Why are the Olympic Games held every 4 years?

About this episode

Here we are, seven years after the announcement by the International Olympic Committee, the Paris Summer Games are about to begin! And for the first time since World War II, the usual four-year gap between the Games was disrupted, as the Tokyo Games were postponed to 2021 due to the global pandemic. In fact, this tradition of holding the Games every four years goes back a very long way and was not introduced by chance; it even has a name: the Olympiad.  It’s a common misconception, but the term “Olympiad” actually refers to the four-year period between the Games, not the Games themselves. While “Olympiads” in the plural can denote the events, “an Olympiad” in the singular specifically marks the interval between two editions. This distinction has sparked debates in literary and academic circles for decades. Doesn’t the Olympiad refer to the games themselves? So why was there a 4-year period in ancient times? And why are they still going on? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the last episodes, you can click here: Why do some people believe in ghosts? What is the placebo effect and how does it work? Could chronoworking make you work more efficiently? A podcast written and realised by Amber Minogue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices