Introduction
Olympic Games emanated from the Greek City of Olympia where they were held every four years between the month of August and September. This period was referred to as Olympiad and was used to measure time. According to tradition, the first Olympic Games were invented by Hercules and throughout the years the games have been carried out to date. The first Ancient Olympic Games were dated way back 776 BC where the first Champion was Coroebus, a cook from Elis who won the sprint race. Initially, Olympics only featured one event that involved race termed as stade that measured about 210 yards. More races were introduced over the years where in 728 BC the 800 meter and 1500 meter races were introduced. Soon after, activities such as wrestling, boxing and the pentathlon specialized events for soldiers and heralds saw their way into their Olympics. Olympic Games in the past involved the participation of free born Greeks but as the conquest of Alexander the Great spread, the Games attracted more participants from Antioch, Sidon and Alexandria.
Winners during this period were rewarded with a wreath of garland while athletes were supported by the government that devoted much time to train. The revolution of Olympic Games originated with Baron Pierre de Coubertin, a 29 year French aristocrat who publicly raised the issue in 1892. He managed to convince delegates from over 49 organizations representing 9 countries that Olympics needed to be revitalized. This paper will focus on analyzing one Olympic year that took place in the summer whether recently or in the past. It will also discuss the activities that occurred during the Olympics and the winners from different categories.
The London Olympics were characterized by colorful events that aimed at making the guest competitors and spectators feel welcome and enjoy the culture of London. This involved decorations and closure of various programs in order to facilitate the Olympics. This involved a huge expenditure where Great Britain spent approximately $14.46 billion in preparation for the Games. It also boosted the stock exchange as many foreigners flew into the country to experience the wonderful event. This was handsomely rewarded through their accomplishments as their competitors won 29 gold medals and a total of 65 medals which put them in third position overall in terms of medals. The United States of America topped the charts with a total of 104 medals followed by China with 88 medals. The activity involved about 10,000 athletes from 205 different countries with countries such as Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Brunei competing for the first time (Asteriou, 2013). It was rather special as it characterized several new aspects such as the women boxing and the participation of women in all sports. It was also a memorable period as it marked the first time every country across the world had at least one female athlete competing. As the trend goes most Olympic Games involve participation in all fields. Michael Phelps was the most celebrated Olympian for winning four gold medals which brought his total number of medals to 22. The 2012 Olympics marked his last roll of participation. Other legends that emerged victorious includes: Misty May Treanor and Kerri Walsh Jennings from the United States Volleyball team, won their third consecutive gold medal. This solidified their legacy as the greatest beach volleyball team of all time. It also marked a period when Walsh and May- Treanor would compete together as May- Treanor said it would be her last time (Weed, 2012).
Victory was also gained by the United States men’s basketball team defended their title by defeating Spain with 107 against 100 on the last day of the London Olympic Games. United States emerged victorious in various activities such as the women’s basketball and soccer teams. The world fastest sprinter Usain Bolt also brought glamour to the ceremony after clinching gold medals in the 100 meters, 200 meters and the 400 meter relay. This was the second time he amazed the crowd with his exuberant performance. Every coin has two sides and like every other Olympic ever held, the London Olympic encountered several controversies where spectators failed to get into the events after the process encountered problems. There were also eight competitors who were from the badminton doubles who got disqualified after they attempted losing matches in order to get easier opponents in the knock out rounds. All in all, despite of all the challenges and controversies that emerged the London 2012 turned out successful and marvelous. It also brought about sponsorship and recognition of the talents portrayed (Weed, 2012).
References
Asteriou, Dimitrios; Samitas, Aristeidis; Kenourgios, Dimitrios. (2013). The London 2012 Olympic Games' announcement and its effect on the London Stock Exchange. Journal of Economic Studies, 40 (2), 203-221.
Weed, Mike; Stephens, Joanne; Bull, Chris (2011). An exogenous shock to the system? The London 2012 Olympic and Paralympics Games and British tourism policy. Journal of Sport & Tourism., 16(4), 345-377.
