CLIL PHYSICAL EDUCATION THE OLYMPIC GAMES afterwards: dopo, nel periodo successivo dash: (sport) corsa veloce deal: accordo, affare held: tenuto host: ospitante leaping: salto threat: minaccia wreath: ghirlanda The Olympic Games began at Olympia in Greece in 776 BC. According to historians, at first, the only Olympic event was a 183-metre sprint, called a stadion . In 708 B.C. the pentathlon became part of the games. This pentathlon was a five-event match and consisted of running, wrestling, long jump, discus and javelin throwing. In time, boxing, a chariot race and other events were included. The winners of these early games were crowned with wreaths from a sacred olive tree. The ancient Greeks were highly competitive and believed strongly in the concept of agon , or competition. It was therefore considered one of the greatest honours to win a victory at Olympia. The games were held every four years from 776 BC to 393 AD, when they were abolished by the Christian Byzantine Emperor Theodosius I. The ancient Olympic Games lasted for 1170 years. The successful campaign to revive the Olympics was started in France by Baron Pierre de Coubertin in the late 19th century. The first of the modern Summer Games opened on Sunday, March 24, 1896, in Athens, Greece. The Winter Games were added in 1924. World War I and World War II forced cancellation of the Olympics in 1916, 1940 and 1944, but they began again in 1948 and are held every four years. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the worldwide governing body of the Olympic Games. Its main functions are to select Host Cities for the summer and winter games, approve the sports to be included in the Olympics and work with the host city and International Sports Federations in order to plan the Games. Hosting the Olympic Games can be a challenging and exciting experience for a city. Therefore there are a great number of advantages, but even some disadvantages to take into consideration. ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES Top class facilities for each sport can be used afterwards. The city will make a profit from the money raised from sponsorship deals and TV rights. Benefits from increased tourism before, during and after the games because the city will become famous all over the world. Increase in jobs; the majority will be short term but some can be long term. Improvement in road and transport systems as competitors have to be transported to and from the various sports facilities. High initial cost of building all the sports facilities and hotels for athletes and journalists. Overcrowding and extra traffic when the event is being held. A lot of inconvenience to the city inhabitants as there is often a need to improve the existing transport system. High expenditure on security as the organisers are responsible for providing thousands of security officials. Possible threats of hooliganism or terrorism. However, if the Games are well-managed, the host city should be able to make very profitable business from them.