The Games Odyssey Podcast

Opened in 2021, the US Olympic & Paralympic Museum located in Colorado Springs, Colorado is definitely a sight to see. It's the only place (in the US) where you can see all of the Olympic medals displayed from all of the Games, it is the only place you're going to find the legendary "Miracle on Ice" scoreboard displayed, and it's the only place where you yourself can race the great Jesse Owens. Featuring three special guests...Jonathan's wife Christa, his son Kai, and 3-time Paralympic Alpine Skier Tyler "TC" Carter.

Show Notes:

Despite the cancellation of the 1940 and 1944 Olympic Games due to World War II, after the war, stories emerged of several unofficial Olympic Games being held in the most unlikely of places—German Prisoner of War camps. While few details survive, these “POW Olympics” prove the spirit of Olympism can survive even the darkest of times.

Show Notes:

In anticipation of returning to London for the 1948 Summer Olympics in Season 3, we thought it would be fun to first revisit London 1908. Enjoy!

What could be worse for the Olympic movement than the disastrous St. Louis Games? How about an actual natural disaster? In 1906, the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius disrupted the plans for the 1908 Olympiad to be hosted in Rome. With less than two years to put together a plan, London rides in to rescue the Games as host city – and sets a new standard for the possibilities of the Olympic Games. From flag protests to the addition of figure skating, London 1908 was truly one for the books.

Show Notes:

In Season 3, the Olympics will finally return after 12 long years when the Winter Games resurrect at St. Moritz making them the first double-host for the Winter Games. In preparation, this episode is an inter-season replay of our St. Mortiz 1928 episode but ad-free!

A new era in Olympic history begins with the first truly standalone Winter Olympics and a new IOC President following Pierre de Coubertin’s retirement. The Winter Games head to the resort town of St. Moritz in Switzerland where the Swiss organizers appear to have everything under control…except for the weather.

Show Notes:

Born into a sharecropping family, Jesse Owens found his footing after moving to Ohio and growing up to become “The Buckeye Bullet.” After shattering records in college, he secures his place on the Olympic team where he will then shatter Nazi ideology at the 1936 Berlin Summer Games, setting a new gold standard for athletics. Despite his successes, he returns to America to face racial prejudice and discrimination far more difficult to break than any world record.

Show Notes:

After surviving the threat of an American boycott, Nazi Germany welcomes a record number of athletes to Berlin for the Summer Olympics in 1936. The two weeks of competition (and propaganda) will prove to be one for the history books - literally - with some of the highest sports drama ever recorded. Victories by athletes like Jesse Owens and the University of Washington 8-man rowing crew will provide a ray of light in an otherwise dark chapter of the Olympic story.

Show Notes:

When Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party take control of Germany in 1933, they inherit the 1936 Olympic hosting duties, which they decide will provide the perfect opportunity to present Aryan superiority to the world. After “warming up” to their hosting duties during the Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany prepares to have the world’s eyes on them during the Summer Games in Berlin. Racial discrimination, rumors of boycotts, and blatant propaganda efforts cast a dark cloud over the Olympic movement in one of the most infamous sporting events of all time.

Show Notes:

After welcoming Germany back to the Olympics in 1928, the IOC awards the 1936 Olympic hosting duties to Germany in 1931. Two years later, Adolf Hitler comes to power and the Nazis seize control of Germany. The resort town Garmisch-Partenkirchen is then selected to host the Winter Games leading up to the infamous Summer Games in Berlin 1936, injecting their politics into the Olympic movement. The IV Olympiad would feature some old favorites from prior Games, the addition of alpine skiing to the program, and a British conspiracy in the ice hockey tournament.

Show Notes:

Love 'em, hate 'em, or indifferent to 'em, there is some interesting history and stories behind the Olympic and Paralympic mascots. In this wildcard episode, we do an overview of the history of Olympic and Paralympic mascot tradition by presenting Sarah's Top Ten (or so) list of mascots and their historical significance to the Olympic/Paralympic movement.

Show Notes:

After being told “Wait your turn” back in 1928, Los Angeles gets the chance to host the Summer Olympics for the first time in 1932. But when the Great Depression hits the global economy in 1930, neither the City of Angels nor the Olympic movement are immune from its effects. Despite this, Los Angeles would introduce several innovations that are still a part of the Olympic movement to this day, even if their impact would be somewhat overshadowed by the 1936 Games in Berlin.

Show Notes:

The last time the US hosted the Olympics was for the III Olympiad in St. Louis, which was less than amazing, but now the US will become only the second nation to have hosted the Olympic Games twice as the III Winter Olympiad heads to the sleepy winter resort town of Lake Placid, New York. But amid the ravages of the Great Depression, is it possible for these Games to be the beacon of hope the Olympic movement is supposed to embody?

Show Notes:

In 1928, the Dutch finally get the chance to host the Olympic Games after years of trying to throw their hat into the ring. The first standalone Summer Games would provide some new opening ceremony traditions and see the addition of even more women who finally get to compete in athletics and gymnastics for the first time.

Show Notes:

A new era in Olympic history begins with the first truly standalone Winter Olympics and a new IOC President following Pierre de Coubertin’s retirement. The Winter Games head to the resort town of St. Moritz in Switzerland where the Swiss organizers appear to have everything under control…except for the weather.

Show Notes:

Twenty-four years after the confusing disaster of the second Olympic​​ Games in Paris 1900, Baron Pierre de Coubertin is set to oversee his last Olympic Games as President of the IOC. He intends the VIII Olympiad in Paris 1924 to be his swan song to the movement he founded – but will it be everything he hopes it will be?

Show Notes:

Paris became the first city to host the Olympic Games twice, but before we get into the Summer Olympics of Paris 1924, we thought you might want a refresher on the confusing disaster that was the 1900 Olympics where the organizers literally went out of their way to call the event pretty much anything else other than "The Olympic Games." From hot air ballooning to 50-pound bronze horse statues, these Games were, well, unique.

Show Notes:

After ice hockey’s debut at the 1920 Games in Antwerp and the return of figure skating, there were those who thought there should be a separate Winter Olympic Games. But there were others…who did not. Even though the IOC had not officially sanctioned a separate Winter Olympics, a mixture of miscommunication, assumptions, and Olympic spirit led the French to take it upon themselves to create a winter sports event which is now recognized as the First Winter Olympiad.

Show Notes:

Sometimes being a trailblazer means being a water-blazer. After contracting polio as a child, Ethelda took up swimming to counteract the effects of the disease - and within a couple years found herself breaking records and making a huge splash at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp. But just as swimming changed her life, her legacy is marked by changing the lives of others through swimming.

After the devastation of World War I, the Olympic movement finds itself at a crossroads, especially in Europe. While the VI Olympiad was supposed to take place in Berlin, Germany has been banned from participation as politics is interjected into the Olympic Games. Now the IOC must decide where to hold the VII Olympiad, and Antwerp is chosen to play host with less than two years to prepare. To this day, the Antwerp Games of 1920 are the only time the Games have been hosted in Belgium and would be the last single Olympic Games before being split into Winter and Summer editions.

Where did sports come from? While that may always remain a bit of a mystery, we take a dive into the history of sports across the world, from ancient Egypt and the ancient Olympics, to the eventual explosion in formalized sports during the 19th century, which helped set the stage for the modern Olympic movement and thriving sports industry.

Our second practice episode where we continue discussing the history of sports and how that connects with the Olympic & Paralympic Games. Not quite as much a mess as the first practice, but still kind of a mess.

Where did sports come from? While that may always remain a bit of a mystery, we take a dive into the history of sports across the world, from ancient Egyptian sports, the ancient Olympic Games, and eventually the explosion in formalized sports during the 19th century, which helped set the stage for the modern Olympic and Paralympic movement and the thriving sports industry.

This one’s a real treat because it was our first practice episode…so you get to hear us fumbling around and trying to figure things out as we talk about the history of sports and its Olympic and Paralympic connections.

In this unscripted (and barely edited) bonus episode for Season 1, Jonathan and Sarah recap the highlights from the recent Winter Paralympic Games in Beijing 2022 while things were still fresh on their minds. From Austria's Aigner family siblings to Riley the guide dog, from sled hockey history to a powerful showing by Team Ukraine, return to Beijing to remember the highs and lows of the most televised Winter Paralympics yet.

In this unscripted (and barely edited) bonus episode, Sarah and Jonathan unpack the highlights from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games, from ice skating drama galore and diplomatic boycotts, to historic victories and the heartwarming women's snowboarding love fest. Relive your favorite (and not so favorite) moments of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics with us!

Jim Thorpe, born into the Sac and Fox nation, became the first Native American Olympic gold medalist at the Stockholm 1912 Games by dominating in the new events of pentathlon and decathlon. So why was this versatile athlete stripped of his medals and titles one year later? From facing racism, heartbreaking loss, substance abuse, encounters with future Presidents, and playing professional football, baseball, and basketball, Thorpe’s story is one of constant struggle and serves as a reminder that even our greatest athletes are still human.

Besides their meatballs and their ready-to-assemble furniture, what does Sweden do really well? The Olympic Games. Stockholm 1912, the only time that Sweden has hosted the Olympics, is known as “The Swedish Masterpiece” for being a well-organized event that firmly established the revived Olympics as the pinnacle of international athletic participation From the addition of more women’s competition and electronic timing devices, to a marathon runner with a race time of over fifty years, Stockholm’s legacy is nothing short of legendary.

Figure skating made its historic debut at the London 1908 Olympic Games and with it, British figure skater Madge Syers broke the ice ceiling by becoming the first in a long line of figure skating royalty. In an era where the sport of figure skating was dominated and controlled by men, Syers redefined athleticism in bold style, urged on by her supportive husband and coach Edgar.

In this bonus episode, Jonathan presents the Olympic gold medal-winning poem "Ode to Sport," which was anonymously submitted by modern Olympic founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin in the artistic competition in Stockholm 1912.

What could be worse for the Olympic movement than the disastrous St. Louis Games? How about an actual natural disaster? In 1906, the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius disrupted the plans for the 1908 Olympiad to be hosted in Rome. With less than two years to put together a plan, London rides in to rescue the Games as host city – and sets a new standard for the possibilities of the Olympic Games. From flag protests to the addition of figure skating, London 1908 was truly one for the books.

After the back-to-back disasters of the Paris 1900 and the St. Louis 1904 Olympic Games, the fledgling Olympic movement needed a win. Big time. As the International Olympic Committee turned its eyes to the 1908 Games, Greece would look to repeat the success of the 1896 Games by hosting a half-Olympiad in Athens in 1906 that would not only prove to be the most successful Games yet but would help reignite the faltering Olympic flame. But why have these 1906 Games been forgotten? Or is it more accurate to say they were hidden?

One of the most incredible stories from the 1904 St. Louis Olympics is that of George Eyser, a German immigrant to the US who competed in the gymnastics program. One of the most successful athletes of the third Olympiad, Eyser won six medals in one day, a record that still stands. This included three golds, all the more impressive considering that his left leg had been amputated and he competed with a prosthetic wooden leg.

The first Olympic Games to be hosted by the United States is memorable for pretty much all the wrong reasons. It’s a story rife with American backstabbing, the first case of an athlete using a performance-enhancing substance, and displays of blatant racism. It’s a bit of a miracle that the Olympic movement survived this debacle. Find out why the third Olympiad nearly proved to be the nail in the coffin for the fledgling Olympic Games.

When we’re not watching the Olympics or Paralympics, you might find us watching a movie about the Olympics or Paralympics. In this wildcard episode, we take a break from the history of the Olympic Games to talk about our favorite Olympic and Paralympic themed movies, from fun nostalgic staples like "Cool Runnings" to the creepy true crime story "Foxcatcher," and from the offbeat mockumentary biopic "I, Tonya" to the Oscar-winning classic "Chariots of Fire."

One of the silver linings – or rather, golden linings – of the Olympic Games in Paris 1900 was the inclusion of female athletes bringing us our first women Olympians since Kyniska of Sparta broke the marble ceiling in the OG Olympic Games. In this episode, we take a look at the lives of the first two female Olympic gold medalists: Hélène de Pourtalès of Team Switzerland who won as part of a mixed sailing team and Charlotte Cooper of Team GB who would make sports history in more ways than one, including becoming the first individual female gold medalist.

Show Notes:

How did the modern Olympic movement go from a smash hit in Athens to an underwhelming masterpiece of confusion in Paris four years later? Were the new Olympic Games destined to be a one-hit wonder? Spoiler alert…no. But this is the story of the bizarre and wild Olympic Games of Paris 1900, where the organizers decided to purposefully NOT market the Games and instead feature events like hot air ballooning, motor sports, and life saving.

The rags to riches – to prison – story of Spyridon “Spyros” Louis, a Greek peasant and soldier who won the first ever international marathon race at the inaugural 1896 Olympic Games in Athens. Find out how a three hour race transformed a lowly water carrier from a poor village into a national hero and Olympic legend.

In this second part about the inaugural modern Olympic Games held in Athens in 1896, we talk about how the events at the first Olympiad felt a bit like the sports version of the Wild West. From starting over the fencing competition after three rounds just because the king showed up to watch, to swimmers literally dropped in the sea and told to swim to shore, to an early Olympics enthusiast signing up his college buddy for the tennis tournament as a surprise, these athletes became legends in their own right and established a legacy of sportsmanship and determination that set the standard for future Olympians and Paralympians.

Given the recent events of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine and the ensuing war there, we decided we wanted to dedicate our first ever country profile episode to Ukraine and the brave individuals fighting for their country, including former Olympians, and of course highlighting the history of amazing Ukrainian athletes who have competed at both the Olympics and Paralympics, from the Soviet era up to the current day.

The modern Olympic and Paralympic Games are modeled after the ancient Olympic Games that started a long time ago in a Greece far, far away. If you thought the myths and history of how the Games started were wild, wait until you hear about some of the epic ancient athletes who would’ve been sponsored by Nike - the Greek goddess, that is, not the sports brand. From wrestlers who were literally dying to win to a clever Spartan woman who discovered a loophole in the rules, these champions are still worth cheering for.

The modern Olympic and Paralympic Games are modeled after the ancient Olympic Games started a long time ago in a Greece far, far away. So we kick things off by going back 3000 years to relive the glory of the OG Olympic Games at Olympia, from mythological back stories that include a demigod with a prosthetic shoulder to a sacrificial barbecue and foot race that would forever set the standard for later sports traditions. In this first of two parts on the OG Olympic Games, we give an overview of the ancient Olympic Games, who was allowed to compete, and the 20-plus events that took place over its 1200-year run (pun intended), from running to wrestling to chariot racing.

In the inaugural episode of The Games Odyssey Podcast, hosts Jonathan Jordan and Sarah Patton introduce themselves, why they love the Olympics and Paralympics, and lay out the format and expectations for the show.