For the 776 BC to AD 393 games, see Ancient Olympic Games. For the most recent Summer Games that were held in London, see 2012 Summer Olympics. For the Summer Games to be held in Rio de Janeiro, see 2016 Summer Olympics. For the Winter Games to be held in Sochi, Russia, see 2014 Winter Olympics.
"Olympics" redirects here. For other uses, see Olympic (disambiguation).

Olympic Games

Organizations
Charter IOC NOCs Symbols
Sports Competitors
Medal tables Medalists Ceremonies Bidding
Games
Ancient Olympic Games
Summer Olympic Games
Winter Olympic Games
Paralympic Games
Youth Olympic Games
The modern Olympic Games (French: les Jeux olympiques[1]) are the leading international sporting event featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games are considered to be the world's foremost sports competition with more than 200 nations participating.[2] The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Games alternating, meaning they each occur every four years but two years apart. Their creation was inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece, from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD. Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, with the Olympic Charter defining its structure and authority.
The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Games for ice and winter sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability, and the Youth Olympic Games for teenage athletes. The IOC has had to adapt to a variety of economic, political, and technological advancements. As a result, the Olympics shifted away from pure amateurism, as envisioned by Coubertin, to allow participation of professional athletes. The growing importance of mass media created the issue of corporate sponsorship and commercialization of the Games. World wars led to the cancellation of the 1916, 1940, and 1944 Games. Large boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Games.
The Olympic Movement consists of international