The Tokyo Olympics

 

The Summer Olympics originally scheduled for 2020, opened a year later on July 23, 2021 with dance performances highlighting the struggle to overcome the pandemic that infected close to 200 million people and has been the cause of death in more than 4 million people worldwide.

Japan is a country in East Asia of 126 million that inhabit multiple islands.  According to legend Emperor Jimmu, the grandson of Amaterasu goddess of the rising sun, formed the kingdom of Japan in 660 BC, forming a continuous imperial line. In 1868, Japan opened trade with the West.  In the Meiji period, the Empire of Japan adopted a Western modeled constitution and pursued industrialization and modernization.  Today, Japan is a member of both the G7 and G20 groups of nations.

As of today August 1st, the IOC said there have been 259 Covid-19 cases two of which were treated in a hospital.  Twenty athletes have tested positive.  Japan has dealt well with the pandemic reporting 937,203 cases and 15,209 deaths that correspond to 121 deaths per million.

The tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron with the flame that was brought to Tokyo from Olympia, Greece.

The flame is lit according to the ancient method using the sun's rays.  The flame is given to the first runner by the high priestess of Hera, the wife of God Zeus, the preeminent God on Mount Olympus.

The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens' Stadium in 1896.  Although the Tokyo Olympics will be celebrating the 125th year since their rebirth, the ancient Games began in Olympia over 2700 years ago.  They were held every four years between 776 BC and 392 AD. 

The Olympic Games were attended by approximately 50,000 people from all over the Greek world and were celebrated as a religious festival for Zeus, the supreme God of the Greek pantheon.  The main event at the games was the sacrifice of 100 oxen to God Zeus. 

Unlike in today's games, the ancient athletes wouldn't have medals but instead, they were given a wreath of leaves and they were welcomed back to their home towns as heroes.

Discus, javelin throwing as well as running were popular events.  The toughest running race was called the Hoplitodromos and athletes run wearing armor and carrying a shield.

Wrestling and boxing were popular.  One of the toughest events was called Pankration - the only rules were that those wrestling could not bite or poke their rival in the eye.

Sumo which originated in Japan is its national sport.  Sumo will not be one of the 2021 games. A two-day tournament will take place between the completion of the games and the beginning of the Paralympic games. 

On August 1st Qatar's Mutaz Barshim and Italy's Gianmarco Tamberi after the bar was set to 2.39m and each missed three times decided to share the gold in men's high jump.  The friendship and humanity the two athletes showed exemplified the spirit of the Olympics.  

           This was the best moment of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics!

People would travel from faraway places to compete in the ancient and modern games.  Two young athletes, Mark and Chloe - my children - traveled 5,000 miles to visit Olympia.  On July 23, 2007, they run the length of the stadium on a very hot day.  Hip hip hooray!

                                             Long live the Olympic Games

Olympia and the Ancient Olympic Games

A traveller will encounter the site of the Ancient Olympic games when in western Peloponnese.  The sanctuary, one of the most important in the ancient world was dedicated to the most important God of the Olympic Pantheon, Zeus. The columns in the picture are from Phillipeion an Ionic circular that contained statues of Phillip, his son Alexander the Great and other members of the royal family. 

The most important Temple in Olympia was dedicated to the supreme God of the sky Zeus.  The temple was an example of fully developed Doric order classical Greek temple.  It housed the statue of Zeus sculpted by Phidias was the most famous artistic work in Greece.

Zeus sculpture was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

The sculpture, Hermes of Praxiteles, was found where Pausanias had seen it in the late 2nd century AD.  Hermes the messenger of the Gods is carrying the child Dionysus to the nymphs is the creation of the famous sculptor Praxiteles. The statue is today exhibited at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. 

The Olympic flame commemorated Prometheus’ gift to humans and was kept lit throughout the Olympic games. In modern times a torch is lit in Ancient Olympia several months in advance of the opening ceremony.  It is transported with a relay from Greece to the designated stadium in the host country.  Eleven women, representing the Vestal Virgins perform the torch ceremony at the Temple of Hera in sanctuary of Olympia. 

Running events like the 200 and 400 meters were among the most popular in the Ancient Games as they are today.  Two young runners recreate the 400-meter event a two times run the length of the stadium.

Other events were boxing and the Pankration a sport based on boxing and wrestling with hardly any rules.  Biting and gouging ot the opponent eyes were not permitted. The term comes from the Greek word –παγκράτιον - that means "all might”.  

Other popular sports were long jump, shot put, javelin, pentathlon and equestrian events.