Famous Olympic Champion Larissa Latynina

Between the Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956 and the Olympics held in Tokyo, Japan, in 1964, Larissa Latynina collected more Olympic medals than any other athlete in the history of the Olympics, male or female, in any sport. She collected a total of 18 Olympic medals during the three Olympic Games that she participated in — nine gold medals, five silver medals, and four bronze medals. Some believe this is a record that will never be broken.

Larissa Latynina was born on December 27, 1934, in Kherson, Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union). She began training as a ballet dancer, but when her choreographer moved to another city, she turned to gymnastics. After Larissa finished high school in 1953, she was sent to Kiev to go to the Lenin Polytechnic Institute and continue training as a gymnast.

Larissa made her debut on the international stage of gymnastics at the World Championships in 1954, where she won a gold medal in the team competition. She was 19 years old. It was the first of many medals that Larissa would earn before she retired from competing after the 1966 World Championships at the ripe old age of 35.

After Larissa retired from competition, she became a coach for the Soviet national gymnastics team. She held the coaching position until 1977. After she left her coaching position, she organized the gymnastics competition at the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow, Russia. Then Larissa Latynina really did retire and today she lives on an estate near the town of Semenovskoye, outside of Moscow.

There are a few great athletes that come to mind when we think of the Olympic Games. Larissa Latynina is at the top of that distinguished list, in my opinion.

The 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games

It could be that when you are reading this, the Olympic Games of 2008 have already been played. But while I am writing this, the games are still in the future… not far in the future but they haven't yet started.

There are always problems of some kind associated with the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games of 2008 are no different.

The games will be held in Beijing, China. As is the custom, the Olympic torch circles the globe and is carried through the streets of cities, large and small, along the route. This year there have been loud and sometimes even violent objections as the torch makes its way around the world. The protests are not about the Olympic Games or the Olympic athletes but about China — specifically, China's record of human rights abuses.

People take human rights seriously, as they should; but people also take athletic competitions seriously, and that is also as it should be. The problems materialize when the two collide — and there has certainly been a major collision this year.

At the moment, it is not altogether clear whether the United States will even send athletes to compete in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing. There are loud calls for a boycott of the games. The point of boycotting the Olympic Games is to embarrass the host nation and/or to force changes to the policies to which the protesters object.

So far, boycotting the Olympic Games has never resulted in a change being made by a host nation. Of course, the fact that boycotting the Olympic Games is totally ineffective won't stop those who have strong feelings about government policies from insisting that the Olympic Games be boycotted.

The Summer Olympic Games are yet to be played as I write this, and it is my sincere hope that the athletes from all nations can come together in the spirit intended by the Olympic Games and compete.

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.

Modern Revival of the Ancient Olympic Games

The original Olympic Games were played between 776 BC and 393 BC, according to most scholars. During that time, the number of games increased from one to 20, and the Olympic Games Festival or celebration increased from one day to several days.

In ancient times, the Olympics were religion-based. Contests were held between sacrifices and ceremonies honoring Zeus and Pelops (a divine hero and mythical king of Olympia famous for his legendary chariot race with King Oenomaus of Pisatis).

Then in 393 AD, Emperor Theodosius I proclaimed Christianity the religion of the empire and banned pagan rites. The Olympic Games were outlawed as a pagan festival.

The Olympic Games were not dead, but they did lay dormant for a very long time. It wasn't until the 16th century AD that an "Olympic Games" sports festival was held at Chipping Campden in the English Cotswolds. The festival was held for several years, and others attempted to revive the Olympic Games, without a lot of success.

Then in 1859, a wealthy Greek philanthropist, Evangelos Zappas, sponsored the revival of the first modern international Olympic Games. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens city square. The Ottoman Empire sent athletes to compete against the athletes from Greece, making the games the first international games. Zappas used his own personal funds to rebuild the ancient Panathenian stadium. The stadium was first used for the Olympic Games of 1870 and then was used again in 1875.

Evangelos Zappas refurbished the Panathenian stadium again with his own money, and the stadium was the site for the Olympic Games of 1896. The Olympic Games of 1896 included the participation of athletes from 14 nations.

It took a lot of years between the early attempts to revive the Olympic Games and the Olympic Games that we know today where athletes from every continent in the world compete in hundreds of different contests.

The Olympic Flag, Its Symbolism and History

The Olympic Games are full of symbolism. The official emblem of the Olympic Games is five interlocked rings of different colors (blue, yellow, black, green, and red) on a white background.

The emblem was designed by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the Frenchman who founded the International Olympic Committee in 1913.

The emblem was adopted by the International Olympic Committee in 1914 and was first displayed at the Olympic Games that were held in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1920.

The Olympic emblem is emblazoned on the Olympic Flag. The Olympic flag has a white background with the five rings in blue, yellow, black, green, and red on the foreground. The five rings represent the five inhabited continents of earth, and the six colors included in the Olympic flag are the six colors that appear on all of the national flags of the world today.

One Olympic flag is raised during the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games and lowered during the closing ceremonies. Another Olympic flag is used when the Olympic oath is administered. During the closing ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the mayor of the host city passes the flags to the mayor of the city that will next host the games.

The ceremony of passing the flag from one Olympic hosing city to the next is called the "Antwerp Ceremony" because that is where the tradition began. There are three Olympic flags that differ from all other copies of the Olympic flag. They have a five-colored fringe around them, and they are tied with five colored ribbons to a flagstaff.

The same flag was used beginning at the 1920 Olympic Games until the 1984 Olympic Games. The flag was called the Antwerp Flag because that is where the tradition began. The Antwerp Flag was retired in 1984 and is on display at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland.

In 1988 the Seoul Flag was presented to the IOC at the Olympic Games that were held in Seoul, South Korea, and is the flag that is used today.

The Olympic Oath and Its History

There hasn't always been an Olympic Oath. The first time the Olympic Oath was used was at the Summer Olympic Games held in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium. David O'Connor is usually given credit for conceiving the idea of an oath, but the Olympic Oath was actually written by Ethelbert Talbot.

The Olympic Oath is taken by an athlete from the host country while he/she holds a corner of the Olympic Flag. Victor Boin, the first athlete to take the Olympic Oath, was a Belgian freestyle swimmer, water polo player, and épée fencer. He competed in the 1908, 1912, and 1920 Summer Olympics.

The oath that Victor Boin read in 1920 was:

"We swear. We will take part in the Olympic Games in a spirit of chivalry, for the honor of our country and for the glory of sport."

The Olympic Oath has gone through a few changes over the years. The oath that will be read at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China, will read:

"In the name of all the competitors I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them, committing ourselves to a sport without doping and without drugs, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams."

The part about doping and drugs was not added until the 2000 Summer Olympics. The word "swear" was replaced with "promise," and the word "country" was replaced by "team" early on.

Today an Olympic judge from the host country also holds a corner of the Olympic flag and reads the following oath:

"In the name of all the judges and officials, I promise that we shall officiate in these Olympic Games with complete impartiality, respecting and abiding by the rules which govern them in the true spirit of sportsmanship."

The Olympic judges weren't required to take an oath until the 1972 Winter Olympics in Sapporo, Japan.

Olympics Closing Ceremonies and International Olympic Committee (IOC)

The Olympic Games are steeped in tradition, and that is as it should be. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is in charge of all aspects of the Olympic Games no matter what country is the host nation. The IOC is charged with keeping the Olympic Games fair, above reproach, and nonpolitical in nature. The host nation can plan events, but those events must be approved by the IOC. The host nation can include additional segments to the opening and closing ceremonies provided the plans are approved by the IOC.

The opening ceremony is marked by a parade of athletes separated by the countries which they represent. The Olympic flag is raised, and the Olympic fire is lit. The games are played. The contests are held. Winners are declared and medals are awarded, all according to the rules as specified by the IOC.

When the last Olympic event has been completed (usually the men's marathon), the closing ceremony commences. The president of the IOC gives a speech in which he calls for the athletes of the world to prepare and gather together again in four years to compete in the next Olympic Games.

There is a trumpet fanfare, and the Olympic fire is extinguished. The Olympic anthem is played and the Olympic flag is slowly lowered. The athletes then enter the stadium again but this time as a group without the designations of country or flag. They circle the track and exit the stadium. When the last athlete exits the stadium, the Olympic Games are over.

An interesting note: It was customary until 1956 for the athletes to circle the stadium in groups divided by the nations they represented until 1956. A Chinese teenager who lived in Australia at the time suggested that the athletes be allowed to mingle without country designation during the final parade. That idea was accepted by the IOC and today there is no national division as the participating athletes circle the stadium for the final time.

Olympics Opening Ceremonies and International Olympic Committee (IOC)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the only authority that governs the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games no matter what country they are held in. Every aspect of the opening ceremonies must be approved by the IOC.

As a matter of fact, the IOC has complete control of all activities associated with the Olympic Games from the first moment until the last. There are those who believe that the host nation is in charge, but it is not.

The protocol of the opening ceremonies begins with the high-placed government official of the host nation going to his appointment place on the tribune and then the competitor's parade starts. The first group of athletes is always those who represent Greece, where the ancient Olympics originated. The last group of athletes is those who represent the host nation. The athletes of the other nations are placed in alphabetical order based on the language of the organizing country.

Each group of athletes is dressed in their official Olympic uniform and is preceded by a shield bearing the name of the country and by an athlete carrying the country's national flag.

The president of the Olympic Committee of the Host Nation makes a welcoming speech. His speech is followed by a speech by the president of the IOC. The IOC president asks the chief of state to proclaim the Games open.

There is a trumpet fanfare as the Olympic flag is raised. A runner enters the stadium carrying the Olympic flame on its last leg of its trip around the world, which began in Olympia, Greece. The athlete circles the track once, and then climbs the steps and lights the Olympic fire. The fire burns throughout the games both day and night.

Olympics Opening Ceremonies and International Olympic Committee (IOC)

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the only authority that governs the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games no matter what country they are held in. Every aspect of the opening ceremonies must be approved by the IOC.

As a matter of fact, the IOC has complete control of all activities associated with the Olympic Games from the first moment until the last. There are those who believe that the host nation is in charge, but it is not.

The protocol of the opening ceremonies begins with the high-placed government official of the host nation going to his appointment place on the tribune and then the competitor's parade starts. The first group of athletes is always those who represent Greece, where the ancient Olympics originated. The last group of athletes is those who represent the host nation. The athletes of the other nations are placed in alphabetical order based on the language of the organizing country.

Each group of athletes is dressed in their official Olympic uniform and is preceded by a shield bearing the name of the country and by an athlete carrying the country's national flag.

The president of the Olympic Committee of the Host Nation makes a welcoming speech. His speech is followed by a speech by the president of the IOC. The IOC president asks the chief of state to proclaim the Games open.

There is a trumpet fanfare as the Olympic flag is raised. A runner enters the stadium carrying the Olympic flame on its last leg of its trip around the world, which began in Olympia, Greece. The athlete circles the track once, and then climbs the steps and lights the Olympic fire. The fire burns throughout the games both day and night.

Olympic Medal Presentation Rules in Summer Olympics

The Summer Olympics includes 28 sports with 38 disciplines, and medals are awarded for all of them. Of course, the list of Olympic sports is not written in stone. Sports have been added and there have been occasions when sports were eliminated. Either adding or subtracting Olympic sports always is marked by strong opinions of both sides.

The medal presentation ceremony is governed as is every aspect of the Olympic Games by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The athletes are made aware of the rules regarding their behavior during medal presentation ceremonies and any deviation from those rules is sufficient reason for an athlete being sent home and not allowed to ever again compete in the Olympic Games.

An infraction of the rules at the medal ceremony has only happened once. During the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City two black track-and-field athletes from the United States, Tommie Smith and John Carlos performed the "Black Power" salute. They were sent home.

After an Olympic event, when the medal winners have been decided, a medal ceremony is held. Each ceremony is exactly identical to every other medal ceremony. The event champion (gold medal) stands in the center and on the highest elevated platform. The second-place finisher (silver medal) stands to the left (facing the flags) on a slightly lower platform, and the third-place finisher (bronze medal) stands on the right, also on a slightly lower platform.

The medals are then presented to the winners.

The flags of the winning athletes are raised, with the event champion's flag in the center and slightly higher than the other two flags. The national anthem of the event champion is played, and the ceremony is complete.