Homework Help: Facts about the Olympic games

Olympic Games Facts The 2012 Olympic Stadium is under construction in London, England

The Olympic games is an event made up of a series of competitions which bring together sports people (or athletes) from all over the world. During the competitions, men and women compete in games of strength and skill. The best athletes are awarded Olympic medals.

There are two different Olympic games, one for summer and one for winter, and each is held every four years. The next Winter Olympic games will be held in Sochi, Russia in 2014. Next year, London will host the 2012 Summer Olympic games.

It’s been over 60 years since the Olympic games were held in London. Excited? We are!

 

Olympic History

The Olympic games were first held in Greece over two thousand years ago.

Where in Greece? The Greek city of Olympia of course! The first Olympic games had far fewer sports than we have today, but that doesn’t mean they were boring. In those days, chariot racing was part of the games. Men would sit on wheeled carts with horses at the front and race around dirt tracks. That’s something you definitely shouldn’t try yourself!

Only Greek men were allowed to take part in the very first Olympic games, but nowadays the games are open to men and women from all over the world.

Olympic Medals The first-place winners receive gold medals – the best prize of all

During the Olympic games, there are many competitions for different sports. Athletes compete with each other, and the best athletes receive Olympic medals. These medals are very special prizes indeed, and for many sporting people it’s the best prize they could ever win.

Third-place athletes win bronze medals and second-place athletes win silver medals. The first-place winners receive gold medals – the best prize of all. Even though they’re called ‘gold’ medals, they haven’t been made from solid gold since 1912. In fact, they are mostly made from silver. Then they are painted (or ‘plated’) with real gold afterwards.

Children’s Promise Every child born in the UK on the 20th December 2004 will play a special part in the 2012 Olympic Games

The Olympic games are a great chance for adults and children to come together and celebrate sport. That’s why the people in charge of the Olympic games in London have come up with something called the ‘Children’s Promise’.

Every child born in the UK on the 20th December 2004 will have the opportunity to play a special part in the 2012 Olympic games.

There will be many ceremonies and events happening during the 2012 Olympics, and the Children’s Promise children will be invited to take part in all the excitement.

No one is sure yet in what way the Children’s Promise children will be asked to take part, but we’ll find out soon. At the moment, it’s still a secret.