ADP H&PE 2ND SEMESTER

SUBJECT: SCIENCE OF TRACK AND FIELD

COMPOSED BY: TEHZIN ASLAM KHAN LECTURER PHYSICAL EDUCATION
GACW JANDANWALA
What is Olympism?

"Olympism is a philosophy of life which places sport at the service of humanity. This
philosophy is based on the interaction of the qualities of the body, will and mind."
This philosophy is an essential element of the Olympic Movement and the celebration of the
Games.

The IOC has identified the following three Olympic values:

1: Excellence
In the Olympic ideal, this value refers to giving one’s best, it is not only about winning, but
mainly about participating, making progress against personal goals and benefiting from the
combination of a strong body, will and mind.
2: Friendship
This value refers to the fact that the Olympic Games inspire humanity to overcome political,
economic, gender, racial or religious differences and forge friendships in spite of those
differences.
3: Respect
In the Olympic ideal, this value includes respect for oneself and one’s body, respect for one
another, for rules and for the environment. It thus refers to the fair play that each athlete has
to display in sport, as well as avoiding doping.

OLYMPIC MOVEMENT:
Olympic movement comprises:

3 Main Pillars Other Members

IOC OCOGS
NOCs athletes, officials, recognized
institutions
IFs
The purpose of the Olympic Movement is to:
1– link sport with culture and education;
2– promote the practice of sport and the joy found in effort;
3– help to build a better world through sport practised in a spirit of peace,
excellence, friendship and respect.

Mission of IOC:
The mission of the IOC is to promote Olympism throughout the world and to lead the
Olympic Movement.

Olympic rings - Symbol of the Olympic Movement

∆ The design of Olympic rings was first created by Pierre de Coubertin,

The Olympic rings were publicly presented for the first time in 1913.

∆ The Olympic flag was created for the Olympic Jubilee Congress in 1914 in Paris in
celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Olympic Movement.

∆ For the Olympic Games, the Olympic rings, set on the white background of the
Olympic flag, made their first appearance at the Games Antwerp 1920.

Definition of the Olympic rings:

“The Olympic symbol consists of five interlaced rings of equal dimensions (the
Olympic rings), used alone, in one or in five different colours. When used in its
five-colour version, these colours shall be, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green
and red. The rings are interlaced from left to right; the blue, black and red rings are
situated at the top, the yellow and green rings at the bottom in accordance with the
following graphic reproduction.” (Olympic Charter, Rule 8).

Meaning of the Olympic rings:

“The Olympic symbol expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the
union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the
Olympic Games.” (Olympic Charter, Rule 8).

Other elements of the Olympic identity:

› The flame and torch relay
At the modern Games, the Olympic flame is an expression of the positive values that human
beings have always associated with the symbolism of fire.
The flame is lit at Olympia in Greece, recalling the Ancient Greek roots of the Olympic
Games and also emphasising the link between the ancient and modern Games.
From Olympia, the flame is carried to the city hosting the Games by thousands of
torchbearers.
The flame recalls the ancient Olympic Games, during which a sacred fire burnt on the altar of
Zeus. However, the symbolism of the relay is linked not to these Games but to the torch
races, or lampadedromia, held in Athens in honour
of the gods associated with fire.
At the modern Olympic Games, a flame was lit for the first time in the stadium at
Amsterdam, in 1928. For its part, the torch relay was not introduced until the 1936 Games in
Berlin.

› The motto and maxim:

The Olympic motto is composed of three Latin words:
CITIUS-ALTIUS-FORTIUS, which mean
FASTER – HIGHER – STRONGER

Olympic maxim:
"The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part;the
essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well."
The three Latin words became the Olympic motto in 1894, when the IOC was created. Pierre
de Coubertin proposed the motto, which he had borrowed from his friend Henri Didon, a
Dominican priest who taught his pupils sport
near Paris.

› The anthem and oaths:

The Olympic anthem was composed by Spiros Samaras (music) and Kostis Palamas (words).
Although played for the first time in 1896, at the first modern Games in Athens, it became the
IOC’s official anthem only in 1958.
Like the athletes at the ancient Games, today’s Olympic athletes take an oath.
The words of this oath were written by Pierre de Coubertin, and it was spoken for the first
time at the 1920 Games in Antwerp.