Even those who are not fascinated by the world of sports reserve some of their time to dedicate themselves to watching the Olympics. The union of peoples, each in their own country, rooting for their athletes, is contagious. The emotion of games has the power to transform the atmosphere into something magical.
The next Olympics will be in 2024; headquartered in Paris, France, from July 26th to August 11th. And, even though we still have many days to get into the Olympic mood, it's never too early to get excited and looking forward to sharing moments with family and friends, cheering together for our country's athletes.
Check out some curiosities about the Olympics below.
1- Where it all began
The first edition of the Olympic Games took place in Greece, in Olympia, in the 8th century BC They were held every 4 years – as it still is today – and continued like this for about 12 centuries. But, in the 4th century AD, all pagan festivals were banned by Emperor Theodosius I and that also included the Olympics.
The tradition was only resurrected some 1500 years later!
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 in Greece. At that time, athletes competed naked and the games lasted 5 to 6 months.
2- The Olympic Torch
One of the greatest symbols of the Olympics is the torch. It is lit the old-fashioned way in a ceremony at the Temple of Hera in Greece. Actresses are invited to the simulation, where, dressed as Greek priestesses, they use the sun's rays and a mirror to light the torch.
After that, she is taken to her relay in the host city. Throughout the history of the Olympics, the torch has traveled by horse, plane, boat, canoe and even on the hump of a camel.
The Olympic flame must be lit during the entire period of the games. If it goes out, it can only be rekindled with a spare flame that was also lit in Greece. It should never be lit with just any lighter.
3- New sport in 2024
In the next edition of the Games, we will have the debut of breaking, a breakdancing competition that mixes athletic movements, swings and backward or head spins.
During the routine, athletes – also known as b-grils and b-boys – are judged on a variety of criteria, including creativity, speed, strength, style, rhythm, technical skills and agility.
The sport gained a lot of popularity at the 2018 Summer Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. At the end of 2020, the sport was selected for the Paris 2024 schedule, along with skateboarding, sport climbing (which debuted in 2020, in the Tokyo edition) and surfing.
In 2024, we will have the presentation schedule of 32 sports, covering 306 events.
4- Olympic surfing in Tahiti
In 2021, surfing proved to be a popular sport among Brazilians, who were thrilled with Italo Ferreira's gold medal. In Paris, we'll follow the competition directly from Tahiti – the largest island in French Polynesia, a collective of France's overseas territories.
The island was chosen to host 4 locations in mainland France: Lacanau, La Torche, Biarritz and Le Landes. When the competition starts in 2024, we will break the record for the furthest Olympic medal from the host city; 15,700 kilometers from Paris.
5- 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Emblem
For the first time, we have the same Olympic emblem being used for the Paralympic Games. The logo, revealed in 2019, is the combination of 3 icons: the flame, Marianne – an important symbol of the French Revolution – and the gold medal.
Did you like to know a little more about the history of games and what's to come? Tell us in the comments what you already knew and what was new to you!