Wikipedia:Today's featured article/August 12, 2012



The Olympic Games are considered to be the world's foremost sports competition, and more than 200 nations participate. The Games are held biennially, with Summer and Winter Olympic Games alternating, so that each of these is held every four years. Originally, the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894, which is still the governing body of the games. The 20th and 21st centuries have seen several changes to the games, such as the creation of the Winter Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a physical disability, and the Youth Olympic Games. The Olympics have shifted away from the pure amateurism envisioned by Coubertin to allow participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of the mass media has created issues around corporate sponsorship and commercialization of the Games. World Wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games. (more...)

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