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1920 Olympics
The Summer Olympics of 1920, officially known as the VII Olympic Games, were an international multi-sport competition held in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920. In March 1912, at the 13th session of the IOC, Baron Édouard de Laveleye, president of the Belgian Olympic Committee and of the Belgian National Football Association, suggested Belgium to host the 1920 Summer Olympics. No set host city had been suggested at the time. Thanks to World War I, the 1916 Summer Olympics, to be played in Berlin, capital of the German Empire, have been postponed. The outcome of the war and the 1919 Paris Peace Conference not only affected the Olympic Games as a result of the creation of new states but also as a consequence of sanctions against the nations who lost the war and were blamed for initiating it. Forbidden to participate in the games were Austria, France, Russia, Bulgaria and the Ottoman Empire. Germany did not return to the Olympic arena until 1928 but instead organised a series of events, dubbed the Deutsche Kampfspiele, starting with the Winter Edition of 1922. The USA won both gold and silver medals. The sailing contests were held in Ostend, Belgium and two were held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands. The bid to host the 1920 Summer Olympics in Belgium's name was rendered at the 13th IOC session in March, 1912. That was done by Baron Édouard de Laveleye, president of the Belgian Olympic Committee and the Royal Belgian Football Union. No set city of host was suggested at the time. Henri de Baillet-Latour as chairman and Alfred Verdyck as secretary general, president of the Belgian Football Union Clubs, formed an executive committee on 17 April 1919. They formed seven committees to handle budgets, lodging, public relations, advertising, plans, trips, and holidays. Finance and preparation proved to be the two hardest things to tackle: in February 1920, six months before the Games really started, the event schedule was published. An ice hockey tournament marked the Season's early start around April 23rd and 30th 1920. Played at the "Palais de Glace" in Antwerp, or at the Ice Palace, this was the first time ice hockey was an Olympic sport. The first stone of the current Beerschot Olympic Stadium was laid on 4 July 1919 by the mayor of Antwerp, Jan De Vos, and it was inaugurated less than a year later, on 23 May 1920, with a gymnastics display. The nautical stadium or Stade Nautique d'Antwerp was designed at the end of Jan Van Rijswijcklaan using the city ramparts as a spectator stand. Most events, such as shooting, fencing, and equestrian sports, were held at pre-existing sites in and around Antwerp and as far away as Ostend. Such events were the first to recite the Olympic Oath, the first to unleash doves symbolising peace, and the first to lift the Olympic Flag. The USA won 41 gold medals, 27 bronze and 27 silver medals, the most won by any of the 29 countries participating. Sweden, Great Britain, Finland and Belgium joined the 5 most successful medal earning nations. The Games featured a week of winter sports, the first skating participation since the Olympics in 1908 and ice hockey marking their appearance at the Olympics. Nedo Nadi has won 5 gold medals in fencing competitions. The Olympic schedule featured 156 events covering 29 disciplines and 22 sports all across 1920. The Sailing scheme was valid for all 16 sailing classes but only 14 sailing contests were contested in competition. Seventeen athletics venues were used during the 1920 Summer Olympics. As has been the case since time immemorial, this was the first time the nfl game was broadcast around the world.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
1912 Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, formally known as the V Olympic Games, were an international multi-sport spectacle which took place in Stockholm, Sweden, from 5 May to 22 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports with 2,408 athletes. The games were played on July 6 with a planned release within a month, with the exception of tennis and football, and shooting. It was the final games to receive solid gold medals and Japan's attendance was the first time an Asian nation had participated. The only plan for the play, selected in 1909, was for Stockholm. The games were the first to feature handicraft competitions, women's sailing, women's diving and the first to win both the decathlon and the modern pentathlon for Jim Thorpe. For tournaments electrical synchronisation was used, and the host nation disallowed boxing. The organisers also declined to skate the figure because they wanted to support the Nordic Games. The USA won most gold medals while Denmark won the most silver medals. They are the last eight-year Summer Games up until the end of World War I. In the year 1920 the second Olympic Games was held. The Summer Olympics of 1912 had twelve positions in competition. That was the first time more than one venue had been qualified for the football event, which has been the case since then. Sweden's Olympic Stadium served as one of the equestrian venues for the Summer Olympics in 1956. Råsunda Arena was the site of the 1958 FIFA World Cup, and the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup. It was revealed that under the initial bid plan a new stadium was to be built, initially planned to be located inside Östermalm's athletic grounds. It was determined to save costs that only one of the stadium stands will remain permanent, with the other three made of concrete and destroyed after the Olympics. Stadium expenditure had been expected to be 235,000 kronor. Arrangements were made for the use of Östermalm Athletic Grounds with the cooperation of the state commissions and Traneberg Five new sites were planned to locate the Olympic Stadium, in addition to the Östermalm Sports Grounds. The Stockholm Olympic Stadium was constructed on the site of the old Swedish Athletic Grounds to protect the remaining areas for future uses during the Olympics. Similar to other pre-existing sports stadiums, the Olympic Stadium was built north of the capital Initial support for a timber stadium was given to the sum of 400,000 Kr, but architect Torben Grut also drafted potential designs for a stone stadium. The decision to build the stone version was taken after discussions with the Swedish Central Athletics Development Commission, and a national lottery made additional funds available until there was confidence that no further funding would be needed to build the venue. Nevertheless, it was discovered that the original estimate for the stone stadium would still be too costly, and the plans were revised again to simplify construction and cut costs. An agreement was reached with a customer on 2 November 1910 that it would be finished in full by 25 May 1912. The V Olympiad Games opened formally on 6 July 1912. The Swedish Royal Family left Stockholm Palace at 10:40am, and was greeted at the Olympic Stadium by members of the IOC. Three thousand competing athletes had already assembled on nearby Östermalm Athletic Grounds, and they began to reach the stadium in alphabetic order by area according to the Swedish spelling. The Swedish team came in last but in later practise the Greek team struggled to hit the limit. A hymn was chanted, a traditional Swedish chant was played, and the prayers were read first in Swedish, then in English. Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf has briefed Queen on behalf of the Swedish Olympic Committee.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
2016 Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics, officially known as the XXXI Olympic Games and commonly known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport spectacle that was held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary sporting events starting on 3 August. At the 121st IOC Session in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 2 October 2009 Rio was confirmed as host city. Around 11,000 athletes from 205 National Olympic Committees participated, including the first-time Kosovo, South Sudan and Olympic Refugee Team members. The events featured 28 Olympic sports and 306 medal collections, including sevens rugby and golf, added to the 2009 Olympic Programme. These sporting activities took place in the host city's 33 stadiums and five separate stadiums in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Brasília and Manaus, Brazil. This is the first Winter Games ever held in South America. They were also the first to be hosted in a Portuguese-speaking country, the first summer edition to be held entirely in the host country's winter season, the first to take place in Latin America since 1968, and the first to take place in the southern hemisphere since 2000. Those is the first Summer Games that took place under the International Olympic Committee chairmanship of Thomas Bach. The U.S. toped the medal table, winning the most gold medals and the highest overall medal count; the U.S. team have won the summer record 1000th Olympic gold medal. Great Britain becomes second in recent Olympic history soon after becoming the host country to lift the gold count in the Olympics. In the medal table China was in third place. The host nation of Brazil won seven gold medals, the largest haul for any single Summer Olympics, finishing in 13th place. Bahrain, Fiji, Ivory Coast, Jordan, Kosovo, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Tajikistan and Vietnam each won their first gold medals, as did the group of Independent Olympic Athletes. On 5 August 2016, Fernando Meirelles, Daniela Thomas, and Andrucha Waddington conducted the opening ceremony at Maracana Stadium. The ceremony addressed facets of Brazilian history and culture, which featured a segment provided by Fernanda Montenegro which Judi Dench with an appeal for environmental conservation and global warming avoidance. The new mascots of 2016 Summer Olympics and Paralympics were revealed on 24 November 2014. They'd been created by Sao Paulo-based animation company Birdo. The Olympic mascot Vinicius, named for the composer Vinicius de Moraes, portrays the Brazilian animals and incorporates the attributes of cats, primates, and birds. The mascots "both were born out of the Brazilians ' enthusiasm when it was announced that Rio will host the Games," according to their fake identities. Brand director Beth Lula clarified that the mascots were supposed to reflect the peculiarity of Brazil's culture and people. The names of the mascots were determined by a public vote, the results of which were announced on 14 December 2014; the names, referring to the co-writers of the song "The Kid from Ipanema," won over two other words, comprising 44 per cent of 323,327. During the Olympic Wrestling matches, Vinicius's plush dolls were given to coaches to carry in the ring if they wanted to challenge a referee's ruling. On 31 December 2010 the new logo for the 2016 Summer Olympics was revealed, created by the Brazilian group Tatíl Design, participating in a competition between 139 agencies. The logo depicts three characters joined at their arms and feet, reflecting the Sugarloaf Peak's general shape. The emblem was also designed to include a three-dimensional outline, claimed by artist Fred Gelli, that made it the "first 3D logo in the history of the Olympics." Scandals dominated the run up to these Games, including the political and economic crises in Brazil; the outbreak of the Zika virus and the big pollution in the Guanabara Bay; and a bribery scandal involving Russia that affected Russia;
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
2020 Olympics
The 2020 Summer Olympics, officially the XXXII Olympic Games and commonly known as Tokyo 2020, is an annual international multi-sport event to be held in Tokyo, Japan. These Games were originally scheduled to take place from 24 July to 9 August 2020, but on 24 March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo Organizing Committee announced the Games to be postponed until 2021, and to be held no later than the summer of 2021. The Olympics will now be publicly announced and advertised as Tokyo 2020, but the timeline varies. On 7 September 2013, Tokyo was selected as the host city at the 125th IOC Session held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is expected to be the second time that Japan has hosted the Summer Olympic Games, particularly Tokyo, the first being in 1964, making it the first Asian city to host the Summer Games twice. Ultimately this will be the fourth Olympic Games in Japan, which previously hosted Winter Olympics in 1972. The 2020 Games will be the second of three consecutive Olympics in East Asia, the first being the 2018 Pyeongchang County Winter Olympics in South Korea and the second being the 2022 Beijing, China Winter Olympics. These games are likely to see the introduction of new and extended Summer Olympics competitions, including 3x3 basketball, BMX freestyle, and running Madison, as well as more sports combined. Under updated IOC rules allowing the host organising committee to add events to the Olympic programme and extend the existing core Olympic tournaments, karate, sport climbing, sailing and skateboarding are scheduled to make their Olympic debuts, as well as adding baseball and softball for the first time since 2008. The latest mascot for Summer Olympics 2020 is Miraitowa, a character with blue-checkered patterns inspired by the games ' official logo. The fictitious abilities include the ability to teleport. The mascots were selected from a selection process, created by the Japanese artist Ryo Taniguchi in late 2017 and early 2018. A total of 2,042 candidate designs were submitted to the Tokyo Organizing Committee, which picked three pairs of unnamed mascot designs to make the final decision for elementary school students in Japan. The findings of the selection were announced on 28 February 2018, and the mascots were named on 22 July 2018. Miraitowa is named after the Japanese words for "may" and "eternity," and Someity is named after certainiyoshino, a type of cherry blossom. Someity's name also refers to the English word "too tall." The mascots are hoped to help finance the Tokyo Games through merchandising and licencing deals. Sony and Panasonic are partnering with NHK to create broadcast standards for 8 K resolution Television, planning to introduce 8 K TV sets in time for the 2020 Olympics. RAI, an Italian broadcaster, announced that it plans to begin 8 K Olympic coverage. It will be the first European Summer Olympics under the IOC's latest pan-European rights deal with Eurosport which began at the 2018 Winter Olympics and is scheduled to continue until 2024. The rights to the 2020 Summer Olympics cover nearly all of Europe, with Russia losing until 2024 because of a pre-existing deal with a marketer. In each region, Eurosport plans to sub-license free-to-air network access as well as other networks operated by Discovery Inc .. It will be the last Games in the UK where rights are owned exclusively by the BBC, albeit as a part of a sub-licensing agreement agreed for the Games 2022 and 2024; Eurosport has complete power of pay-television. These are also the last Games in France, the rights to which France Télévisions mainly retain. As pay TV rights operator, Eurosport is expected to make its debut after Canal+ has agreed to divest its pay TV rights due to cost-saving measures. France Télévisions plans to get the Eurosport Games sub-licensed in 2022 and 2024.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
2012 Olympics
The 2012 Summer Olympics, formally the XXX Olympic Games and commonly known as London 2012, was an international multi-sport event held from July 27th to August 12th 2012 in London, United Kingdom. The first game, the women's round of football competition, began at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on July 25, followed by the opening ceremony on July 27. 10,768 athletes from 204 Individual Olympic Bodies participated in this. On 6 July 2005, London was selected as the host city at the 117th IOC Session in Singapore after a bid led by former Olympic champion Sebastian Coe and then London Mayor Ken Livingstone, beating offers from Moscow, New York City, Madrid and Paris. London was the first city to host the modern Olympics three times, having previously hosted the Summer Games in 1908 and 1948. Design for the Games has required substantial redesign, including a emphasis on sustainability. The goal was a new 200-hectare Olympic Park, built on a former factory site in Stratford, east London. The Games have permitted the use of already-existing pre-bid venues. The Games also earned general admiration for their operation, especially strongly admired by the volunteers, the British military and the enthusiasm of the public. Danny Boyle's opening ceremony received widespread global acclaim, broad praise from the Uk public and a range of wide-ranging backlash from various social media outlets. After the Olympics Michael Phelps becomes the most decorated Olympic athlete ever, winning his 22nd Medal. The first female athletes joined Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei, and each now qualifying nation sent a female athlete to at least one Olympic Games. Women's wrestling was included in the first period, and the Games were the first at which women competed in each competition. They were the final Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Belgian Jacques Rogge, to be succeeded by German Thomas Bach the following year. The United States led the final count for the gold, followed by China and Great Britain as host. Many world and olympic records have been set at the games. Although some controversies have arisen, the 2012 games have been considered extremely successful with increasing standards of excellence among nations around the world, packed stadiums and smooth organisation. In reality, the sport history and restoration focus at the post-games venue, much like the Atlanta Summer Olympics in 1996, has been used as a blueprint for future Olympics. Muse's "Survival" has been announced as the official music of the Olympics, to be used for the games ' worldwide media outlets. The Royal Mail asked artists and illustrators to create 30 stamps, distributed in lots of 10 between 2009 and 2011, in August 2009. The last one published July 22, 2011. To commemorate the Olympics, crafted by Saiman Miah, two £ 5 coins were made. As other Olympics since 1952, the Royal Mint will draw upon a collection of one-kilogram gold and silver commemorative coins. "Inspire a century" is the official theme for Summer Olympics 2012 It was chosen to show the promoter's commitment to inspiring the world to participate in athletic competitions through the history of its athletics, particularly the younger generations. The mascots for the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games were unveiled on 19 May 2010. Wenlock and Mandeville are animations showing two drops of steel from a steelworks at Bolton. They are named after Much Wenlock, a city in Shropshire that houses a reference to the modern Olympic Games, and Stoke Mandeville, a village in Buckinghamshire where there was a reference to the first Paralympic Games. Michael Morpurgo, the artist, wrote the concept of mascot storey, and created an animation. Two storeys have been built for the mascots: from A Rainbow and Adventures On A Rainbow. In the lead-up to the Olympics there were disagreements about sponsorship, the athletes ' use of social media and other foreign issues. Following a long lottery process, thousands of participants qualified to obtain tickets for the events they chose, but a large number of empty seats were noticed during the tournaments, particularly at some of the most popular competitions. Speculation was raised that this was due to corporate donors ' inability to use the tickets they'd received.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
2008 Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics was an international multi-sport festival that took place from 8-24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes competed in 28 disciplines and 302 events, among the 204 National Olympic Bodies. It was the first time that China hosted the Summer Olympics but the third time that the Games took place in East Asia, following the Olympics in Tokyo, Japan in 1964 and the Summer Olympics in Seoul in 1988. They are the second summer Olympic Games in a Socialist Republic, following the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow and the sixth in a industrialised world after the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City and the 1980 Summer Olympics in the Soviet Union, and the first overall Olympics hosted by a Communist State since the 1984 Sarajevo Winter Olympics were held by the former Yugoslavia. After two rounds of voting by members of the International Olympic Committee, Beijing was given the 2008 Games over four competitors on 13 July 2001, having received a majority of vote. The Government of the People's Republic of China has been promoting the Games and spending actively in new technology and transport networks. A total of 37 stadiums were used to host the games, with twelve built especially for the 2008 Olympics. The equestrian competitions were held in Hong Kong making this the third Games under the authority of two independent NOCs which coordinated the competitions. The sailing events were contested in Qingdao, while the football events were held in other nearby towns. The official logo for the 2008 Games, called "Dancing Beijing," featured a stylised calligraphic character jīng in reference to the host city. 3,500,000,000 people attended the Beijing Games globally, which featured the longest distance for an Olympic Torch relay. Event sets many world and Olympic records in sport history, and is currently the most expensive all-time Summer Olympics, and the second most expensive ever since the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics. The opening ceremony was praised by viewers and numerous international media as spectacular and spellbinding, and by other accounts as "the greatest ever in Olympic history." At the Olympics, an impressive 87 countries earned at least one medal. At 48, China won the most gold medals and became just the seventh different nation to top a combined tally of the Olympic medals, taking a total of 100. The United States came second in the gold medal count but won the highest number of overall honours, totaling 112. Russia has secured third place in the count for gold medals. The opening ceremony officially began at the Beijing National Stadium at 8:00 p.m. on 8 August 2008. Average Chinese Time. The number 8 is connected to the Chinese community's prosperity and religion, and here it was a triple eight for the year, and a double for the time. The ceremony was co-directed by Chinese director Zhang Yimou and Chinese choreographer Zhang Jigang, and featured a cast of over 15,000 actors. The ceremony lasted over four hours and cost over US$ 100 million to make. UNGA President Miguel d'Escoto addressed the meeting and delegates from 105 countries addressed. A dazzling selection of Ancient Chinese art and literature had regulated the ceremony. It opened with Fou Drums beating for countdown. Finally a giant scroll was unveiled and became the series ' centrepiece. The official single of the 2008 Olympics, titled "You and Me," was performed by Britain's Sarah Brightman and China's Liu Huan on a wide spinning globe rendition. The last Olympic Torch relay competitor, former Chinese gymnast Li Ning, lit the cauldron after being raised into the air by ropes, and finished a loop at National Stadium roof height.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
2004 Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics, officially known as the XXVIII Olympic Games and simply known as Athens 2004, was a major international multi-sport festival under the name Welcome Back held in Athens, Greece, August 13-29, 2004. The Games saw 10,625 participants participating, about 600 more than anticipated, led by 5,501 team members from the 201 nations. Across 28 different disciplines, thirty1 medal competitions were held. Athens 2004 marked the first time since the Summer Olympics in 1996 that all countries with a National Olympic Committee have participated. The 2004 Olympic Games also marked the return of the city they started in. Having previously hosted the 1896 Games, Athens was at the time one of the four cities to host the Summer Olympics on two separate occasions. A new medal obverse was introduced at these Games replacing that used by Giuseppe Cassioli during the 1928 Games. This rectified the long-lasting mistake of using a depiction of the Roman Colosseum instead of a Greek location. The current stadium contains the Panathenaic Stadium.[6] IOC President Jacques Rogge described the 2004 Summer Games as "unforgettable, fantasy games," leaving Athens with a significantly improved infrastructure including a new ring road airport, and network of subways. There have been questions about the cost of the 2004 Athens Summer Games and their possible connexion to the 2010-2018 government debt crisis in Greece, but there is little to no evidence for this connexion. The 2004 Olympics is commonly considered a success, with the rising degree of rivalry among nations all over the world. The United States led the final medal count trailed by China and Russia in 15th place with host Greece. Numerous world and Olympic records were set at these Games. Mascots have been a staple at the Olympic Games since the 1968 Winter Olympics, hosted in Grenoble, France. Two official mascots have appeared at the 2004 Olympics: Athena and Phevos. The sister and brother were named after Athena, the wisdom, preparation, and battle goddess, and Phoebus, the god of light and music, respectively. The ancient daidala which also had religious connotations as toy dolls inspired us. During the first time, major networks were permitted to offer digital coverage of the Olympics over the Internet, provided that they restricted such programming internationally, to secure broadcasting rights in other areas. For example, the BBC made all of its live programming available to UK high-speed Broadband subscribers free of charge; US subscribers could only view phased excerpts. The International Olympic Committee banned the development of unique weblogs and/or other websites for Olympic athletes, as well as coaches, support personnel and other officials, to preserve their personal view of the Games. We weren't allowed to post any of their voice, images, or photos. There was an example where a athlete also had a qualified website but was not explicitly set up for the Games. The NBC launched its own website, called NBCOlympics.com. It's focused on streaming Games TV, including video clips, medal lists, live scores. The main aim, though, was to provide a list of what sports had been on the different affiliates of NBC Universal. The Games were broadcasted on cable, on one network or another, 24 hours a day. As for each organisation, it relied heavily on technology to create a successful event, the Organising Committee and everyone concerned with it. Two separate data networks were run by ATHOC, one for Games planning and one for Gaming. Throughout the wireless networks is included more than 11,000 computers, more than 600 servers, 2,000 printers, 23,000 fixed-line telephone devices, 9,000 mobile phones, 12,000 TETRA machines, 16,000 TV and video facilities and 17 Video Walls connected by more than 6,000 kilometres of cable.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
2000 Olympics
The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially known as the XXVII Olympic Games and simply known as Sydney 2000 or the New Millennium Millennium Olympic Games, was an international multi-sport event that took place between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. This was the second time Australia hosted the 1956 Summer Games, as well as the Southern Hemisphere, which was the first in Melbourne, Victoria. Sydney won the right to host the Games on 24 September 1993 at the 101st IOC Session held in Monte Carlo, Monaco, after being chosen in four rounds of voting over Beijing, Berlin, Istanbul and Manchester. Four years earlier, at the 1996 Summer Olympics, the Australian city of Melbourne lost out to Atlanta.[3] Beijing failed its bid to host the Sydney games in 1993, but was awarded the 2008 Summer Olympics in July 2001 after Sydney won the previous year, and the 2022 Winter Games were eventually awarded twenty-two years later in 2015. Although it's impossible to know why members of the International Olympic Committee voted for Sydney over Beijing in 1993, the campaign by Human Rights Watch to "stop Beijing" seems to have played a major role because of China's human rights record. Those in China were dissatisfied with what they viewed as U.S. interference, and the result led to increasing anti-Western feelings in China and strains in the relationship between China and America. The 2016 Oxford Olympics Survey places the budget value of the 2015-dollar Summer Olympics at $5 billion in Sydney 2000 and the real financial loss at 90%. This just includes sport-related expenses, i.e. administrative costs incurred by the organising committee for the purpose of hosting the Games, e.g. spending on transportation, transport, personnel, administration, security, housing, ceremonies and medical services, and direct building costs incurred by the host city and government or private donors to build, e.g., competition venues, t. Indirect building costs for road, rail or airport infrastructure, hotel upgrades or other business enhancements are not used in planning for the Games, nor are they directly related to the Games. The Sydney 2000 prediction is comparable to a loss of US$ 4.6 billion in Rio 2016, US$ 40-44 billion in Beijing 2008 and US$ 51 billion in Sochi 2014, the most costly Olympics in history. The cumulative cost of the Summer Games since 1960 is US$ 5.2 billion, with a gross cost overrun of 176 per cent. The bid logo was designed by architect and designer Michael Bryce and inspired the vivid, elegant image of the Sydney Opera House. The official symbol – also known as the "Millennium Man" – took the image of the bid logo and combined it to create a torchbearer with a stylised picture of a runner in motion; formed by two tiny yellow arms boomerangs and a bigger red leg boomerang. The Olympic torch is represented by a torrent of blue haze, revealing the landmark towers of the Sydney Opera House. The design contract for the new logo, as well as all other facets of the Olympic Games ' visual branding image, was awarded to Melbourne graphic company FHA Image Design. Sydney Olympics corporate identity scheme officially initiated in 1993. The official mascots chosen for the 2000 Summer Olympics were Syd the platypus, Millie the echidna, and Olly the kookaburra, designed by Matthew Hattan and Jozef Szekeres and called in response to Murray's initial SOCOG suggestion after prominent Australian athletes by Philip Sheldon of agency Weekes Morris Osborn. The bronze medals were made from Australian 1 cent for the 2000 Olympics and 2 cent melted down coins-which had been removed from circulation since 1992. Grevillea baileyana flowers, also known as the white oak, were among the bouquets handed out to award winners.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
1996 Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics, officially known as the XXVI Olympic Games, simply known as Atlanta 1996, and also known as the Centennial Olympic Games, were an international multi-sport event that took place from 19 July to 4 August 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. The centenary of the 1896 Celebration was marked by these Games, which were the fourth Summer Olympics hosted by the United States. They is also the first Summer and Winter Games since 1924 to be held in successive, even-numbered years, in a different year from a Winter Olympics, under a controversial IOC regulation adopted under 1994. Over 10,000 athletes from 197 National Olympic Committees competed in 26 sports with Olympic debuts in beach volleyball, mountain biking and softball, as well as new lightweight rowing and women's soccer disciplines. 24 countries made their Summer Olympic debut in Atlanta, including eleven former Soviet republics who competed for the first time as independent nations. The U.S. hosting dominated the medal count with a record 101 medals and the most gold and silver medals among all nations. The US has won the medal tally for the first time since 1984, and in a non-boycotted summer olympics for the first time since 1968. Notable performances during the competition included those of Andre Agassi — who became the first men's singles tennis player to match a Grand Slam career with an Olympic gold medal, Donovan Bailey — who set a new world record of 9.84 for the men's 100 metres, and Lilia Podkopayeva — who became the second gymnast to capture an individual event gold since winning the all-round title at the same Olympics. When Eric Rudolph detonated pipe bombs in Centennial Olympic Park on July 27 — a downtown park built to serve as a public focal point for the celebrations of the Games, killing 1 and injuring 111 — the celebrations were marred by violence. In 2003, Rudolph confessed to the attack and a series of subsequent abortion clinic and gay bar attacks, and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He claimed the bombing was intended to protest the U.S. government's sanction of "abortion on demand" The Games made a profit, aided by monitoring income from sponsorship and broadcast distribution deals and relying, among other factors, on private assets (as opposed to significant public funding spent at subsequent Olympics). The Games received criticism because they were too marketable, as did other issues raised by Eu officials, such as access to food and transportation. The occurrence has had a significant impact on the city; the Centennial Olympic Park has helped revitalise the downtown area of Atlanta and has become a symbol of the legacy of the Olympics; the houses of the Olympic Village have since been used as a residence for schools in the area; and the Centennial Olympic Stadium has been redeveloped twice since the Olympics – first as the Turner. Then there was a flashback to the closing ceremonies of the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, starring the then IOC president, Juan Antonio Samaranch, who invited the athletes to attend Atlanta in 1996. The spirits then ascended in the northwest corner of the arena, each representing one of the colours of the Olympic rings. The spirits called the nations of the earth after blended music, which formed the Olympic rings, while the Atlanta youngsters formed the number 100. The official opener for the 1996 Olympics, called "Summon the Champions," was written by noted film score composer John Williams; this was his second overture for an Olympic game, the first one being "Olympic Fanfare and Theme," written for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Supported by Foster on the piano, the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, and the Centennial Chorus, Céline Dion performed the 1996 Olympics hit "The Magic of Light" by David Foster. Gladys Knight sang Georgia's official state song "Georgia on My Mind."
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
1988 Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the XXIV Olympiad Games, was an international multi-sport event that was played from 17 September to 2 October 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. In all, 8,391 athletes represented 160 nations at the Seoul Games: 6,197 men and 2,194 women. 237 games were held, and 27,221 participants helped qualify for the Olympics. The Games is televised by 11,331 media networks worldwide. These were the Soviet Union and East Germany's last Olympic Games which had both ceased to exist until the 1992 Olympic Games. The Soviets thoroughly dominated the medal table, winning 55 gold medals and 132 overall. No country had come close to this outcome since 1988. North Korea had boycotted the games, and its ally, Cuba. Ethiopia, Albania and the Seychelles did not respond to invitations from the IOC.[4] Nicaragua did not participate because of the sporting and financial criteria. Madagascar's presence was expected at the opening ceremonies of 160 countries, and their team was expected. Nevertheless, the country withdrawn for financial concerns.[6] Nevertheless, the much bigger boycotts seen in the previous three Summer Olympics were stopped, resulting in the largest number of participating nations since the Cold War period. NBC became the telecast network for the US Summer Games following a five-Olympics run by American Broadcasting Corporation from 1968–1984. At the last Olympics the Soviet Union absolutely dominated the medal table winning 55 gold and 132 overall medals. No country had come close to this outcome since 1988. Soviet Vladimir Artemov won four gold medals in gymnastics.[10] Daniela Silivaş of Romania won three in one Olympic Games and Nadia Comăneci's record of seven Perfect 10s in tie. In the 100-meter dash at the Indianapolis Olympic Trials, U.S. sprinter Florence Griffith Joyner matched an Olympic record for winning gold medals in both events, after demolishing the 200-meter world record. She added a gold in the 400 relay to these medals, and a silver in the 4 hundred relay. Canadian Ben Johnson won the 100-m race with a new world record, but was disqualified following positive checkup of stanozolol. Johnson has since stated that his positive test was the product of deception. In the Women's Artistic Gymnastics Individual All-Around Competition, the U.S. women's team was penalised by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique after the compulsory round with a deduction of five tenths of a point from their team score as their replacement Olympic team Rhonda Faehn was on the podium for the uneven bars at the time of the compulsory uneven bars Th Th by Kelly Garrison-Steve It's also problematic in the gymnastics event, because the U.S. scored better than the East German team and would have earned the bronze medal in the team competition had they not been penalised or allowed an appeal to win the points back. • Phoebe Mills won an individual bronze medal on the balance beam, sharing it with Romania's Gabriela Potorac, making it the first award ever earned by an American woman at a competitive gymnastics meet. Hosting the 1988 Olympics offered a opportunity for South Korea to gain international attention. In the late 1970s the proposal arose for South Korea to apply for the 1988 Games during the last days of the Park Chung-hee government. Following the assassination of President Park in 1979, Chun Doo-hwan, his replacement, submitted Korea's bid to the IOC in September 1981, hoping that the increased foreign recognition provided by the Olympics would legitimise his authoritarian rule in the midst of increased political pressure for democratisation, provide protection from North Korea's rising threats and spotlight the Korean economic mirror
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
1924 Olympics
The Summer Olympics of 1924, formally known as the VIII Olympiad Games, were an international multi-sport competition held in Paris, France in 1924. This was Paris that hosted the games for the second time since 1900. The summer of 1924 Olympic qualifying process consisted of six bids, and Paris was chosen ahead of London, Barcelona, Los Angeles, Prague and Rome. The selection was made in the wake of the 20th IOC Session in Lausanne in 1921. The estimated number of Olympic Games VIII was F 10,000,000. The Games ended with a heavy loss of 5,496,610F for gross receipts, with audiences reaching 60,000 spectators at a time. The United States has won Europe's most gold medals and overall, with 229 athletes taking part against the 401. The opening ceremonies and numerous athletic activities were held by Colombes Olympic Stadium which had a capacity of 45,000 in 1924. This VIII Olympiad was the last, conducted under Pierre de Coubertin's leadership. The "Flying Finns" dominated long-distance racing, while the shorter races were dominated by the British and the American. Paavo Nurmi has reached the 1500 m and 5,000 m, as well as the cross country. Ville Ritola won the 10,000 m steeplechase and the 3,000 m steeplechase and thus took second place on the 5,000 m cross country at Nurmi. Albin Stenroos won the race, while the Finnish side prevailed in the 3,000 m and cross-country team events. British athletes Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell have won 100 metre and 400 metre trials. Their storeys can be seen in the 1981 film Chariots by Stone. Douglas Lowe also won the 800 m title. Ireland was officially recognised as an independent republic in 1924 after the Paris Olympic Revolution and it was at those games that Ireland made its first appearance as an independent nation at an Olympic Games. Subsequently the International Olympic Committee recognised the athletic events held in Chamonix from 25 January to 5 February 1924 as I Olympic Winter Games, initially called Semaine des Sports d'Hiver and played in conjunction with the 1924 Summer Olympics. These games were the very first to feature an Olympic Village. The art exhibitions at the 1924 Summer Olympics were the first time Olympic Art contests had been fiercely contested, with 193 entries in five classes. A total of 14 awards were received but none in the arts sector. At the 1908 London Summer Olympics the marathon distance from the distance run was set at 42.195 km. In 1924, there were 126 events in the Olympic Calendar spanning 23 disciplines and 17 sports. In the Summer Olympics of 1924 seventeen athletic venues were included. Stade de Colombes acted as final venue between Italy and Hungary for the 1938 FIFA World Cup. Games of 1924 had accommodated a record of 44 states. Therefore Germany was excluded from the Organization Executive, and was not accepted. Japan, Peru, Honduras, Ireland, Lithuania and Uruguay entered the Olympic Games for the first time, while the Philippines first competed in the 1900 Olympic Games as a country as well as in this region. Latvia and Poland became the first to compete in the Summer Olympic Games. The 1924 Summer Olympics represent the last edition of the Paris summer Olympics. A hundred years later, the city will host the 2024 Summer Olympics, marking the third time that the games will be held in town. One venue from the 1924 Games is scheduled for use in 2024. Hosting field hockey, known as Yves-du-Manoir Stade Olympique since 1928, will be a completely refurbished and downsized central stadium. The last surviving participant at the Summer Olympics in 1924 was Croatian swimmer Ivo Pavelić who died at the age of 103 on 22 February 2011.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
1896 Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the I Olympic Games, were the first major modern- Olympic Games held. Organized by the International Olympic Committee of Pierre de Coubertin, it was held in Athens, Greece from 6th to 15th April 1896. The games featured competitors from fourteen nations and 241, all male. The participants were predominantly European, or living in Europe, with the exception of the US team. Winners received a silver medal and a copper medal was awarded to runners-up. Retroactively, the IOC upgraded these to gold and silver and awarded third-place bronze medals to athletes. Five of the 14 countries that took part have received medals. The United States won the highest number of gold medals, 11, the host nation of Greece won the most total medals, 46. The highlight for the Greeks was a marathon victory for their compatriot Spyridon Louis. The most successful competitor was German wrestler and gymnast Carl Schuhmann who won four events. More than 65 per cent of the participating competitors were Greek. Athens had been unanimously chosen to stage the inaugural modern Games at a congress organised by Coubertin in Paris on 23 June 1894, during which the IOC was also established, since Greece was the birthplace of the Ancient Olympic Games. The main arena was the Panathenaic Arena where, among others, there was athletics and boxing, with the Neo Phaliron Velodrome for cycling and the Zappeion for fencing. The opening ceremony took place on April 6 at the Panathenaic Stadium, during which most participating competitors, grouped by country, stood on the infield. After a speech by organising committee chairman Crown Prince Constantine his father officially opened the Games. Subsequently, nine bands and 150 choral singers performed an Olympic Hymn composed by Spyridon Samaras, with poet Kostis Palamas. The 1896 Olympics is regarded as a great achievement. The Games saw the largest international attendance in any sporting event up to that point. The Panathenaic Stadium overflowed to witness the largest crowd ever of a sporting event. After the Games, several influential figures, including Greek King George and some of Athens ' American competitors, appealed to Coubertin and the IOC to arrange some of the following Athens Games. Nevertheless, Paris was already scheduled to host the 1900 Summer Olympics and the Olympics did not return to Greece until the 2004 Summer Olympics, 108 years later, except for the 1906 Intercalated Games. Seven venues were used for the 1896 Summer Olympics. The main venue was the Panathenaic Stadium which hosted four of the nine sports that had been contested. The Marathon City served as the venue for the marathon event and the individual road racing events. Swimming took place in Zea Lake, Zappeion fencing, Kallithea sports shooting, and national tennis club Athens Lawn. By the time of the Games of 1896, tennis was a sport unknown to the Greeks. The First Olympic Games took place officially on April 6; it was Easter Monday for both the Western and Eastern Christian Churches as well as the anniversary of the independence of Greece. The Panathenaic Stadium was packed with nearly 80,000 fans including King George I of Greece, his wife Olga and their children. Most of the competing athletes, grouped by nation, placed themselves on infield. After a speech by the organising committee chairman, Crown Prince Constantine, his father officially opened the Games with the terms. At the 1894 Sorbonne congress a wide roster of sports was suggested for the Athens curriculum. During the first official announcements of the sporting events to be held, sports such as football and cricket were included, but these plans were never completed, and those sports did not make the final list for the Games. Rowing and yachting were also scheduled, but were cancelled due to poor weather on the expected competition day. As a result, the schedule for the 1896 Summer Olympics featured nine sports spanning 10 disciplines and 43 events.
By MB6 years ago in Unbalanced
