Olympic Games Clay Pigeon
The Olympics are considered by many to be the world’s leading sports competition, with athletes representing more than 200 countries participating. Inspired by the ancient Olympic Games, which were held in Olympia, Greece from the 8th Century BC to the 4th Century AD, the ‘modern’ Olympics were organized in 1894, with the first games held in Athens, Greece in 1896. The Olympics are divided into Summer Games and Winter Games, which are each held every four years, although the summer and winter programs alternate every two years. Over 13,000 athletes participate in the summer and winter Olympic games, contesting in almost 400 events covering 33 different sports.
The Olympic symbol, consisting of five intertwined rings, represents the unity of the five inhabited continents (Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe). As stated by the International Olympic Committee, “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”
There have been instances of countries using the Olympics either as a platform to promote political ideologies, or else boycotting the Olympics over political differences. Overall, however, the Olympics has been a event based on cooperation and peaceful interaction between the representatives from the differing nations.
The darkest moment in the history of the modern Olympics was what is now known as the Munich Massacre. During the 1972 Summer Olympic Games, which were being hosted in Munich, West Germany, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, motivated by secular nationalism, took eleven Israeli Olympic team members hostage. All of the Israeli hostages were eventually killed, along with a German police officer. In a failed rescue attempt, five of the eight Black September terrorists were killed. The three remaining ones that were taken into custody ended up being released the following month after the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 615.
The item in my collection is a Clay Pigeon from the 1972 Olympic Games, of the type used in the Trap and Skeet Shooting competitions.
The Olympic symbol, consisting of five intertwined rings, represents the unity of the five inhabited continents (Africa, America, Asia, Australia and Europe). As stated by the International Olympic Committee, “The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play.”
There have been instances of countries using the Olympics either as a platform to promote political ideologies, or else boycotting the Olympics over political differences. Overall, however, the Olympics has been a event based on cooperation and peaceful interaction between the representatives from the differing nations.
The darkest moment in the history of the modern Olympics was what is now known as the Munich Massacre. During the 1972 Summer Olympic Games, which were being hosted in Munich, West Germany, the Palestinian terrorist group Black September, motivated by secular nationalism, took eleven Israeli Olympic team members hostage. All of the Israeli hostages were eventually killed, along with a German police officer. In a failed rescue attempt, five of the eight Black September terrorists were killed. The three remaining ones that were taken into custody ended up being released the following month after the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 615.
The item in my collection is a Clay Pigeon from the 1972 Olympic Games, of the type used in the Trap and Skeet Shooting competitions.
