Beijing 2008 Olympic Games

The Olympic Games have been the most anticipated sporting events since they were inaugurated in Athens in 1896. This year, the Beijing Games will consist of 302 events in 28 different sports. In honor of the event, I wanted to mention a few interesting facts:

The five intertwined rings of the Olympic symbol represent the unity of the five inhabited continents. The colors, white, red, blue, green, yellow, and black were chosen such that each nation had one of these colors on their national flag. (Click here to see Olympic Symbols from the past, present, and future.)

During the opening ceremony, the “Parade of Nations” captures the excitement of the event as the competitors of the Olympic Games walk by in country. Traditionally, Greece enters first due to its historical Olympic origins and the host enters last. The rest of the countries enter alphabetically.

The closing ceremonies, however, take a completely different approach. One by one, the flag bearers enter the stadium first followed by the thousands of Olympic competitors, without any distinction of group or nationality. This method, suggested by a schoolboy in 1956, brings together the athletes of the world as “one nation”.

Many successful Olympic athletes become heroes or celebrities in their own countries.

I’d like to close with the Olympic Creed, which in so many ways applies to life. “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.” Well said.

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