Great Britain and the Olympics
The relationship between Great Britain the Olympics goes back to the revival of the modern Olympic Games. It was attending the 1890 Wenlock Olympian Games held in Munch Wenlock, a small town in England that inspired Pierre de Coubertin to found the International Olympic Committee.
Britain was one of the 14 nations to compete in the first Summer Olympic Games in Athens 1896 and since then, they have been the only country to win a gold medal in every Summer Olympic Games. In total, the British athletes have won 715 medals in the Summer Olympic Games and 22 medals in the Winter Olympic Games.
The modern day Paralympics originated in post war Britain. They were the brainchild of a German refugee, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, working at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire during the 1940s.
This year, London will be the only country to have hosted the Games 3 times.
Britain was one of the 14 nations to compete in the first Summer Olympic Games in Athens 1896 and since then, they have been the only country to win a gold medal in every Summer Olympic Games. In total, the British athletes have won 715 medals in the Summer Olympic Games and 22 medals in the Winter Olympic Games.
The modern day Paralympics originated in post war Britain. They were the brainchild of a German refugee, Dr. Ludwig Guttmann, working at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire during the 1940s.
This year, London will be the only country to have hosted the Games 3 times.
1908
The first time London hosted the Olympic Games was the 1908 Summer Olympics. The Games was supposed to held in Rome but the eruption of Mount Vesuvius meant the Italians had to divert their attention to rebuilding Naples. 22 nations competed and Great Britain ranked No.1 with a total of 146 medals, 56 of them gold. 1948 The International Olympic Committee granted London to host the 1944 Summer Olympics however the Olympic Games were suspended for 12 years due to the Second Word War. After the war, Britain was able to be a candidate to host the 1948 Olympic Games. The Olympics was almost handed to the US due to the post-war financial and rationing restraints but after several meetings, London was recommended and won the vote to host the Games once again. 2012 When London trumped Paris for the right to stage the 2012 Games it was the first time that a British city had ever triumphed in a formal bidding process. In both 1908 and 1948 London stepped in to assist the International Olympic Committee when all other options were ruled out. Thus the 2012 Games represent the culmination of over 400 years of British enthusiasm for the Olympics. |
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