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Listed below are comments made by ZappasOrg between Thursday, 5th June 2008 and Saturday, 9th August 2008.

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China aims for spectacular opening 00:09am on 09 Aug 2008 "Athletes, these Games were created for you by our founder, Pierre de Coubertin" said Jacques Rogge, President of the International Olympic Committee, during his speech at the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee but the Baron did not "create" the Olympic Games in modern times or in ancient times.

Does Mr Rogge seriously believe that Baron Pierre de Coubertin "created" the Olympic Games?
Olympic countdown - 43 days - Weightlifting worries 09:43am on 27 Jun 2008 In actual fact, the first British Olympic champions to compete in an Olympic Games were those that competed at the London 1866 Olympic Games held at Crystal Palace.

Although the Games at Crystal Palace were a national Olympic Games they were the first to look like an Olympic Games to be held outside of Greece in modern times.

A number of events were held inside the Crystal Palace itself and W.G. Grace, the famous cricketer, was the Olympian victor in the hurdles event.

There were also "Olympian Games" held at the town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire that preceded the London 1866 Games but they were neither national nor very Olympic. Credit due to Dr William Penny Brookes and the Wenlock Olympian Society who adopted events in to the programme from the Athens 1859 Olympic Games to make the programme more "Olympic-like". It was Dr Brookes who deservedly led the organising committee for the 1866 Games.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin visited Dr Brookes in Much Wenlock and was inspired to go on to found the International Olympic Committee. The Baron adopted many of Dr Brookes ideas. By default, that makes Dr Brookes a founder of the Modern Olympic Movement.

As for the even earlier "Cotswold Olympicks", well anybody that wants to compare those Games with the "Olympic Games" really needs to participate in that "Olympick's" blue-riband event, the most un-Olympic shin-kicking contest before attempting the comparison.

Yours faithfully,
Mike Pagomenos
Founder of Zappas.org
Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians
Olympic countdown - 64 - Olympic spirit 1:42pm on 05 Jun 2008 If ever a medal was more inappropriately named it was when they called a sportsmanship medal the "Baron Pierre de Coubertin" medal.

Neither the Baron himself nor the International Olympic Committee have shown one iota of sportsmanship in their false claim that Baron Pierre de Coubertin is THE founder of the Modern Olympic Games.

The Baron did not come first in the race to found the Modern Olympic Games. He didn't even come second. Not even a close second.
Olympians who placed third weren't even given medals at the 1896 Athens Olympic Games.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin was born on the 1st of January 1863. He founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894. But the first modern international Olympic Games had already taken place in an Athens city square called Ludwig Square in 1859. The first modern international Olympic Games to be held in a stadium was that held in the Panathenian stadium, in Athens, in 1870. The first Olympic Games to be held outside of Greece that looked like an Olympic Games was the national Olympic Games held at Crystal Palace in London in 1866.

It looks like both the founding fathers that preceded the Baron deserve a medal for sportsmanship and the Baron could be disqualified for lack of sportsmanship.

Credit where credit is due. The Baron did found the International Olympic Committee. He does deserve credit for that. But the Baron was not the first or only founder of the Modern Olympic Games.

Yours faithfully,
Mike Pagomenos
Founder of Zappas.org
www.zappas.org
Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians
Olympic countdown - 65 - Moussambani's moment 03:54am on 05 Jun 2008 Regarding Baron Pierre de Coubertin's most misquoted quote. Isn't it strange that the International Olympic Committee quotes it but doesn't live by the standard.

In the race to found the Modern Olympic Games, the Baron didn't come first, he was preceded by Evangelis Zappas (first modern international Olympic Games in 1859) and Dr William Penny Brookes (first national Olympic Games to be held outside of Greece in 1866). Then again by Evangelis Zappas (first modern international Olympic Games to be held in a stadium in 1870).

Unfortunately, the International Olympic Committee seems to think that taking part isn't good enough, and that coming first is all important since it continues to maintain that Baron Pierre de Coubertin is THE founder of the Modern Olympic Games.

Yours faithfully,
Mike Pagomenos
Founder of Zappas.org
www.zappas.org
Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians
Olympic countdown - 67 - Naughty Nero 03:37am on 05 Jun 2008 Depending on exactly how ancient you want the Olympic scandal to be how does this one compare?

Baron Pierre de Coubertin is not THE founder of the Modern Olympic Games? He is the founder of the International Olympic Committee and is A founder of the Modern Olympic Games but he was not THE first founder of the Modern Olympic Games.

The first modern international Olympic Games was held in Athens in 1859 in an Athens city square. The first to be held in a stadium was that held at the Panathenian stadium in 1870. That stadium was re-used by the Olympic Games in 1875, 1896, 1906 and 2004. The man that paid for the refurbishment of the Panathenian stadium was Evangelis Zappas. He also paid for the building of the first building to be built specifically for the Modern Olympic Games. That building is called the Zappeion. It was used as the media centre during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

The first Modern Olympic Games, to be held outside of Greece, that resembled an Olympic Games, was a national Games held at Crystal Palace in London in 1866. W.G. Grace, the famous cricketer, came first in the hurdles. Many of the athletics events were held inside the Crystal Palace itself. The president of the organising committee was Dr William Penny Brookes who founded the Wenlock Olympian Society in 1860 which originated as a Physical Education Class (and part of the educational curriculum) in the town of Much Wenlock in 1850.

btw Although the Cotswold Olympicks came earlier they were not "Olympic-like" and bar the name have no ancient Greek roots. The famous "shin-kicking" event was never an ancient Olympic event and it is unlikely that it will ever become a Modern Olympic event.

Yours faithfully,
Mike Pagomenos
Founder of Zappas.org
www.zappas.org
Member of the International Society of Olympic Historians

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