# What's up with the Olympics? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722 "2000-08-09T17:55:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2000, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/1 "2000-08-09T17:55:37Z")
How come the Olympics in Sydney are not starting until mid-September? Aren’t they supposed to be the _summer_ Olympics? Do they always start at this time of the year, or is Sydney just special? ---
**Author:** ![Greg\_Charles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/839c29/32.png) [@Greg\_Charles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Greg_Charles)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2000, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/2 "2000-08-09T18:05:58Z")
Sidney is special. It’s in the southern hemisphere, so summer here is winter there. I think mid-September was chosen as sort of a compromise. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2000, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/3 "2000-08-09T20:06:39Z")
Yes. The Olympics will be held in spring in Sydney. This was a compromise. If they held them during Australian summer – February – most countries would not be able to hold the Olympic trials outdoors. They did the same thing in Melbourne in 1956, and would probably do it if any other southern hemisphere country won a bid. ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2000, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/4 "2000-08-09T22:09:54Z")
The Olympic Games can be held any time of the year. The official name is Games of the (###) Olympiad or the Olympic Games. The Winter Olympics are formally the Olympic Winter Games. Before 1924, no one ever called them the Summer Olympics as the other Olympic Games didn’t exist. Of course, summer is the logical time to hold them for most of the events. ---
**Author:** ![Sublight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Sublight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sublight)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/5 "2000-08-10T01:00:00Z")
IIRC, the 1964 Tokyo Olympics (summer games) were held in October. Ever since then, October 10 has been a Japanese national holiday: “Health and Sports Day.” –sublight. ---
**Author:** ![AWB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bb73d2/32.png) [@AWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AWB)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 1:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/6 "2000-08-10T13:01:08Z")
Actually, the Sydney Olympics were held in February, during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. All transportation and communication with Australia has been cut off for the last 7 months so that the result can be kept a secret until NBC needs a ratings boost. :D:D ---
**Author:** ![Outrider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9d8465/32.png) [@Outrider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Outrider)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/7 "2000-08-10T14:05:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AWB \* > \*\*Actually, the Sydney Olympics were held in February, during the Southern Hemisphere’s summer. All transportation and communication with Australia has been cut off for the last 7 months so that the result can be kept a secret until NBC needs a ratings boost. :D:D \*\* NBC needing a ratings boost? That’s simply preposterous! On a completely unrelated note, NBC has just announced that it will put disperse cameras throughout the Olympic compound and that each week, two athletes will be selected by their teammates. Viewers will call in and choose one to be voted out of the games. Unless of course…one of them wins an immunity challenge or uses a lifeline. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![hawthorne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c89c15/32.png) [@hawthorne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawthorne)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2000, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-up-with-the-olympics/28722/8 "2000-08-10T15:46:11Z")
[I’m from Melbourne] Yes, we have gagged Sydneysiders. Nothing to do with The Games though. picmr