The Olympic Games are an international athletic competition that take place every two years, alternating between the Summer and Winter Olympics. This year the 21st Winter Olympic Games will be held in Vancouver, Canada from February 12th to the 28th.
The first Winter Olympics were held in France in 1924. The Olympic Charter defines winter sports as "sports which are practiced on snow or ice." The events have changed a lot since 1924 and now include sports such as Skeleton, Snowboarding, Luge, and Freestyle Skiing. Popular events such as Cross-Country Skiing, Figure Skating, Ice Hockey, and Ski Jumping have been around since the first Games.
Fewer countries participate in the Winter Games than in the Summer Olympics but the Vancouver 2010 Games will have around 100 nations participating in 15 different winter sports. The Olympic flame was lit on October 22, 2009 in Olympia, Greece and will travel approximately 45,000 kilometers over 106 days before making it to the Opening Ceremony on February 12th.
For a list of suggested book titles visit: http://www.childrenslit.com/childrenslit/th_olympics.html
For more information on the Winter Olympics visit:
http://www.vancouver2010.com/
http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=218153
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olympic_Games
Emily Griffin
CLCD
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