What is the Olympic oath?
The Olympic oath is taken by an athlete from the host nation while holding a corner of the Olympic flag. While taking the oath, the athlete represents all participants. The athletes' oath was first taken by Belgian fencer, Victor Boin, at the 1920 Antwerp Games. It was written by Baron de Coubertin.
"In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honour of our teams."

A judge (again from the host country) also speaks the oath, with slightly different wordings:

"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph, but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered, but to have fought well."

Q: Which Olympics are considered unofficial and why?

A: The 1906 Games in Athens are considered unofficial by the IOC because they did not take place in the four-year cycle established in 1896. However, most record books include these interim games with the others.

Q: Which Olympics were cancelled because the host country resigned and the country which was to fill in was attacked?

A: The 1940 Summer Games. The games were scheduled for Tokyo, but Japan backed out after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Helsinki was the next choice, but then the USSR invaded Finland and the IOC had to cancel the Games.

Q: In which year, after the Second World War, were Germany and Japan allowed to take part in the Olympics?

A: In 1936. Interestingly though, Germany had been divided into East and West Germany. After the War, the Germans continued to send a joint East-West team until 1964.

Q. In which year did the USSR first participate in the Olympics?

A: 1952. The Soviet Union had been thrown out of the Olympics after the Russian revolution in 1917. The year it returned to the games, the country took home the second most medals, 71 in all!

The first Olympic games were held in ancient Greece at the Sanctuary of Zeus at Olympia, as part of religious festivals honouring Zeus. The sanctuary was named after Mt. Olympus, the highest mountain in mainland Greece. In Greek mythology, Mt. Olympus was the home of the greatest of the Greek gods and goddesses.
Next