Event Background

The 2020 Summer Olympic games were due to start about now. Originally scheduled to run from 24th July to 9th August, unfortunately due to unprecedented world events, this mega-event has now been postponed until 2021. A multi-sport event, the modern Olympics has become a sometimes divisive but nevertheless, iconic, occasion for the world. Comprising of representatives from 206 nations, the Games of the XXXII Olympiad will see 11,000 athletes, plus 4,500 para-athletes, taking part in 33 sports across 43 different venues. Even in these most testing of times, with 4.5 million tickets originally pre-sold for the games, the appetite for, and interest in, the event continues to be undiminished.

A) Provide a very brief introductory overview of the modern Olympic Games. 2. Briefly (150)

B) Highlight the significance of the games to the sporting event category, and the host nation. (450)