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The Olympics Portal

The Olympic Games, or Olympics, are an international multi-sport event taking place every four years and comprising summer and winter games. Originally held in ancient Greece, they were revived by a British nobleman William Penny Brookes¹ in 1850 in Much Wenlock before a French nobleman, Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin started the current Olympics in the late 19th century. The Summer Olympics (Games of the Olympiad) have been held every fourth year starting in 1896, except in 1916, 1940, and 1944 due to the First and Second World Wars. A special edition for winter sports, the Olympic Winter Games, was first held in 1924. The first winter Olympics competitions were originally held as a non-Olympic sports festival, but were declared to be official Games by the International Olympic Committee in 1925. Originally these were held in the same year as the Summer Olympics, but from 1994 on the Winter Games and the Summer Games have been held two years apart.

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Pierre Frédy, Baron de Coubertin (1 January 1863 – 2 September 1937) was a French pedagogue and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and considered father of the modern Olympic Games. Born into a French aristocratic family, he became an academic and studies a broad range of topics, most notably education and history.

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Credit: David Shapinsky

The Closing Ceremony of the 2000 Summer Olympics commenced with Christine Anu singing a stirring rendition of her hit song, Island Home. The ceremony concluded with a huge fireworks display on Sydney Harbour.

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Olympics sports

Archery Athletics Badminton Basketball Beach volleyball Boxing Canoeing Cycling Diving Equestrian Fencing Football Golf Gymnastics Handball Field hockey

Judo Modern pentathlon Rowing Rugby Sailing Shooting Swimming Synchronized swimming Table tennis Taekwondo Tennis Triathlon Volleyball Weightlifting Wrestling

Alpine skiing Biathlon Bobsleigh Cross-country skiing Curling Figure skating Freestyle skiing Ice hockey

Luge Nordic combined Short track speed skating Skeleton Ski jumping Snowboarding Speed skating

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Robert "Bob" George Windle (born November 7, 1944 in Sydney) was an Australian sprint and long distance freestyle swimmer of the 1960s, who won the gold medal in the 1500 m freestyle and the bronze medal in relay at the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, and the silver and bronze medals in relay at the following Olympic games. Known for his versatility, he represented Australia at all freestyle distances at the Olympics from 100 m to 1500 m; the only Australian male to do so, winning medals in both the shortest and longest distances at Olympic level. Windle set six world records over his career, won six Commonwealth Games golds and 19 Australian Championships in all distances from 220 yd up to 1650 yd. Windle's first major athletic competition appearance was at 15 years of age at the 1960 Australian Championships. His second place finish there in the 1650 yd freestyle earned him a spot on the Australian swimming team at the 1960 Summer Olympics held in Rome. However, he was only taken along to gain experience and did not compete. He won his first national title in 1961 and won the 220–440–1650–yd treble in 1962. Windle made his international debut at the 1962 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Perth, winning gold in the 4 × 220 yd freestyle and silver and bronze in the 440 and 880 yd freestyle events respectively.

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Olympics news

For up to date, in depth Olympic coverage, see Wikinews:Portal:Olympics. Wikinews is a sister project of Wikipedia, which deals with journalism of current events. They are both operated by the Wikimedia foundation.

Did you know...

• ...that Wyndham Halswelle was winner of the controversial 400-m run at the 1908 Summer Olympics?
  
• ...that the Olympic Javelin is a high-speed rail service announced as part of the public transport regeneration of London in readiness for the 2012 Summer Olympics?
  
• ...that Australian sprinter Stanley Rowley is the only Olympic participant to win medals for two countries at the same Olympic Games?
  
• ...that canoe racer Josefa Idem, a 1984 Olympic bronze medalist for West Germany, later took an Italian citizenship and became the first female Olympic medalist in canoeing for her new country?
  
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Olympic Games
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