We’re getting ready for a summer of sport.
The summer of 2016 is set to be a fantastic one for sports fans. Whilst Euro2016 and Wimbledon has come to a close this weekend, there’s still the Rio 2016 games to look forward to, not to mention the cricket!
What better way to prepare for a fantastic summer of sport, than to take a look at their origin?
Olympic Games
The creation of this momentous event dates all the way back to 8 BC in Olympia, Greece. Held in honour of Zeus, the God of Thunder, these games were held every four years and were often used as a political tool for rival states to assert their dominance. Only Greek-born men were entitled to take part in the sports that included a foot race, a chariot race, the discus, jumping and running with armour. An olive wreath was presented to the winners, with the branches taken from the wild olive tree that grew in Olympia.
Inspired by the ancient games, the International Olympic Committee was formed in 1894. The games then took place every four years (with the exception of 1916, 1940 and the 1944 games which were cancelled due to war).
Over the years a number of traditions have been introduced, including the torch tours and the impressive opening and closing ceremonies. The combined Summer and Winter Olympic games see over 13,000 athletes in roughly 400 events. Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded to those who come first, second and third in each event. Countries compete on the number of medals they receive.
Football
The origins of football is a little trickier to decipher than the Olympic Games, many ancient races were known to have played a game involving groups of people playing with a ball. However, in the form most popular here in the UK, it can be dated all the way back to the late 1200’s / early 1300’s. In 1363 King Edward III of England banned a number of sports, one of which was “football”.
Adopted by public schools in the early 16th Century, evolved from the “mob” form to a more organised sport and the introduction of positions, teams and referees were introduced.
The modern game, as we know it, was first codified in 1863, with some of the oldest football clubs such as Notts County, Aston Villa, Manchester United and Everton all forming in the late 1800’s.
The popularity of the sport hasn’t wavered in over 150 years and football has become a multi-billion pound industry, with the English Premier League still dominating the soccer scene. Perhaps the less said about England’s performance in the Euro 2016 competition the better…
Grand Prix
Automobile racing dates back to the late 1890’s as the era of the motorcar was developing fast. The first recorded event was in Paris in 1894 and covered a distance of just under 80 miles. The race was won by a tractor, which was subsequently disqualified as it was not considered a “practical road car”.
It wasn’t until 1906 in a quiet town in North-West France when one of the most famous racing events was born, the Grand Prix in Le Mans. The line-up consisted of 32 starters from 12 different manufacturers including the likes of Fiat, Mercedes and Renault.
The British Motor Industry began to take off with the development of purpose built race tracks including Brooklands in Weybridge.
In the late 1920’s drivers began to race as part of specialist teams representing racing-car builders such as Alfa Romeo, Maserati and Bugatti. It was during this time that Alfa Romeo decided to introduce a new company that was dedicated solely to racing efforts, this company was headed up by Enzo Ferrari.
In 1950 the World Championship were introduced. The drivers took competed in seven races – The British, Swiss, Monaco, Belgium, French and Italian Grand Prix as well as the Indianapolis 500.
Tennis
A sport that can be traced back to the early 12th Century in France, tennis (as we know it today) is a direct descendant of what was known as ‘real tennis’ or ‘royal tennis’. Originally played with the palm of the hand, it wasn’t until the 16th Century where rackets came into use.
It was during this time that the sport began to gain notoriety and even Henry VIII was a fan of the game.
Modern-day tennis was been adapted from “lawn tennis” in the late 1800’s and is the sport we know and love today, with many of the original rules still in place. The only key new additions being the tiebreak and the introduction of electronic review technology.
We couldn’t possibly talk about tennis without mentioning Wimbledon. Perhaps the most iconic grand-slam in the game, it is also the oldest, dating way back to July 1877. The inaugural event consisted simply of the gentlemen’s singles competition, it wasn’t until 1884 that the Ladies’ Singles and Gentlemen’s doubles were introduced. Now one of the most hotly anticipated events of the tennis calendar, the competition was first televised back in 1937.
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