Some Popular Olympic Sports
| Site: | English Across the Curriculum |
| Course: | The Olympic Games (A2 - B1) |
| Book: | Some Popular Olympic Sports |
| Printed by: | Guest user |
| Date: | Friday, 16 October 2026, 5:12 AM |
1. Weightlifting
Weightlifting is a sport as old as mankind. You need a combination of power and strength, speed and concentration, as well as timing. Women were allowed to lift weights for the first time at the 2000 Olympics.
Lidia Valentín from Spain at the 2012 Olympics
Image: Simon Q, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- mankind = humans as a group
- strength = being strong
- timing = to do something at the right time
2. Athletics
Athletics is about running faster, jumping higher and throwing further than other athletes. It is the heart of the games. Today , the most popular events are athletic: the 100 m dash, the long jump or the marathon.
Robert Harting throwing a discus
Image: Robert_Harting_von_der_Sportfördergruppe_Potsdam_der_Bundeswehr.jpg: Bundeswehr-Fotosderivative work: César, CC BY 2.0,
via Wikimedia Commons
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Words
- athlete = sportsman or sportswoman
- dash = very quick and short race
- event = one of the races or competitions that are part of the Olympic Games
3. Swimming
In today’s Olympics, men and women compete in 16 events each. The fastest swimmers compete in the freestyle race. There are also relay races for 4 swimmers.
400 meter relay race at the 2008 Olympics
Image: Jmex60, CC BY-SA 3.0,
via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- compete = to take part in a sports event against other athletes
- relay race = here: swimmers swim in a team - one after the other
4. Ice Skating
The Dutch were the first to skate across frozen rivers and canals. Very quickly, the sport spread to other parts of Europe and North America. Today, there are two main skating events : speed skating and figure skating.
Speed Skating at the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz
Image: Bundesarchiv, Bild 102-05456 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 DE,
via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- figure skating = you move in patterns across the ice
- speed skating = you race around an oval arena as fast as you can
- spread = to move from one place to another
5. Equestrian Events
Equestrian events were held for the first time in 1900. In the past, only military officers could take part. Today there are three disciplines: Jumping, dressage and eventing.
Equestrian sports at the 2012 Olympics
Image: Ian Patterson, CC BY 2.0,
via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- dressage = a horse rider performs many complicated movements with their horse
- equestrian = everything that is about horse-riding
- eventing = a sport in which horses do three things on three different days
6. Gymnastics
Gymnastics have a long and proud history. The sport goes back to the ancient games , where young men were prepared for war.
Today athletes compete on the floor, pommel horse, balance beam, rings etc..
Gymnast on parallel bars
Image: Pavel Ryčl, Attribution,
via Wikimedia Commons
Words
- ancient = old
- balance beam = a long, narrow wooden board on which gymnasts perform
- compete = to take part in a sports event
- pommel horse = an object that has two handles on the top, which you jump or swing your body over
- prepare = practice for something
- proud = to be very pleased or happy about something