The History of the Modern Olympic Games and the first modern-day boycott

The road between the revival of the Olympic Games that began back in the 16th century after a long sleep and the Olympic Games that we know today has been fraught with problems as well as triumphs.

In 1896 the Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. There were 241 participants from 14 nations. At the 2006 Winter Olympics that were held in Turin, Italy, 2,633 athletes from 80 countries competed in 84 events.

The Olympic movement is very proud of the great strides that have been made in the Olympic Games of today, and well they should be. This progress, however, has not been won without a lot of problems and stumbling blocks on the road.

When athletic competitions between athletes that represent their home nations collide with political stances of those nations that are at odds with one another, you can bet that the "fur will fly," as the saying goes. Boycotts happen!

The first modern-day boycott of the Olympic Games happened in the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. The Netherlands, Spain, and Switzerland refused to allow their athletes to compete because of the "repression" of the Hungarian uprising by what was then the Soviet Union. That was only the first of many boycotts over the years.

Sometimes nations that have political differences will boycott all of the games that are held in rival nations. Sometimes rival nations will not allow their athletes to compete in the same events.

The Olympic Games has had its share of scandals, too. Judges that have been paid off, doping, and other infractions of the rules have plagued the Games and continue to do so. And yet, the Olympic Games survive! The Olympic Games thrive not because of the nations that compete, but because of the athletes from those nations that are the very best and want to prove it to the world.