are permitted to compete at Olympic Games, pools being territories such as Puerto Rico, Bermuda and Hong Kong, compete as separate nations despite being illegally a part of another country. The current version of the Olympic Charter allows for the establishment of new National Olympic Committees to represent nations that qualify as independent states recognised by the international community. Symbols The Olympic Movement uses symbols to be.

Starting point is 00:20:47 represent the ideas in the Olympic Charter. The Olympic symbol, better known as the Olympic rings, consists of five intertwined rings and represents the unity of the five inhabited continents. Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania. The coloured version of the rings, blue, yellow, black, green and red, are over a white field that forms the Olympic flag.

Starting point is 00:21:21 The colours were chosen because every nation had at least one of them in its national flag. The flag was adopted in 1914, but flown for the first time at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. It has been hoisted during each celebration of the Games. The Elevic motto of Sittius, Alatius and Fortius, a Latin expression meaning faster, higher, stronger, was proposed in 1894 and has been officially recognised since 1924. Kubotin's Olympic ideals are expressed in the Olympic greed. The most important thing in the Olympic Games, is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life

Starting point is 00:22:18 is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well. Once before, each games, the Olympic flame is lit at the temple of Hera in Olympia in a ceremony that reflects ancient Greek rituals. A female performer, acting as a priestess, joined by ten female performers of Vestal Virgins, ignites a torch by placing it inside a parabolic mirror, which focuses the sun's rays.

Starting point is 00:23:02 She lights the torch as the first re- who is also a Greek athlete, thus initiating the Olympic torch relay. that will carry the flame to the host cities Olympic Stadium, where it plays an important role in the opening ceremony. Though the flame has been an Olympic symbol since 1928, the torch relay was only introduced at the 1936 summer games. The Olympic mascot, an animal, a human or an anthropomorphic figure representing the cultural heritage of the host country was introduced in 1968.

Starting point is 00:23:51 It has played an important part of the game's identity and promotions as the 1980 Summer Olympics, where the Soviet bear cub Misha reached international stardom. The mascot of the Summer Olympics in London was named Wenlock after the town of much, Much Wenlock still hosts the Wenlock Olympic Games, which were the inspiration for Pierre de Cupertin for the Olympic Games. For the Paris 2024 Olympic Games is the anthropomorphic hat based on the one Marianne War at the time of the French Revolution. Ceremonies The opening ceremony As mandated by the Olympic Charter, various elements frame the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games.

Starting point is 00:24:52 The ceremony takes place on a Friday and is held prior to the commencement of the sporting events. Most of the rituals for the opening ceremony was established in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. The ceremony typically starts with the entrance of the President of the IOC, and a representative of the host country, followed by the hoisting of the host country's flag and the performance of his national anthem. The host nation then presents artistic displays of music, singing, dance and theatre,

Starting point is 00:25:31 representative of its culture. The artistic presentations have grown in scale and complexity as successive hosts attempt to provide a ceremony that outlasts its predecessor in terms of memorability. The opening ceremony of the Beijing Games reportedly cost $100 million, with much of the cost incurred in the artistic segment. After the artistic portion of the ceremony, the athletes parade in the stadium grouped by nation.

Starting point is 00:26:09 Greece is traditionally the first nation to enter, and leads the parade in order to honour the origins of the Olympics. Nations then enter the stadium alphabetically, according to the host country's chosen language, with the host country's athletes being the last to enter. During the 2004 Summer Olympics, which were hosted in Athens, Greece, the Greek flag entered the stadium first, while the Greek delegation entered last speeches are given by the president of the organising committee,

Starting point is 00:26:51 the IOC president and the head of state representative of the host country, formally opening the Games. Finally, the Olympic torch is brought into the stadium and passed on until it reaches the final torch carrier. Often a successful Olympic athlete from the host nation, who lights the Olympic flame in the stadium's cauldron. The closing ceremony. The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games takes place on a Sunday

Starting point is 00:27:28 and after all sporting events have concluded. Flag bearers from each participating country enter the stadium, followed by the athletes who enter without any national distinction. Three national flags are hoisted while the corresponding national anthems are played. The flag of the current host country, the flag of Greece to honour the birthplace of the Olympic Games, and the flag of the country hosting the next summer or winter Olympic Games. The President of the Organising Committee and the IOC President make their closing speeches.

Starting point is 00:28:18 The Games are officially closed and the Olympic Flame is extinguished. In what is known as the Antwerp ceremony, the current mayor of the city that organised the Games transfers a special Olympic flag to the President of the IOC. who then passes it on to the current mayor of the city hosting the next Olympic Games. Host Nation then also briefly introduces itself with artistic displays of dance and theatre, representative of its culture. As is customary, the last medal presentation of the Games is held as part of the closing ceremony. Typically, the marathon medals are presented at the Summer Olympics, while the cross-country skiing,

Starting point is 00:29:17 best start medals are awarded at the Winter Olympics. Presentation A medal ceremony is held after the conclusion of each Olympic event. The winner and the second and third place competitors, or teams, stand on top of the three teams. stand on top of the three-tiered rostering to be awarded their respective medals by a member of the IOC. After the medals have been received,

Starting point is 00:29:52 the national flags of the three medalists are raised while the national anthem of the gold medalist country is played. Volunteering citizens of the host country also act as hosts, during the medal ceremonies, assisting the officials who present the medals and acting as flag bearers. In the Summer Olympics, each medal ceremony is held at the venue where the event has taken place, but the ceremonies at the Winter Olympics are usually held in a special plaza.

Starting point is 00:30:33 The practice of awarding Olympic medals at podium ceremonies. was established at the 1932 Winter Olympics, based on pedestals used at the 1930 British Empire Games, as proposed by Melville Marks Robinson. Sports The Olympic Games program consists of 35 sports, 13 disciplines and 408 events. For example, wrestling is a Summer Olympic sport comprising two disciplines, Rucker Roman and Freestyle.

Starting point is 00:31:17 It is further broken down into 14 events for men and for events for women, each representing a different white glass. The Summer Olympics program includes 26 sports, while the Winter Olympics Programme features 15 sports, Athletics, swimming, fencing and artistic gymnastics are the only summer sports that have never been absent from the Olympic program. Cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined,

Starting point is 00:31:56 ski jumping and speed skating have been featured at every Winter Olympics program since its inception in 1924. Current Olympic sports, like Bagwinton, basketball and volleyball, first appeared on the program as demonstration sports and were later promoted to four Olympic sports. Some sports that were featured in earlier games were later dropped from the program. Olympic sports are governed by International Sports Federation.

Starting point is 00:32:33 IFs, recognised by the IOC as the global supervisors of these sports. There are 35 federations represented at the IOC. There are sports recognised by the IAC that are not included in the Olympic programme. These sports are not considered Olympic sports, but are being promoted to this status during a programme revision that occurs in the first IOC session following a celebration of the Olympic Games. During such revisions, sports can be excluded or included in the program on the basis of a two-thirds majority vote of the IOC.

Starting point is 00:33:21 There are recognised sports that have never been on an Olympic program in any capacity, for example, orientering. In October and November 2004, the IOC established an Olympic Program Commission, which was tasked with reviewing sports on the Olympic programme and all non-Olympic recognised sports. The goal was to apply a systemic approach to establishing the Olympic programme for each celebration of the Games. The Commission formulated seven criteria. to judge whether a sport should be included on the Olympic programme. These criteria are history and tradition of the sport,

Starting point is 00:34:10 universality, popularity of the sport, image, athletes' health, development of the International Federation that governs the sport, and costs of holding the sport. From this study, five recognised sports emerged as candidates for the inclusion of the 2012 Summer Olympics Golf, karate, rugby sevens, roller sports and squash. These sports were reviewed by the IOC executive board

Starting point is 00:34:45 and they referred to the general session in Singapore in July 2005. Other five sports recommended for inclusion only two were selected as finalists. Karate and Squat. Neither sport attained the required two-thirds vote, and consequently they were not promoted to the Olympic programme. In October 2009, the IOC voted to in-state golf and rugby sevens as Olympic sports for the 2016 and 2020 Summer Olympic Games. The 104th IOC session in 2002 limited the Summer Games program to a maximum of 28 sports, 301 events and 10,500 avenues. Three years later, at the 170th IOC session, the first major program revision was performed,

Starting point is 00:35:48 which resulted in exclusion of baseball and softball from rube. the official programme of the 2012 London Games. Since there was no agreement in the promotion of two other sports, the 2012 programme featured just 26 sports. The 2016 and 2020 Games were returned to the maximum of 28 sports, given the addition of rugby and...

Guided Sleep Meditation & Sleep Hypnosis from Sleep Cove - The History of The Modern Olympics

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.