Pierre de Coubertin was born on January 1, 1863, into a wealthy family in Paris. Young de Coubertin loved sport, and as a boy he excelled in horse riding, boxing, fencing and rowing. As an older student, he was lucky enough to visit British and American colleges where his love of sport grew even stronger.

De Coubertin thought that an interest in sport developed a person's mind as well as his body, and the young aristocrat promoted his ideas wherever he could. He began working on an ambitious plan to stage an international sports competition and eventually came up with the brilliant idea of reviving the Olympic Games. In 1894, de Coubertin organised a meeting in Paris to get his idea up and running, and two years later the first Modern Olympiad was held in Athens. Baron de Coubertin worked on building up and promoting the Olympic Games until his death in 1937.

1. Baron Pierre de Coubertin was born in (Greece/France) in 1863.

2. Both as a young boy and as a teenager, he was a keen (sportsman/journalist).

3. He was (31/51) years old when he organised the first Modern Olympiad.

B

The surgeon

The International Olympic Committee's job is to organise an Olympiad every four years and set down all the rules and regulations. The president of the IOC is elected by IOC members in a secret ballot and he stays in the position for eight years. The current president, Jacques Rogge, a Belgian surgeon, was elected in 2001. Dr Rogge, a keen sportsman, was a member of the Belgian yachting team at the 1968 Olympics and before becoming president of the IOC he was president of the Belgian Olympic Committee. Dr Rogge is a very hands-on boss who prefers to live in the athletes' village during the Games instead of staying in a hotel. He is strongly against any Olympic competitor taking drugs to boost performance, and since becoming IOC president he has insisted on all athletes taking an oath when they promise not to take any drug while they are competing in the Olympic Games.

4. Dr Jacques Rogge has been president of the IOC for the last (10/six) years.

5. He took part in the 1968 Olympics in a (sailing/gymnastic) event.

6. The phrase 'hands-on' means (to be closely involved / to be a good sportsman).

C

The fish

Beibei is a fish with a mission. It is her job, along with her four other fuwa friends, to communicate the Olympic spirit of friendship and peace from the people of China to every corner of the world during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Beibei is coloured blue like the first circle of the famous Olympic rings. In traditional Chinese art and culture, a fish is the symbol of prosperity and surplus, and Beibei wishes everyone who knows her a good and successful life. This little friendly blue fish has a gentle and innocent personality and she would never have a bad thought about anyone. The special hat that Beibei always wears is made up from the shapes of ancient objects found at Banpo, the site of a prehistoric village near Xian. During the Beijing Olympics, Beibei will be watching the swimming, diving and sailing events with great interest because she adores being in and near water.

7. Beibei is a blue fish representing (friendship / prosperity).

8. Her job is to spread a message of (wealth / friendship) from Beijing to the rest of the world during the Olympic Games.

9. The first circle of the Olympic Rings is (yellow / blue).

D

My Olympic fact file

Only five of the following statements are true. This week only put these five true facts into your Olympic fact file.

1. The letters IOC stand for International Olympic Company.

2. The current president of the IOC is from Europe.

3. Pierre de Coubertin is sometimes called 'The father of the Olympics'.

4. Jacques Rogge is a dentist by profession.

5. Beibei represents happiness and good health.

6. Jacques Rogge has taken part in the Olympics as a competitor.

7. Pierre de Coubertin never studied abroad.

8. IOC President Jacques Rogge is totally against the use of drugs in the Olympics.

9. The first circle of the Olympic rings is the same colour as Beibei.

10. Pierre de Coubertin staged the first modern Olympic Games in Paris.

Answers: 1. France 2. sportsman 3. 31 4. six 5. sailing 6. to be closely involved 7. prosperity 8. friendship 9. blue; Fact file: The five true statements are: 2/3/6/8/9