by Christie Quimby

Created on: July 03, 2010

The Olympic games may be the only time and place in history where irreconcilable differences in beliefs, religions and politics are set aside to honor the tradition, myth and legend of the greatest games on earth being played by the greatest athletes in the world. Now, as then, these athletes with God-like strength, speed and stamina represent not just themselves but an entire country.

Being one of a handful of competitors chosen to represent all citizens of a country, based on physical ability, is an immense responsibility and millions of people bearing witness to the events expect nothing less than superior ethical behavior. This expectation is closely monitored and enforced by the Ethics Commission, created in 1999, who lay claim that they are the “guardian of the ethical principles of the Olympic Movement”. The Commission meets twice a year and investigates questionable actions of anyone involved in the games.

Marion Jones is one such disgraced athlete stripped of medals she received during the Olympic games of 2004 and 2007 after being caught using performance enhancing drugs. Newspapers and magazines plastered her name and face on their covers and Olympic followers worldwide talked about her disgraceful actions and poor sportsmanship. On the opposite end of the spectrum, an athlete like swimmer Mark Spitz who enters and wins all seven of his events is a role model to children, a hero to his country, and an inspiration to aspiring young Olympians like Michael Phelps who has dominated swimming events in recent years. Ironically, Phelps’ tarnished his own good name by smoking marijuana that, if anything, would inhibit his physical abilities but has still nearly overshadowed his Herculean accomplishments at the games.

The relay of a burning torch was not believed to have been part of the ancient Olympics and yet has become one of the most anticipated events of modern games. The torch is lit several months preceding the actual games by the sun, as dictated by ritual, and without being extinguished, each successive torch must light the next as the flame is carried from Greece to the chosen site of the games. While runners typically carry the Olympic flame, there have been times in the past when it has been carried along by dragon boat, airplane, horse, and camel and even underwater! The year 2004 saw a 78-day, global relay that included over 11,000 torchbearers and appropriately ended at the 2004 Summer Olympics, held in Athens.

The Olympic symbols may be some of the most recognized symbols in the world. Five interlocking rings, represent the five continents of the world while the blue, yellow, black, green and red symbolize the peaceful assembly of the chosen contenders from every Nation. Winter sports consist of skating, skiing, curling, luge, ice hockey, bobsled and biathlon while the summer games include more than 20 separate sports including diving, gymnastics, basketball and of course the traditional track and field events that were just as popular at the original Olympic events in Greece, as they are today.

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