So, the 2016 Olympics are due to start in the beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro tomorrow! Time has flown by since the 2012 Olympics were held here in the UK, and what an amazing games they were from start to finish – they will take some beating by the 2016 Olympics……

The Olympic Village is complete and ready to go, the athletes are primed and ready, and so are our Union Jacks, as we cheer on the British competitors go head to head with the best athletes from around the rest of the world.

The Olympic games have a long history – as far back as 776 BC, religious and athletic festivals were held every four years in the Greek city of Olympia. Athletic competitions were a really important part of the festival, as was the religious aspect – rituals and sacrifices were made to the Greek gods. The tradition of Olympic games in Greece continued for several hundred years, but gradually subsided as the Romans gained power across the country. It’s thought that the last Ancient Olympic games took place sometime in the 4th century.

In more modern times, there were several reincarnations of the ancient games – including an Olympic Games competition in Shropshire in 1850, the Cotswold Olympic Games in the 1600s and the Grand Olympic Festival held in Liverpool between 1862 and 1867. But, it wasn’t until 1890 that the International Olympic Committee was founded by Frenchman Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who was a renowned sock maker.  And just six years later, the very first modern Olympic Games was held, in the Greek capital city, Athens. The games were a huge success, and brought together 14 different nations who entered almost 250 athletes across 43 events.

Over the years, the Olympic Games have expanded and grown – and now include the Winter Olympics, Deaflympics (where deaf athletes compete), Paralympics (for athletes with physical disabilities) and the Youth Olympics.  Today, the Olympic Games are not only a renowned sporting event but are also a chance to celebrate the culture and history of the host nation. This year, the Games are in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro – a city already famous for it’s annual Carnival and party atmosphere.

And for the 2016 Olympics, more than 11,000 athletes will compete from 206 different countries, across over 300 different events! This is a long way from the 250 athletes that were part of the very first Olympic Games 120 years ago!

So, the countdown to the 2016 Olympic Games is on! You can find out all the information you need here Happy Olympic Games!