The Olympic Games are a celebration revolving around athletic talent, recognized all around the world.
The games date back to 776 BC in Olympia, Greece. They began as a tribute to the gods, specifically Zeus — King of the Gods and the Greek god of thunder and lightning.
The games grew in popularity, attracting athletes from all over Greece. Leaders from differing city-states agreed to an “Olympic truce,” allowing spectators and athletes to attend the games without the threat of war during travel.
From farmers to royals, anyone and everyone — besides women — could compete in the Olympics. As the years passed, the Greeks began to also honor Hera, Zeus’s wife, and women were finally allowed to compete.
Events included anything from foot races to javelin throwing to chariot races. Athletes competed naked and slathered in oil. Professional musicians played a large role in the games, adding to the fanfare of the competition.
Ancient Olympic winners were awarded wreaths made from olive leaves, following the myth of Herakles when he ran during the first races at Olympia. This year’s Olympians will be awarded medals featuring the Greek goddess of victory, Nike, as well as the Eiffel Tower and the Acropolis of Athens, symbolizing the origin of the games.
The games evolved into what we know today with the first modern Olympic Games taking place during 1896 in Athens, Greece. While events and regulations have adapted to cater to modern society’s expectations, athletes continue to be held to a specific standard.
The 2024 Paris Olympics will see 905 women and 905 men competing. Athletes are able to qualify with “50% of qualification places based on achieving the entry standard for an event within the qualification period, and the other 50% based on the World Athletics Ranking within the ranking period,” according to the Olympics.
Athletes aim to compete in the games and win the honor of becoming an Olympic champion. To be an Olympian is to be one of the – if not the greatest – athletes in that category and generation.
“If you’re a gold medal Olympian, that’s one of the greatest, craziest sports cultures on the planet,” USC sophomore football player Roman Marchetti said. “I’d say they’re definitely a standard for most of their sports.”
This summer’s Olympic games are expected to host about 10 million spectators for more than 750 events. During the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games, 3.05 billion people worldwide viewed event coverage from streaming platforms. In the U.S. alone, 15.6 million people watched.
People thrive off competition, whether they themselves are the ones competing, or whether they are spectators. It’s human nature to want to be the best. However, it’s possible the Olympic Games are more than just a sporting event.
People are drawn to sports because of the allure of competition. Whether the person is an athlete competing or a fan spectating, people thrive off rivalry. It’s human nature to want to be the best, to come out on top.
“If people can’t express that [competitive drive] through athletic competition themselves, they look for other outlets to do so,” USC sports editor Thomas Johnson said. “Watching other people compete in athletics is the primary outlet people of all demographics go to [because] it’s a way for people to project what they can’t do themselves.”
Today, sports play an extensive role in the daily lives of most Americans. Fans insert themselves into the games through various forms, ranging from attending games to hosting watch parties to playing in fantasy leagues.
A large majority of popular sports — football, basketball, hockey, etc. — are all team-based, while Olympians are primarily judged based on individual performance. “[As an Olympian], you’re representing your country. If you’re winning the Superbowl, you’re representing the team and the fan base,” Marchetti said.
Despite the differences, both athletic cultures are held to specific standards and placed under pressure to perform.
The athletic ideal is one that has fluctuated throughout the years yet remained the same at its core. Athletes are placed on pedestals as people look up to them and even idolize them. They are expected to perform above and beyond, and if they fail to do so, they have the ability to disappoint thousands, even millions, of fans.
Athletes have to be the best because they are an inspiration to others. Some fans see the possibility of infinite potential. Others use athletes to create connections with fellow fans.
USC journalism professor Alan Abrahamson has covered every Olympics, both in the winter and summer, since the 2000 Summer Games in Sydney, Australia. He has met some of the greats, including Michael Phelps, Usain Bolt and Katie Ledecky, and those less noticed by the media, including two boys from Liberia at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.
“The Olympic Games are about dreams and hope,” he said. “Hope that we can all live together in a peaceful world and that we can all be the best version of ourselves.”
To date, the Olympics continue to hold a remarkable presence in society. They are a testament to athleticism and greatness, but they are also a recognition of peace and unity between people from all different parts of the world.
“As human beings, we need water, maybe food … but we need hope. Without water to sustain us, and hope, there’s no reason to go on,” Abrahamson said. “That’s why I love the games — the aspirational ideal of them in our fragile and broken world.”
This article is part of Annenberg Media’s Olympic Newsletter. If you like the content, please subscribe here!