For millennia, sports have represented a unifying force. They transcend race, ethnicity, nationality, and other characteristics to bring people together under one unifying principle: competition. The Olympics exemplify the unifying power of sports, as amply demonstrated throughout history. The egalitarian power of sports may partially be due to the fact that sports put all countries and people on equal footing. All factors besides athletic ability become irrelevant, even if only for a fleeting moment. Even the most socially and economically disadvantaged participants have the same chance at prevailing. The best man or woman wins, period. This equalizing power is traceable as far back as the first Olympics in 776 B.C. when a cook won the only event, a 192-meter footrace, becoming the first recorded Olympian.[1] The power of the Olympic Games to bring countries and citizens together is largely unrivaled by any other event. This unification provides a unique opportunity to open up dialogue between nations and establish precedents on a variety of topics, including sustainability.
The modern Olympic Games originated in 1896 when, after a 1,500 year hiatus, Athens, Greece hosted the first contemporary Games. That event featured 280 participants from 13 nations. Following the Athens Games, the Olympics have continued to occur every four years, albeit hosted by a different nation. In 1924, the Winter Olympics officially made its debut at the Paris Games. By the time the Games returned to Athens in 2004, the event had grown to include 11,000 athletes from 201 nations. In the past century, the Olympics have become a truly global event, bringing almost all the nations of the world together for two weeks of competition and celebration.
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