Mar 26 2009
The modern Olympic Games
Originally, the games are exclusively in summer. The figure skating and ice hockey and make appearances at the Olympic program before the creation of the Winter Games in 1924. After the initial success of tests in Athens in 1896, the Olympics in Paris in 1900 (which saw the first women to attend the tests) and St. Louis in 1904 are embedded in the curricula of world expositions. Games interlayers of 1906 in Athens, not recognized by the IOC, marked a renewed interest of the public and athletes with a very international participation while 80% of athletes who took part in the games of St. Louis were American. The European nations had in effect waived to make the long and costly trip across the Atlantic.
241 athletes from 14 nations in 1896, the Games go to 10 500 athletes representing 200 delegations at the last Summer Olympics. It is now one of the most publicized. The Sydney games in 2000 and together over 16 000 journalists and broadcasters. The size of the test is such that pose problems for the host cities, the sponsorship covers only partially. The host cities benefit because of the Games to be equipped with transport and other sports facilities, among others. For example, the estimated budget for the London Games in 2012 is 9 billion pounds.