The Olympic Games are considered the highest test for any athlete. There are Winter and Summer Olympics. Here I am chiefly going to talk about the Summer Olympics, as that involves nearly all the countries of the world. The Winter Olympics is the privilege of countries with snow capped mountains, frozen lakes, and rich people who can buy all the fancy equipment required. The Summer Olympics is a truly global sports event.
There is something truly magical about the Olympic Games. After 4 years of hard work, training, anticipation and anxiety, thousands of athletes come together from all corners of the world to take part in an extraordinary sports meet.
The Olympic Flame
The flame is a throw back to the ancient Olympics, which lasted from 776 BC to 394 AD.
The ritual of lighting the Olympic flame and keep it burning till the last day of the Games was re introduced into the Modern Olympics in 1928, at Amsterdam. The flame is still lit in a ritualistic ceremony in Olympia, Greece, by 11 women. They use a parabolic mirror to use the sun"s rays to kindle the fire. Isn"t that amazing?
Then a torch is ignited and it is relayed from Olympia to various pre decided regions, before it makes its way to the stadium on the first day, during the Opening Ceremony. Mystery and excitement surrounds the name of the final torch bearer who will bring the torch into the stadium, and light the fire there. It"s a great honor to be selected for this duty; I"m getting goose bumps just thinking about it.
The Five Rings
The Olympic Rings symbolize international harmony. The interlinked rings represent the five inhabited continents. The colors red, blue, green, yellow and black, were chosen as at least one of these colors is present in all countries" flags.
The Motto
Citius, Altius, Fortius in Latin, translates to Faster, Higher, Stronger. But the Olympics are not so much about winning as it is about participation. And that is what makes these games so special. To be able to represent our country at the highest sporting event in four years is itself a great honor for any athlete. This was the ideal of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics. It is expressed in the Olympic creed:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
How relevant are those words, in today"s world where everything is a rat race!
The Ceremonies
The opening ceremony is very solemn and formal. There is flag hoisting, and the parade of athletes, formal speeches, and oath taking. And of course the artistic display by the host nation.
The closing ceremony is very different, with athletes marching into the stadium in any order.
This is the spirit that weeks of being together and participating in such a sporting event, can promote. I just love watching all the athletes joining hands and dancing, regardless of their medal tallies.
More disciplines have been added to the Olympics frequently, and so there are a lot more medals at stake now. My favorite is the gymnastic events and the pool events(swimming, diving, synchronized swimming)
Watching those well muscled men and women gracefully negotiating hurdles or doing a salto on the floor is a pleasure and privilege. Seeing them cry tears of joy or disappointment, my heart goes out to them and celebrates with them.
Not much time is left for the 2012 London Olympics. I wanted to make sure that I would not miss a single magical moment so I searched the internet for cable services that offered deals on Bundles. I wanted to bundle my internet with my TV. The Games are held at multiple locations, and I want to watch the whole caboodle. So I can stream from Sports websites, and have my TV on at the same time. After all, its only once in four years. Lucky for me, I got a great deal, and now I am just waiting for that Torch to reach the stadium in London!
If you are a Sports lover and are as enchanted by the Olympics as I am, you need to check out Bundles if you don"t already have a good deal.
There is something truly magical about the Olympic Games. After 4 years of hard work, training, anticipation and anxiety, thousands of athletes come together from all corners of the world to take part in an extraordinary sports meet.
The Olympic Flame
The flame is a throw back to the ancient Olympics, which lasted from 776 BC to 394 AD.
The ritual of lighting the Olympic flame and keep it burning till the last day of the Games was re introduced into the Modern Olympics in 1928, at Amsterdam. The flame is still lit in a ritualistic ceremony in Olympia, Greece, by 11 women. They use a parabolic mirror to use the sun"s rays to kindle the fire. Isn"t that amazing?
Then a torch is ignited and it is relayed from Olympia to various pre decided regions, before it makes its way to the stadium on the first day, during the Opening Ceremony. Mystery and excitement surrounds the name of the final torch bearer who will bring the torch into the stadium, and light the fire there. It"s a great honor to be selected for this duty; I"m getting goose bumps just thinking about it.
The Five Rings
The Olympic Rings symbolize international harmony. The interlinked rings represent the five inhabited continents. The colors red, blue, green, yellow and black, were chosen as at least one of these colors is present in all countries" flags.
The Motto
Citius, Altius, Fortius in Latin, translates to Faster, Higher, Stronger. But the Olympics are not so much about winning as it is about participation. And that is what makes these games so special. To be able to represent our country at the highest sporting event in four years is itself a great honor for any athlete. This was the ideal of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympics. It is expressed in the Olympic creed:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well."
How relevant are those words, in today"s world where everything is a rat race!
The Ceremonies
The opening ceremony is very solemn and formal. There is flag hoisting, and the parade of athletes, formal speeches, and oath taking. And of course the artistic display by the host nation.
The closing ceremony is very different, with athletes marching into the stadium in any order.
This is the spirit that weeks of being together and participating in such a sporting event, can promote. I just love watching all the athletes joining hands and dancing, regardless of their medal tallies.
More disciplines have been added to the Olympics frequently, and so there are a lot more medals at stake now. My favorite is the gymnastic events and the pool events(swimming, diving, synchronized swimming)
Watching those well muscled men and women gracefully negotiating hurdles or doing a salto on the floor is a pleasure and privilege. Seeing them cry tears of joy or disappointment, my heart goes out to them and celebrates with them.
Not much time is left for the 2012 London Olympics. I wanted to make sure that I would not miss a single magical moment so I searched the internet for cable services that offered deals on Bundles. I wanted to bundle my internet with my TV. The Games are held at multiple locations, and I want to watch the whole caboodle. So I can stream from Sports websites, and have my TV on at the same time. After all, its only once in four years. Lucky for me, I got a great deal, and now I am just waiting for that Torch to reach the stadium in London!
If you are a Sports lover and are as enchanted by the Olympics as I am, you need to check out Bundles if you don"t already have a good deal.
SHARE
