The First Olympic Games
by Liu Po-han · Oct 2026
Every four years, athletes from more than two hundred countries meet at the Olympic Games. Millions of people around the world watch them on TV. But the Olympics did not start as a giant event. They started almost three thousand years ago in a small town in Greece.
The Olympic Games were held in Olympia, a place which was famous for its temple of Zeus, the king of the Greek gods. The games were a way to him. At first, there was only one event: a short race of about two hundred meters. Later, other sports were added, like boxing, jumping and horse racing. Only men could , and married women were not even allowed to watch. Winners did not get gold medals. Instead, they were given a simple crown which was made of olive leaves. But back home, they were treated like heroes.
The games went on for more than a thousand years. Then they were stopped, and for a long time people almost forgot about them. In 1896, a Frenchman, Pierre de Coubertin, brought them back. The first modern Olympics were held in Athens, and about 240 athletes took part.
Since then, the Olympics have changed a lot. Women have joined, and many new sports have been added, from swimming to skateboarding. Some old have stayed, though. Before each Olympics, a flame is lit in Olympia and carried all the way to the host city. When the flame arrives, thousands of cheer. In that moment, the modern games and the ancient ones feel very close.