Olympic games Archives

The colourful history of the Olympic opening ceremony

Catherine Baker | Culture

Spectators arguably owe the grand scale of today’s opening ceremonies to cold war rivalry.

China leader President Xi Jinping at a press conference after a meeting with the German Chancellor in the Chanclery in Berlin.

China – the problem at the centre of everything

The Editorial Board | China

China is the omnipresent elephant in the room.

A sculpture of the five rings lit up at the Tokyo Olympic Games

Why we need the Olympic Games now, more than ever

Allan Massie | Sport

The Olympic Games have faced criticism for continuing during a pandemic, but watching sports boosts morale and patriotism.

What would the ancient Greeks think of an Olympics with no fans?

Vincent Farenga | Sport

In Ancient Greece, attending an athletic-religious festival like the Olympics transformed an ordinary spectator into a theôros – a witness observing the sacred.

Paris and Los Angeles bids to host Olympics expose deeper crisis at Olympic Games

John Rennie Short | Sport

It’s official: We now have hosts for the next two Summer Olympics. Paris will host in 2024 and Los Angeles in 2028. It looks like

Olympic games

The colourful history of the Olympic opening ceremony

China – the problem at the centre of everything

Why we need the Olympic Games now, more than ever

What would the ancient Greeks think of an Olympics with no fans?

Paris and Los Angeles bids to host Olympics expose deeper crisis at Olympic Games

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