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The Olympic Games is an event for the best athletes in the world to show their skill and endurance in a series of contests
It is the biggest global multi-sport event
It has taken place every four years since 1896 and is held during the summer
Almost every nation sends teams of selected athletes to take part
The Games is held in a different country each time and several countries make a bid to try to host the event
The competition brings a great deal of money and publicity to the host country
The Olympic Games was invented by the ancient Greeks
It aims to promote friendship among nations
Olympic sports include the following:-

An Olympic gold medal is the highest honour an athlete or sportsperson can hope for in their career
Medals are awarded to competitors who come first, second and third place in their event. A gold medal is awarded for first place, a silver for second place and a bronze for third place

The Opening Ceremony

The Olympic Games is opened with an official ceremony where the host country's national flag is raised and its national anthem is performed
The ceremony features parades of participating nations, during which athletes march into the stadium country by country
One honoured athlete from each country carries the flag of his or her nation, leading the entourage of other athletes
Traditionally, Greece marches first and the host nation marches last
After all nations have entered, the president of the host country's Olympic
Organising Committee makes a speech. This is followed by a speech from the IOC president, who then introduces the organising country's head of state to formally open the Games

The Olympic Flame

The opening ceremony climaxes with the lighting of the Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame is a fire that is kept burning throughout the Olympic Games and it is known as the symbol of the Games. It represents eternal hope and the endurance of the athletes
The Olympic Flame is lit in the city where the ancient Games originated - Olympia, Greece - and is brought to the host city by runners who carry the Olympic Torch in a relay
The last relay runner is usually a famous athlete who runs into the host stadium with the torch during the Opening Ceremony and lights the Olympic Flame in the stadium's cauldron

The Closing Ceremony

The Games finishes with a closing ceremony which marks the end of the event and looks forward to the next one
Three national flags are hoisted separately as the national anthems are played - the Greek flag, the host country's flag and the flag of the next Games host
Flag bearers of each country march into the stadium, but the athletes walk behind without any distinction of nationality
The Olympic Flame is extinguished, and while the Olympic anthem is being played, the Olympic Flag hoisted during the opening ceremony is lowered and carried out of the stadium
The next Olympic Games will be held in Beijing, China in 2008, and then in London in 2012

Did you know?

The first recorded celebration of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece was recorded in 776 BC, but the event originated long before this
The ancient Greeks believed strongly in competition and all aspects of life were centred on the concept. It was one of the greatest honours to win a victory at Olympia, and so the only prize given at that time was an olive wreath
Winners at the Games in ancient Greece were immortalised in poems and statues

The Winter Olympic Games

The Winter Olympic Games, first held in 1924, is the cold weather equivalent of the Olympic Games and features winter sports held on ice or snow
The Winter Olympics is held every four years, but at a different time to the summer Olympic Games
Winter Olympic sports include the following:-