London saw off competition from four American cities, including Los Angeles and the Swiss city of Lausanne to the host the Olympics.īy no means a lavish spectacle, the Games cost just £730,000 to put together and came to be known as 'The Austerity Games'. A global event unlike any other, Britain saw an opportunity to demonstrate to the world that the worst effects of the war were now behind them. Battle-scarred and still in recovery, Britain put themselves forward to host the Olympics for the second time in its history, having previously hosted the event in 1908. Twelve years had passed since the Olympic flame had resided in Berlin, and by 1948 the world was a very different place. With rationing still in force and an economy recovering from the demands of war, the wartime attitude of 'make-do and mend' typified the spirit in which these Games were held. Officially known as the Games of the XIV Olympiad, the 1948 Olympics were like nothing ever seen before. Just three years after allied forces marched into Berlin to effectively herald the end of WWII, London prepared to host the world's greatest sporting event. Only 14 countries took part that year.The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well.īaron Pierre de Coubertin, founding father of the modern Olympic games 1863-1937 The Olympics have come a long way since the first modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, in 1896. At the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, there were 2,952 athletes from 92 countries. Many countries around the world don’t have temperatures that would allow them to compete in most winter sports. Are you WONDERing why? It comes down to climate. How about the Winter Olympics? Far fewer athletes take part in the Winter Games. This included American Samoa, Aruba, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Cook Islands, Guam, Hong Kong, Palestine, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. The other 11 were territories of other countries. That number was made up of 193 of the 196 independent nations (all but South Sudan, Kosovo, and Vatican City).
That explains why more than 196 countries take part in the Olympics.įor example, 204 countries sent athletes to the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England.
Prior to 1996, however, the IOC recognized NOCs from some territories of other nations. Today, a new NOC has to be from a country recognized by the United Nations. The rules regarding NOCs were changed in 1996. That committee has to be approved by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). So how do 206 nations take part in the Olympics? Where did the extra 10 come from?įor a country to participate in the Olympics, it must have a National Olympic Committee (NOC).
Wait just a second…206 countries? How is that possible? Aren’t there only 196 countries in the world? It's true, most sources put the number of countries in the world at 196. In fact, Brazil welcomed over 10,500 athletes from 206 countries during the summer of 2016! The Olympics aren’t limited to a certain number of countries, either. But choosing which countries can compete in the games is not one of them. Surely all 196 countries participate, right? Or are there a limited number of spots? Does the host city get to decide who takes part? The whole world waits for the competitions to roll around every four years. Ah, the Olympics. The pinnacle of athletic glory.