Why are the Olympic Games held every 4 years?

Do you really know?

Here we are, seven years after the announcement by the International Olympic Committee, the Paris Summer Games are about to begin! And for the first time since World War II, the usual four-year gap between the Games was disrupted, as the Tokyo Games were postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic. In fact, this tradition of holding the Games every four years goes back a very long way and was not introduced by chance; it even has a name: the Olympiad.

It’s a common misconception, but the term “Olympiad” actually refers to the four-year period between the Games, not the Games themselves. While “Olympiads” in the plural can denote the events, “an Olympiad” in the singular specifically marks the interval between two editions. This distinction has sparked debates in literary and academic circles for decades.

Doesn’t the Olympiad refer to the games themselves? So why was there a 4-year period in ancient times? And why are they still going on? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue.

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