The Olympic Games are named for athletic contests held in ancient Greece for almost 12 centuries. . The purpose of the Olympic Games is to foster the ideal to promote friendship among nations. The Greek calendar was based on the Olympiad, the four-year period between games. The games were staged in the wooded valley of Olympia in Elis.

This five-event competition consisted of running, wrestling, leaping, throwing the discus, and hurling the javelin. In time boxing, a chariot race, and other events were included. Summer sports include archery, basketball, boxing, canoeing, cycling, equestrian events, fencing, field hockey, gymnastics, handball, judo, rowing, shooting, soccer, swimming, tennis, track and field, volleyball, water polo, weight lifting, wrestling, and yachting. Only the men could be in the games. You also had to be on of the best at your sport too. Today at the Olympics the winners still get something when they win there game. Also they still light a torch at the beginning and it burns until the end of the games when it is put out. The last thing is when a athlete wins the fans of the athlete still sing songs and cheer for their athlete just like they did in Roman and Greek times.