Olympic Facts for Kids
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The Olympics is an international multi-sport event that brings together athletes from various countries to compete in several sporting events. The Olympic Games have been around for more than a century and have a rich history that fascinates both adults and children alike. Here are some interesting Olympic facts that kids should know:
1. The Olympic Games take place every four years. The Summer and Winter Olympics alternate so that there will be one or the other every two years. The next Summer Olympics is scheduled for 2024 in Paris, France.
2. The ancient Greeks first held the Olympic Games over 2,700 years ago in honor of the god Zeus. The games were held in Olympia, Greece, and featured events like the discus throw, wrestling, and running. Only men were allowed to participate.
3. The Olympic symbol comprises five interconnected rings of different colors. Each ring represents a different continent: blue for Europe, yellow for Asia, black for Africa, green for Australia, and red for the Americas.
4. The Olympic torch relay, which starts every Olympic Games, was introduced by the Nazis during the 1936 Berlin Olympics. A torch is lit in Olympia, Greece, and then bears are passed from one runner to another until it reaches the site of the games.
5. Michael Phelps is the most successful Olympic athlete of all time, having won 28 medals (23 gold, three silver, and two bronze) in his career as a swimmer.
6. The youngest person ever to participate in the Olympic Games was Dimitrios Loundras, a young Greek gymnast, who was just 10 years old when he competed in the 1896 Athens Olympics.
7. The mascots for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics are Miraitowa, a blue-checkered figure, and Someity, a pink-checkered figure. Their names derive from the Japanese words “mirai,” meaning future, and “someiyoshino,” which is a type of cherry blossom.
8. The ancient Olympics had only one event: a running race that was around 190 meters long.
9. Women were not allowed to participate in the early Olympic Games, as it was considered too dangerous for them. The first time women were allowed to compete in the Olympics was in 1900, where some events were added for women.
10. The Olympic torch has been carried by some interesting people, like a 100-year-old man in the 2012 London Olympics torch relay, who had survived two world wars, and even a video game character, Sonic the Hedgehog, in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.