Let the Games Begin

B.C., seven hundred seventy-six was the date of the first Olympic picks. They held (these sportsmanship pioneers) Olympiads ev'ry four years The first Olympic race was for sprinters - Corubus, a chef, was named the winner. Running one hundred ninety-two meters he took the lead without any sneakers. There were no medals; first place got a wreath worn on his head, twisted from olive leaf. Second and third place got only glory - plus bragging rights in telling their story. Men competed in the nude at the start; women were invited "not" to take part. These games were stopped by Roman signature: “Way too pagan,” declared the emperor. Make no mistake; it’s not a mystery exclusive to Athens’ sports history. What we still call the “modern” Olympics - were revived back in eighteen ninety-six. Nineteen-o-four, here in my own country, my grandmother traveled to St. Louis. The Games were held as part of the World’s Fair; Granny Emma and three sisters worked there. written August 13, 2016 for Janis Thompson's Olympic Mania contest