Talk:Wenlock Olympian Society Annual Games

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[edit] Biased View Presented by the Wenlock Olympian Society

Be aware that the Wenlock Olympian Society presents a biased opinion and view on the history of the revival of the Olympic Games that is based on selected facts.

The Wenlock Olympian Society claims that Dr William Penny Brookes was THE founder of the modern Olympic Games and that Much Wenlock is THE birthplace of the modern Olympic Games.

In 2002 they still claimed that Much Wenlock was THE birthplace of the Olympic Games despite the fact that the Olympic Games originated in ancient Greece.

Unfortunately, their claim is not based on fact. Backing up those claims with quotations from former Presidents of the International Olympic Committee does not make their claims any more factual. It's just a manipulative way of backing up their biased version of history.

The Wenlock Olympian Society has chosen to ignore the fact that the first modern international Olympic Games was held in Athens in 1859. It has also chosen to ignore the fact that the first modern international Olympic Games to be held in a stadium was held in Athens in the Panathenian stadium in 1870.

A much more realistic claim is that Dr Brookes was THE founder of the Modern Olympic Movement since the first worthy Olympic Games to be held outside of Greece was the national Olympic Games held at Crystal Palace in London in 1866. The IOC's revival adopted the strategy of moving the Olympic Games around the world from country to country and Baron Pierre de Coubertin adopted many of Dr Brookes' ideas in the organisation of the Olympic Games. Founder of the Modern Olympic Movement is a reasonable title to give to Dr Brookes.

To claim that Dr Brookes' founded the modern Olympic Games and to ignore the fact that Evangelos Zappas made the first international Olympic Games happen in 1859 ^[1] just makes it obvious that they are selective with the historical truth.

Similarly, to claim that the revival in Greece was anything less than the Wenlock Olympian Games is ridiculous. The Wenlock Olympian Society needs to formally recognise the achievements of Evangelos Zappas and the revival in Greece. Nipsonanomhmata 22:37, 1 July 2007 (UTC)