a sporting event steeped in history, the olympic games is an extravaganza with roots dating back 2,700 years - capturing the imagination of both participants and spectators, the games is a truly global event with thousands of athletes and fans diverging in a chosen city every four years - the games connect its athletes by showcasing their talents on competitive platform - this year the stage will be the beautiful city of rio de janeiro.

believed to have begun in 776 bc, in southwest greece's olympia, the original olympic games were held in honor of zeus, attracting people from all over the greek world - initially a single day event the games were eventually extended to five days with athletes competing in running, long jump, shot put, javelin, wrestling, boxing, pankration, and equestrian.

the ancient olympic games, ran uninterrupted for almost 1,200 years, until eventually being outlawed by emperor theodosius in 393 a. d - the games stayed dormant for 1,500 years when, in the final years of the nineteenth century, a frenchman named pierre de coubertin, breathed fresh life into the ancient event.