The day of the first modern Olympics – level 2

06-04-1896

The first modern Olympics started in Athens, Greece on April 6, 1896. It was almost 1,500 years after the last ancient Olympics.

241 athletes from 14 countries competed in nine sports. The sports included athletics, cycling, fencing, gymnastics, shooting, swimming, tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.

The first modern Olympics didn’t include any team sports, but they included some unusual sports. For example, there is a 100-meter swimming race for sailors, a 12-hour bicycle race, and weightlifting with one hand. The weightlifting competition was won by an athlete from Denmark who lifted a weight of 111.5 kilograms with one hand.

The first modern Olympics were a major success. They were watched by a crowd of 80,000 people.

Difficult words: ancient (thousands of years old), fencing (a sport in which people fight with swords).

What were the three unusual sports included in the first modern Olympics?

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