THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Every four years athletes from all over the world take part in the Olympic Games . Both the Summer and Winter Olympic Games are held every four years . The Winter Olympic Games are usually held two years before the Summer Olympic Games.

The ancient Olympic Games began around the year 776 BC in Greece . Many of the sports were the same as they are now . Some of the games in which the young men competed were : running , jumping and wrestling . Women were not allowed to take part in the games . After about the year 393 AD the Olympic Games stopped. For centuries there were no Olympic Games . But they were not forgotten.

The first Olympic Games in modern times happened in 1896 . They were held in Greece---- the country in which the Games were born . In the Games there were 311 competitors from just 13 countries . After that more and more countries joined in the Games. In 2000 , over 10,000 athletes from 227 countries went to Sydney , Australia , for the 27th Olympic Games ! There are 300 different events in the Games . Horse-riding , hammer throw and shooting are some of the more unusual events.

The Olympic motto is "Faster , Higher , Stronger " . It means that every athlete should try to run faster , jump higher and throw further . They do their best to win medals. In the 1984 Olympic Games , Carl Lewis from the USA won four gold medals in track and field and became one of the best sportsmen in the 20th century . In Sydney the Chinese team got 28 gold medals , ranking third of all the competing countries . Many of the Chinese medals were won in diving and gymnastics and also in events such as weightlifting and shooting.

Following the history-making success in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games , China won another great competition in 2001 which was not for a medal . It was the competition between countries to host the Olympic Games . In 2008 , the 29th Olympic Games will be held in Beijing . To make it the best ever Games , the capital city will make several big changes . New buildings and sports venues will be built . More trees will be planted and new roads will be built . The people of Beijing , and of the whole country , will be preparing to light the Olympic torch to welcome athletes and sports fans from all over the world.