Olympic Games - Beijing 2008, China, Sports

Olympic Games

Table of Contents

Introduction & Top Questions
The ancient Olympic Games
- Origins
- Competition and status
- Women and the Olympic Games
- Demise of the Olympics
The modern Olympic movement
- Revival of the Olympics
- Organization
  - The International Olympic Committee
    - The awarding of the Olympic Games
    - Corruption
    - Political pressures
    - Commercialization
  - National Olympic committees, international federations, and organizing committees
  - Programs and participation
    - Amateurism versus professionalism
    - Doping and drug testing
- Ritual and symbolism
  - Olympic ceremonies
    - The opening ceremony
    - The medal ceremonies
    - The closing ceremony
  - Olympic symbols
    - The flag
    - The motto
    - The flame and torch relay
    - Mascots
History of the modern Summer Games
- Athens, Greece, 1896
- Paris, France, 1900
- St. Louis, Missouri, U.S., 1904
- Athens, Greece, 1906
- London, England, 1908
- Stockholm, Sweden, 1912
- Antwerp, Belgium, 1920
- Paris, France, 1924
- Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1928
- Los Angeles, California, U.S., 1932
- Berlin, Germany, 1936
- London, England, 1948
- Helsinki, Finland, 1952
- Melbourne, Australia, 1956
- Rome, Italy, 1960
- Tokyo, Japan, 1964
- Mexico City, Mexico, 1968
- Munich, West Germany, 1972
- Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 1976
- Moscow, U.S.S.R., 1980
- Los Angeles, California, U.S., 1984
- Seoul, South Korea, 1988
- Barcelona, Spain, 1992
- Atlanta, Georgia, U.S., 1996
- Sydney, Australia, 2000
- Athens, Greece, 2004
- Beijing, China, 2008
- London, England, 2012
- Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2016
History of the Olympic Winter Games
- Chamonix, France, 1924
- St. Moritz, Switzerland, 1928
- Lake Placid, New York, U.S., 1932
- Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, 1936
- St. Moritz, Switzerland, 1948
- Oslo, Norway, 1952
- Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, 1956
- Squaw Valley, California, U.S., 1960
- Innsbruck, Austria, 1964
- Grenoble, France, 1968
- Sapporo, Japan, 1972
- Innsbruck, Austria, 1976
- Lake Placid, New York, U.S., 1980
- Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, 1984
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 1988
- Albertville, France, 1992
- Lillehammer, Norway, 1994
- Nagano, Japan, 1998
- Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S., 2002
- Turin, Italy, 2006
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, 2010
- Sochi, Russia, 2014

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

The history of the Olympics: From ancient Greece to now

opening ceremony at the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Games

For Students

Olympic Games summary

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In 2008 the Olympic Games were held in China for the first time. In the months prior to the Games’ start, a devastating earthquake in Sichuan province, international focus on China’s pollution problems, and protests over China’s human rights record and Tibet became part of the Olympic story. Moreover, the Chinese government was criticized for its failure to ensure complete media freedom for visiting reporters in the lead-up to the Games. Nevertheless, China was determined to show the world, also through an Olympic lens, that it had joined the ranks of the world’s most modern and influential countries, and the ...(100 of 24614 words)

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