Ray's Research Page
The Early History of the Olympics
Synopsis: The Olympics are held
every four years and unite many nations around the World into interactive
competition. Many times, this competition goes on despite political strife
that would normally keep enemies apart. The Olympic spirit overrides most
controversy. In this research assignment, I hope to find information about
the origins of the Olympic Games, as to when, why, and how the games started.
The Olympics is a topic that every human in the World should be interested,
and with the help of the World Wide Web, my research should be supplemented
by interactive feedback and input that is very time efficient.
World Wide Web Sources:
"International Olympic Committee," Home page.
<http://www.olympic.org/>
[Accessed 10 June 1998]
This site is the web site for the International Olympic Committee. The set offers information about the Olympic movement and information about past games. It covers the Winter Olympics back to the first games of 1924. The site also offers information about future plans of the IOC.
"United States Olympic Committee," Home page.
<http://usoc.org/>
[Accessed 10 June 1998].
This is the site for the United States Olympic Committee. This site provides interactive information about current Olympic issues. It provides daily news updates and "Athlete of the Month" voting. The site offers an online store to help make revenue for the Olympic cause.
"Greek Olympics," Home page.
<http://greece.org/>
[Accessed 10 June 1998]
This is the web site for Greece, with a link to a Greek Olympic site. This site is important to my research because Greece was the home of the first Olympic Games of 1896 and will sponsor the games again in 2004 for the XXVIII Olympiad. The site is still under construction, but you can still see a preview of the page to come.
"Michael Simos' Essay," Home page.
<http://www.greece.org/olympics/why.html>
Accessed 10 June 1998]
This site offers a great supplement to my research topic. It is an essay by Michael Simos, "What is the History and Meaning of the Olympic Games?" This web address can be linked from the Greek Olympic page.
"Olympic History," Home page.
<http://vislab-www.nps.navy.mil/~fapapoul/history/olympic.htm>
[Accessed 10 June 1998]
This site gives a brief history of the ancient Greek Games. It tells
of the first four festivals and the events which took place. It goes into
detail as to the awards offered and many more interesting facts. The site
also includes some great pictures and artwork from Olympia.
Other Reference Sources:
Schaap, Dick. Illustrated History the Olympics, 3d ed. New York: Knopf, 1975.
This book gives a comprehensive account of many sports competitions. It includes information relating political, economic, and social aspects of the games.
Lapchick, Richard E. The Politics of Race and International Sport, Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1975.
This book analyzes the South African controversy in detail. The Olympic Games have experienced many interruptions throughout its history. This book is another example of how racism and other factors greatly influence the games on an international level.
Miller, Geoffrey. Behind the Olympic Rings, Lynn, Mass.: H.O. Zimman, 1979.P
This book surveys the years of the International Olympic Committee Presidency. The first IOC president was in 1896 and since then, the IOC President has had strong influence on the Olympics as well as the relationships between many nations.
Simri, Uriel. Women at the Olympic Games, 2d ed. Netanya: Wingate Institute, 1979.
This book looks at women's Olympic participation. Women have not always been allowed to participate in the games, but since they have been participation, they have proved their ability and right to be in the games. Women are still ceasing to amaze Olympic spectators.
Espy, Richard. The Politics of the Olympic Games. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1979.
This book is said to be one of the most reliable sources of information.
The book covers the international politics that have surrounded the games
in the postwar era. Its focus is on the years from 1948 to 1976.
General comments:
| Contact me at agallimo@email.unc.edu. | This page was updated on 06/14/98. |