The Olympic Athlete :: essays research papers

The Olympic Athlete     I always have respected Olympic athletes, for they spend wholly their timetraining. Victorious athletes were professionals in the sense that they livedoff the glory of their achievement ever afterwards. Their hometowns might rewardthem with free meals for the rest of their lives, honorary appointments, or leading positions in the community. The victors were memorialized in statuesand withal in victory songs, and commissioned from famous poets.     Today, the Olympic Games are the worlds largest pageant of athleticskill and competitive spirit. They are also displays of nationalism, commerceand politics. These two opposing elements of the Olympics are not a moderninvention. The conflict in the midst of the Olympic movements high ideals and thecommercialism or political acts, which companion the Games, has been noted since antediluvian times. The ancient Olympic Games, part of a major religious festivalhonoring Zeus, t he chief Greek god, were the biggest events in their world. Theywere the scenes of political rivalries between people from different parts ofthe Greek world, and the site of controversies, boasts, public announcements andhumiliations. Ancient athletes competed as individuals, not on national teams,as in the modern Games. The vehemence on individual athletic achievement throughpublic competition was related to the Greek ideal of excellence, called "arete".Aristocratic men who attained this ideal, through their big(p) words ordeeds, won permanent glory and fame. Those who failed to measure up to this codefeared public shame and disgrace.     Olympia was one of the oldest religious centers in the ancient Greekworld. Since athletic contests were one way that the ancient Greeks honoredtheir gods, it was logical to hold a recurring athletic competition at the siteof a major temple. Also, Olympia is convenient geographically to reach by ship,which was a major concern for the Greeks. Athletes and spectators traveled fromGreek colonies as far away as modern-day Spain, the Black Sea, or Egypt.     Athletics were a key part of education in ancient Greece. Many Greeksbelieved that developing the body was equally of import as improving the mindfor overall health. Also, regular exercise was important in a society where menwere always needed for military service. Platos Laws specifically mentions howathletics greatly improved military skills. Greek youth therefore worked out inthe palaestra (wrestling-school) whether they were serious Olympic contenders ornot.     Ancient competitors were require to train at Olympia for a month beforethe Games officially started, like modern competitors at the Olympic. Young menworked with athletic trainers who used vast sticks to point out incorrect body