Swimming at the Summer Olympics

The days of the Olympic Games being an event focused on sport, if they ever existed, are long gone. We now see a heavy emphasis on money and politics in the Games, which is demonstrated by the concept of the Olympic legacy. According to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), “The Olympic Games have the power to deliver lasting benefits which can considerably change a community, its image and its infrastructure” (International Olympic Committee [IOC], 2013). These apparent benefits are what…

The 2002 Winter Olympic Games should have been highlighted by the great accomplishments of athletes such as the Canadian men’ ice hockey team or Apolo Ohno. Instead, these Olympic games are mainly remembered for the number of scandals that surrounded the international event. First, it was found that the President and Vice President of Salt Lake Bid Committee were both caught offering bribes to various members of the IOC. Second, during the pairs’ figure skating competition, dual gold medals were…

Joining the Olympics is not just about competing and winning at every sport but also being its host gives a lot of pride and glory to the host country at a substantial cost. The Olympic games are supposed to bring people together from all over the world. Thus, being the chosen host country has been a prestigious honor for these countries. It is believed by these countries that when they are chosen, it is a time for them to rebrand themselves to the world without having to see the financial and…

since he was 14 years of age. He then went to the 2004 Olympics but lost because of injuries. The 2004 Olympics motivated him to train his hardest and earn 3 gold medals in the Beijing 2008 Olympics. During the 2008 Olympics he did not eat any thing much apart from chicken nuggets because he did not like the Chinese food in Beijing. Eating 100 chicken nuggets a day and still winning the Olympics is pretty impressive. He then won the 2012 Olympics and became a legend. He is sponsored by puma…

James Thorpe goes by the name Jim Thorpe. He went to the Olympics in the summer of 1912. The Olympics were held in Stockholm’s Sweden. The pentathlon and the decathlon were added to the Olympics for the first time. Since the Olympics were held in Sweden the events were a little different. He was an one man team for almost all the track meets he went to. Here are some of his records: he could run the 100 yard dash in 10 seconds, the 220 in 21.8 seconds, the 440 in 51.8 seconds, the 880 in…

There is one question millions of people need to know, should we or should we not keep the Olympics? This is an important question because the Olympics can sometimes keep countries from fighting, but can also start fights between countries. The Olympics also show disturbing images of people falling or crashing and also of sports teams fighting. Even though the Olympics can cause many issues the Olympics are better for the world than not. They promote international peace, bring people together,…

myself, I cannot help but admire the fact he left Nazi Germany with four Olympic gold medals. Many people only hear of Jesse Owens’s athletic accomplishments; few people hear of the obstacles he faced during and after his Olympic career. If I had the chance to speak with Mr. Owens, I would ask him about how he decided to go to Germany despite the danger and how he was treated when he returned to America. The 1936 Olympics were held in Germany during the reign of Adolf Hitler and his belief of…

For centuries now the Olympics has been a prime centerpiece for countries to not only show off their citizens’ various athletic talents but also a look into their nation’s culture. Every two years, switching off between winter and summer sports, athletes compete against the very best competition to be crowned who is best. Over time the Olympics have changed drastically from what is was in 1896 to just two months ago. Not only have more sports been added, but even more importantly how different…

thirteen but by the time he hit the age of sixteen he became a triathlete. In 1989 and 1990 Lance was the national sprint-course triathlon champion. During his senior year of high school Lance was invited to Colorado Springs to train with the U.S Olympic development team…

Ritch Telford, the author of the book Paintballer, emphasizes the importance of calling for a paint check. Telford says, “Asking for a paintcheck is asking for a referee to check if a particular player has been hit (e.g. has paint on him/her)… once the player was identified, the ref would go to him/her and declare him/her neutral.” (13). This is important because it keeps all the players honest, if there was not someone enforcing the rule that once you are shot, and the paintball breaks, then…