Stadium at Olympia explained

Stadium Name:Olympia Stadion
Stadium at Olympia
Nickname:The First Stadium
Location:Olympia, Greece
Opened:776 BC
Closed:393 AD
Owner:Ministry of Culture and Sports
Surface:Grass, stones, dirt
Seating Capacity:45,000

The stadium at the archaeological site of Olympia, Greece, is located to the east of the sanctuary of Zeus. It was the location of many of the sporting events at the Ancient Olympic Games.

History

During the 2004 Summer Olympics, it hosted the shot put events.[1] [2]

Features

The physical landmarks of the stadium are long and wide, and it served mainly for running races that determined the fastest person in the world. The track was made of hard-packed clay to serve as traction for the contestants in the running events.[3] As in current day athletics, a white block was placed on one end of the track where the athletes would line up to place their feet and got ready to start of the race.[4] The white block was used to align all the athletes so they would all run the same distance.[3]

See also

External links

37.6392°N 21.6331°W

Notes and References

  1. News: Flame for Rio Olympics is lit at birthplace of ancient Games. Associated Press. 21 April 2016. Arab News. Riyadh. ...the ceremony continued in the ancient stadium — which was used at the 2004 Athens Games as the shot put venue..
  2. News: Ancient and modern Shot put revisits Olympia. 19 August 2004. 12 March 2020. The Guardian. London.
  3. Web site: Ancient Stadium. www.olympia-greece.org. 4 December 2017.
  4. News: Starting Blocks, Olympia. World History Encyclopedia. Mark. Cartwright. 24 April 2012. 15 March 2020.