The Amazing Amsterdam Olympics of 1928!

Get ready for a trip back in time to the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam, where new traditions were born and amazing athletes shone bright!

Images

Phil Edwards of Canada (centre) competing in the men’s 800 metres race during the IX Summer Olympic Games, 1928 / Phil Edwards (au centre), du Canada, à l’épreuve du 800 mètres hommes, aux iXe Jeux Olympiques d’été, 1928

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Public Instruction Activities at the Teachers' Training College, Lecturer in Music, and class learning to play the recorder, April 1951

Percy Williams of Canada (4th from left) winning a gold medal in the men’s 200 metres race at the IX Summer Olympic Games / Percy Williams (4e à gauche), du Canada, remportant la médaille d’or à l’épreuve du 200 m, aux IXe Jeux Olympiques d’été

Myrtle Cook of Canada (left) winning a preliminary heat in the women's 100 metres race at the VIIIth Summer Olympic Games / Myrtle Cook (à gauche), du Canada, remportant une éliminatoire pour l'épreuve du 100 mètres femmes, aux VIIIe Jeux Olympiques d'été

Ethel Smith (left) and Fanny Rosenfeld (2nd from left) of Canada, at the IX Summer Olympic Games, 1928 / Ethel Smith (à gauche) et Fanny Rosenfeld (2e à partir de la gauche) du Canada, aux IXe Jeux Olympiques d’été

Percy Williams of Canada (right) competing in the VIIIth Summer Olympic Games / Percy Williams (à droite), du Canada, en train de participer aux VIIIe Jeux Olympiques d'été

Percy Williams of Canada (4th from left) competing in the men’s 200 metres race during the IX Summer Olympic Games, 1928 / Percy Williams (4e à gauche), du Canada, à l’épreuve du 200 mètres hommes, aux IXe Jeux Olympiques d’été, 1928

Key Facts

Host City

Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Games of the

IX Olympiad.

First Olympic Flame

Lit for the first time in 1928.

Parking Sign

The 'P' for parking sign was invented for these games.

Welcome to the Games!

Imagine a huge party with athletes from all over the world! That's what the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Netherlands, were like. It was a super exciting time filled with sports, cheering, and making new friends.

This was the first time the Olympics were officially called the 'Summer Olympic Games' to tell them apart from winter sports. It was a big deal for the city of Amsterdam to host such a grand event!

New Sparkles and Traditions!

Guess what? The 1928 Olympics started a tradition that still happens today: a special flame was lit! It was like a magical signal for the Games to begin. Also, for the first time, athletes marched into the stadium with their country's flag, starting with Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics, and ending with the host country, the Netherlands. It made everyone feel proud and connected!

Superstars of the Stadium!

So many incredible athletes showed off their skills! Paavo Nurmi from Finland won his ninth gold medal, which is like winning a gold star nine times! Percy Williams from Canada was super fast and won two running races. And guess what? A young girl named Betty Robinson from the USA won a race so fast, she set a new world record! She was only 16 years old!

Fun Facts from the Field!

Did you know that women competed in running and gymnastics for the very first time? It was a big step! Also, a special sign for parking cars, a white 'P' on a blue background, was invented for the Amsterdam Olympics and is still used everywhere today. The Olympic Stadium built for these games is still used for sports events, which is pretty cool!

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Based on content from Wikipedia · Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0