The Olympic Games are a major sporting event that originated in Ancient Greece and was revived in the late 19th century.
Until the 1970s, the Games were officially open only to amateurs, but in the 1980s, competitions were opened to professional athletes. The ancient tournaments included several sports that are now a major part of the Summer Games program. On average, athletes compete in 32 different sports. In 1924, the Winter Games were created.
How long organized sporting competitions have been held in history is a matter of debate, but it is safe to say that they were held in Greece about 3,000 years ago. By the end of the 6th century BC, at least four Greek sporting events, sometimes called the “Classical Games,” had acquired major significance:
- The Olympic Games, held at Olympia;
- The Pythian Games at Delphi;
- The Nemean Games at Nemea;
- The Isthmian Games, held near Corinth.
Similar competitions were later held in nearly 150 cities, including Rome, Naples, Odessa, Antioch, and Alexandria.