Why do they have the olympic games every 4 years?

Answer 1

The Olympic Games are held after every four years in order to respect the ancient origins of the Olympic Games which were held after four years at Olympia. It also gives the hosts ample time to prepare.

Answer 2

So competitors can get ready and also it allows the hosting city time prepare for the games... David Arlington tx.. I thought it was because. Hercules had four brothers or something and each year represented one of his brothers. -Lizzy

Answer 3

Some might say it's tradition. Others would argue that it gives each country enough time to prepare their athletes. Still more would claim that having the events annually would lessen the achievements/progress of the athletes. Winter and summer events used to occur in the same year, always a leap year, divisible by the number 4. However, they frequently occurred at different locations. 1992 was the last year in which the Summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same year. The IOC decided to split the years so that one Olympics would occur every two years.

In 1994, the Winter Olympics were held again. Summer Olympics had to wait for the usual four years, until 1996, for their next celebration. Thus now Summer Olympics still only fall on leap years, and Winter Olympics fall either two years before or after a Summer Olympics. Both Olympics are still four years apart, after the initial two-year distance from 1992 to 1994.

Answer 4

The Greeks noticed that eight solar years was close to 99 lunar months. So they started a calendar called the octaeteris, which was eight solar years or 99 lunar months. Later, they measured the octaeteris as two four-year periods, one of 49 months and one of 50 months, and they called these 4-year periods "Olympiads." This 4-year period still survives today. Every four years, we add a leap day in February, and we also hold the Olympics. In America, we even elect a President (a "new king") every four years.

The Olympics originated as a reenactment of an astronomical myth which described a calendar. The story tells of a man named Pelops who wanted to marry Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oenomaus. Oenomaus was willing to offer his daughter's hand to any potential suitor who could compete with him and win in a chariot race. Each contestant would take Hippodamia in his chariot and try to beat her father, but Oenomaus would always win and then kill the losing suitor. Before Pelops came along, Oenomaus had so far killed twelve suitors and hung up their heads for display. Hippodamia loved Pelops, and she secretly fixed her father's chariot so it would fail. In the race, his chariot crashed and Oenomaus died, making him the 13th victim, so Pelops won. Pelops got the girl, became the new king, and according to Pindar (5th c. BC), the Olympics were started to commemorate the chariot race of Pelops.

There is another myth that relates the origin of the Olympic games and involves Herakles, who was recognized as a Sun-god. Many of his Twelve Labors correspond to the 12 signs of the Zodiac, such as the slaying the Nemean lion (Leo), capturing the Cretan bull (Taurus), etc. One of the Twelve Labors imposed on Herakles was to clean the cattle stables of King Augeas of Elis, a city-state located about 30 miles from Olympia. He accomplished his task in one day by diverting the Alpheios River from its course and causing it to flow through the stables. According to this myth, Herakles celebrated his success by founding the Olympian games. Historically speaking, Elis was in actuality the city-state that supervised the Olympic games, and the peak of the Olympic festival occurred when one hundred oxen were sacrificed to Zeus.

Anyway, it's all about mythology... The Greeks noticed that eight solar years was close to 99 lunar months. So they started a calendar called the octaeteris, which was eight solar years or 99 lunar months. Later, they measured the octaeteris as two four-year periods, one of 49 months and one of 50 months, and they called these 4-year periods "Olympiads." This 4-year period still survives today. Every four years, we add a leap day in February, and we also hold the Olympics. In America, we even elect a President (a "new king") every four years.

The Olympics originated as a reenactment of an astronomical myth which described a calendar. The story tells of a man named Pelops who wanted to marry Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oenomaus. Oenomaus was willing to offer his daughter's hand to any potential suitor who could compete with him and win in a chariot race. Each contestant would take Hippodamia in his chariot and try to beat her father, but Oenomaus would always win and then kill the losing suitor. Before Pelops came along, Oenomaus had so far killed twelve suitors and hung up their heads for display. Hippodamia loved Pelops, and she secretly fixed her father's chariot so it would fail. In the race, his chariot crashed and Oenomaus died, making him the 13th victim, so Pelops won. Pelops got the girl, became the new king, and according to Pindar (5th c. BC), the Olympics were started to commemorate the chariot race of Pelops.

There is another myth that relates the origin of the Olympic games and involves Herakles, who was recognized as a Sun-god. Many of his Twelve Labors correspond to the 12 signs of the Zodiac, such as the slaying the Nemean lion (Leo), capturing the Cretan bull (Taurus), etc. One of the Twelve Labors imposed on Herakles was to clean the cattle stables of King Augeas of Elis, a city-state located about 30 miles from Olympia. He accomplished his task in one day by diverting the Alpheios River from its course and causing it to flow through the stables. According to this myth, Herakles celebrated his success by founding the Olympian games. Historically speaking, Elis was in actuality the city-state that supervised the Olympic games, and the peak of the Olympic festival occurred when one hundred oxen were sacrificed to Zeus.

Anyway, it's all about mythology...

Answer 5

So it gives time for the athletes to train,exercise and be prepared for the next Olympics because if it is every single year people will be bored and the athletes won't have that much practice time.

Answer 6

1. The Olympics is held every four years because the ancient Olympics were also held every four years starting in 776 B.C. Another reason is that it would take more than one year for athlethes to train for such a momentus event. Plus, it would seem less important if it is held every year.

Answer 7

Because it takes alot of time and preparation for not only the people in the Olympics but also the place holding the Olympics