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The Summer Olympics are almost here!

 

This summer will be a very exciting time for athletes around the world!  Once again it’s time for the Summer Olympics!

This year’s Olympics

The 2012 Olympics will be held London, England from July 27 – August 12, 2012. It’s the 3rd time that London has hosted the games – the most times any one city has hosted the Olympics!

Where is London? The city of London is in the country of England which is in the western part of the European continent.

Over 10,000 athletes from over 200 National Olympic Committees are expected to participate.

There are 26 different sports in the Summer Olympics that will lead to over 300 events!  Follow this link to an article with a table that shows the different sports: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_sports 

Mascots

Cities hosting the Olympics usually create mascots to represent the Games.  The mascots travel around the world to get people excited about the Olympics.  London’s mascots are Wenlock, named after a town in England – one of the towns that inspired the Modern Olympics, and Mandeville who is named after a hospital in England that helped inspire people to create the Paralympics.  The Paralympics are a sporting event for athletes who have a physical disability. To learn more about the mascots and to design your own click here:  https://mascot-games.london2012.com/

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Did you Know?

Fast facts about the Ancient Olympic Games:

  • The earliest recorded Olympic Games were held in Greece around 776 B.C., the last Ancient Olympic Games were in 393 A.D. – that’s over 1,000 years of Ancient Olympic Games!
  • The Games were held at Olympia to honor the Greek god Zeus
  • Only a few select women were allowed to attend, most women were not allowed and could be punished or even executed if caught attending.   Women were definitely not allowed to participate in the Games
  • The Ancient Olympic Games were held every four years just like the modern Olympics with some of the same events as the modern games (wrestling, boxing, track and field events)

Fast facts about the Modern Olympic Games:

  •  People in Greece and England were very interested in reviving (restarting) Olympic-style games.  Cities in both countries held games in the 1700s and 1800s
  • After attending the games of the Wenlock Olympian Society in England, Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
  • The first modern Olympics organized by the IOC were held in Greece in 1896
  • Women were first allowed to participate in 1900
  • The Summer Olympics are always held in a leap year
  • Every year one Olympian represents all of the athletes and takes the following oath:

In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.

On Your Mark, Get Set, READ!

Ancient Olympic Games
Middleton, Haydn
Describes the origins, sports, other events, and end of the ancient Olympic games.
Modern Olympic Games
Middleton, Haydn
Explores the development of the modern Olympic games from their inception in 1896, discussing location, logistics, rituals, events, and who is allowed to participate.
Track & Field
Frederick, Shane
"A survey of the highlights and legendary athletes--such as Jamaican Usain Bolt--of the Olympic sport of track and field, which has been part of the modern Summer Games since 1896" -Provided by Publisher.
Swimming
LeBoutillier, Nate
"A survey of the highlights and legendary athletes--such as American Michael Phelps--of the Olympic sport of swimming, which has been part of the modern Summer Games since 1896" -Provided by Publisher.
Basketball
LeBoutillier, Nate
"A survey of the highlights and legendary athletes--such as Brazillian Oscar Schimdt--of the Olympic sport of basketball, which officially became a part of the modern Summer Games in 1936" -Provided by Publisher.
Volleyball
LeBoutillier, Nate
"A survey of the highlights and legendary athletes--such as Soviet Yuri Chesnokov--of the Olympic sport of volleyball, which officially became a part of the modern Summer Games in 1964" -Provided by Publisher.

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