Livre - Olympics

At the end of the 191h century Baron Pierre de Coubertin revived the ancient Olympic Games, which were inaugurated in the 8th century BCE and have survived for longer than one millennium. Coubertin took these cultic games in Olympia as a point of orientation and added educational values that modern times saw in sports. Although the modern Olympic Games cannot be seen as an actual renewal of the ancient ones, the reference to the staging of sport events in a four-year cycle along with special ceremonies as well as the blending with philosophical ideas easily gives way to a feeling of connection to the ancient Olympic Games. Therefore, the reader might enjoy learning about the history of the Games in ancient Olympia, their meaning for Greek society in Antiquity, the programme of the Games, etc. in the first part of this interdisciplinary collection of essays, and then discaver parallels and disparities to the modern Olympics described in the second part. ln these essays on the recent Olympic tradition, the prehistory of the modern Olympic Games in England, Germany, France, Sweden and Greece is traced, before the focus is turned on the longer-lasting efforts of Coubertin that led to the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Since then the Olympics have become a happening that attracts huge attention all over the world. The interest, not only of sports enthusiasts, for this biggest multi-sport event is reflected by the growing numbers of viewers on television worldwide. Of course, the ever growing popularity of this occasion every four years bears an enormous advertising effect that attracts countries to show off their strength, mayors hoping to boost their city’s popularity, companies to market their products, and finally athletes to market themselves – sometimes with the help of illegal substances. Nonetheless, for the majority of the main actors in this celebration of sports the participat ion in the Olympics means more than having better prospects in money making. Coubertin’s message “the important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part” still holds true for sportsmen and sportswomen, who have to invest a lot for taking part in the Summer and Winter Olympic Games, Paralympics or, more recently, the Youth Olympic Games. The Editors Dr Christian Wacker is director of the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum in Doha (Qatar). Prof. Dr Stephan Wassong is director of the Institute of Sports History, executive director of the Centre of Olympic Studies and vice-president at the German Sports University in Cologne (Germany). Andreas Amendt is head of library at the Qatar Olympic and Sports Museum in Doha (Qatar). In ancient times the Olympic Games were a ritual act that was more than a symbol for the widespread Greek city states. Today they are the biggest multi-sports event that indeed brings together the world with more than 200 participating nations. ln this catalogue well-founded and fascinating contributions from renowned authors add a global perspective to the phenomenon that the Olympics have become and trace their evolution from a great idea to a grand spectacle. The illustrated history of the ancient and modern Olympic Games covers the diverse aspects of the celebrated international event, from the discovery of the site of Olympia and the varied renaissance of the Olympic Games in the 19th century, to their diversification into Olympic Winter Games, Paralympics and Youth Olympic Games, to topics like doping, commercialisation as well as sustainability of the Olympic Games. ln this publication, students, scholars and the generally interested reader alike will find a valuable source of information about all essential aspects of the event that shaped ancient Greek culture and has today regained its huge impact on the whole world.