olympiad

An Olympiad is a term with two related meanings in the world of competition and sport. Historically, in ancient Greece, an Olympiad was a four-year period between successive Olympic Games, a time frame used by writers to mark dates. The ancient Olympic Games themselves were held in Olympia, beginning in the 8th century BCE, and featured athletic festivals in honor of Zeus, with events such as running, wrestling, boxing, and pentathlon. Winners gained renown across the Greek world.

In modern usage, the term often refers to the Olympic Games, the world’s largest multi-sport event, and to other competitions modeled after the Olympic idea. The modern Olympic Movement began with the revival of the Games in 1896 in Athens under Baron Pierre de Coubertin and is governed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The Games include Summer and Winter editions, held every four years on a rotating schedule. Since 1994, the Winter Games have taken place two years apart from the Summer Games, creating separate four-year cycles.

Key features of the modern Olympics include the Olympic flame and torch relay, opening and closing ceremonies, a program of international sports, and the awarding of medals. The movement emphasizes values such as excellence, friendship, and respect, while addressing ongoing challenges related to doping, geopolitical tensions, and commercial pressures.

The term Olympiad is also used for subject-specific competitions that imitate the Olympic format, such as the International Mathematical Olympiad, International Physics Olympiad, and other science and mathematics contests, which gather students from around the world to solve challenging problems.