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John Millen

Only 438 days to go

A

The Olympic message

Over the years since the first modern Olympiad in 1896, many things have changed in the way the Olympic Games are organised and presented. Different sports have come and gone from the Olympic programme, rules and regulations have been modernised and the role the media plays in bringing the thrills into homes all over the world has grown into a mighty industry. But one important thing has not changed since de Coubertin's day and this will always stay the same. The Olympic message that appears on the scoreboard throughout the Games is there to remind everybody of the reason why the Olympics are taking place. This timeless message encourages athletes to feel proud that they are taking part in the Games even if they don't win a medal. And it reminds the rest of us that doing our best is more important than winning.

1. What is the meaning of the word 'message'?

a. A short piece of information sent from one person to another

b. A sentence used to advertise an important event

2. What is the basic idea behind the Olympic message?

a. It encourages everyone to take up sport

b. It encourages everyone to do their best all the time

3. How many times has the Olympic message been changed since 1896?

a. Three times

b. Never

B

The Olympic motto

A motto or a slogan is a small group of well chosen words that reflects an organisation's aims. Slogans are used all the time in advertising to make us buy a certain object or use a certain product. A motto doesn't make us want to buy something, but instead advises us about our attitudes or behaviour. Schools and sports teams usually have mottos that reflect what they are trying to achieve. A motto is often in Latin (the language spoken by the Ancient Romans) because this is regarded as a 'serious' language and so a motto using Latin words is serious stuff. The official motto of the Olympic Movement is 'Citius, Altius, Fortius'. These three Latin words mean 'faster, higher, stronger', and were chosen by Baron de Coubertin to encourage Olympic athletes to strive for excellence in everything they do.

4. What is a 'motto'?

a. A short, clever group of words that point towards positive behaviour

b. A clever slogan used in advertising a product or service

5. The official Olympic motto is in what language?

a. French

b. Latin

6. Who chose the words for Olympic motto?

a. Baron de Coubertin

b. The Greek god Zeus

C

Battle of the mascots

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is in charge of setting the standards and laying down the rules for the Olympic Games. But at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, an unexpected disruption beyond the control of the IOC broke out. The Australian Olympic Committee had given the go-ahead for Syd, Ollie and Millie to be Sydney's official mascots and everyone believed that this was a popular choice. Just for fun, Australian cartoonist Paul Newell designed an unofficial mascot to rival the official trio. This gatecrasher was Fatso, a happy-go-lucky wombat with a very big bottom. As Fatso toys and merchandising became more and more popular, the authorities tried to ban him because he was upstaging the official mascots. But Fatso refused to be beaten and when the Games were over, Fatso-fans erected a statue to their hero outside the Sydney Olympic Stadium. You just can't keep a good wombat down!

D

My Olympic fact file

Select one of the words in the brackets to make each sentence correct

1. The Olympic message appears on the (scoreboard / medals) at the Olympics.

2. The idea contained in the Olympic message has (never / frequently) changed since 1896.

3. The Olympic message states that taking part in the Games is more (important / famous) than winning.

4. The Olympic motto is in (Latin / Greek).

5. 'Citius, Altius, Fortius' means (braver / faster), (lower / higher), (stronger / richer).

6. The Olympic motto encourages athletes to aim for (wealth / excellence).

7. Fatso was the (official / unofficial) mascot at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

8. The Australian Olympic Committee tried to (invent / ban) Fatso.

Answers: 1. a, 2. b, 3. b, 4. a, 5. b, 6. a; 1. scoreboard 2. never 3. important 4. Latin 5. faster, higher, stronger 6. excellence 7. unofficial 8. ban



The Beijing 2008 Olympic Games