The stadium at the archaeological site of
Olympia, Greece
Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Ολυμπία ; grc, Ὀλυμπία ), officially Archaia Olympia ( el, label=Modern Greek, Αρχαία Ολυμπία; grc, Ἀρχαία Ὀλυμπία, links=no; "Ancient Olympia"), is a small town in E ...
, is located to the east of the
sanctuary of Zeus. It was the location of many of the sporting events at the
Ancient Olympic Games
The ancient Olympic Games (Ὀλυμπιακοὶ ἀγῶνες; la, Olympia, neuter plural: "the Olympics") were a series of athletic competitions among representatives of city-states and were one of the Panhellenic Games of Ancient Greece. ...
.
History
During the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
, it hosted the
shot put events.
Features
The physical landmarks of the stadium are long and wide, and it served mainly for running races that determined the fastest person in the world. The track was made of hard-packed clay to serve as traction for the contestants in the running events.
As in current day athletics, a white block was placed on one end of the track where the athletes would line up to place their feet and got ready to start of the race.
The white block was used to align all the athletes so they would all run the same distance.
[
]
Gallery
File:Stadium at Olympia 2013.JPG, Stadium at Olympia
Image:Toegang stadion.JPG, The vaulted tunnel leading into the stadium
File:Start-finish line.jpg, Starting blocks inside the stadium
Image:Judges' stand in side the Olympic Stadium.jpg, The judges' stand located on the south bank of the stadium
See also
* Stadium of Delphi
The Stadium of Delphi lies on the highest spot of the Archaeological Site of Delphi. It overlooks the sanctuary of Apollo and has a view to the Delphic landscape. It was built either within the second half of the 4th century B.C. or even after the ...
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stadium at Olympia
Ancient Greek buildings and structures
Ancient Olympia
Olympic athletics venues
Sports venues in Greece
Stadiums
Venues of the 2004 Summer Olympics