The Olympics are an international athletic competition featuring multiple sporting events between athletes representing their country. They are formally called the Olympic Games.

There are two related but separate events called the Olympics: one hosted in winter, called the Winter Games, and one hosted in summer, called the Summer Games (they are commonly called the Winter Olympics and the Summer Olympics). The Winter Olympics feature winter sports, including figure skating, skiing, snowboarding, ice hockey, and many others. The Summer Olympics feature traditionally warm weather and indoor sports, like track and field, gymnastics, swimming, and basketball, among many others.

The Olympics are sometimes referred to as the Olympiad or the Games of the Olympiad, often incorporating the number of the current event. For example, the Summer Olympics in Tokyo will be known as the Games of the XXXII (32nd) Olympiad. The event is often referred to with the name of the host city, as in the Tokyo Olympics. Athletes who compete in the Olympic Games are called Olympians.

At the Olympics, the top three finishers in each event are famously awarded Olympic medals: gold for first place, silver for second place, and bronze for third place.

Because the Olympics often feature the best athletes in the world, winning a medal—or even competing—in them is considered one of the peaks of athletic achievement.

The modern Olympics are based on an ancient Greek festival and competition that’s also referred to as the Olympic Games. The ancient games featured a range of athletic competitions as well as patriotic and religious rituals.

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