I love the Olympics. I love watching competitors who have spent their whole lives training for sports that I've never seen or heard of before. Even if it's not important to the rest of the world, it's important to someone. What's not to like. Here's a history on some of the various sports, some of which are surprisingly recent:
The Winter Olympics - The first international multi-sport event specifically for winter sports were the Nordic Games, held in 1901 in Sweden, and were then held every four years thereafter. The organizer, General Viktor Gustaf Balck of Norway, was a charter member of the International Olympic Committee and tried to have these games included in the Olympics. Figure skating was included in the 1908 summer games in London and a week of winter sports were held at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. The games were suspended in 1916 due to the outbreak of World War I. An "International Winter Sports Week" was to be held at the 1924 Olympics in France, which soon was retroactively designated as the first Winter Olympics, featuring 16 events.
Biathlon - The biathlon tests the balance of rifle marksmanship with physical exertion. It started out as an exercise for Norwegian soldiers in the 1800s, as an alternative training. The first club was formed in Norway in 1861, to promote national defense at the local level. The biathlon, then called "military patrol," was held at the games in 1924, but did not become an Olympic sport until 1960. Women were first permitted to compete in the Olympic biathlon in the 1992 games in Alberta.
Luge - Like the skeleton and the bobsled, luge originated at a hotel in the health-spa town of St Moritz, Switzerland, in the mid-to-late 1800s. The first recorded use of the term "luge" is from 1905, coming from either the French word meaning "small coasting sled" or a Gaulish word with the same root as English sled.English guests began adapting delivery boys' sleds for recreation, which led to them learning how to steer. Ultimately, a "half-pipe" was built in 1870 to avoid pedestrian collisions, at track which is still in use today. The first organized meeting of the sport took place in 1883 in Switzerland. The luge became part of the Olympics in 1964.
Ski jumping - Ski jumping originates from Norway, where Olaf Rye, a Norwegian lieutenant, jumped 8.5 meters in 1809. The first proper competition was held in 1862. Ski jumping has been part of the Olympics since 1924, though the Large Hill competition was not included until the 1964 games in Innsbruck. The IOC rejected a proposal to allow female ski jumping in 2009. A Canadian judge ruled that while the IOC's policy was discriminatory, Canada did not have jurisdiction over the IOC.
Speed skating - Speed skating dates back over a millennium to Scandinavia, Northern Europe and the Netherlands, where the natives added bones to their shoes and used them to travel on frozen rivers, canals and lakes. Skating for recreation did not develop until the 1500s. In 1592, a Scotsman a skate with a iron blade. The first official skating club opened in 1642 and the first race took place in 1763. The sport became popular in North America in the mid 1800s, where the all-steel blade was developed, which was both lighter and sharper. Speed skating was supposed to be held at the 1916 Olympics, until it was put off because of WWI. It was part of the 1924 Olympics. Short track originated in North America and was officially sanctioned in the 1970s, becoming an Olympic sport in 1992.
Figure skating - "A Treatise on Skating" (1772) by Englishman Robert Jones, is the first known account of figure skating. In the mid-1860s, an American named Jackson Haines introduced a new style of skating, which incorporated free and expressive techniques. Haines is now considered the "father of modern figure skating," though his style was not adopted in the United States until long after his death. The International Skating Union was founded in 1892 and the first World Championship was held in 1896. Women competed for the first time in 1902. Pairs skating was introduced at the 1908 World Championships. Figure skating debuted at the Olympics in 1908.
The Winter Olympics - The first international multi-sport event specifically for winter sports were the Nordic Games, held in 1901 in Sweden, and were then held every four years thereafter. The organizer, General Viktor Gustaf Balck of Norway, was a charter member of the International Olympic Committee and tried to have these games included in the Olympics. Figure skating was included in the 1908 summer games in London and a week of winter sports were held at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. The games were suspended in 1916 due to the outbreak of World War I. An "International Winter Sports Week" was to be held at the 1924 Olympics in France, which soon was retroactively designated as the first Winter Olympics, featuring 16 events.
Biathlon - The biathlon tests the balance of rifle marksmanship with physical exertion. It started out as an exercise for Norwegian soldiers in the 1800s, as an alternative training. The first club was formed in Norway in 1861, to promote national defense at the local level. The biathlon, then called "military patrol," was held at the games in 1924, but did not become an Olympic sport until 1960. Women were first permitted to compete in the Olympic biathlon in the 1992 games in Alberta.
Luge - Like the skeleton and the bobsled, luge originated at a hotel in the health-spa town of St Moritz, Switzerland, in the mid-to-late 1800s. The first recorded use of the term "luge" is from 1905, coming from either the French word meaning "small coasting sled" or a Gaulish word with the same root as English sled.English guests began adapting delivery boys' sleds for recreation, which led to them learning how to steer. Ultimately, a "half-pipe" was built in 1870 to avoid pedestrian collisions, at track which is still in use today. The first organized meeting of the sport took place in 1883 in Switzerland. The luge became part of the Olympics in 1964.
Ski jumping - Ski jumping originates from Norway, where Olaf Rye, a Norwegian lieutenant, jumped 8.5 meters in 1809. The first proper competition was held in 1862. Ski jumping has been part of the Olympics since 1924, though the Large Hill competition was not included until the 1964 games in Innsbruck. The IOC rejected a proposal to allow female ski jumping in 2009. A Canadian judge ruled that while the IOC's policy was discriminatory, Canada did not have jurisdiction over the IOC.
Speed skating - Speed skating dates back over a millennium to Scandinavia, Northern Europe and the Netherlands, where the natives added bones to their shoes and used them to travel on frozen rivers, canals and lakes. Skating for recreation did not develop until the 1500s. In 1592, a Scotsman a skate with a iron blade. The first official skating club opened in 1642 and the first race took place in 1763. The sport became popular in North America in the mid 1800s, where the all-steel blade was developed, which was both lighter and sharper. Speed skating was supposed to be held at the 1916 Olympics, until it was put off because of WWI. It was part of the 1924 Olympics. Short track originated in North America and was officially sanctioned in the 1970s, becoming an Olympic sport in 1992.
Figure skating - "A Treatise on Skating" (1772) by Englishman Robert Jones, is the first known account of figure skating. In the mid-1860s, an American named Jackson Haines introduced a new style of skating, which incorporated free and expressive techniques. Haines is now considered the "father of modern figure skating," though his style was not adopted in the United States until long after his death. The International Skating Union was founded in 1892 and the first World Championship was held in 1896. Women competed for the first time in 1902. Pairs skating was introduced at the 1908 World Championships. Figure skating debuted at the Olympics in 1908.
5 comments:
This is all truly super interesting, B-Dub. But if you're copying from some place (typos and all), you may as well link...
Also, now that I have a WiiFit, I'm even more bitter that there's no chicks' ski jump. 'Cause I could totally kick ass on that -- have you seen me?! Ha!
Also also, Liz & I were just talking about the whole luge phenomenon of, "How do you know you're any good at luge?" Like, it's not that there any "recreational luge tracks" that you could just choose to take the family to on a weekend afternoon, right?
(Recreational Luge Tracks is the name of my next band.)
Yes, typos and links. I had lots of links and no typos in the original draft, then blogspot deleted the whole damn thing and when I finally typed it again I just posted it. Cursed blogspot. I'm thinking about switching to wordpress.
Dude, we are loving the Olympics. Harley constantly cries, which is apparently a good thing. Something about people living their dreams.
Loved the info below, where'd you get it from? At this point in my life, I am all for plagiarism.
Like all the information in my life, this all came from wikipedia. It's written down, so it must be true.
SWITCH TO TUMBLR!
Duh.
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