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spread out from May through October to coincide with the Paris Exposition. The Summer Olympics have now spanned into the 21st century and have become the ultimate crowning achievement for athletes worldwide. The Games have evolved with the addition and removal of events, the scope of media coverage, the addition of a separate Winter Olympics, and the emergence of both the Special Olympics and Paralympic Games. The Olympics have been the site of great athletic feats and sportsmanship. They have presented tragedy, triumph, controversy, and political grandstanding. There have been legendary athletes, remarkable human-interest stories, doping allegations, boycotts, terrorist attacks, and three cancellations because of worldwide war. Yet the Olympics, with its five interlocking rings and eternal flame, remain a symbol of unity and hope.

The United States hosted its first Games in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri, which, like Paris, spread the Games over several months in conjunction with the World Fair. The presentation of gold, silver, and bronze medals for finishing first, second, and third in each event began at this Olympics. More than 2,000 athletes competed in England at the 1908 London Games, which were originally scheduled for Rome but reassigned once organizers discovered the Italian capital would not be ready in time. In London, the marathon race was extended by 195 meters so the finish line would be just below the royal box in the stadium and thus the 26.2 miles from the 1908 edition went on to become the official marathon distance beginning with the 1924 Paris Games.

What Are the Summer Olympics? • What Are the Su mer Olympics?

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