Olympics

The modern Olympic Games first opened in 1896 in Athens, Greece, and continue to take their inspiration from the ancient Olympic Games. The ancient Games took place every four years for nearly twelve centuries at Olympia in Greece as part of a festival celebrating Zeus. Most historians consider the Games that took place in 776 BCE to be the first Olympic Games, though some historians contend they could have begun as much as five hundred years earlier.

Though the ancient Olympic Games always took place at Olympia, National Olympic Committees (NOCs) now nominate cities from their respective countries and submit bids to the IOC to host either the Summer or Winter Olympics. The IOC evaluates the bids and announces the host city typically seven years before the Games take place, though an exception was made in 2017 to announce Los Angeles, California, as the host city eleven years before the 2028 Summer Games. This time allows the IOC and the host city to prepare for the event.

The IOC has put in place rules and regulations to ensure the protection of the Games’ competitors and the preservation of the Olympic spirit. These rules are regularly revised to reflect changing attitudes toward Olympic competition. For example, the IOC maintained a tradition of amateurism and forbade athletes who received income from their sports activities until the 1988 Games. The IOC’s decision to allow professional athletes met with initial opposition and concern that the integrity of the Games would be compromised.To ensure fair competition, the IOC has strict rules regarding the age of competitors and the use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs).