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Olympic Explorations
Theme Overview
The 2010 Olympics in Vancouver—beginning February 12—mark the 21st winter games to be held since the modern revival of the Olympic Games of ancient Greece in 1896.
Emblem of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympic Games
As the world prepares to be entertained and inspired by the athletes who will convene in Canada, this edition of History Happenings takes you back to some interesting moments and trends in Olympic history. Read about the origins of the modern games, the intersection of politics and the Olympics, and the growing participation of women athletes in the world's most prestigious sporting event.
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Value of the Modern Olympic Movement
History Study Center
The 1896 revival of the Olympic Games of ancient Greece came about under the direction of Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863–1937).
The first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896
Founded on the ideals of world cooperation and athletic excellence, the first modern games were held in Athens, Greece. Since then, barring times of international conflict, the Olympics have been held throughout the world, with the number of competitors, nations, and events increasing steadily.
In this new activity from History Study Center, learn more about the history of the Olympic movement and decide what the Olympics mean on a personal level.
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Politics and the Olympic Games
SIRS Decades
Although the modern Olympic Games were founded on the notion of international cooperation, the games have sometimes fallen prey to forces and events that have undermined this original ideal. Protests, boycotts, and even terrorism have become a part of Olympic history.
Black Power salute at the Summer Olympics in Mexico City (1968)
In this new teaching activity from SIRS Decades, take a look back at some of the instances in which politics have made an indelible mark on the Olympic Games.
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Cold War Games
World Conflicts Today
Many analysts cite 1989 (the year the Berlin Wall fell) as the end of the Cold War. But there was no hint of thawing relations between the world's two superpowers at the beginning of the decade at the Moscow Olympic Games.
The Afghan mujahideen enjoyed considerable support
from the United States in the 1980s.
© Getty Images, Inc.
In fact, there were no American athletes at the games at all. This was because U.S. president Jimmy Carter ordered a boycott of the games in response to the December 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. But President Carter was playing a game of his own—he was trying to draw international attention to Soviet actions in Afghanistan while keeping American actions there secret.
Read about the intrigue in this new teaching activity from World Conflicts Today.
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Women in the Modern Olympics
ProQuest Historical Newspapers
Some of the most popular Olympic events are those in which female athletes compete against each other—track-and-field, gymnastics, figure skating, volleyball, and swimming.
What many spectators fail to realize is that female athletes haven't always been allowed to participate in the Olympic Games.
In this new teaching activity from Historical Newspapers, (free trial), learn about a time in modern Olympic history when women were just beginning to become involved as athletes in Olympic competition.
Speed skater at the 2006 Games in Turin, Italy
(© Getty Images, Inc.)
Some interesting facts about women and the Olympic Games:
- The ancient Olympic Games began in 776 BC and were held until AD 393. These games were held in honor of the gods and goddesses of Greek mythology.
- Only male athletes were allowed to compete in the ancient games. Married women were not permitted to attend.
- Female athletes were not allowed to participate in the first modern Olympic Games in 1896, but four years later, 12 women competed in tennis and golf.
- In 1920, there were 60 female athletes out of 2,692 total competitors.
- The inclusion of an 800-meter track event for women at the 1928 games resulted in controversy. A number of runners collapsed at the finish line, so the event was pronounced too dangerous for women and banned from the Olympics. It was not reintroduced until 1960.
- In the 1988 games, 42 of the 160 countries competing didn't have any female athletes.
- In Sydney 2000, women were still not allowed to take part in events such as baseball, boxing, and wrestling.
- In Athens 2004, 41 percent of the athletes were women. Women could compete in 26 sports, including wrestling.
- In Torino 2006, 38 percent of the athletes were women, and they participated in 48 percent of the events.
Activity
Have students read the following the relevant articles below from ProQuest Historical Newspapers. Students should make note of any reasons, explicit or implicit, that were used to exclude women from Olympic competition:
Women in Olympics
How Women Are "Breaking Into" the Olympic Games
Women to Compete in Olympic Games
Women May Enter Olympic Games
Lead a discussion in which the class explores some of the issues related to gender discrimination in sports. The class could talk about the history of gender discrimination in athletic competition, what progress has been made in overcoming unfair attitudes and behavior, and areas where more work still needs to be done.
The discussion could include not only Olympic competition but the influence of legislation, such as Title IX, on athletics in general.
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