OJCL Torch Fall 2021 | Page 18

The Past and Present

By: North Gubernator Will Corbin

THE OJCL TORCH: FALL EDITION 18

In 776 BCE a baker, Koroibos of Elis, ran. He sprinted to defeat his opponents, facing other athletes in the first recorded Olympic games. In the Greek heat, he bested the other runners in the only event of the time, the stadion, or footrace. Today, athletes not only run but fence, box, swim, dance, bobsled, and prove their physical prowess in a myriad of other forms. While there are vast differences between ancient Olympic games and current ones (most notably in the competitions offered and diversity of participation, although problems still remain), the Olympics today are not so different from those of the past.

Koroibos of Elis