The modern Olympic Games or Olympic (French: Jeux olympiques) also known as the Games of the Olympiad, are leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating. The Olympic Games are normally held every four years, alternating between the Summer and Winter Olympics every two years in the four-year period.
Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games (Ancient Greek: Ὀλυμπιακοί Ἀγῶνες), 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, leading to the first modern Games in Athens in 1896. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.
The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for snow and ice sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities, the Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 18, the five Continental games (Pan American, African, Asian, European, and Pacific), and the World Games for sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games. The IOC also endorses the Deaflympics and the Special Olympics. The IOC has needed to adapt to a variety of economic, political, and technological advancements. The abuse of amateur rules by the Eastern Bloc nations prompted the IOC to shift away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to the acceptance of professional athletes participating at the Games. The growing importance of mass media has created the issue of corporate sponsorship and general commercialisation of the Games. World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Olympics; large-scale boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics; and the 2020 Olympics were postponed until 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Olympic Movement consists of international sports federations (IFs), National Olympic Committees (NOCs), and organising committees for each specific Olympic Games. As the decision-making body, the IOC is responsible for choosing the host city for each Games, and organises and funds the Games according to the Olympic Charter. The IOC also determines the Olympic programme, consisting of the sports to be contested at the Games. There are several Olympic rituals and symbols, such as the Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Over 14,000 athletes competed at the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2018 Winter Olympics combined, in 35 different sports and over 400 events. The first, second, and third-place finishers in each event receive Olympic medals: gold, silver, and bronze, respectively.
The Games have grown so much that nearly every nation is now represented. This growth has created numerous challenges and controversies, including boycotts, doping, bribery, and a terrorist attack in 1972. Every two years the Olympics and its media exposure provide athletes with the chance to attain national and sometimes international fame. The Games also constitute an opportunity for the host city and country to showcase themselves to the world.
Host cities[]
Summer Olympic Games[]
| Edition | Year | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | Host city and country | Stadium | Opened by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1896 | 6 April | 15 April | Athens, Greece | Panathenaic Stadium | George I King of the Hellenes |
| II | 1900 | 14 May | 28 October | Paris, France | Vélodrome de Vincennes | none |
| III | 1904 | 1 July | 23 November | St. Louis, Missouri, United States | Francis Field | David R. Francis President of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition (representing Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States) |
| IV | 1908 | 27 April | 31 October | London, England, United Kingdom | White City Stadium | Edward VII King of the United Kingdom |
| V | 1912 | 6 July | 22 July | Stockholm, Sweden | Stockholm Olympic Stadium | Gustaf V King of Sweden |
| 1916 | cancelled due to World War I | Berlin, German Empire | Deutsches Stadion (expected) | none | ||
| VII | 1920 | 14 August | 12 September | Antwerp, Belgium | Olympisch Stadion | Albert I King of Belgium |
| VIII | 1924 | 5 July | 27 July | Paris, France | Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir | Gaston Doumergue President of France |
| IX | 1928 | 28 July | 12 August | Amsterdam, Netherlands | Olympic Stadium | Prince Hendrik Prince consort of the Netherlands (representing his wife, Wilhelmina, Queen of the Netherlands) |
| X | 1932 | 30 July | 14 August | Los Angeles, California, United States | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Charles Curtis Vice President of the United States (representing Herbert Hoover, President of the United States) |
| XI | 1936 | 1 August | 16 August | Berlin, Nazi Germany | Olympiastadion | Adolf Hitler Chancellor of the German Reich |
| 1940 | cancelled due to World War II | Tokyo, Japan Helsinki, Finland |
Meiji Jingu Gaien Stadium Helsinki Olympic Stadium (expected) |
none | ||
| 1944 | London, United Kingdom | none | ||||
| XIV | 1948 | 29 July | 14 August | Wembley Stadium | George VI King of the United Kingdom | |
| XV | 1952 | 19 July | 3 August | Helsinki, Finland | Helsinki Olympic Stadium | Juho Kusti Paasikivi President of Finland |
| XVI | 1956 | 10 June | 17 June | Stockholm, Sweden (equestrian events) | Stockholm Olympic Stadium | Gustaf VI Adolf King of Sweden |
| 22 November | 8 December | Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | Melbourne Cricket Ground | Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh Consort to the Queen of Australia (representing his wife Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia) | ||
| XVII | 1960 | 25 August | 11 September | Rome, Italy | Stadio Olimpico | Giovanni Gronchi President of Italy |
| XVIII | 1964 | 10 October | 24 October | Tokyo, Japan | National Stadium | Hirohito Emperor of Japan |
| XIX | 1968 | 12 October | 27 October | Mexico City, Mexico | Estadio Olímpico Universitario | Gustavo Díaz Ordaz President of Mexico |
| XX | 1972 | 26 August | 11 September | Munich, West Germany | Olympiastadion | Gustav Heinemann President of the Federal Republic of Germany |
| XXI | 1976 | 17 July | 1 August | Montreal, Quebec, Canada | Olympic Stadium | Elizabeth II Queen of Canada |
| XXII | 1980 | 19 July | 3 August | Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union | Grand Arena of the Central Lenin Stadium | Leonid Brezhnev Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union |
| XXIII | 1984 | 28 July | 12 August | Los Angeles, California, United States | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Ronald Reagan President of the United States |
| XXIV | 1988 | 17 September | 2 October | Seoul, South Korea | Seoul Olympic Stadium | Roh Tae-woo President of South Korea |
| XXV | 1992 | 25 July | 9 August | Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain | Estadi Olímpic de Montjuïc | Juan Carlos I King of Spain |
| XXVI | 1996 | 19 July | 4 August | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | Centennial Olympic Stadium | Bill Clinton President of the United States |
| XXVII | 2000 | 15 September | 1 October | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia | Stadium Australia | William Deane Governor-General of Australia (representing Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia) |
| XXVIII | 2004 | 13 August | 29 August | Athens, Greece | Olympic Stadium | Konstantinos Stephanopoulos President of Greece |
| XXIX | 2008 | 8 August | 24 August | Beijing, China | Beijing National Stadium | Hu Jintao President of the People's Republic of China |
| XXX | 2012 | 27 July | 12 August | London, England, United Kingdom | Olympic Stadium | Elizabeth II Queen of the United Kingdom |
| XXXI | 2016 | 5 August | 21 August | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | Maracanã Stadium | Michel Temer Vice President of Brazil (served as Acting President while Dilma Rousseff, then-incumbent President of Brazil, was suspended from her duties during her impeachment trial) |
| XXXII | 2020 | 23 July 2021 | 8 August 2021 | Tokyo, Japan | Japan National Stadium | Naruhito Emperor of Japan |
| XXXIII | 2024 | 26 July | 11 August | Paris, France | Jardins du Trocadéro and the Seine (opening) Stade de France (athletics and closing) |
Emmanuel Macron President of France |
| XXXIV | 2028 | 21 July | 6 August | Los Angeles, California, United States | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum SoFi Stadium |
Donald Trump President of the United States (expected) |
| XXXV | 2032 | 23 July | 8 August | Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | Lang Park | TBD Governor-General of Australia (representing Charles III, King of Australia) (expected) |
Winter Olympic Games[]
| Edition | Year | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | Host city and country | Stadium | Opened by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 1924 | 25 January | 5 February | Chamonix, France | Stade Olympique de Chamonix | Gaston Vidal Undersecretary for Physical Education of France (representing Alexandre Millerand, President of the French Republic) |
| II | 1928 | 11 February | 19 February | St. Moritz, Switzerland | St. Moritz Olympic Ice Rink | Edmund Schulthess President of the Swiss Confederation |
| III | 1932 | 4 February | 15 February | Lake Placid, New York, United States | Lake Placid Speedskating Oval | Franklin D. Roosevelt Governor of New York (representing Herbert Hoover, President of the United States) |
| IV | 1936 | 6 February | 16 February | Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Nazi Germany | Große Olympiaschanze | Adolf Hitler Chancellor of the German Reich |
| V | 1940 | cancelled due to World War II | Sapporo, Japan Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Nazi Germany |
none | none | |
| 1944 | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | |||||
| 1948 | 30 January | 8 February | St. Moritz, Switzerland | St. Moritz Olympic Ice Rink | Enrico Celio President of the Swiss Confederation | |
| VI | 1952 | 14 February | 25 February | Oslo, Norway | Bislett Stadium | Princess Ragnhild Princess of Norway (representing her grandfather Haakon VII, King of Norway) |
| VII | 1956 | 26 January | 5 February | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | Stadio Olimpico Del Ghiaccio | Giovanni Gronchi President of Italy |
| VIII | 1960 | 18 February | 28 February | Squaw Valley, California, United States | Blyth Arena | Richard Nixon Vice President of the United States (representing Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States) |
| IX | 1964 | 29 January | 9 February | Innsbruck, Austria | Bergiselschanze (opening) Olympiahalle (closing) |
Adolf Schärf President of Austria |
| X | 1968 | 6 February | 18 February | Grenoble, France | Olympic Stadium (opening) Le Stade de Glace (closing) |
Charles de Gaulle President of France |
| XI | 1972 | 3 February | 13 February | Sapporo, Japan | Makomanai Open Stadium (opening) Makomanai Ice Arena (closing) |
Hirohito Emperor of Japan |
| XII | 1976 | 4 February | 15 February | Innsbruck, Austria | Bergiselschanze (opening) Olympiahalle (closing) |
Rudolf Kirchschläger President of Austria |
| XIII | 1980 | 13 February | 24 February | Lake Placid, New York, United States | Lake Placid Equestrian Stadium (opening) Olympic Center Arena (closing) |
Walter Mondale Vice President of the United States (representing Jimmy Carter, President of the United States) |
| XIV | 1984 | 7 February | 19 February | Sarajevo, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, SFR Yugoslavia | Olympic Stadium (opening) Zetra Olympic Hall (closing) |
Mika Špiljak President of the Presidency of Yugoslavia |
| XV | 1988 | 13 February | 28 February | Calgary, Alberta, Canada | McMahon Stadium | Jeanne Sauvé Governor General of Canada (representing Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada) |
| XVI | 1992 | 8 February | 23 February | Albertville, France | Théâtre des Cérémonies | François Mitterand President of France |
| XVII | 1994 | 12 February | 27 February | Lillehammer, Norway | Lysgårdsbakken | Harald V King of Norway |
| XVIII | 1998 | 7 February | 22 February | Nagano, Japan | Nagano Olympic Stadium | Akihito Emperor of Japan |
| XIX | 2002 | 8 February | 24 February | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium | George W. Bush President of the United States |
| XX | 2006 | 10 February | 26 February | Turin, Italy | Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino | Carlo Azeglio Ciampi President of Italy |
| XXI | 2010 | 12 February | 28 February | Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | BC Place | Michaëlle Jean Governor General of Canada (representing Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada) |
| XXII | 2014 | 7 February | 23 February | Sochi, Russia | Fisht Olympic Stadium | Vladimir Putin President of Russia |
| XXIII | 2018 | 9 February | 25 February | Pyeongchang, South Korea | Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium | Moon Jae-in President of South Korea |
| XXIV | 2022 | 4 February | 20 February | Beijing, China | Beijing National Stadium | Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China |
| XXV | 2026 | 6 February | 22 February | Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | San Siro (opening) Verona Arena (closing) |
Sergio Mattarella President of Italy (expected) |
| XXVI | 2030 | 8 February | 24 February | French Alps, France | TBA (opening) Promenade des Anglais (closing) |
2027 French presidential election winner President of France (expected) |
| XXVII | 2034 | 10 February | 26 February | Salt Lake City, Utah, United States | Rice-Eccles Stadium | TBD President of the United States (expected) |
Summer Youth Olympic Games[]
| Edition | Year | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | Host city and country | Stadium | Opened by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 2010 | 14 August | 26 August | Singapore | The Float at Marina Bay | S.R. Nathan President of Singapore |
| II | 2014 | 16 August | 28 August | Nanjing, China | Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre Stadium | Xi Jinping President of the People's Republic of China |
| III | 2018 | 6 October | 18 October | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Obeslisco de Buenos Aires (opening) Buenos Aires Youth Olympic Village (closing) |
Mauricio Macri President of Argentina |
| IV | 2026 | 22 October | 9 November | Dakar, Senegal | Diamniadio Olympic Stadium | Bassirou Diomaye Faye President of Senegal (expected) |
| V | 2030 | TBA | TBA | TBD | TBA | TBA TBA |
Winter Youth Olympic Games[]
| Edition | Year | Opening ceremony | Closing ceremony | Host city and country | Stadium | Opened by |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | 2012 | 13 January | 22 January | Innsbruck, Austria | Bergiselschanze | Heinz Fischer President of Austria |
| II | 2016 | 12 February | 21 February | Lillehammer, Norway | Lysgårdsbakken | Harald V King of Norway |
| III | 2020 | 9 January | 22 January | Lausanne, Switzerland | Vaudoise Aréna | Simonetta Sommaruga President of the Swiss Confederation |
| IV | 2024 | 19 January | 2 February | Gangwon Province, South Korea | Gangneung Oval and Yongpyong Dome (opening) Gangwon Olympic Stage (closing) |
Yoon Suk-yeol President of South Korea |
| V | 2028 | 15 January | 29 January | Dolomites and Valtellina, Italy | TBA | TBA TBA |