The London Olympics are in full swing, and this year is the first time that every participating nation has sent women competitors. In another first, the USA has more women in their Olympic team than men. Overall, female athletes still only make up 40% of contestants, and it has been a long, hard road to … Continued
The Olympic Games are nearly upon us. My second Olympic blog is about the Marathon. Ancient Inspiration The founder of the Olympic Games, Baron de Coubertin, wanted an event that would be a real Olympic highlight. He invented the Marathon to fill that spot. Inspired by the ancient Greek messenger who ran from the Plain of Marathon … Continued
In the final countdown to the 2012 Olympic Games, I thought I might write a couple of blog posts on the subject. This is the first. The list of Olympic events varies a little from one Games to the next, but the list is pretty stable. In earlier Games, there were some rather odd events. … Continued
It’s 30 days till the London Olympics begin. I have updated my book about the history of the modern Olympics, The Games. And it is now in the shops. I’m not really a sporty person, but writing this book has given me a real interest in the Olympics. I’m keen to see who will be … Continued
I have two new books out this month. They are both non-fiction. The first isn’t completely new, it’s a new edition of my book on the Olympic Games. It has a new cover, a new title — The Games: The extraordinary history of the modern Olympics — and it’s been completely updated. It’s full of … Continued