Olympic Games facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Olympic Games
Jeux olympiques  (French)

Abbreviation	Olympiad (for summer games only)
Motto	Faster, Higher, Stronger – Together (Latin: Citius, Altius, Fortius – Communiter (French: Plus vite, Plus haut, Plus fort – Ensemble)
First event	Summer Athens, Greece in 1896 Winter Chamonix, France in 1924
Occur every	Four years, alternated two years during the four-year cycle
Headquarters	Lausanne, Switzerland
President	Kirsty Coventry
Website	https://www.olympics.com/

The modern Olympic Games (often called the Olympics) are the world's biggest international sports events. They include both summer and winter sports. Thousands of athletes from many countries compete in different athletic challenges. The Olympics are open to both amateur and professional athletes. More than 200 teams take part, each representing a country or territory. The Games happen every four years. Since 1994, the Summer and Winter Olympics have taken turns every two years within this four-year cycle.

The idea for the modern Olympics came from the Ancient Olympic Games. These were held in Olympia, Greece, a very long time ago. Baron Pierre de Coubertin started the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. This led to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the main group that organizes the Olympic Games. The Olympic Charter explains how they work.

Over the years, the Olympic Games have changed a lot. New events like the Winter Olympic Games for snow and ice sports were added. There are also the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities. The Youth Olympic Games are for athletes aged 14 to 18. Other related events include the five Continental Games and the World Games for sports not in the Olympics. The IOC also supports the Deaflympics and the Special Olympics. The rules about who could compete also changed. At first, only amateurs were allowed. Now, professional athletes can also join. The Games have become very popular with mass media and corporate sponsorship. Big world events sometimes affected the Games. For example, the Olympics were canceled in 1916, 1940, and 1944 due to world wars. Some countries did not participate in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics due to political reasons. The 2020 Olympics were postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 restrictions.

The Olympic Movement involves many international sports groups and national Olympic committees. The IOC chooses where each Games will be held. It also decides which sports will be part of the Games. There are special traditions and symbols, like the Olympic flag, the Olympic flame and torch relay, and the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 14,000 athletes competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics. They took part in 40 different sports and 448 events. The top three athletes in each event receive Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze.

The Games have grown so much that almost every country is now represented. Even some territories can send their own teams. This growth has brought some challenges. But the Olympics also give athletes a chance to become famous. They also let the host city and country show themselves to the world. The Olympic Games help countries work together and share cultures. Hosting the Games can also bring big changes to a city, like new buildings and more tourists.

Ancient Olympics: A Look Back in Time

The "Ancient Olympic Games" were religious and sports festivals. They happened every four years in Olympia, Greece. This was a special place for the god Zeus. The festival usually took place in late August or early September. This was after the harvest but before picking olives. Messengers announced the dates from the city of Elis.

At first, only Greek men born free could compete. Later, after Greece was conquered, anyone who spoke Greek could join. Thousands of Greeks traveled to attend the festival. Some say as many as 40,000 people came. These Games included athletic events and combat sports. There was wrestling, a sport called pankration, and horse and chariot races.

Many people believe that all wars stopped during the Games. This was called the Olympic peace or truce. However, this is a modern myth. The truce only allowed people traveling to Olympia to pass safely. They were protected by Zeus during their religious journey.

The start of the Olympics is a bit of a mystery. One popular story says Heracles and his father Zeus began the Games. Legend says Heracles first called them "Olympic." He also started the custom of holding them every four years. After his famous twelve labors, he built the Olympic Stadium. He did this to honor Zeus. He then walked 200 steps in a straight line. He called this distance a "stadion," which became a unit of distance.

Most people agree the Ancient Olympics started in 776 BC. This date comes from old writings found in Olympia. These writings listed the winners of a footrace held every four years. For the first thirteen Olympics, this footrace was the only event. Winning this race was so important that the next four-year period was named after the winner.

Over time, the Ancient Games added more events. These included different running races. There was also a pentathlon, which had jumping, discus, javelin, a foot race, and wrestling. Boxing, wrestling, and horse events were also part of the Games. A cook named Coroebus of Elis is said to be the first Olympic champion. This shows that not only rich people competed.

The Olympics were very important for religious reasons. Sports events were held alongside special offerings to Zeus and Pelops. Zeus had a famous statue by Phidias in his temple at Olympia. Winners were greatly admired. Their achievements were remembered in poems and statues. The only official prize was a wreath from a sacred olive tree. But winners also gained fame and wealth from their hometowns.

The Games happened every four years. This period was called an Olympiad. Greeks used it to measure time. The Olympics were part of bigger events called the Panhellenic Games. These also included the Pythian Games, Nemean Games, and Isthmian Games.

The Ancient Olympic Games were most popular in the 6th and 5th centuries BC. But they slowly became less important. This happened as the Romans gained power in Greece. Many believe the Games officially ended in 393 AD. This was when Emperor Theodosius I ordered all non-Christian practices to stop. Another date often mentioned is 426 AD. This is when Emperor Theodosius II ordered the destruction of Greek temples.

Modern Games: A New Beginning

Early Ideas for Revival

People have used the word "Olympic" for sports events since the 1600s. One of the first was the Cotswold Games in England. These were annual sports meetings. The British Olympic Association even mentioned them when bidding for the 2012 London Olympics.

In France, a national Olympic festival called L'Olympiade de la République was held from 1796 to 1798. It tried to copy the ancient Greek Olympics. These games also introduced the metric system to sports.

Other Olympic Games were held in Sweden in the 1830s and 1840s. In England, William Penny Brookes started the Olympian Class in 1850. This later became the Wenlock Olympian Games, which still happen today. These games inspired the modern Olympics.

The Olympic Dream Comes True

Greeks wanted to bring back the Olympic Games after their war for independence in 1821. A poet named Panagiotis Soutsos first suggested it in 1833. Evangelos Zappas, a rich Greek, offered to pay for a permanent return of the Games.

Zappas sponsored the first modern "Olympic Games" in 1859 in Athens. Athletes from Greece and the Ottoman Empire competed. Zappas also paid to fix up the ancient Panathenaic Stadium. This stadium then hosted the Olympics in 1870 and 1875.

In 1890, Baron Pierre de Coubertin was inspired by the Wenlock Olympian Games. He wanted to use sports to promote peace and friendship worldwide. He decided to create international Olympic Games that would happen every four years. He shared his ideas at a meeting in Paris in 1894. At this meeting, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was created. They decided the first IOC-backed Olympic Games would be in Athens in 1896. Demetrius Vikelas from Greece became the first president of the IOC.

The First Modern Games in 1896

The first Games under the IOC were held in the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens in 1896. Athletes from 14 nations competed in 43 events. Zappas's money helped pay for these Games. George Averoff also gave a lot of money to fix the stadium. The Greek government also helped fund the event.

Everyone in Greece was very excited to host the Olympics. Many athletes even wanted Athens to be the permanent host city. But the IOC wanted the Games to move to different cities around the world. The next Olympics in 1900 were held in Paris.

How the Games Have Changed

After the successful 1896 Games, the Olympics faced some challenges. The Games in Paris (1900) and St. Louis (1904) did not attract many participants or much attention. For example, in 1904, most athletes were American. The winner of the marathon was even disqualified for riding in a car!

Things improved with the 1906 Games in Athens. These Games brought many international athletes and a lot of public interest. This marked the start of the Olympics becoming more popular and bigger.

Winter Sports Join the Fun

The Winter Olympics were created for sports played on snow and ice. These sports were hard to hold during the Summer Games. Figure skating and ice hockey were part of the Summer Olympics in 1908 and 1920. The IOC wanted to add more winter sports.

In 1921, the IOC decided to have a winter version of the Games. A winter sports week was held in 1924 in Chamonix, France. This event became the first Winter Olympic Games. At first, they thought the same country would host both Summer and Winter Games. But this idea was soon changed.

The Winter Games were held every four years, in the same year as the Summer Games. This continued until the 1992 Games. After that, starting in 1994, the Winter Olympics began to be held two years after each Summer Olympics.

Paralympics: For Athletes with Disabilities

After World War II, Sir Ludwig Guttmann wanted to help soldiers recover. In 1948, he organized a sports event for hospitals. This event grew into an annual sports festival.

In 1960, Guttmann brought 400 athletes to Rome. They competed in the "Parallel Olympics," which happened at the same time as the Summer Olympics. This became known as the first Paralympics. Since then, the Paralympics have been held every Olympic year. Starting with the 1988 Summer Games, the same city hosts both the Olympics and Paralympics. In 2001, the IOC and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) agreed that host cities must manage both Games.

Youth Olympic Games

In 2010, the Youth Olympic Games were added. These Games give athletes aged 14 to 18 a chance to compete. IOC president Jacques Rogge first thought of this idea in 2001. The first Summer Youth Games were in Singapore in 2010. The first Winter Youth Games were in Innsbruck, Austria, in 2012. These Games are shorter than the main Olympics. They include mixed teams and fewer events.

The Olympics Today

More than 14,000 athletes competed in the 2020 Summer Olympics and 2022 Winter Olympics. They took part in 40 different sports and 448 events. The Summer Olympics have grown from 241 athletes in 1896 to over 11,300 in 2020. The Winter Olympics are smaller. For example, Beijing hosted 2,971 athletes in 2022. Most athletes and officials stay in the Olympic Village. This is a special place with everything they need, like cafeterias and health clinics.

The IOC allows National Olympic Committees (NOCs) to represent countries. Some territories, like Puerto Rico and Hong Kong, can also compete as separate nations. This is even if they are legally part of another country. The rules say new NOCs can only be formed for independent states.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC)

The Olympic Movement includes many sports organizations and federations. It also includes athletes, officials, and media partners. Everyone involved agrees to follow the rules of the Olympic Charter. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the main group. It chooses the host city, plans the Games, and approves the sports program. It also handles sponsorships and TV rights.

The Olympic Movement has three main parts:

• International Federations (IFs) are groups that manage a sport worldwide. For example, FIFA manages football. There are 35 IFs for Olympic sports.
• National Olympic Committees (NOCs) represent the Olympic Movement in each country. For example, the Russian Olympic Committee is the NOC for Russia. There are 206 NOCs recognized by the IOC.
• Organizing Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) are temporary groups. They plan each specific Olympic Games. They are dissolved after the Games are over.

French and English are the official languages of the Olympic Movement. The language of the host country is also used. Announcements are made in these languages. French is always spoken first, then English, then the host country's language.

In March 2025, Kirsty Coventry became the first woman and first African to be elected President of the IOC. Coventry wants the Olympics to bring the world together. She believes sports can unite different cultures and nations. Her goal is for every nation to have an equal chance to shine. She also wants to keep sports separate from politics. Coventry's plans help the IOC build global partnerships. This includes working with BRICS nations. She aims to strengthen the IOC's role in promoting peace through sports.

Ensuring Fair Play and Rules

The IOC works hard to make sure the Games are fair and transparent. Over the years, there have been discussions about how the IOC operates. For example, in 1998, there were concerns about gifts given during the bid for the 2002 Winter Olympics. This led to investigations and stricter rules for future bids. Some IOC members were removed, and new rules were put in place. These rules included limits on gifts and new age limits for members. More former Olympic athletes also joined the committee. These changes helped make the bidding process more fair.

How the Olympics Get Funding

Early Sponsorships

The Olympic Games have had sponsors since the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. Companies like Kodak paid for advertising. In 1908, Oxo and Odol mouthwash became official sponsors. Coca-Cola first sponsored the Summer Olympics in 1928 and has been a sponsor ever since. Before the IOC took charge, national Olympic committees handled their own sponsorship deals.

IOC Takes Control

The IOC did not always want corporate sponsors. But after 1972, the IOC started to see the value of television and advertising. Under Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Games began to work with international sponsors. These companies wanted to connect their products with the Olympic brand.

The Olympic Budget

For a long time, the IOC had a small budget. From 1952 to 1972, President Avery Brundage did not want the Olympics to be too commercial. He thought corporate interests might unfairly influence decisions. This meant organizing committees had to find their own sponsors.

When Brundage retired, the IOC had $2 million. Eight years later, it had $45 million. This growth came from accepting corporate sponsorship and selling television rights. When Juan Antonio Samaranch became president in 1980, he wanted the IOC to be financially strong.

The 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles were a turning point. The organizing committee made a profit of $225 million. This was a huge amount at the time. They did this by selling exclusive sponsorship rights to certain companies. The IOC then wanted to control these rights. Samaranch started The Olympic Programme (TOP) in 1985. This created a strong Olympic brand. Being a TOP member is exclusive and expensive. Companies pay $50 million for a four-year membership. They get global advertising rights and can use the Olympic rings in their ads.

The Power of Television

The 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin were the first to be shown on television. But only local people could watch. The 1956 Winter Olympics in Italy were the first to be shown internationally. For the 1960 Winter Games, TV rights were sold to networks for the first time. CBS paid $394,000 for the American rights.

Over the next decades, the Olympics became very popular on TV. The IOC used this interest to sell more broadcast rights. This helped the Games reach more people. More viewers meant more interest from advertisers. This allowed the IOC to charge more for TV rights. For example, CBS paid $375 million for the 1998 Nagano Games. NBC spent $3.5 billion for the American rights from 2000 to 2012.

In 2011, NBC agreed to a $4.38 billion deal to broadcast the Olympics through the 2020 Games. This was the most expensive TV rights deal ever. On May 7, 2014, NBC extended this deal for $7.75 billion. This gave them rights to air the Olympics up to and including the 2032 Games. NBC also got rights for the Youth Olympic Games and Paralympics. Many of the IOC's global sponsors are American companies. NBC is a major source of money for the IOC.

On March 13, 2025, it was announced that Comcast agreed to pay the IOC $3 billion. This deal gives them rights to air the Olympics through 2036. This includes the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, and future Games. The 2024 Paris Olympics had strong ratings for NBC and its streaming service, Peacock.

TV viewership grew a lot from the 1960s to the late 1900s. This was thanks to satellites for live global TV and color television. The 1968 Mexico City Games had 600 million viewers. By the 1984 Los Angeles Games, it was 900 million. This number reached 3.5 billion by the 1992 Barcelona Games. With such high costs for TV rights, networks asked the IOC to make changes to boost ratings. The IOC responded by expanding popular events like gymnastics, swimming, and diving. NBC's large payments have allowed them to influence event schedules. This helps maximize U.S. television ratings. For example, swimming finals in Beijing (2008) and Tokyo (2020) were held in the morning. This was so they could be shown during prime time in the United States.

Olympic Symbols and Traditions

The Olympic Movement uses special symbols. These represent the ideas of the Olympic Charter. The main symbol is the Olympic rings. These are five intertwined rings. They stand for the unity of the five inhabited continents: Africa, the Americas (seen as one), Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The rings are blue, yellow, black, green, and red. They are on a white flag. These colors were chosen because every country's flag has at least one of them. The flag was adopted in 1914. It was first flown at the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp, Belgium. It has been used at every Games since. The IOC owns and controls how these symbols are used.

The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius. This is Latin for "Faster, Higher, Stronger." It was suggested by Pierre de Coubertin in 1894 and became official in 1924. Coubertin's friend, Henri Didon, first used this motto.

Coubertin's Olympic ideas are also in the Olympic creed:

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

Months before each Games, the Olympic flame is lit. This happens at the Temple of Hera in Olympia, Greece. A ceremony reflects ancient Greek traditions. A performer, acting as a priestess, lights a torch using the sun's rays. She then lights the torch of the first relay runner. This starts the Olympic torch relay. The flame travels to the host city's Olympic stadium. It plays a key part in the opening ceremony. The flame has been an Olympic symbol since 1928. The torch relay started at the 1936 Summer Games.

The Olympic mascot was introduced in 1968. It is an animal, human, or cartoon figure. It represents the host country's culture. Mascots have been important for the Games' identity since the 1980 Summer Olympics. The Soviet bear cub Misha became internationally famous. The mascot for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games is a Phrygian cap. This cap is based on the one worn during the French Revolution.

Olympic Ceremonies

Opening Ceremony

The opening ceremony of the Olympic Games follows special rules. It happens on a Friday before most sports events begin. Many of these traditions started at the 1920 Summer Olympics. The ceremony usually starts with the IOC president and a host country representative entering. Then the host country's flag is raised, and its national anthem is played. The host nation then performs artistic shows. These include music, singing, dance, and theater. They represent the country's culture. These shows have become very grand and memorable. The Beijing Games opening ceremony reportedly cost $100 million.

After the artistic part, athletes parade into the stadium. They are grouped by nation. Greece always enters first to honor the Olympics' origins. Other nations enter alphabetically by the host country's language. The host country's athletes enter last. In the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the Greek flag entered first, and the Greek team entered last. Starting with the 2020 Summer Olympics, the next host cities enter just before the current host.

Speeches are given by the head of the organizing committee, the IOC president, and the host country's leader. They formally open the Games. Finally, the Olympic torch is brought into the stadium. It is passed until it reaches the final torch carrier. This is often a famous athlete from the host nation. This person lights the Olympic flame in the stadium's cauldron.

Closing Ceremony

The closing ceremony happens on a Sunday, after all sports events are finished. Flag-bearers from each country enter the stadium. Then all the athletes enter together, without national groups. Three national flags are raised. These are the flag of the current host country, the flag of Greece, and the flag of the next host country. The organizing committee president and IOC president give closing speeches. The Games are officially closed, and the Olympic flame is put out.

In a tradition called the Antwerp Ceremony, the current host city's mayor passes a special Olympic flag to the IOC president. The president then gives it to the mayor of the next host city. The next host nation also gives a short artistic performance.

The last medal ceremony of the Games is usually held during the closing ceremony. For the Summer Olympics, marathon medals are presented. For the Winter Olympics, cross-country skiing mass start medals are awarded.

Medal Presentation

After each Olympic event, a medal ceremony is held. The first, second, and third-place athletes or teams stand on a three-tiered platform. An IOC member awards them their medals. Winners receive gold medals. These were solid gold until 1912. Now they are gold-plated silver, with at least six grams of pure gold. Second-place winners get silver medals. Third-place athletes receive bronze medals. In some events, like boxing, both semi-final losers get a bronze medal.

At the 1896 Olympics, only the winner and runner-up received medals. Silver for first and bronze for second. The current three-medal system started at the 1904 Olympics. Since 1948, athletes in fourth, fifth, and sixth place have received certificates, called Olympic diplomas. Since 1984, these are also given to seventh and eighth-place finishers. At the 2004 Athens Olympics, medal winners also received olive wreaths. The IOC does not officially track national medal counts. But countries and media do, to measure success.

Olympic Sports

The Olympic Games program includes 35 sports, 30 disciplines, and 408 events. For example, wrestling is a Summer Olympic sport. It has two styles: Greco-Roman and Freestyle. These are further divided into different weight classes for men and women. The Summer Olympics program has 26 sports. The Winter Olympics program has 15 sports.

Some sports have always been in the Summer Olympics. These include athletics, swimming, fencing, and artistic gymnastics. For the Winter Olympics, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, Nordic combined, ski jumping, and speed skating have been in every Games since 1924. Some current Olympic sports, like badminton and basketball, started as demonstration sports. Later, they became full Olympic sports. Some sports from earlier Games were later removed.

International sports federations (IFs) manage Olympic sports. The IOC recognizes these federations. There are 35 federations at the IOC. Some sports are recognized by the IOC but are not in the Olympic program. These can be added later if they meet certain criteria. The IOC reviews the sports program after each Games. Sports can be added or removed with a two-thirds vote.

In 2004, the IOC created a commission to review sports. They set seven rules for including a sport. These included the sport's history, popularity, image, and cost. For the 2012 Summer Olympics, five sports were considered: golf, karate, rugby sevens, roller sports, and squash. Only karate and squash were finalists, but neither got enough votes. In 2009, the IOC voted to add golf and rugby sevens for the 2016 and 2020 Games.

In 2002, the IOC limited the Summer Games to 28 sports, 301 events, and 10,500 athletes. In 2005, baseball and softball were removed from the 2012 London Games. So, the 2012 program had only 26 sports. The 2016 and 2020 Games returned to 28 sports with the addition of rugby and golf.

Amateur vs. Professional Athletes

The idea of amateur sports was very important to Pierre de Coubertin. He believed sports were part of a good education. The saying "a healthy mind in a healthy body" was key. It was thought that a gentleman should be good at many things, not just one. Practicing a sport professionally was seen as unfair. It gave an advantage over those who played for fun.

This rule against professionals caused some issues. Jim Thorpe, a 1912 Olympic champion, lost his medals. It was found he had played semi-professional baseball. His medals were given back to his family in 1983. Swiss and Austrian skiers boycotted the 1936 Winter Olympics. They supported their teachers, who were not allowed to compete because they earned money from skiing.

Later, countries like the Soviet Union had "full-time amateur athletes." These athletes were paid by the state to train. This put Western athletes, who paid for themselves, at a disadvantage. This led to fewer medals for American teams in the 1970s and 1980s. Because of this, the Olympics changed its rules. Now, professional athletes are allowed to compete. This change happened in the 1990s.

Ice Hockey Changes

In the late 1960s, Canada's amateur hockey players struggled against full-time Soviet athletes. Canada wanted to use professional players. But the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) and IOC disagreed. In 1969, the IIHF allowed Canada to use nine non-NHL professional players for the 1970 World Championships. But this decision was reversed. The IOC said ice hockey might be removed from the Olympics if the rule changed. Canada then stopped playing international ice hockey. They said they would not return until "open competition" was allowed.

In 1975, Günther Sabetzki helped resolve the issue. In 1976, the IIHF agreed to allow "open competition" for all players in the World Championships. However, professional NHL players were still not allowed in the Olympics until 1988. This was due to the IOC's amateur-only policy.

Athlete Citizenship Rules

IOC Rules for Athletes

The Olympic Charter says an athlete must be a legal citizen of the country they compete for. If an athlete has dual citizenship, they can choose which country to represent. But if they have competed for one country before, they usually have to wait three years before competing for another. This waiting period can be shortened if the Olympic committees and sports federations agree. This rule only applies to athletes who have already competed for a nation. If an athlete gets a new citizenship, they don't have to wait to compete for that new country. The IOC focuses on citizenship once a country grants it.

In October 2023, the IOC suspended the Russian Olympic Committee. This suspension was confirmed in February 2024. Because of this, the IOC Executive Board approved citizenship changes for five Russian athletes in November 2023 and March 2024. These athletes moved from Russia to other countries. For example, Georgi Tiblov and Aleksandr Komarov changed to Serbia for wrestling. Mikhail Yakovlev changed to Israel for cycling. Valeriia Liubimova and Anastasiia Kirpichnikova changed to France for cycling and swimming.

Why Athletes Change Countries

Sometimes, an athlete becomes a citizen of a different country to compete in the Olympics. This might be because of better sponsorship deals or training facilities. Or, the athlete might not be able to qualify for the Olympics in their birth country. For the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia gave citizenship to a South Korean speed-skater, Ahn Hyun-soo, and an American snowboarder, Vic Wild. These two athletes won five gold medals and one bronze medal for Russia.

Champions and Medallists

Medals are given to the athletes or teams who finish first, second, and third in each event. Winners get gold medals. These were solid gold until 1912. Now, they are made of gilded silver, meaning silver covered in gold. Every gold medal must have at least six grams of pure gold. Second-place winners get silver medals. Third-place athletes receive bronze medals. In some events, like boxing, where there isn't a clear third-place match, both athletes who lose in the semi-finals each get a bronze medal.

At the 1896 Olympics, only the winner and runner-up received medals. Silver for first place and bronze for second. There were no gold medals. The current system of three medals started at the 1904 Olympics. Since 1948, athletes who finish fourth, fifth, and sixth have received certificates. These are officially called Olympic diplomas. Since 1984, diplomas are also given to seventh and eighth-place finishers. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, gold, silver, and bronze medal winners also received olive wreaths. The IOC does not keep official national medal statistics. However, national Olympic committees and the media do record them. They use these statistics to show how well each country performed.

Participating Nations and Host Cities

Nations at the Games

As of the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo, all 207 current National Olympic Committees (NOCs) have participated in at least one Summer Olympics. Athletes from five nations have competed in all 28 Summer Olympics: Australia, France, Great Britain, Greece, and Switzerland. Teams competing under the Olympic flag or as the Refugee Team have competed in six Summer Olympics.

A total of 119 NOCs have participated in at least one Winter Olympics. Athletes from 12 nations have competed in all 23 Winter Games so far. These include Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States.

Choosing Host Cities

Host cities for the Olympic Games are usually chosen seven to eight years before the event. However, for the 2024 and 2028 Olympics, the IOC announced the winners earlier. This gives cities more time to prepare. The selection process has two main parts and takes two years.

First, a city applies to its country's National Olympic Committee. If more than one city from a country wants to host, the national committee usually chooses one. Only one city per country can be presented to the IOC. After the application deadline, cities fill out a questionnaire. This asks about their plans for the Games. They must promise to follow the Olympic Charter. The IOC then reviews these applications. Based on this, the IOC chooses which cities can move to the next stage.

In the second stage, candidate cities submit a more detailed plan. An evaluation commission carefully studies each city. This commission visits the cities, talks to local officials, and checks out potential venues. They then write a report before the IOC makes its final decision. During this process, the city must also show it can pay for the Games.

Finally, a list of candidates is presented to the IOC members. They meet in a country that does not have a candidate city. The IOC members then vote for the host city. Once a city is chosen, its bid committee and national Olympic committee sign a contract with the IOC. This officially makes them an Olympic host nation and city.

By 2032, the Olympic Games will have been hosted by 47 cities in 23 countries. Since the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, the Olympics have been held in Asia or Oceania four times. This is a big increase compared to earlier years. The 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro were the first Olympics for a South American country. No bids from countries in Africa have won yet, even though Egypt and South Africa have tried.

Cool Facts About the Olympics

• Gold medals were made of pure gold until 1912. Today, they are mostly silver with a thin layer of gold on top.
• The medals for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo were made from recycled electronics. This included old smartphones, digital cameras, gaming consoles, and laptops!
• In 1908, the Olympics lasted for a very long time – 187 days!
• The youngest person to win an individual medal was Inge Sørensen from Denmark. She was only 12 years old when she won a bronze medal in swimming in 1936.
• The five rings on the Olympic flag stand for the five continents of the world. These are Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The colors of the rings (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) were chosen because at least one of these colors appears on the flag of every country that competes.
• In the 1912 Olympics, there was a wrestling match that went on for 11 hours!
• Electronic timing devices were first used in 1912 to make sure results were super accurate.
• During the opening ceremony, the host country's team always walks in last. The first country to enter is always Greece, because that's where the Olympics started. This parade tradition began at the 1908 Games in London.
• Nadia Comăneci was the first gymnast to ever score a perfect 10.
• Michael Phelps has won the most Olympic medals of any athlete. He has an amazing 28 medals, including 23 gold!

Images for kids

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  Francis Field at Washington University in St. Louis during the 1904 Summer Olympics

See also

In Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos para niños