The birth of the modern Olympics

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The birth of the modern Olympics

Published: 06 Apr. 2026, 00:05

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Roh Jeong-tae

The author is a writer and senior fellow at the Institute for Social and Economic Research.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937) was an idealist. Like many aristocrats and intellectuals of 19th-century Europe, he was drawn to the culture of ancient Greece. When German archaeologists excavated the ruins of Olympia and confirmed that the ancient Olympic Games were not merely a legend but a historical reality, Coubertin’s ambition deepened, and beginning in 1892, he set out to persuade others of his vision.

In 1894, together with Greek business owner Dimitrios Vikelas, he founded the International Olympic Committee and revived the ancient Games, once confined to texts and ruins, as a modern sporting event. On April 6, 1896, the first modern Olympics opened in Athens.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), the founder of the modern Olympic Games [IOC]

The ancient Olympics are the oldest recorded athletic competition in written history. While their origins likely predate surviving records, cross-referenced sources indicate that the Games took place every four years from 776 B.C. The earliest event consisted of a single race, the stadion, a 192-meter (630-foot) sprint. The first recorded victor was Koroibos. Over time, additional events were introduced, and more winners emerged.

Why have these records endured? The Olympics were more than a festival dedicated to Zeus. They served as a broader social function. Ancient Greeks were divided among numerous city-states that were often embroiled in conflict with one another. But during the Olympics, even warring states set aside their arms to compete in athletic contests and reaffirm their shared religious traditions and cultural identity. The Games thus functioned as a rare moment of peace.

This helps explain why Coubertin’s call to revive the Olympics resonated. The idealism and internationalism that shaped late 19th-century Europe found a concrete form through contemporary interest in archaeology and the classical past. Although the Games were canceled three times during the two World Wars and the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were postponed for a year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Coubertin’s vision of promoting peace through sport endures.

The 34th Olympic Games are scheduled to take place in Los Angeles in 2028. It remains to be seen whether the conflicts now affecting Eastern Europe and the Middle East will subside. The hope persists that, under clear skies, the Olympics can once again act as a stage for peace and shared humanity.

In this sense, the modern Olympics remain both a sporting competition and a symbolic institution shaped by history and aspiration. Whether they can continue to embody ideals of peace amid geopolitical tension will depend not only on athletes but also on the political will of nations involved today and global cooperation efforts.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.