Title: The history of the Olympics: Ancient Games date back to 776 BC - ABC News
Headings: The history of the Olympics: Ancient Games date back to 776 BC
The history of the Olympics: Ancient Games date back to 776 BC
Content: Pelops, king of Pisa in the Peloponnese, is venerated in Greek mythology as the founder of the Olympic Games. Aris MessinisAFP/Getty Images
Actress Katerina Lechou, playing a high priestess lights a torch at The Panathenaic Stadium in Athens on October 31, 2017, during the handover ceremony of the Olympic flame for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. Initially, the games had only one event: the "stadion" foot-race. Coroebus of Elis, a Greek cook, was the first recorded winner of the contest in 776 B.C., according to historical records. The ancient games were closely linked to the religious festivals of the cult of Zeus, and Olympia became a central site for the worship of the king of the Olympian gods. The games continued for nearly 12 centuries until Roman emperor Theodosius banned them in 393 A.D., decrying them as pagan cults. Getty Images
The Olympic medals from the 1896 Games in Athens, the first Olympic games of the modern era. The Olympic Games were revived in the 19th century and have since become the world's premier sporting competition. The first modern games were held in Athens, Greece, in 1896.