The Olympics is probably the best form of competition among every other form of international competition. You know why? The Olympics is diverse and nearly every country can join in on the massive fight for glory for their flag. The thing that makes it even better is that the glory is won on the battlefield of sports. But that does not mean that there are no major martial arts competitions that are put into the Olympics. A small fact that you may have not known is that the Olympics started as a martial competition. While track and the discus throw were major parts of Greek culture, Graeco-roman wrestling was a major part as well.

While the original name of martial art was Pankration, it has still remained relatively the same in form and function since 708 BC. Two fighters wrestle in very formal means, and throws and pins were the means of scoring. There is another form wherein free style dictates the fights. While there are a lot of restrictions that are lifted from free style, the same rules stop it from becoming dirty fighting. Weight also factors in a lot with wrestling. So there is a wide number of wrestling fighters that join in. It’s a show of physical prowess, and the Greeks and Romans don’t hold all the medals for all of them. Women are also allowed to join in, and it’s been a staple for such a long time.

Other martial forms are also included in the Olympics. While they were mostly from the most popular sports, they remain diverse. Karate, is one of the biggest competitions in the Olympics. In fact, it’s a major striking sport that involves a lot of technique as opposed to boxing. Boxing is also a sport that’s been in a staple. The sport of pugilism has a lot of strength and endurance involved in it. While technique has a little less to do with the competition, it has been a sport since the dawn of modern civilization.

Olympic sports are fun to watch, and that’s why people love to tune in that very certain time of the year. While there are some different and pretty fun sports out there, it’s guaranteed that people would only enjoy a certain kind. This is why there are two different kinds of Olympics. It’s these sports that really matter in between the seasons. Each sport has their graces, and its own beauty. This is why you may not know the difference, and they can be straight forward once described, but the sports do bear some similarities between them. So, what are the differences between these kinds of sports?

Summer Olympics
As with the title, the summer Olympics are a composition of sports that are done mostly on the seasons of summer. These sports are also quite reliant on the weather. Here, you’ll find the sports you simply can’t do in cold weather. One of the best ones to watch is swimming. Olympic swimming needs a sort of extreme physique for it to work. Did you know that some Olympic swimmers ensure that they have almost no chest hair, as well as leg hair? As well as this, you know those trunks aren’t just about regulation, they provide maximum mobility.

Winter Olympics
As the title suggests, these sports are mostly done in the winter because some sports really can only be done in winter. Skiing is one, as well as many forms of ice skating. However, did you know about curling and Nordic combined? While curling needs a lot of technique, it is fascinating to watch how it can go. This is why this sport was put into the Olympics. Nordic combined is more of a supreme triathlon. While it is highly about skiing, there are three parts of it that make it highly demanding on the players. From cross county skiing to jumping, this sport shows of the strength of the skiers to show off high physical demand while under extreme weather.

Ever wondered how the location of the next Olympic Games is chosen? Well, it’s not an easy task. The International Olympic Committee or IOC is the body responsible for this task. The country selection is made 7 years prior the scheduled Olympic Games to allow the chosen country to make the necessary preparations for the said event. If a country wishes to be the next setting of the prestigious event, several processes must be undertaken.

First, the city must make a formal proposal or intent to host the Olympics. This letter is then submitted to the National Olympic Committee. Once the letter is received by the IOC, the county is then listed with other hopeful cities. An applicant city then receives a set of questionnaire and must respond to it. The questions vary and may cover topics about their motivation to host, amenities to be used, venues and forms of transportation. Once answered, the IOC reviews and chooses the top 5 countries then known as ‘candidate cities.’

Next step is another round of questions for the candidate cities. The questions now cover more detailed queries regarding media coverage, structures, and construction of the Olympic Village. An Evaluation Committee then steps in to evaluate the answers and visit each country for 4 days after which a recommendation is made. This does not end here, each active member of the IOC then votes for his or her choice. If a member resides in one of the 5 countries, he is not allowed to vote so as to remove bias. If in the 1st voting no country wins, the country with the lowest votes is eliminated and another voting happens. This continues until a country is selected.

This is the rigorous process a country undertakes to be chosen to host the Olympics.

The Olympics does not simply begin and end. Certain ceremonies are done months or weeks prior to the start of the event and as with all other traditions that affects history, each of these ceremonies symbolize something.

For years, the Olympic flag can be seen being passed from one country to another signifying where the next games would be held. It is passed to the new host country from the country where it was last held, specifically by the mayor of the city where the games were last held to the mayor of the city where the games will be held next.

The official flag used to symbolize the Olympic Games was first seen during the opening ceremony of the 1920 Olympic Games held in Belgium. It took nearly a year to be completed but this seemingly simple flag means a lot more. Made in plain white background, the Olympic flag is has 5 interlocking circles in the middle each of which has a different color.

The five rings represent the 5 continents that participate in the Olympic Games but there was a misconception regarding the selection of colors used in the flag. The colors do not correspond to a particular continent but the 5 circles do. In addition, the interlocking of these circles signifies the union of men. The colors on the other hand were merely the common colors to all the flags participating in the event.

Today, the colors of the 5 circles in the flag represent the 5 competing parts of the world guided by Olympism. The 6 colors of the flag on the other hand represent the nations of the world, without any exceptions. With this, it can be deduced that the Olympic flag is an international symbol aiming to unify the world.

The Olympic Games is one event millions upon millions of people around the world anticipate. Hundreds of athletes train for this event hoping to bring pride and honor to their country. Some of them started training as early as they learned how to walk just to have the best stamina and conditioning to win. The conditioning intended to be achieved is not only limited to the physical aspect of an athlete, but includes his whole being. A unity of mind, body and soul to bring out the true champion is the main concept behind this prestigious event.

It all started in Greece as a tribute to the 12 Olympian Gods. Olympia was the place where the games were hosted. The event is not simply a sport competition but at that time, was an important religious significance since it was held in honor of Zeus. The participants hail from every corner of Greece to battle in the hopes of winning the prestigious olive wreath and return to their city as its hero. However victory was not the only important concept to be understood from this event. The pride of being chosen to represent your state as well as to pay tribute to the Greek god was equally important as winning.

A lot of events occurred from the time the first Olympic Games were held until today. The mere existence of the Olympic Games even ceased during the Roman rule where as it was viewed as a pagan practice. However, with the help of avid fans and believers of the importance this event has to the Greeks made it possible for the tradition to go on and continue up to now.

The Olympics is not just an event, it is a tradition that symbolizes the richness of Greek history.