Bobbe's trip to Athens, part 2: the Olympic Stadium

Here is Bobbe's second post about her visit to Athens, Greece:

In Athens, I had the exciting opportunity to visit the stadium where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896.

Hopefully, you have read Benny's post about how he went to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London to watch a basketball game beween France and Russia. One of the interesting things that Benny noticed while watching the Opening Ceremony of the Olympics on television this summer was that the Greek team got to march into the stadium first, ahead of the teams from all of the other countries. The reason for this special status is that the Olympics started in Greece -- and the Greek people take the Olympics very, very seriously.

The first Olympic Games happened in the year 776 BC, which was nearly 2,800 years ago. Those games took place in the Greek town of Olympia, which is how they got the name "Olympics." Every four years, people from all over Greece would come together peacefully in Olympia and compete. Those games were held to glorify Zeus, the chief Greek god. These games were held every four years, with just a few exceptions for over a thousand years!

In the ancient Olympics, people competed in many fewer sports than you would see at the Olympics today. One of the most important events was a foot race called the "stadion," which was a race of about 190 meters. The modern word "stadium" is derived from this race because it was held in a stadium. The ancient Greeks also competed in the discus, in wrestling, and in chariot racing. Another exciting event was a foot race in which all of the contestants would have to run while wearing armor. Can you imagine watching track and field athletes today compete in armor?

In the 1890s, a Frenchman named Pierre de Coubertin had the idea to revive the ancient Olympics. He worked hard and eventually put together the first modern Olympics, which were held in Athens in 1896. When I was in Athens, I visited the stadium where the track athletes competed during those Olympics.

I pose outside the stadium where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896.

--Bobbe