The Summer Olympic Games are the largest sporting event in the world and often simply referred to as the Olympics or Olympic Games. The summer games have a long history with many notable aspects that might be particularly fascinating to children.
History of the Modern Summer Olympic Games
The modern Summer Olympics take place every four years in a different city every time. The flag of the Olympic Games was designed in 1913 and 1914, and is made up of five joined rings colored black, blue, yellow, green and red on a white background. The five rings represent the five continents that were brought together by the games -- North America and South America are combined. The Summer Olympics were not held on a number of occasions since they started in 1896: The 1916, 1940 and 1944 games were canceled because of the World Wars.
The Olympic Medals
Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded for first, second and third place in the Olympics, but the gold medal contains only 6 g of gold, while both the silver and bronze medals are made of pure silver. Larisa Latynina holds the record for most medals won at the Olympics, with 18 from the games of 1956, 1960 and 1964. Michael Phelps of the United States holds the record for most medals won by a single man at the Olympics, winning 16 in swimming events at the 2004 and 2008 Summer Olympic Games. The youngest Olympic medal winner was Dimitrios Loundrasm, who was 10 years and 218 days old when he won third place on the parallel bars in the 1896 Olympics. The youngest female to win an Olympic medal also was a gymnast at the 1896 Olympics; she was 11 years and 302 days old when she placed third in the team gymnastic event.
The Olympic Torch
The Olympic Games begin when the Olympic fire is lit in the host city by by the Olympic Torch, which is lit in Athens, Greece, a few weeks before the games. It is then carried around the world by athletes until it finally reaches the host city on the night that the Olympics begin. The torch is traditionally carried by runners, but it also has been carried by an athlete while rowing a boat, by a man riding a camel, on an airplane and even by laser beam.
Brief Facts
The official languages of the Olympics are French and English, and more than 200 countries compete in every Summer Olympics. Australia is the only country in the Southern Hemisphere to have hosted the Summer Olympics. In 2016, Brazil will be the second when it hosts the games in Rio de Janeiro. London is the only country to have been chosen to host the Olympics three times. Olympic athletes must undergo drug tests to make sure they are not taking steroids or other illegal drugs.
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