The Olympic Movement
Humble beginnings to global
dominance
Learning Goals
• Learn why and how the Modern Olympics
began
• Understand the Olympic symbols we’ve all
seen before and others we haven’t
• Learn the Olympic values and why they
are central to the Games and to humanity
as a whole
The Olympic Charter
• “Olympism is a philosophy of life, exalting
and combining in a balance whole the
qualities of body, will and mind. Blending
sport with culture and education,
Olympism seeks to create a way of life
based on the joy found in effort, the
educational value of good example and
respect for universal fundamental ethical
principles.”
The Olympic Movement – All of Us
Baron Pierre de Coubertin
• Dreamed of bringing back the Olympics in
modern times
• Formed the IOC (International Olympic
Committee) and held the first modern
games in 1896
• Games were held in Athens, Greece
• Mant events were held in the ancient
stadium known as the Panathenaic
Stadium
Baron de Coubertin
• “In these Olympiads, the important thing is
not winning but taking part…What counts
in life is not the victory but the struggle; the
essential thing is not to conquer but to
fight well.”
• Baron de Coubertin also believed that only
amateurs should be allowed to complete in
the Olympics
Changes from Ancient to Modern
• The Games take place in a different city
and country every year
• The Games are held over 16 days
• Modern games are open to all global
inhabitants
• Women were allowed to participate in
1900 (in golf and tennis only)
• Only summer sports were contested
Winter Games
• Began in 1924 in Chamonix, France
• 258 athletes from 16 countries competed
• Was originally called an International
Winter Sports Week, but was retroactively
named the first Winter Olympic Games
The Olympic Symbols
• There are many traditions associated with
the Games – they give the Games an
identity
• The Rings
• The Motto
• The Flame
• The Olympic Values
The rings
• The five rings represent the five continents
• Interlaced to show the universality of
Olympism and the meeting of the athletes
• The flag with the rings was unveiled at the
1920 Games, just after World War 1
• Nationalism was strong and tension
between certain countries was high
• The rings were intended to encourage
world unity
The Motto
• A motto is a phrase which sums up a life
philosophy or a code of conduct
• The Olympic motto is three Latin words:
Citius – Altius – Fortius or Faster – Higher – Stronger
• Encourage best during competition
The Creed
• “The most important thing in life is not the
triumph, but the fight; the essential thing is
not to have won, but to have fought well.”
The flame
• Precise ritual around the Olympic flame
1. The lighting – flame is lit from the sun’s
rays in Olympia (Greece) months before
the Games begin
2. A new torch is created for each new
Games. Each runner carries their own
torch and only the flame is passed along
The flame continued…
3. The relay route – from Olympia to the
host city, the passage of the flame
announces the upcoming Olympic Games
to those along it’s route
 The first torch relay took place at the 1936
Games in Berlin (Germany)
The Olympic Values
• The three core values are:
– Excellence
– Friendship
– Respect
Excellence
• To give one’s best, on the field of play or
in life. It is not only about winning, but
about participating, making progress
against personal goals, striving to be and
to do our best in our daily lives.
Friendship
• To build a peaceful and better world
thanks to sport, through solidarity, team
spirit, joy and optimism. To consider sport
as a tool for mutual understanding among
individuals and people from all over the
world, despite the differences
Respect
• To respect oneself, one’s body, to respect
others, as well as rules and regulation, to
respect the environment. In relation to
sport, respect stands for fair play and for
the fight against doping or any other
unethical behaviour.
The Missions
• The IOC has several “missions” that they,
through their Charter, must uphold:
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Choice of the Host City
Organization of the Olympic Games
Promotion of Women in Sport
Protection of Athletes
Human Development Assistance
Promotion of Sustainable Development
The Olympic Truce
Promotion of Culture and Olympic Education