Why Are the Olympics Held Every Four Years?

This article focuses on the historical origins and scheduling of the Olympic Games. It explains that the tradition of holding the Summer and Winter Olympics every four years dates back to the ancient Olympic Games, first held in 776 BC in Greece to honor the god Zeus, with time measured in four-year periods called Olympiads. The ancient games were discontinued in 393 AD by Emperor Theodosius I but were revived in the late 19th century by French educator Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the modern Olympics. The International Olympic Committee later adjusted the schedule so that the Summer and Winter Games occur two years apart within each Olympiad. Exceptions to the four-year cycle have occurred during major global events such as World War I and the COVID-19 pandemic.