By Callie Rogers

The sun beats down on the rough, gravel terrain of Olympia, Greece as the athletes prepare for their contests. It is 776 BCE, and people are filing into an arena that holds around 40,000 spectators. Wreaths made from the sacred olive tree of Zeus decorate the finish lines and are set aside as gifts for the winners. Men, and only men, prepare for their events, which include running, long jump, shot put, javelin, boxing, pankration, and chariot races. Citizens pay tribute to the gods with art, sacrifices, foods, and wines, and they especially honor Zeus, for whom the games were created. The Greeks are ecstatic as the action draws nearer, and they patiently wait for the first Olympic Games to begin.

Spyridon Louis wins the gold medal in the 1896 Olympic marathon in Athens, Greece. Photo credit: greekschannel.com via Wikimedia Commons.

On April 6, 1896, Athens, Greece hosted the first modern summer Olympic Games. The games saw athletes compete from 14 different nations, and a sense of national pride and desire to represent one’s country at the highest athletic level was born. The United States boasted the most gold medals that year, with 11, beating Greece by only one gold medal at the end of the first games. However, the host nation of Greece proudly won the gold in the most highly esteemed event at the time; the marathon. Spyridon Louis brought joy to his nation and homeland as he beat his competitors by seven minutes in the grueling 26.2 mile race. Louis ran the race in 2 hours and 58 minutes; the current qualifying time for the Olympic marathon is now 2 hours and 18 minutes. 

The world had opened their eyes to the beauty of healthy competition in athletics and the joy of being named the best in the world. In the 1900 Olympics in Paris, France, women were allowed to compete for the first time. While there initially only 22 female athletes, the growth of sports continued not only throughout the world, but also in women’s athletics. 

By 1912, the Olympics had expanded to including countries from five continents, after Japan made their debut. However, in 1916, the Olympics were cancelled for the first time due to World War I because of their location in Berlin, Germany and the overall unrest throughout the world. In 1920, Antwerp, Belgium was rewarded as host of the games after the severe casualties and destruction they had faced in The Great War. Doves were flown at the opening ceremonies as a symbol of peace among the countries following the turmoil of war. In 1924, Paris became the host once more, and the amount of countries participating doubled. This brought in an abundance of reporters and journalists and subsequently a whole new sense of media attention towards the games. The Olympics were becoming a world stage that every athlete dreamed to compete on. Countries wanted to put more time and money into their athletics, so they could succeed at the games and boost their nation’s patriotism. 

Jesse Owens. Photo credit: IOC Olympic Museum via Getty Images.

In 1936, Germany was chosen as the hosts in their capital city of Berlin. Adolf Hitler personally oversaw the games himself as his dictatorship over Germany expanded. Jesse Owens, a Black American runner, had an outstanding performance, winning four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, long jump, and 4x100m relay. Owens’ victory was a win for the United States, but more importantly for Black Americans at home who were still facing severe discrimination and segregation. Furthermore, Owens’s victories also proved Hitler’s growing belief of the superiority in the Aryan race wrong. 

In 1948, the Summer Olympics took place in London and were the first to ever be broadcast on home televisions. These Olympics set the standard for the games being recorded and watched by mass numbers in the comforts of their homes. The 2020 Tokyo games, held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were watched by more than three billion people. Streaming platforms allowed the 2020 games to have three times the amount of viewers than in past years. Livestreaming athletics is a great way for young adults and children to see the athletes they strive to be as great as or greater one day. 

USA Field Hockey qualifies for the 2024 Olympics. Image credit: USA Field Hockey Instagram.

However, many Olympic sports are not given the same amount of media attention as others. I asked my peers to see what Olympic sports they watch most frequently. Collegiate Senior Mary Katherine Brost (‘24) said, “I love watching gymnastics,” while fellow Senior Heidi Albrecht (‘24) said, “Swimming is my favorite.” Statistics website Statistica puts swimming and gymnastics at the number one and two spot for the most streamed Olympic sports.

However, there are many Olympic sports that do not get the media coverage they deserve. For example, womens field hockey, a sport that I am passionate about, is often given no television coverage. Just recently, the USA Field Hockey Women’s National team qualified for the upcoming Olympics in Paris, France. After not qualifying in 2020, their qualification in Ranchi, India, was an enormous feat for the sport and the athletes who competed. The team beat difficult opponents and beat the Indian national team in their home arena, yet many Americans do not know about their impressive feat.

Shaun White. Photo credit: Shaun White via Instagram.

The Olympic Committee has in the past added new sports into the Olympics to bring more attention to the games. In 1988, snowboarding was added to the games and brought an immense amount of excitement to the Winter Olympics. Snowboarding brought in a younger crowd and more viewers. Athletes like Shaun White and Lindsey Jacobellis both brought a young crowd to the games because of their age. White, 20 years old at the time, shocked the world when he took home the gold medal in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Jacobellis, who also made her Olympic debut in 2006, was 21 when she first competed. 

Similarly, this year both mens and womens lacrosse were announced as making their Olympic debut in the 2028 games in Los Angeles, California. Lacrosse players all over the world are ecstatic to begin training for the Olympic stage. Paul Rabil, a John Hopkins lacrosse alum, said, “As an athlete, this is the dream. And today, the next generation lacrosse player picking up a stick for the first time can dream big.” While Rabil is just one example of the excitement that Olympic dreams create, he is a symbol for the number of people who dream to compete at the highest level. Lacrosse will likely see a significant jump in participation numbers and competitiveness. 

Simone Biles at a recent gymnastics competition. Photo credit: Simone Biles via instagram.

The Olympics are an event around the world that draw mass attention and excitement. Sports are an amazing way to bring nations together and create healthy competition. The upcoming Olympics in Paris this year will see athletes like womens basketball star Caitlin Clark and gymnast Simone Biles compete for spots on their respective teams. The upcoming games have an immense amount of excitement surrounding them as many celebrated athletes are looking forward to their competitions.

The 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, will be a games to remember, provide a sense of national pride to countries over the world, and will motivate people everywhere. The Opening Ceremony will take place in Paris on July 26. 

Featured image: RuinDig/Yuki Uchida via Wikimedia Commons.