The world is now busy with the decade’s most anticipated global sporting event- The Paris 2024 Olympics. Olympic Games Paris 2024 are being held from 24 July to 11 August 2024 with a Total of 206 nations participating with their teams, including 117 athletes.
Paris, the “City of Light,” is no stranger to hosting grand events. The Paris 2024 Olympics will mark a significant milestone, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the last time the city hosted the Games in 1924. The city previously hosted the Summer Games in 1900 and 1924, making this the third time Paris will welcome athletes from around the globe.
Paris 2024 Olympics: Medals Table (Updated)
Ancient Olympics – History
The Olympic Games have a storied history that dates back to ancient Greece. The first recorded Olympics were held in 776 BCE in Olympia, a sanctuary site for the Greek gods in the western Peloponnese. These early games were part of a religious festival in honor of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. Athletes from various Greek city-states would gather to compete in events such as running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, and chariot racing.
The ancient Olympics were held every four years, a period known as an Olympiad. The games continued for nearly 12 centuries until Emperor Theodosius I, a Christian, abolished them in 393 CE to suppress paganism in the Roman Empire.
The Modern Turn
The Olympics were revived in the late 19th century, thanks in large part to the efforts of French educator and historian Pierre de Coubertin. Inspired by the ancient games, Coubertin proposed the idea of a modern international sports competition. His vision came to fruition with the first modern Olympic Games held in Athens, Greece, in 1896. Participants from 14 countries competed in 43 events, including track and field, gymnastics, wrestling, cycling, swimming, and tennis.
Expansion and Evolution
Since their revival, the Olympic Games have grown exponentially in size and scope. The number of participating countries, athletes, and events has increased significantly. The Summer Olympics now feature over 300 events in 33 sports.
Notable Milestones
- 1900 – Women participated for the first time in the Paris Games.
- 1936 – The Berlin Games were used as a platform for Nazi propaganda, but they also saw African American athlete Jesse Owens win four gold medals, challenging Hitler’s racial ideologies.
- 1960 – The Rome Games were the first to be fully covered on television, bringing the Olympics into homes worldwide.
- 1980 and 1984 – The Moscow and Los Angeles Games were marked by significant boycotts due to political tensions during the Cold War.
- 1992 – The Barcelona Games saw the return of a unified German team and the participation of former Soviet republics as independent nations.
- 2008 – The Beijing Games were notable for their spectacular opening ceremony and the record-breaking performance of swimmer Michael Phelps, who won eight gold medals.
The future of the Olympics looks bright, with upcoming games scheduled to be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
