(Short Essay) Olympic Games 2024 Paris and Indonesia Participation

I remember the first time watching Olympic Games was in 1984. Back then, I watched it from TV. It was held in Los Angeles (US). Still fresh in my mind that Lionel Richie, a famous American singer, singing his song "All Night Long" at the closing ceremony of the event. I was very young at that time and seeing that event was really fantastic for me, although only from TV. Yes, I watched it with my family at home and we all enjoyed it.

The ancient Olympic Games began in Greece from 8th century BC to 4th century AD. The modern one was in Athens in 1896. Prior to that, Baron Pierre de Coubertin founded the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1894. The IOC is the governing body of the Olympic Movement, which encompasses all entities and individuals involved in the Olympic Games. 

The first modern Olympic Games in 1896 brought together 14 nations and 241 athletes who competed in 43 events. You know what? The second modern Olympic Games was held in Paris, from 14 May to 28 October 1900. No opening or closing ceremonies were held back then. Very much different from now, huh? Haha...

It seems that France is very familiar with these Olympic Games. Not only it's now being held there in 2024, but also France held several Olympic Games before. The first Winter Olympic Games was held in 1924 (exactly 100 years ago!) in Chamonix, France. 

Unlike Summer Olympic Games, the Winter Olympic Games consists of several icy-snowy sports, such as skiing, skating, and ice hockey just to mention a few. Winter Olympic Games were also held every four years (just like summer olympic games) from 1924 to 1936, interrupted in 1940 and 1944 by World War II, and resumed in 1948. Are winter olympic games always held in Europe or US? No. Pyeonchang (South Korea) held Winter Olympic Games in 2018, Sochi (Russia) held it in 2014, and Nagano (Japan) in 1998. 

Indonesia first participated in the Olympic Games in 1952 and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for 1964 due to controversy around the Games Of The New Emerging Forces, and in 1980 when they participated in the US-led boycott of the 1980 Summer Olympic Games.

As of 2020, Indonesian athletes have won a total of 37 medals (21 in badminton, 15 in weightlifting, and 1 in archery). How many gold, silver, and bronze medals did Indonesia ever win? This is it: 8 gold, 14 silver, and 15 bronze medals. The highest rank Indonesia ever got was in Barcelona (Spain) 1992, won 2 gold, 2 silver, and 1 bronze. As of in Tokyo (Japan) 2020, Indonesia won 1 gold, 1 silver, and 1 bronze. 

Summer Olympic Games in 2024, also known as Paris 2024, is taking place from July 24th to August 11th 2024 in France. The opening ceremony took place on July 26th, 2024. Paris is the host city, with events held in 16 additional cities spread across Metropolitan France, and one subsite in Tahiti, French Polynesia. 

Paris becomes the second city ever to host the Summer Olympic Games three times (after London which hosted in 1908, 1948, and 2012). Paris 2024 features the debut of break dancing as an Olympic sport. As of for Indonesia, it's the seventeenth appearance in the Summer Olympic Games. Indonesia sent 29 athletes (4 archery, 1 athletics, 9 badminton, 1 cycling, 1 gymnastics, 1 judo, 1 rowing, 1 shooting, 4 sport climbing, 1 surfing, 2 swimming, and 3 weightlifting). Go Indonesia... get all medals in Paris 2024! Make a new history... haha.