補充文檔：TheGreatSportsPersonality優(yōu)秀

Module5TheGreatSportsPersonality

補充文檔

AncientGreece

TheGreeksinventedathleticcontestsandheldtheminhonouroftheirgods.TheIsthmosgameswerestagedeverytwoyearsattheIsthmosofCorinth.ThePythianGamestookplaceeveryfouryearsnearDelphi.ThemostfamousgamesheldatOlympia,South-WestofGreece,whichtookplaceeveryfouryears.TheancientOlympicsseemtohavebegunintheearly700BC,inhonourofZeus.NowomenwereallowedtowatchthegamesandonlyGreeknationalscouldparticipate.OneoftheancientwonderswasastatueofZeusatOlympia,madeofgoldandivorybyaGreeksculptorPheidias.ThiswasplacedinsideaTemple,althoughitwasatowering42feethigh.

ThegamesatOlympiaweregreatlyexpandedfromaone-dayfestivalofathleticsandwrestlingto,in472BC,fivedayswithmanyevents.Theorderoftheeventsisnotpreciselyknown,butthefirstdayofthefestivalwasdevotedtosacrifices.OntheMiddleDayofthefestival100oxenweresacrificedinhonorofaGod.Athletesalsooftenprayedandmadesmallsacrificesthemselves…

Onthesecondday,thefoot-race,themaineventofthegames,tookplaceinthestadium,anoblongareaenclosedbyslopingbanksofearth.

AtOlympiatherewere4differenttypesofraces;thefirstwasstation,theoldesteventoftheGames,whererunnerssprintedfor1stade,andthelengthofthestadium(192m).Theotherraceswerea2-staderace(384m.)andalong-distancerunwhichrangedfrom7to24stades(1,344m.to4,608m.).Thefourthtypeofraceinvolvedrunnerswearingfullamor,whichwas2-4staderace(384m.to768m.),usedtobuildupspeedandstaminaformilitarypurposes.

Onotherdays,wrestling,boxing,andthepancratium,acombinationofthetwo,wereheld.Inwrestling,theaimwastothrowtheopponenttothegroundthreetimes,oneitherhiship,backorshoulder.InancientGreekwrestlingbitingandgenitalholdswereillegal.

Boxingbecamemoreandmorebrutal;atfirstthepugilistswoundstrapsofsoftleatherovertheirfingersasameansofdeadeningtheblows,butinlatertimeshardleather,sometimesweightedwithmetal,wasused.Inthepancratium,themostrigorousofthesports,thecontestcontinueduntiloneortheotheroftheparticipantsacknowledgeddefeat.

Horse-racing,inwhicheachentrantownedhishorse,wasconfinedtothewealthybutwasneverthelessapopularattraction.Thecoursewas6lapsofthetrack,withseparateracesforwhereupontheriderwouldhavenostirrups.Itwasonlywealthypeoplethatcouldpayforsuchtraining,equipment,andfeedofboththeriderandthehorses.SowhicheverhorsewonitwasnottheriderwhowasawardedtheOlivewreathbuttheowner.TherewerealsoChariotraces,thatconsistedofboth2-horseand4-horsechariotraces,withseparateracesforchariotsdrawnbyfoals.Therewasalsoaracewasbetweencartsdrawnbyateamof2mules,whichwas12lapsofthestadiumtrack.

Afterthehorse-racingcamethepentathlon,aseriesoffiveevents:sprinting,long-jumping,javelin-hurling,discus-throwing,andwrestling.

TheancientGreeksconsideredtherhythmandprecisionofanathletethrowingthediscusasimportantashisstrength.

Thediscuswasacircleshapedstone,iron,bronze,orlead.Thereweredifferentsizesaccordingtoagegroups.Thejavelinwasalongwoodenstickshapewithspearhead,similarheighttothatofaperson.Inthemiddlewasboundathongforahurler'sfingerstogripandguidetothecorrectangleitwasthrown.

ToJumplongdistancesathletesusedleadorstoneweightstoincreasethelengthofthejump.Theseweightswereknownas‘halteres’wereheldinfrontoftheathleteduringhisascent,andthenswungbehindhisbackanddroppedduringhisdescenttohelppropelhim.

OlympicsThroughTimethehistoryoftheOlympicGamesfromthetimewhen