What is the origin of the Winter Olympic Games?
When Pierre de Coubertin revived the Olympic Games (called the Games of the
Olympiad) in 1896, they only involved summer sports. In the 1920s, the
popularity of snow and ice sports increased spectacularly. In 1924, as a trial, an
International Winter Sports Week was organised in Chamonix (France), bringing
together 258 athletes from 16 countries (mainly European and North American).
The project was very successful, and, two years later, this "Week" was officially
recognised as the first Olympic Winter Games. Since then, Games devoted
exclusively to snow and ice have been definitively established.
At the Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City (USA) in 2002, the 2,399 athletes
participating in the competitions came from many different countries – from
Jamaica to Australia!
Who is the Olympic Movement?
The Olympic Movement includes the International Olympic Committee
(IOC), Organising Committees of the Olympic Games (OCOGs), the
National Olympic Committees (NOCs), the International Federations
(IFs), the national associations, clubs and, of course, the athletes.
What is the goal of the Olympic Movement?
According to the Olympic Charter, established by Pierre de Coubertin,
the goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a
peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practised
without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which
requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity
and fair play.
PARALYMPICS
In 1948, Sir Ludwig Guttmann
organised a sports competition
involving World War II veterans
with a spinal cord-related injury in
Stoke Mandeville, England. Four
years later, competitors from
Credit: Adam Pretty/Getty Images
Holland joined the Games, and the
international movement, now known as the Paralympics, was born. Olympicstyle games for athletes with a disability were organised for the first time in
Rome in 1960. In Toronto in 1976, other disability groups were added and the
idea of merging together different disability groups for international sports
competitions was born. In the same year, the first Paralympic Winter Games
took place in Sweden.
Inform yourself about the sport on your card on the following website
(also do the flash animations on the right)
GO TO: http://www.olympic.org/uk/sports/index_uk.asp
Name of sport:
Explain in a few sentences what this sport is like:
What equipment do you need for this sport? (name at least 3 items and give the
German translation)
Name a few well-known athletes doing this sport:
Other interesting facts about this sport:
Have you ever done this sport? Complete one of the following sentences.
Yes, I …….
No, I ………..
Would you like to try this sport? Complete one of the following sentences and
say why or why not.
Yes,
No,
Have you ever watched this sport? Complete one of the following sentences
Yes,
No,