Every year on June 23, International Olympic Day is celebrated all over the world, in memory of the revival of the Olympic movement in its modern form.
The idea of establishing a special holiday dedicated to the Olympic movement around the world, which would allow people to be told about the basic Olympic principles, was first voiced at the 41st session of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Stockholm in 1947, and a year later at the 42nd IOC session in St. Moritz, this project was officially approved.
The historical prerequisite for choosing the date of the holiday was the following event. In June 1894, the International Athletic Congress on Physical Education took place in Paris, in which representatives of 12 countries participated. On June 23, Baron Pierre de Coubertin, an enthusiast for the revival of the Olympic movement, presented his report. In it, he introduced those gathered to the organizational foundations of the Olympic Games he had developed.
Congress approved the proposal of Baron Pierre de Coubertin to revive the tradition of ancient Greek Olympiads in order to hold «-competitive games every four years with an invitation to participate in them of all nations».
It was this memorable date that was chosen to celebrate International Olympic Day, and its goal was to promote sports throughout the world and involve everyone in the sports movement, regardless of age, gender or sports skills and abilities.
The Games of the 1st Olympiad of our time were held in 1896 in Greece, when medals were awarded in 9 sports among 241 athletes from 14 countries. And more than a century later, about 11 thousand athletes and officials from 202 countries took part in the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece. Medals have already been awarded in 28 sports.
The Olympic Charter states: The Olympic Movement has as its goals to educate young people through sport in the spirit of better mutual understanding and friendship, thus contributing to the creation of a better and calmer world.
All the most famous athletes consider their careers, no matter how successful they may be, to be inferior without an Olympic medal. Without a doubt, Olympic champions — pride of every country.
Unfortunately, in recent years, politics has increasingly interfered and influenced the Olympic movement. And although political scandals began to rock the Olympics during the lifetime of Baron Pierre de Coubertin himself, despite all his efforts, it was in the 21st century that politics increasingly won, despite common sense and the whole idea of the existence of the Olympic movement itself.
On Olympic Day itself, the National Olympic Committees hold sporting events in different countries, the most popular among which is the — mass race (over different distances — depending on the age and training of the participants), designed to promote the popularization of mass sports; as well as various cultural and educational events: sports seminars, Olympic lessons for children, meetings with professional athletes and Olympic champions, thematic exhibitions, concerts, sports show programs. The main goal of all these events is to promote Olympic values and ideals, popularize the Olympic movement and sports in general, attract people to regular physical education, sports and a healthy lifestyle.
Infographics – poster «June 23 — International Olympic Day»