Transforming the Modern Games: Changes in National Team Representation, Events, and Female Participation

Running head: TRANSFORMING THE MODERN GAMES
TRANSFORMING THE MODERN GAMES
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TRANSFORMING THE MODERN GAMES
The three key ways in which the modern Olympic Games have changed from their inception
(1896) are:
The idea of introduction of the national team representation: In the first phase of the
Olympic Games in Athens, there were just 14 countries those were represented in the games. But
in 2012 London Olympics there were 204 countries represented and in this year there will be
total of 206 countries that will be taking part in the Olympic Games
(https://www.olympic.org/olympic-studies-centre). In 1896, the competitors of the several
nationalities were able to participate but the idea of the natural team representation was
introduced a decade later at the intercalated games (Weed et al. 2015).
Increase in number of events: The introduction of various number of games and various events
has increased the popularity and the profit sharing for the Olympic Board increased (Weed et al.
2015). The players of every sectors get the platform and there were games that many counties
were not interested before, therefore this make the countries to practice such games in the
country. Every country wants to take part in each of the games that provokes them to practice
every games(Weed et al. 2015). This helps to increase the sports value of that country and the
increase in the no of games has attracted many countries that extended the participation of
various countries in the event (Weed et al. 2015). These provides the platforms for the countries
to compete by the sports skills.
Participation of female athletes in the Olympic Games: In the ancient times, Olympics were
only open to the male athletes. Women athletes were not allowed to participate in the first
Modern Olympic Games (Womenssportsfoundation.org 2017). This was so because as the father
of the modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin thought that it would not be appropriate for
inviting the female athletes (Womenssportsfoundation.org 2017). Then this concept got changed

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TRANSFORMING THE MODERN GAMES
by the support of the other members in the Olympic Board and the decision is based upon the
views of all the members. The introduction of events that allows the female candidates to take
part in the Olympic Games has increased the value of the sports and the values of women in all
over the world. This can be considered as the great movements towards providing equal value to
women in the international platform (Womenssportsfoundation.org 2017).
The area that has bring great changes in the games is that there only male athletes
participated at the first modern Summer Olympics in 1896. Founder of the
modern Olympic Games, Pierre de Coubertin, thought women play a subordinate role while it
comes to sporting events and therefore no woman athlete was participated in the Olympic
movement (Weed et al. 2015). It was a way for promoting men's biological strength, endurance
and stamina as well as directing the moral compass of them. Initially Coubertin and his co-
organizers intention was that women could participate passively only as spectators but not
actively as athletes (International Olympic Committee 2019). It was implied that female
participants were not competitive or powerful enough to take part in quite a vital sporting event.
However, situation has changed rapidly and woman participated in the Olympic Summer Games
which was convened in 1900 (Weed et al. 2015). There were two sporting events, golf and
tennis, in which women have been participated and all total of 22 women, participated in
that Olympic Games. Women also participated in archery events during the next Olympic Games
in the year 1904 (International Olympic Committee 2019). Other sports for female athlete were
put on the list gradually and up until the Nineteen Eighties, the gap began to close rapidly
enough (Weed et al. 2015). The ISF or International Swimming Federation was the 1st major
sports federation which actually voted for the inclusion of women participants in swimming at
the 1912 summer Olympic Games in order to promote women's participation in the competitions