Olympic Games

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Sporting contests originally held in Olympia, ancient Greece, every four years during a sacred truce; records were kept from 776 BC. Women were forbidden to be present, and the male contestants were naked. The ancient Games were abolished in AD 394. The present-day games have been held every four years since 1896. Since 1924 there has been a separate winter Games programme; since 1994 the winter and summer Games have been held two years apart.

The modern Games
The first modern Games were held in Athens, Greece. They were revived by Frenchman Pierre de Fredi, Baron de Coubertin (1863–1937), and have been held every four years with the exception of 1916, 1940, and 1944, when the two world wars intervened. Special tenth-anniversary Games were held in Athens in 1906.

At the first revived Games in 1896, 245 competitors represented 14 nations in nine sports; at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, over 11,000 athletes represented 202 nations in 28 sports. Beijing, China, will host the 2008 Games and London, UK will host the 2012 Games.

Blue stands for the Pacific Ocean. The yellow stripe represents the Equator. The points of the star symbolize the island's 12 original tribes. Effective date: 31 January 1968. >>