The "Amateur" Sports Festival runs this year from the opening ceremonies on Friday, August 5th, until the closing ceremonies on Sunday, August 21st. This year's Olympic slogan, "Live your passion" (in Portuguese "Via sua paixão") refers to the passion of sports, of course, and to the passionate feeling of the sensuous city of Rio.
10,500 athletes from 206 different countries will be competing in these games, competing in 42 different sports, in 306 medal events.
Truth be told, the games have already begun.
Women's Soccer featured several games, August 3rd and August 4th, several men's games will be contested.
Soccer finals will be on the 18th and 19th of August.
Other sports of special interest to those who follow these reports:
Track and Field aka "Athletics" runs from the 12th to the 21st.
Basketball is contested from the 6th to the 21st.
Cycling competitions begin August 6th and wrap up August 20th.
Diving runs August 9th through the 18th.
Gymnastics is contested from the 6th of August to the 20th.
Rowing, August 6th, through the 13th.
Rugby Sevens is being resurrected this year at the Olympics, after an absence of Rugby from the games of almost 100 years. Competition is August 6th through the 9th.
Swimming begins August 6th, kicking off the Olympics as normal, and wraps up the 16th.
Water Polo will be contested on August 6th through the 20th.
Wrestling is the last sport listed of special interest to you, although I know and hope at least some of you are interested in a wider variety of sports. Wrestling was almost voted out this year, which would have been a stupefying event, given inclusion since the dawn of the modern Olympics and the fact that it was one of the ancient Olympics sports. Wresting will be held from August 13th to August 20th.
Most of these sports have men's and women's competitions. The norm is for those to be run on alternating days, so although a sport like Water Polo runs from the 6th through the 20th, half of those days will feature either men's or women's competitions. This is normally the case, also, with many of the other sports, although there is probably no hard and fast rule.
Every Olympic Games generates some controversy, and negativity in the media rich culture. Look for updates throughout the Olympics, enjoy the sports you want to enjoy... or check out something new!
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