By Matteo Morelli | Photo by Gina Capellazzi

Every year, June 23rd is celebrated as Olympic Day, marking the founding of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Although the 2026 Winter Olympics are still vivid in our memories, the Olympic Games have a very long history that starts about 2,800 years ago: let’s embark on a journey from the early days of the Olympic Games to what they are today, including coverage of the more recent history of the Winter Games. 

Ancient Olympic Games

Born in Greece as a religious festival to honour the Greek god Zeus, from the outset the Olympic Games represented a symbol of unity for all Greeks and demanded an effort to ensure peace and pause any conflict (the “Sacred Truce”, today referred to as the “Olympic Truce”). Athletes competing at the Games discovered a spirit of fraternity and unity that they were bringing back to their own countries, a spirit that seems to have been consistent throughout the entire history of the Games and is still visible now. 

It is believed that the first Olympics took place in Olympia, the sacred location believed to be Zeus’ sanctuary, around 776 BC. This date is mostly accepted as the first time the Olympics were ever held, however there is also a second date, 1560 BC, which can be found on a votive bronze disc in the archaeological museum of Olympia: according to the numbering system at that time, the disc mentions Olympic Games number 255 on one side, and 456 on the other side, thus suggesting an earlier start date. 

A sentence in Homer’s “Iliad” states what was expected from the participants: “To always be the best and superior to others”. However, it is suggested to interpret this to mean excelling for oneself, to demonstrate high ethical, intellectual or physical values, with the competition perceived more as a chance to test oneself. The Olympic spirit is about taking part, participating and enjoying the Games. 

The Games were announced by official envoys called Theoroi, who would go to each polis (city) to share the dates of the next Games. Organised every four years, they were to take place in August, likely to coincide with the full moon. 

Athletes, coaches and family would go to Olympia a month before competitions, possibly to pray to the Gods and later to start practices. Coaches were usually ex-athletes that were remunerated for coaching. They would cover multiple functions, including advising on diet and providing physio support. Interestingly, there was no gymnasium in Olympia for athletes to practice in, and they had to wait until 300 BC for that to change. 

The initial duration of the Olympics was seven days, with the first and last days dedicated to religious rituals and sacrifices, resulting in five days of competitions. When a final was completed, winners would first be announced, and officials would verify compliance with rules and loyalty of practices, with any identified infringement leading to automatic disqualification. Winners would then be officially proclaimed and given the sacred olive branch crowns and celebrated in the evenings, with family, friends and admirers enjoying choral songs.

Champions were often celebrated with sculptures: in fact, every Olympian had a right to have a statue in their honour with inscriptions on it; however, it was only after three victories that the face could be added. At some point, Olympia was believed to have hundreds of statues of athletes. It should be noted that sculptures were paid for by either the winners, their friends or their municipalities, therefore not everyone could afford them. 

Interestingly, the arts were an integral part of the Olympic Festivals: for example, competitions included the writing of poems, and sculptures were later added. 

A curiosity: a lot of scientists and doctors attended competitions because it was a great chance to undertake clinical observations, showing the extent to which the Olympics impacted our society and history. 

Around 393 AD, the Games were abolished by the Roman emperor Theodosius, as part of an effort to eliminate pagan festivals and promote Christianity across the Roman Empire.

Modern Olympic Games

It was only in the 1890s that Europe started to rediscover ancient Greece. It was Baron Pierre de Coubertin who took up the challenge of resurrecting the competitions while bringing back the values from the Olympic times that were still considered essential to human development. 

In June 1894, after a week-long congress at Sorbonne University in Paris, the debate concluded with a decision to revive the Olympic Games. The congress also led to the creation of the International Olympic Committee, the institution that is still the supreme governing body of the Games. 

It was decided that the new Olympics would be held in 1896 in Athens, with 14 countries taking part and sports including athletics, gymnastics, fencing, shooting, swimming, cycling and tennis. 

The big innovation was the introduction of the Marathon, invented by De Coubertin himself to pay homage to Greek heroism. The distance was set to 42.195 kilometres, which is the same distance between the city of Marathon and Athens. 

De Coubertin also reinstated the Olympic ideals that were at the core of the ancient Olympic Games. He quoted the Olympic Creed in this way: “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”. 

We have to wait until the 1908 Olympics in London, Great Britain, to see the first official parade of countries with their national flags. 

In 1913, once again De Coubertin provided something that became an integral part of Olympic history: he came up with the design of the Olympic Logo, with the five rings representing the union of the five continents. This interpretation was later removed, but the logo remained, and it is still one of the most iconic symbols known today.

It was at the 1928 Games in Amsterdam that the Olympic Flame was reignited, as a message of peace, and it was in 1936 that the first torch relay was introduced. The modern duration of 15 days was implemented at the same Games. 

Four years later, in 1932 the IOC decided that each country could only have 3 individual athletes per sport, or 1 team. Olympic Medals award and podium ceremonies were also established at the 1932 Winter Olympics.

It is fair to mention that the Olympics weren’t always perfect, with some editions marred by episodes of racism, doping and unlawful practices. Although not entirely clear from this, the modern Olympics are trying as much as possible to be true to their values, with any infringement being brought to everyone’s attention and condemned. 

Winter Olympics History

The Olympics started to include some of the winter sports, with Figure Skating first appearing at the 1908 Summer Olympics in London and then in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp. 

It became clear that winter sports needed specific focus, and therefore in 1924 we had the first Winter Olympic Games, which took place in Chamonix, with 17 participant countries. 

At the outset, the Winter Games were due to take place the same year as the Summer Olympic Games, and their location was linked to that of the next Summer Olympics. This schedule was not regularly followed, and it was only in 1992 to change so that the Winter Olympics would be in between Summer Olympics, with the first of the new cycle being the Lillehammer Winter Olympics in Norway, in 1994. 

Ice dance celebrated its 50 years at the Winter Olympics this year. Do not miss our article which focuses specifically on it. 

Full list of Winter Olympics Games
Same year of the Summer Olympics
1924 – Chamonix, France
1928 – Saint Moritz, Switzerland
1932 – Lake Placid, USA
1936 – Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
1940 – Sapporo, Japan (cancelled)
1944 – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy (cancelled)
1948 – Saint Moritz, Switzerland
1952 – Oslo, Norway
1956 – Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy
1960 – Squaw Valley, USA
1964 – Innsbruck, Austria
1968 – Grenoble, France
1972 – Sapporo, Japan
1976 – Innsbruck, Austria
1980 – Lake Placid, USA
1984 – Sarajevo, Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina)
1988 – Calgary, Canada
1992 – Albertville, France

Two years before the Summer Games
1994 – Lillehammer, Norway
1998 – Nagano, Japan
2002 – Salt Lake City, USA
2006 – Torino, Italy
2010 – Vancouver, Canada
2014 – Sochi, Russia
2018 – Pyeongchang, South Korea
2022 – Beijing, China
2026 – Milano-Cortina, Italy