Why are they called the Olympics?

The Olympics took its name from the Olympia sanctuary in Greece approximately 2,700 years ago.

Olympia is located on the Elis on the Peloponnese peninsula. The first written record of the ancient Olympic Games dates back to 776 B.C. when a cook named Coroebus won a 192-meter footrace called the stade (the origin of the modern “stadium”) to become the first Olympic champion. While this is the first documented evidence of the event, it is generally believed that the competition had been going on for many years by that time.

Please help me out by clicking the LIKE button if you enjoyed reading this.

INTERESTING FACTS

1. All male athletes competed naked in the early Olympics.
2. The ancient games were also a religious festival held in honor of Zeus, the king of the gods.
3. Married women were prohibited from watching the Games under penalty of death.

INTERESTING VIDEO

INTERESTING REFERENCES

1. NBA.com – Ancient Olympic Games Fun Facts
2. BBC.co.uk – How did the Olympics Begin?
   
3. History.com – The Olympic Games