The 2016 Rio Summer Olympics is now well under way. With the "overwhelming force", Chinese athletes have won 8 gold medals in the first three days, ranking second in the gold medal standings. People always take delight in talking about the Olympics Games as a wonderful sports event. Actually, there is a history deserved to be mentioned between the Olympics Games and the World Expo. The Olympic Games and the World Expo are often likened to a pair of twin brothers with close connections between them. As we all know, modern Olympic Games originated in 1896 in Athens, whereas the history of the World Expo could date back to the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations in London in 1851.

The First Olympic Games Athens, 1896

The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations in London in 1851

In the academia of the World Expo, it is a common sense that the concept of modern Olympic Games came from the World Expo, though the Olympic Games could not be held at the World Expo. This argument does not accurately state the historical fact that the Olympic Games starts from the World Expo,however, by analyzing the course of its birth, we can find that such statement is not false.

Connections between Pierre DE Coubertin, the father of Olympic Games, and the World Expo

The earliest experience of Pierre DE Coubertin, the father of Olympic Games, of the World Expo, was the third World Expo held in Paris in 1878, when he was 15 years old. At that World Expo, a model of the ancient Olympic site was displayed in the German Pavilion, which impressed young Coubertin deeply. Itwas the first time for him to intuitively understand the ancient Olympics described in the textbooks. From then on, the image of ancient Olympic Games began to take root in his heart

Pierre De Coubertin

In 1889, from the success of the fourth World Expo in Paris, Coubertin saw many similarities between the ancient Olympic Games and the World Expo: both of them were big events to promote the friendship of all people, enhance the communication, and keep peace. At the same time, he saw a bright prospect of a world party within the sports field, and such international sports exchange mode also became crystal clear in his mind.

In 1893, as a representative of the French government officials, Pierre DE Coubertin went to Chicago to visit the World Expo there, and was present in some World Expo activities, such as the education conference and the world religion conference. He realized the importance of internationalism, which was accordingly included in the spirits of the modern Olympic Games. The World Expo promoted the "Goods Competition", and also gave rise to the "Body Competition" objectively. That is why the Olympic Games are believed to derive from the World Expo.

 

Chicago World's Fair in 1893

In 1894, Pierre DE Coubertin and Professor William, modeling after the World Expo, sent invitation letters to sports clubs and education departments of different countries in French and English respectively, inviting them to come to Paris to attend the world sports and education seminar. At the seminar, the idea of creating a modern Olympic campaign was put forward successfully, and finally the International Olympic Committee was founded. At this point, the "Arabian Nights" came true.

 

Olympic Rings

Olympic medals came from World Expo

At each of the Olympic Games, what we are watching is not only the performance of the Olympic athletes, but also the Olympic medals, which attract our attention in a more intuitive way. The way to use medalsas away of recognition came from the World Expo, too.

 

Olympic Medals

When it comes to the World Expo medals, the most familiar story to Chinese people was that Changyu wine and Moutai won medals at the Panama Expo. At the Panama-Pacific International Fair in San Francisco in 1915, Jas Brandy of Changyu from China obtained the prime quality certificate and a gold medal. Since then its name was changed to Changyu Special Fine Brandy. And Moutai was awarded the Medal of Honor. Later, Changyu wine and Moutai began to be famous overseas.As a result, the World Expo medals came to the Chinese people’s sight. Actually before 1915, the World Expo medals had been popular for more than half a century in the world, and were the most international award symbols then.

It is said that at early World Expos, various competitions were held, and the recognition form was to award medals. At the second French Expo in 1801 (Only for France domestically, no foreign countries participated in this Expo), awarding medals was set as a system by Napoleon. 10 gold medals, 20 silver medals and 30 bronze medals were set up then. This award system originating in the French Expo continued to 1849.

At the Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations in 1851, two kinds of bronze souvenir medals were presented: the Jury Medals for breakthrough creative design works and the company medals for exhibits with high technical content level. At the Vienna World Expo in 1873, five awards were set up, i.e., medals of arts, innovation, progress, cooperation and glory; at the Philadelphia World Expo in 1876, only the bronze medal award was set up. Despite of various forms, the medal award system continued. The medal system of the Olympic Games was also influenced by thatof the World Expo.

Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations in 1851

Vienna World's Fair in 1873

Philadelphia World Expo in 1876

However,at a conference in 1966, the medal system was canceled after discussion. Since the Montreal World's Fair in 1967, the rating and awarding system has been no longer put into practice. But the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) decided that it wasup to the organizing committee of each World Expo to determine whether a medal system wouldbe put into practice in light of actual circumstances. Therefore, there are possibilities for the restoration of the medal system in the future.

Montreal World's Fair in 1967

The potential mutual influences between the Olympic Games and the World Expo arestill there. Montreal hosted the World Expo 1967, and then the Olympic Games in 1976. Seoul Olympics in 1988 helped South Korea obtain the right to host the World Expo in 1993. And the successful hosting of Beijing Olympic Games also presented more opportunities for Shanghai to gain the right to host the World Expo in 2010.

 

Beijing Summer Olympics

(Some Pictures from the Internet)