Olympic Games

4

The first Olympic Games took place in Greece more than two thousand and seven hundred years ago. Every year there was no war for five days and sports competitions took place.

The Games were organized for more than six hundred years.

Then, for one thousand and five hundred years nothing more was heard of them.

The modern Olympic Games began again in 1896. They take place every four years. They cannot take place in a country which is at war, and during the two world wars there were no Olympic Games.

During the Olympic Games there are competitions in many kinds of sports. They are, for example, running, jumping, athletics, swimming, boxing, basket-ball, football and others.

Winter Olympic Games first took place in 1924, and now they also take place every four years. At the Winter Olympic Games, many countries take part in competitions in skiing, skating, ice hockey and other winter sports.

The Games have taken place in many countries. The 22nd Olympic Games of 1980 were held in Moscow. For the first time in history the Olympic Games were held in a socialist country.

It was a festival of sport and of friendship.

The sportsmen who take first place at the Olympic Games receive gold medals, those who come second receive silver medals, and those who finish third receive bronze medals.

The Soviet Union sends teams to the Olympic Games and they always win many gold, silver and bronze medals. Soviet sportsmen hold Olympic records for many kinds of sports.

The Olympic Games are very popular in the Soviet Union. All lovers of sports watched the Moscow Olympic Games on TV and many of them came to Moscow from all the Soviet Republics.

The Olympic Games help world peace and friendship.