The Olympics
Amber, Hannah, and Jordan
The Games History
The first games were performed in Olympia, Greece in 950 BC. The first official Summer Games was in 1896. The original sporting events were running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration, and equestrian. The original Olympic symbol was the five interlocking colored rings. These represented the unity of the original five competing countries by showing their primary flag colors.
The Competition
Members of the International Olympic Committee choose which cities get to host the games each year. Overall, the United States has hosted the games the most, with a total of eight games so far. Each Olympic games the number of countries who compete varies, but the most recent games, in Winter 2014, 88 countries participated. The United States has won 1073 gold medals, which is the most won by any country. There are no set age limits for the games, but depending on the sport, there might be individual requirements.