The Olympics holds the distinction of being the largest and most prestigious sporting event on the globe. The Olympics is naturally the foremost stage for sporting endeavour in the world, in which every athlete dreams of participating. The 2012 edition of the Games in London promises to be the most successful Olympics ever.
The history of this sporting extravaganza stretches back to the Ancient Olympic Games held in Ancient Greece, when the athletes of several kingdoms and city-states competed in several different events. These contests included running events, wrestling, boxing, pankration (a form of combat), a pentathlon and various equestrian competitions.
The first modern Olympics was held in 1896 with the leadership of Baron Pierre de Coubertin who founded the International Olympic Committee. The intention was to create a stage for competition involving the world’s top athletes, with friendly competition and harmony amongst nations. In these first Games 241 athletes from 14 countries took part; from these modest beginnings the Games developed steadily, with about 10,500 contestants representing 204 nations competing in the 2008 Summer Olympics.
The Winter Games are also part of the Olympic heritage although the number of contestants and spectators is smaller. Another important aspect of the Olympic tradition is the Paralympics, which enables competition for contestants with a variety of disabilities.
Several state of the art venues have been prepared for the London Games, with many different arenas for the various sporting competitions. Naturally the Olympic Stadium will be the focus of attention, hosting the athletics events. The well equipped Aquatics Centre will feature swimming, diving, water polo and synchronized swimming. Meanwhile the ExCeL Arena is scheduled to host fencing, boxing, judo, taekwondo, table tennis, wrestling and weightlifting. The equestrian events will be conducted at the expansive Greenwich Park whilst Hadleigh Park will host the mountain bike competition. The athletes and officials will reside in the suitably equipped Olympic Village for the duration of the Games.
The attention of the world will focus on the capital of the United Kingdom as the world’s premier sporting festival takes centre stage in the summer.
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