The Olimpic Games

Beijing, China, hosts the 2008 Summer Olympics. The opening ceremonies was on August 8, 2008; the closing ceremonies are on August 24, 2008.The 2008 Summer Olympics will be held in Beijing, China; the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held in Vancouver, B.C., Canada.
The Ancient Olympics:The ancient Greeks dedicated the Olympic Games to the god Zeus. The original games were held on the plain of Olympia in Peloponnesos, Greece.
The Greeks held the first Olympic games in the year 776 BC (over 2700 years ago), and had only one event, a sprint (a short run that was called the "stade"). The race was run by men who competed in the nude. A wreath of olive branches was placed on the winner's head (in Greek, this is called a kotinos). The olive tree was the sacred tree of Athens, Greece.
Women were neither allowed to compete in the games nor to watch them, because the games were dedicated to Zeus and were therefore meant for men.