The great Olympic Games

From Athens 1896 to Paris 2024: the Games that marked history, their political context and their feats.

The outline, topic by topic

Each topic is weighted the way the exam weighs it.

Athens 1896: what is it?
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The first modern Olympic Games, 241 athletes, all men.
The Greek Spyridon Louis won the first marathon there.
On the 200 m podium, two athletes raise black-gloved fists. Where are we?
- Mexico City, 1968
- Berlin, 1936
- Munich, 1972
- Los Angeles, 1984
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Mexico City, 1968
Tommie Smith and John Carlos protested against the racism and discrimination Black people faced in the United States.
Paris 1924: what is it?
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Games that introduced the Olympic village and the official motto; the same year Chamonix hosted the first Winter Games.
They were Coubertin's last Games as president.
Why did the Los Angeles 1984 Games change Olympism?
- They were the first Games broadcast live on television
- They opened every sport to professional athletes
- They were funded entirely by the federal government
- Their profitable private funding drew sponsors and bidding cities
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Their profitable private funding drew sponsors and bidding cities
After Montreal 1976's financial sinkhole, Los Angeles was the only bidding city for 1984; its profit revived the bids.