The modern Olympic Games are the biggest sports event in the world. Every four years, thousands of athletes from many countries come together to compete. The games are divided into two main types: the Summer Games and the Winter Games. Each type is held in a different year, so there are actually Olympics every two years.
The first modern Olympic Games took place in Athens, Greece, in 1896. A French man named Pierre de Coubertin helped to bring the event back after almost 1,500 years. The ancient Greeks had held similar games, but they stopped in the 4th century. Coubertin believed that sport could help people from different countries understand each other better.
Only 14 countries and about 240 athletes took part in the first modern games. Today, more than 200 countries join in, and there are over 10,000 athletes at a single Olympics. Many new sports have also been added. The Winter Games include skiing and ice skating, while the Summer Games include running, swimming and many team sports.
The Olympic symbol is five coloured rings joined together. The rings stand for the five parts of the world that send athletes to the games. The Olympics are watched on television by billions of people, making them a truly global event.