The Olympic Games are sporting events are in two parts, one of which take place in the winter and the other in the summer every four years in alternating four-year cycles. The Games of the Olympiad, known more commonly as the Summer Olympic Games, began in 1896 in Athens, Greece, with 245 athletes, 200 of them Greek, competing representing 14 countries. The 2012 Summer Olympics had more than 10,000 athletes representing more than 200 countries competing. Some of the events in the Games are boxing, archery, tennis, equestrian, cycling, and swimming. Brazil has been chosen to host the 2016 Summer Games, and Tokyo will host them in 2020. The Winter Olympic Games have been in existence since 1924, when they were held in Chamonix, France. The continuity of the Games was interrupted by World War II, and there was no Winter Olympics between 1936 and 1948. The original events in the Winter Olympics were ice hockey, ski jumping, speed skating, figure skating, alpine skiing, and cross-country skiing. In later years, curling, luge, and snowboarding were among the winter sports which were added. The Winter Games will be hosted by Sochi, Russia in 2014, and in Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018.
Recommended Resources
The Official web site of the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing, China. Web site contains fact sheets, athlete and venue profiles, cultural information, etc.
http://en.beijing2008.cn/
Find out about the official organization that is responsible for Canada's teams in the Commonwealth Games. Learn about upcoming games and the teams and sports.
http://www.commonwealthgames.ca/
Official website for Olympics tickets. Find testimonials, news releases, a video presentation, history of the organization and more.
http://www.cosport.com/
International Olympic Committee
Official web site for the International Olympic Committee containing a wealth of information involving the candidate and host cities, policies, the international sports federations, Olympic museum, etc.
http://www.olympic.org/
The Olympic Games Medalists web site features a complete list of medalists in all sports at both Summer and Winter Olympic Games.
http://www.gbrathletics.com/olympic/
The Olympic Games Museum web site is a virtual museum of statistics and standings of items such as medals, diplomas, tickets, posters, and much more.
http://olympic-museum.de/
Olympic Television Archive Bureau
The Olympic Television Archive Bureau (OTAB) web site is an Olympic sporting film and television library; complete with films and videos that chronicles the Olympic Games history.
http://www.otab.com/
Web site features a chronicle of the Olympics; from pre-history through revival. Web site contains glossary, and a comprehensive bibliography.
http://olympics.fhw.gr/
Canadian Paralympic Committee organizes Olympic Games for athletes with physical disabilities. Find out about the programs and services offered, hall of fame athletes, information about various sports in both the winter and summer games and more.
http://www.paralympic.ca/
An event and information archive of the 2002 Winter Games held in Salt Lake City. Web site contains news, results, standings, and statistics, etc.
http://www.olympics.utah.com/
The official web site for the Sochi 2012 Olympic and Paralympic competitions. Web site features news, and information about the host city.
http://sochi2014.com/
Find out about the Special Olympics in Canada, the summer and winter games, how you can help out and more.
http://www.specialolympics.ca/
The official web site for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic competitions; including news, ways to get involved, game details, a calendar, and information about the host city.
http://www.vancouver2010.com/
