Olympic Games

The Summer Games are numbered by Olympiad, so there are gaps for the World Wars; the Winter Games are numbered consecutively, so there are no gaps in the numbering. Its format is unknown, but it is already said it will be far different from the network's previous game show offering, Win Ben Stein's Money. Click on the roman numeral to get details of the Games and the corresponding host city selection process. Comedy Central has announced that they have inked a deal for Ken to host a new game show on their network, likely to begin in the autumn of 2005. Only actual host cities are listed. Also starring Dennis Haysbert, the advertisements parody a typical Final Jeopardy! situation, and parody Ken's usual style of guessing at answers by having him answer the question in a humorous, over-the-top inquisitive fashion. The table below gives an overview of all host cities of both the Olympic Summer Games (Games of the Olympiad) and Winter Games. Ken Jennings also is appearing on commercials for Allstate Insurance.

When measuring by the number of titles won at the Modern Olympic Games, the following athletes may be considered the most successful (Intercalated Games are included in Ray Ewry's scores, otherwise he would be placed 10th in the table):. The first of these commercials, portraying Jennings as having lots of "friends & family" (coming out of the woodwork, because he is now "stinking rich") started airing in February, 2005. This is further complicated since the IOC no longer recognises the Intercalated Games which it originally organised and which most historians do consider as Olympic games. The SBC Communications and BellSouth joint venture Cingular Wireless LLC has signed Jennings to appear in commercials. The diversity of the sports, and the great differences between the Olympic Games in 1896 and today make it difficult to decide which athlete is the most successful Olympic athlete of all times. Ken himself appeared in the commercial. Many athletes have become celebrities or heroes in their own country, or even world-wide, after becoming Olympic champion. University Games is also producing a Can you Beat Ken? board game to be released in approximately May of 2005.

Because the Olympics are held only once every four years, the public and athletes often consider them as more important and valuable than world championships and other international tournaments, which are often held annually. He is also engaged in speaking deals through the Massachusetts-based speakers agency, American Program Bureau (http://www.apbspeakers.com/themes/DefaultView/Site?aspx?PAGE=HOME). Commemorative medals and diplomas — which differ in design from those referred to above — are also made available to participants finishing lower than third and eighth respectively. At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, the first three were given wreaths as well as their medals. Jennings has also agreed to a deal with Microsoft to promote their Encarta encyclopedia software, and has signed a deal with Bertelsmann AG for a book to be published through one of their book divisions in 2005. Certificates were awarded also at the 1896 Olympics, but there they were awarded in addition to the medals to first and second place. Jennings accepted the offer, and in another news story (http://www.tvbarn.com/ticker2004/archives/028052.shtml), H&RB officials reported that they had offered similar services to other individuals in the past. In addition, from 1948 onward athletes placing fourth, fifth and sixth have received certificates which became officially known as "victory diplomas;" since 1976 the medal winners have received these also, and in 1984 victory diplomas for seventh- and eighth-place finishers were added, presumably to ensure that all losing quarterfinalists in events using single-elimination formats would receive diplomas, thus obviating the need for consolation (or officially, "classification") matches to determine fifth through eighth places (though interestingly these latter are still contested in many elimination events anyway). According to H&RB statements, Jennings could pay over $1.045 million alone in taxes, more than any quiz show contestant.

However, the 1904 Olympics also awarded silver trophies for first place, which makes Athens 1906 the first games that awarded the three medals only. H&R Block, the firm named in the answer he 'missed', announced in a press release (http://www.hrblock.com/presscenter/pressreleases/pressRelease.jsp?PRESS_RELEASE_ID=1245) that they were offering him a deal for free tax preparation and financial services for the rest of his life. The practice of awarding medals to the top three competitors was introduced in 1904; at the 1896 Olympics only the first two received a medal, silver and bronze, while various prizes were awarded in 1900. Jennings’ success has resulted in him being a popular individual amongst corporations looking for public endorsers. In some events contested by a single-elimination tournament (most notably boxing), third place might not be determined, in which case both semi-final losers receive bronze medals.
. (Though they used to indeed be of solid gold, they are now actually gilted silver, making the description somewhat inaccurate.) The runners-up receive silver medals, and the third-place athletes bronze medals. By finishing second ahead of Vered, Jennings not only tied Lygo's 150 opponents defeated record, but joined Rutter as the only two American game show contestants to top $3 million (US) in total winnings.

The winners receive what are called "gold medals". The winner of the tournament and $2 million prize was Brad Rutter, with a total of $62,000 earned over the three days. The athletes (or teams) who place first, second, or third receive medals. Jerome Vered finished with a total of $20,600 for third place. For all events held at the Olympic Games, a classification is made up. In the final, Jennings faced off against Jerome Vered and Brad Rutter in a three day tournament for $2 million ($500,000 for 2nd place and $250,000 for third place). After the three days, Ken Jennings finished in 2nd place with a tally of $34,599. Main article: Olympic medallists. If Jennings won the three-day final, he would have broken Lygo's record.

The 2000 and 2002 Olympics showed that the battle is not nearly over, as several medallists in weightlifting and cross-country skiing were disqualified after doping offences. During his original run, Jennings defeated 149 opponents. In the late 1990s, the IOC took initiative in a more organised battle against doping, leading to the formation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in 1999. In the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, Jennings had a chance to break Lygo's record of defeating 150 opponents. In 1990, documents were revealed that showed many East German athletes, especially women, had been administered anabolic steroids and other drugs by their coaches and trainers, as a government policy. After Jennings' 75th show, he tied Lygo's record of 75 consecutive appearances and, with 74 wins, he almost reached Lygo's record of 75 consecutive game show wins. Despite the tests, many athletes used doping without being caught. Ian Lygo appeared on the British game show 100% 75 consecutive times and won every game until he was forced to retire by the show's producers.

The most publicised doping-related disqualification was that of Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson, who won the 100 m at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, but tested positive for stanozolol. Jennings broke almost every game show record in his run. More than fifty athletes followed him over the next 34 years, several medal winners among them. Oddly, however, during the 74th game, which aired on Monday, November 29, Gilbert resumed announcing the number of games. The first Olympic athlete to test positive for doping use was Hans-Gunnar Liljenwall, a Swedish pentathlete at the 1968 Summer Olympics, who lost his bronze medal for alcohol use. To make it more difficult for viewers to keep track of Ken's progress towards his final episode, in early September 2004 the show's announcer, Johnny Gilbert, ceased mentioning the number of games that Jennings had won, as had been the show's custom. However, some people in the studio audience reported that he was still announcing them, possibly meaning those parts had been edited out of the airing. In the mid-1960s sports federations put a ban on doping, and the IOC followed suit in 1967. The reasoning behind the early airing was reportedly due to a technician running the wrong tape.

As was later established he had been doped with amphetamines. In an interesting turn of events, the 75th episode was aired early in the Macon, Georgia area (on WMAZ-TV, see here (http://www.freep.com/entertainment/tvandradio/tv1e_20041201.htm)) on Friday, November 26, 2004. At the games in Rome the Danish Knut Enemark Jensen fell from his bicycle and died. Later on, it was determined that Ken Jennings did indeed lose as initially reported with the failing episode shown in most cities across North America on Tuesday, November 30, 2004. As these methods became more extreme, gradually the awareness grew that this was no longer a matter of health through sports. The first olympic death caused by doping occurred in 1960. Despite this, Jeopardy! refused to comment. For example, the winner of the marathon at the 1904 Games, Thomas Hicks, was given strychnine and brandy by his coach, even during the race. A few days later, another rumor spread giving out an incorrect first name of the contestant that had beat him.

In the early 20th century, many Olympic athletes used drugs to enhance their performance. (Jeopardy! tapes five shows per day.) This incident was reported by TV Week and the Associated Press, appearing in hundreds of newspapers across the United States. One of the major problems facing the Olympics (and international sports in general) is doping, or performance enhancing drugs. In a rumor (http://www.kottke.org/04/09/some-ken-jennings-news) disclosed on Wednesday, September 8, 2004, two sources who were at the taping on September 7, 2004 reported that Jennings had lost on his 75th episode, taped the day before, with total winnings at around $2.5 million. The sizes of these markings are limited. Jennings' adjusted total of $37,500 puts him ahead of that mark. Athletes are only allowed to have the names of clothing and equipment manufacturers on their outfit. Four contestants finished with scores of $30,000 or higher in the pre-doubling era, led by Jerome Vered's score of $34,000.

Advertisement regulations are still very strict, at least on the actual playing field, although "Official Olympic Sponsors" are common. Jennings's top score of $75,000 is the highest ever, even if it is adjusted for the seasons before the clue values were doubled. As of 2004, the only sport in which no professionals compete is boxing; in men's football (but not in the women's game) the number of players over 23 years of age is limited to three per team. Jennings has reached the $50,000 mark eleven times, with wins of $75,000, $55,099, $52,000 (three times), and $50,000 (six times). This switch was perhaps best exemplified by the American Dream Team, composed of well paid NBA stars, which won the Olympic gold medal in basketball in 1992. Myron Meyer won $50,000 on September 5, 2002, and Brian Weikle won $52,000 on April 14, 2003. In the 1980s, amateurism regulations were relaxed, and eventually completely abolished in the 1990s. Prior to Jennings's run, the $50,000 mark had only been reached twice before.

Nevertheless, the IOC held on to amateurism. Jennings now also holds most of the top spots in the list of highest single day winnings on Jeopardy!. For example, many athletes from Eastern European nations were officially employed by the government, but effectively given opportunity to train all day, thereby only being amateurs in name. If winnings are further adjusted to make them comparable to the seasons before the clue values were doubled, Jennings's adjusted total of $78,000 would place him 11th in the Trebek era of Jeopardy!, behind Frank Spangenberg ($102,597) and nine others. It gradually became clear to many that the amateurism rules had become outdated. No other Jeopardy! contestant has won more than $150,000 in non-tournament play in the first five days. Twenty-four years later, Swiss and Austrian skiers boycotted the 1936 Winter Olympics in support of their skiing teachers, who were not allowed to compete because they were considered to be professionals, earning money with their sport. The previous record holder, Tom Walsh, won $184,900 in seven days, but only $118,100 of that came in the first five days.

1912 Olympic pentathlon and decathlon champion Jim Thorpe was disqualified when it was discovered that he played semi-professional baseball prior to winning his medals (he was restored by the IOC in 1983). Sean Ryan was the first to break the record, winning six games in October 2003. This exclusion of professionals has caused several controversies throughout the history of the modern Olympics. Jennings won US$156,000 in his first five days on Jeopardy!, so if the five-day rule had not been eliminated, he would still be the all-time non-tournament winner in Jeopardy! history. The exception to this were the fencing instructors, who were indeed expected to be gentlemen. Comprehensive game summaries for each day of Ken Jennings' streak have been compiled here. As in most cases only amateurs were considered such, professional athletes were not allowed to compete in the Olympic Games. With three consecutive losses in the Ultimate Tournament of Champions in addition to the loss in his previous Jeopardy appearance, Jennings has now lost four episodes in a row.

In Coubertin's vision, athletes should be gentlemen. Jennings also holds the record for the number of consecutive losses on Jeopardy. Some demonstration sports, such as baseball and curling were eventually included as full-medal events. Jennings' current total of US$3,022,700 could be increased to US$3,272,700 if he wins the next Tournament of Champions for the season in which his streak ended, thus retaking the title of highest total winnings on Jeopardy or any other game show. These sports were sometimes sports only popular in the host nation, but also internationally known sports have been demonstrated.
The following records, having been set by Ken Jennings, have now been broken by others:. The objective was for these sports to reach a big audience through the Olympics; the winners of these events are not properly Olympic champions. Jennings bested 149 opponents during his tenure.

Until 1992, the Olympics often also featured so-called demonstration sports. ** In 100%, Lygo faced two opponents per game. Although no sports have been excluded from the programme since the 1920s, the IOC has indicated it may do so after the 2008 Games if sports no longer fit in the programme. * Lygo was forced to retire by producer RTL Group. The growth of the Olympics also means that some less popular (modern pentathlon) or expensive (white water canoeing) sports have to fear for their place on the Olympic programme. Three game show records remained that Jennings did not tie or break:. Examples of such sports include snowboarding and beach volleyball. He also tied the following records:.

In recent years, the IOC has added several new sports to the programme to attract attention from young spectators. During his streak, Jennings broke the following records:. In addition, figure skating and ice hockey have also been contested as part of the Summer Games before introduction of separate Winter Olympics. During his Jeopardy! appearances, Jennings became known for several quirky behaviors:. Of these, cross country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, nordic combined, ski jumping and speed skating have featured on the programme at all Winter Olympics. Harry Friedman, Executive Producer of the show, said in the release, "The 2003 rule change, which allows Jeopardy! players to keep playing until they're defeated, raised the question about how other five-time champions might have played under this rule. This tournament is an opportunity to give those past champions another chance to shine." On May 25, Ken Jennings finished second in the Ultimate Tournament of Champions, winning half a million dollars but has been replaced as the number one overall winner of money on a gameshow by Brad Rutter, the two million dollar winner of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions. At the most recent Winter Olympics, 7 sports were conducted, or 15 if one splits up sports such as skiing and skating. The three-day finals concluded the event on May 23, May 24, and May 25.

If the 1896 rowing events had not been cancelled due to bad weather, they would have been included in this list as well. The tournament was taped in early 2005 and the tournament began airing on February 9. 9 sports were on the original Olympic programme in 1896: athletics (track and field), cycling, fencing, gymnastics, weightlifting, shooting, swimming, and wrestling. Guaranteed prize money will be offered to all contestants. If one splits up sports such as aquatics, there were 37 different sports. The Ultimate Tournament of Champions offered a substantial purse, with a grand prize of $2,000,000 to the winner, $500,000 for second, and $250,000 for third. At the 2004 Olympics, events were held in 28 sports, per the IOC count. This equaled a total of 145 players, including Jennings.

In detail: Olympic sports. It featured Tournament of Champions Champions, College Championship, and Teen Tournament winners from the show's 21-year run, as well as over 100 undefeated five-time champions. Afterwards the Olympic Anthem is played while the Olympic Flag is lowered, and the Olympic Flame is then extinguished. On December 28, 2004, Sony sent out press release announcing their 15-week, 75-show, Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions. A fringed Olympic Flag is presented to the mayor of the host city of the next Olympic Games. Work on the series will begin summer 2005 with a launch date set for late 2005 or 1st qtr 2006. The host city of the next Olympic Games is then introduced; traditionally three flags are raised - the flag of Greece, the flag of the host nation of the current Games, and the flag of the host nation of the next Games. According to Comedy Central execs, Jennings would co-host and participate but would not elaborate any further on the show’s format.

The IOC president then gives a speech, which nowadays include giving a verdict on the success of the Games, presenting the Olympic Order award to the organizers of the Games, and declaring the Games closed. According to Variety.com (‘Trivia titan gets series’, 5/23/05) Ken Jennings and Michael Davies (Who Wants to be a Millionaire & Win Ben Stein's Money) are teaming up as executive producers on a new game show format for Comedy Central. The athletes again march into the stadium, but they march in random order, not divided by country, symbolizing the unity of all participants at the end of the Games. Combined with a ten percent tithe, this would leave him approximately $1,230,430 to use for other purposes. The closing ceremonies have, since the 1956 Summer Olympics, become less structured than the opening ceremonies. H&R Block senior vice president David Byers estimated that Jennings would owe approximately $1.04 million in taxes on his winnings. Apart from these traditional elements, the host nation ordinarily presents artistic displays of dance and theatre representative of that country. Taking advantage of its fame over the crucial clue, H&R Block offered Jennings free financial services for the rest of his life.

(The Olympic Flame has been lit since the 1928 Summer Olympics, but the torch relay didn't start until the 1936 Summer Olympics.) The lighting of the Olympic Flame is followed by the release of doves, symbolising peace; this was first done at the post–World War I 1920 Summer Olympics and discontinued after several doves were burned alive in the Olympic Flame during the 1988 Summer Olympics opening. Jeopardy! contestants typically receive their winnings approximately 120 days after their last game airs in the form of a check. The last carrier of the torch, often a well-known athlete from the host nation, then lights the fire in the stadium's cauldron. When asked what he intended to do with his winnings, Jennings said that he intends to tithe ten percent to his church, donate to public television and National Public Radio, go on a trip to Europe, and invest the rest for his family. Finally, the penultimate runner in the Olympic Flame relay brings a torch into the stadium, passing the flame to the last carrier. On May 24th, 2005, Comedy Central announced that Jennings would be the host of a new comedic quiz show to replace the cancelled Chappelle's Show". Then, the flag bearers of all countries circle around a rostrum, where one athlete (since the 1920 Summer Olympics) and one referee (since the 1972 Summer Olympics) speak the Olympic Oath, declaring they will compete and judge according to the rules. A&E aired on December 1, 2004 an episode of the Biography television program on Jennings and other Jeopardy! notables, including Frank Spangenberg and Eddie Timanus.

Next, the Olympic Anthem is played, and the Olympic Flag rises in the stadium. TV Guide featured a segment of "The Top Ten TV Moments of 2004," in which Ken Jennings' loss placed third. After all nations have entered, the president of the host country's Olympic Organizing Committee makes a speech, followed by the IOC president, who at the end of his speech, introduces the organizing country's head of state, who in turn formally opens the Olympics. While on his media tour following his final game, Jennings taped a segment for a future episode of Sesame Street. (Exceptionally, in 2004 when the Games were held in Greece, Greece marched last as host nation rather than first, although the Flag of Greece was carried in first.) Between these two, all other participating nations march in alphabetical order of the dominant language of the host country, or in English alphabetical order if the host country does not write its dominant language using an alphabet. Barbara Walters selected Jennings as one of the "Ten Most Fascinating People of 2004" for her twelfth annual ABC News special, which aired on December 8, 2004. Traditionally (starting at the 1928 Summer Olympics) Greece marches first, because of their historical status as the origin of the Olympics, while the host nation marches last. news programming and on Nightline.

One honoured athlete, typically a top competitor, from each country carries the flag of his or her nation leading the entourage of other athletes from that country. Jennings appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman to present Letterman's "Top Ten List." He appeared again on the program on the night his final show was televised, in addition to interview segments airing that night on local 11 p.m. The traditional part of the ceremonies starts with a parade of nations, during which most participating athletes march into the stadium country by country. it's not like Millionaire.". The ceremonies typically start with the performing of the host country's national anthem. During that guest appearance, Jennings said that, "Jeopardy! is a man's game .. Various traditional elements frame the opening ceremonies of a celebration of the Olympic Games. There Jennings revealed that he had failed to qualify for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, also hosted by Regis Philbin.

Though torches have played a part historically, the relay was introduced in 1936. After his 31st win on Jeopardy!, during the summer break between tapings, Jennings made a guest appearance on Live with Regis and Kelly. There it plays an important role in the opening ceremonies. Jennings has received a good deal of American media coverage. The Olympic Flame is lit in Olympia and brought to the host city by runners carrying the torch in relay. Jeopardy! ratings went up 62 percent during his run on the show (11.1 million viewers was a ten-year high); for three weeks in July 2004 and for most of the latter part of Jennings's run, it surpassed traditional leader Wheel of Fortune to become television's highest-rated syndicated program. The official Olympic Motto is "Citius, Altius, Fortius", a Latin phrase meaning "Swifter, Higher, Stronger". Coubertin's ideals are probably best illustrated by the Olympic Creed:. Jennings's winning streak on Jeopardy! has made him something of a celebrity.

It is hoisted at each celebration of the Games. On December 1, the show broke with tradition by having Jennings make a "guest appearance" at the start of the broadcast, during which host Alex Trebek acknowledged his success and enumerated the various game show records he'd broken. The flag was adopted in 1914, but the first Games it flew at was Antwerp, 1920. Along the way, Jennings defeated at least three contestants who are current quiz bowl players; in fact, according to a Washington Post article, at least one fellow NAQT employee was selected to appear on the show during Jennings' run (but, as someone with more than a casual acquaintance with Jennings, could not compete against him because of standards and practices rules). These colours, white (for the field), red, blue, green, yellow, and black were chosen such that each nation had at least one of these colours in its national flag. Zerg was defeated the following day, finishing in third place with $2, while Jennings' running time period totaled 182 calendar days, including his first and last appearances. They appear in five colours on a white field on the Olympic Flag. Most who saw the show would say this assessment was in keeping with his genial personality, since Zerg never appeared to be a serious contender until Jennings stumbled in the second half.

These five intertwined rings represent the unity of the five continents. Jennings reported in an interview that the loss was "no fluke" and that Zerg was a formidable opponent. The best known symbol is probably that of the Olympic Rings. Immediately after she won, Alex Trebek dubbed her a "giant-killer" for her accomplishment of finally beating the long-standing champ. The Olympic movement uses many symbols, most of them representing Coubertin's ideas and ideals. Zerg answered correctly, and she and Jennings shook hands and hugged as the audience gave the two of them a standing ovation. In detail: Olympic symbols. Jennings's final total, along with his second-place money, was $2,522,700.

They denied the allegations. The Final Jeopardy category was "Business and Industry"; the clue was: "Most of this firm's 70,000 seasonal white-collar employees work only four months a year." The correct response was: "What is H&R Block?"; Jennings responded with "what is FedEx?". In particular Bulgaria's member Ivan Slavkov and Muttaleb Ahmad from the Olympic Council of Asia were implicated. But Jennings proved to be his own worst enemy by 'missing' both Double Jeopardy! Daily Double questions (on which he had placed his usual high wagers) and the Final Jeopardy! question. The documentary claimed it is possible to bribe IOC members into voting for a particular candidate city. The third contestant, David Hankins, completed the Double Jeopardy round with a negative amount and was not allowed to participate in Final Jeopardy. A BBC documentary aired in August 2004 entitled Panorama: "Buying the Games" investigated the taking of bribes in the bidding process for the 2012 Summer Olympics. On November 30, 2004, Jennings' long reign as Jeopardy! champion finally came to an end when he lost his 75th game to challenger Nancy Zerg, who initially did not appear to be a threat to the champion.

Also, more active and former athletes were allowed in the IOC, and the membership terms have been limited. In theory, if Jennings had remained undefeated though the 2005-2006 season, there wouldn’t be a tournament of Champions for that season, because Jennings would be the sole champion. The scandal set off further reforms, changing the way in which host cities are elected to avoid further bribes. Since he did not lose before the 2004 Tournament was taped (which then aired from September 20 through October 1), he will have to wait until the 2005-06 season to compete in the Tournament of Champions. The IOC started an investigation, which led to four members resigning, and six being expelled. Jennings's run began with the episode aired on Monday, June 2, 2004, and spanned two seasons. In 1998, it became known that several IOC members had taken bribes from the organising committee for the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, in exchange for a vote on the city at the election of the host city. After this rule change, and until Jennings' run, the record winning streak was set by Tom Walsh, who won $186,900 ($184,900 in his winning episodes) in eight games in January 2004.

Samaranch's ties with the former fascist government in Spain, and his long term as a president (21 years), until he was 81 years old, have also been points of critique. At the beginning of the show's 20th season (in 2003), the rules were changed to allow contestants to remain on the show as long as they continued to win. Under his presidency, the Olympic Movement made great progress, but has been seen as autocratic and corrupt. Prior to 2003, Jeopardy! contestants were limited to five consecutive games. Especially the leadership of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch has been strongly criticised. He and his wife Mindy have a son named Dylan. In the past, the IOC has often been criticised for being a monolithic organization, with several members remaining a member at old age, or even until their deaths. He was a software engineer for CHG, a healthcare-placement firm.

More broadly speaking, the term Olympic Movement is sometimes also meant to include everybody and everything involved in the Olympics, such as national sport governing bodies, athletes, media and sponsors of the Olympic Games. He also writes questions and edits the literature and mythology categories for the National Academic Quiz Tournaments (NAQT), a quiz bowl organization. OCOGs are dissolved after the celebration of the Games, when all subsequent paperwork has been done. Now residing in Murray, Utah (a suburb of Salt Lake City), Jennings identifies himself as an avid comic book and movie buff with a website listing his top 2000 favorite movies. At present 202 NOCs and 35 IFs are part of the Olympic Movement. He served a two-year mission in Madrid, Spain from 1993 to 1995. Three groups of organisations operate on a more specialised level:. Jennings is a Mormon, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

It can be seen as the government of the Olympics, as it takes care of the daily problems and takes all important decisions, such as the host city of the Games and the programme of the Olympics. Jennings graduated with a degree in computer science and English at Brigham Young University, where he played on the school's quiz bowl team for three years. He completed an International Baccalaureate diploma at Seoul Foreign School, and achieved honors at both Brigham Young and the University of Washington. At the heart of the Olympic Movement is the International Olympic Committee (IOC), currently headed by Jacques Rogge. He watched Jeopardy! on the American Forces Network television while growing up. The rules and guidelines by which these organisations operate are outlined in the Olympic Charter. Born in Edmonds, Washington, Jennings grew up in Seoul, South Korea (1981–1992) and Singapore (1992–1996), where his father worked for an international law firm and then as Asia Pacific Division Counsel of Oracle Corporation. Together they form the Olympic Movement. Jennings held the record for most winnings on any game show ever played until the end of the Ultimate Tournament of Champions on May 25, 2005, when he was displaced by Brad Rutter.

A number of organisations are involved in organising the Olympic Games. His total winnings on Jeopardy! are $3,022,700 ($2,520,700 during his original run, and $500,000 in the Jeopardy! Ultimate Tournament of Champions). During the 2004 Summer Games at Athens, Greece, judoka Arash Miresmaeili intentionally overate, exceeding the weight-limit and forfeiting his match against Israeli Ehud Vaks; the first time this had happened at the Olympics. 74 games before he was defeated by Nancy Zerg on his 75th appearance. Iran's general sporting boycott of Israel is manifest not in explicit refusal to compete (which would attract sanctions) but in withdrawals due to "injuries" and similar reasons. He will often say "What's...?" instead of "What is...?". Three other Communist nations (Cuba, Ethiopia and Nicaragua) stayed away in solidarity, though it was not officially announced as a boycott so as to avoid IOC censure. When guessing, he would phrase his responses in such a way as to make it clear he was in doubt of the answer himself, and openly expressed surprise when he gave the correct response.

In 1988, North Korea boycotted the Seoul Olympics to protest at not being made co-host with South Korea. He often shook his head in disbelief when his total cash winnings were announced at the start of each episode/game. The Soviet Union and 14 of its Eastern Bloc partners countered by skipping the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, arguing the safety of their athletes could not be guaranteed there. Jennings has only made three other attempts to break Weikle's $52,000 record (in his 30th, 39th, and 65th games), but incorrect Final Jeopardy! responses prevented him from succeeding. The United States and 64 other Western nations refused to compete at the Moscow Olympics in 1980, for reason of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, but 16 other Western nations competed at the Moscow Olympics. On his 71st game, he broke the record a second time with a win of $55,099. In 1980 and 1984 the cold war opponents boycotted each other's games. However, in his 38th game, Jennings entered Final Jeopardy with a total only $600 shy of the record (and, in fact, had exceeded the record in the Double Jeopardy round before missing a question at the end), and beat it with a final total of $75,000.

Taiwan refused and did not participate as a result. Prior to his 30th game, Jennings did not want to beat the $52,000 single-day record of former five-day champion Brian Weikle just "for the sake of beating it" (from the Jeopardy! forums). He intentionally tied his record three times. Also in 1976, Canada told the team from Taiwan that it could not compete at the Montreal Summer Olympics under the name 'Republic of China', despite a compromise that would have allowed Taiwan to use the ROC flag and anthem. Host Alex Trebek commented on this several times, and he even occasionally guessed what wager Jennings would make. 22 countries (Guyana was the only non-african nation) boycotted the Montreal Olympics, because New-Zealand wasn´t banned. On Final Jeopardy and the Daily Doubles he almost always wagered an amount that could bring his total to a multiple of $5,000 or $1,000. A lot of sympathy was felt for the athletes forced by their governments to leave the Olympic Village; there was little sympathy outside Africa for the governments' attitude. He often pronounced foreign words, phrases, or locations with an accent.

The countries withdrew their teams after the games had started; some African athletes had already competed. Also, he supposedly keeps a little piece of a fan's "popo" (pillow) in his coat pocket. The IOC conceded in the first 2 cases, but refused in 1976 because the boycott was prompted by a New Zealand rugby union tour to South Africa, and rugby was not an Olympic sport. He kept a plush "Totoro" toy, from the movie My Neighbor Totoro in his pocket, as a good luck charm. In 1968, 1972, and 1976, a large number of African countries threatened the IOC with a boycott, to force them to ban respectively South Africa, Rhodesia, and New Zealand. Each day he wrote his name in a different way, with styles ranging from simple (such as cursive script or block letters) to artistic (such as dots or a bas relief outline). In 1956 the Games were boycotted by the Netherlands, Spain and Switzerland, because of the withdrawal of the Hungarian Uprising by the Warsaw Pact - furthermore the Melbourne Games were boycotted by Cambodia, Egypt, Iraq and the Lebanon, because of the Suez Crisis.

. The IOC declared participants in GANEFO personae non gratae for the Olympic Games. In 1963, various newly-independent nations set up a challenge to the IOC called GANEFO (Games of the New Emerging Forces), which openly espoused politics in sport. The USOC opted for the former.

As a result, the IOC told the USOC to either send the two athletes home, or to withdraw the complete track and field team. Two African American track-and-field athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, performed the Black Power salute on the victory stand of the 200-meter track and field race. A political incident on a smaller scale occurred at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. Politics also interfered with the Olympics on several other occasions, the most well-known of which was the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin; the games were used as propaganda by the German Nazis.

Furthermore a bomb exploded in the Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, USA, during the Summer Olympics in 1996, two persons died and several were injured. This event is known today as the Munich Massacre. A failed liberation attempt led to the deaths of all of the abducted athletes, along with five of the terrorists and a policeman. In 1972, when the Summer Games were held in Munich, West Germany, eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage by Palestinian terrorists.

In fact, three Olympiads had to pass without Olympics because of war — due to World War I the 1916 Games were cancelled, and because of World War II the games of 1940 and 1944 were also skipped. Despite what Coubertin had hoped for, the Olympics did not stop wars from happening. Also, since 1980, Taiwan has competed under the name "Chinese Taipei", and under a flag specially prepared by the IOC (prior to that year the People's Republic of China refused to participate in the Games because Taiwan had been competing under the name "Republic of China"). Examples of this include territories such as Puerto Rico, Bermuda, and Hong Kong, all of which compete as sovereign nations despite the fact that politically they are considered part of another country and their residents do not carry citizenship from that nation.

As a result, many colonies and dependencies are permitted to host their own Olympic teams and atheletes even if such competitors hold the same citizenship as another member nation. This is because the International Olympic Committee allows nations to compete which do not meet the strict requirements for political sovereignty that many other international organizations demand. This is noticeably higher number than the number of countries recognized by the United Nations, which is only 192. Over 200 countries currently participate in the Olympics.

Although allowing professional athletes and attracting sponsorships from major international companies solved financial problems in the 1980s, the large number of athletes, media and spectators makes it difficult and expensive for host cities to organize the Olympics. The growth of the Olympics is the largest problem the Olympics face today. In 2000, an estimated 3.8 billion viewers watched the Olympics on television. With over 16,000 broadcasters and journalists present in Sydney, the Olympics are one of the largest media events, together with the Football World Cup.

The number of competitors at the Winter Olympics is much smaller than at the summer edition; 2,400 athletes competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City in 78 events. From the 245 participants from 15 nations in 1896, the Games grew to more than 10,500 competitors from 200 countries at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Either way, the 1906 Games again attracted a broad international field of participants — in 1904, 80% had been American — and great public interest, thereby marking the beginning of a rise in popularity and size of the Games. Most contemporary Olympic historians, however, consider them to be official Olympic Games.

The so-called Intercalated Games (because of their "off-year" status) were held in 1906 in Athens, as the first of an alternating series of Athens-held Olympics. Although originally the IOC recognised and supported these games, they are currently not recognised by the IOC as Olympic Games, which has given rise to the explanation that they were intended to mark the 10th anniversary of the Modern Olympics. Louis (1904) were overshadowed by the world's fair exhibitions in which they were included. The celebrations in Paris (1900) and St. After the initial success, the Olympics struggled.

In detail: Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics. The IOC decided differently, however, and the second Olympic Games took place in Paris, France. The Greek officials and public were also very enthusiastic, and they even proposed to be allowed to have the monopoly on organizing the Olympics. Although the total number of athletes did not exceed 250, they had been the largest international sports event ever held.

The first modern Olympic Games were a success. To organize the Games, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) was established, with the Greek Demetrius Vikelas as its first president. On the last day of the congress, it had been decided that the first modern Olympic Games would take place in 1896 in Athens, in the country of their birth. In a congress at the Sorbonne University, in Paris, held from June 16 to June 23, 1894 he presented his ideas to an international audience.

In his eyes, the recovery of the Olympic Games would achieve both of these goals. In 1890 he attended the Wenlock Olympian Society. Coubertin also thought of a way to bring nations closer together, to have the youth of the world compete in sports, rather than fight in war. He thought the reason was that the French had not received proper physical education, and sought to improve this. At the same time, Pierre, Baron de Coubertin, founder of modern Olympics, searched for a reason for the French defeat in the Franco-Prussian War (1870–1871).

Over the next few centuries, similar events were organized in France and Greece, but these were all small-scale and certainly not international. The interest in reviving the Olympics grew when the ruins of ancient Olympia were uncovered by German archaeologists in the mid-19th century. Already in the 17th century a sports festival named after the Olympic Games was held in England. The Olympic Games did not die in 393. During competition for some of the events, many of the participants would use oils to keep their skin smooth, as well as provide an appealing luster to anyone who saw them.

Upon winning the games, the victor would get not only the prestige of being in first place but also a crown of olive leaves. Performers were usually naked, not only as the weather was appropriate but also as the festival was meant to be, in part, a celebration of the achievements of the human body. During the ancient times normally only young men competed. When Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire, the Olympic Games were seen as a "pagan" festival threatening Christian hegemony, and in 393 the emperor Theodosius outlawed the Olympics, ending a thousand year period of Olympic Games.

The Games gradually lost in importance as the Romans gained power in Greece. The most famous Olympic athlete lived in these times: The sixth century BC wrestler Milo of Croton is the only athlete in history to win a victory in six Olympics. The Greeks used Olympiads as one of their methods to count years. The Games were held every four years, and the period between two celebrations became known as an Olympiad.

The number of events increased to twenty, and the celebration was spread over several days. Winners of the events were broadly admired and were immortalised in poems and statues. The Olympics were of fundamental religious importance, contests alternating with sacrifices and ceremonies honouring both Zeus (whose colossal statue stood at Olympia), and Pelops, divine hero and mythical king of Olympia famous for his legendary chariot race, in whose honor the games were held. From that moment on, the Games slowly became more important throughout ancient Greece, reaching their zenith in the sixth and fifth centuries BC. The Games were then mostly a local affair, and only one event was contested, the stadion race.

The first recorded celebration of the Games in Olympia was in 776 BC, although this was certainly not the first time they were held. One of these legends associates the first Games with the ancient Greek concept of εκεχειρία (ekecheiria) or Olympic Truce. The origin of the ancient Olympic Games has been lost, although there are many legends surrounding its origins. In detail: Ancient Olympic Games.

Originally these were held in the same year as the Summer Olympics, but starting with 1994 the Winter Games are in between, two years after the Games of the Olympiad. A special edition for winter sports, the Olympic Winter Games, was established in 1924. In 2004, the Olympics returned to their ancient home in Greece for the XXVIII Olympiad. The Games of the Olympiad, better known as the Summer Olympics, have been held every fourth year since 1896, with the exception of the years during the World Wars.

Originally held in ancient Greece, they were revived by a French nobleman, Pierre Frèdy, Baron de Coubertin in the late 19th century. The Olympic Games , or Olympics, is an international multi-sport event taking place every fourth year. ISBN 1-56171-199-3. Books.

New Tork: S.P.I. Dishonored Games: Corruption, Money, and Greed at the Olympics. Simson, Vyv & Jennings, Andrew (1992). The Golden Book of the Olympic Games. Milan, Italy: Vallardi & Associati. ISBN 8-88520-235-7.

Kamper, Erich & Mallon, Bill (1992). ISBN 1-58567-195-9. New York: Overlook Press. The complete book of the Winter Olympics – Salt Lake City 2002.

Wallechinsky, David (2002). ISBN 1-58567-033-2. New York: Overlook Press. The complete book of the Summer Olympics – Sydney 2000 edition.

Wallechinsky, David (2000). Lanham: Scarecrow Press. ISBN 0-81084-054-5. Historical dictionary of the Olympic movement. Buchanan, Ian & Mallon, Bill (2001).

Olympic Stadium. Olympic mascot. Olympic Museum. Art competitions at the Olympic Games.

Paralympic Games. Deaflympic Games. International Society of Olympic Historians. Ancient Olympic Games.

Organising Committees for the Olympic Games (OCOGs) which take care of the organisation of a specific celebration of the Olympics. USOC, the NOC of the United States). National Olympic Committees (NOCs), which regulates the Olympic Movement within one country (e.g. FIFA, the IF for football (soccer)).

International Federations (IFs), the governing bodies of a sport (e.g.