The word "gymnasium" comes from the Greek root "gymnos" meaning nude. Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games would participate in the nude.

By Duncan Mackay
Tuesday, 26 January 2010

The word "gymnasium" comes from the Greek root "gymnos" meaning nude. Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games would participate in the nude.

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When British skaters Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won the Olympic gold medal in ice dance at Sarajevo 1984 with 12 perfect 6.0s from every judge, for their interpretation of Maurice Ravel's Boléro, an important member of their team was singer-actor Michael Crawford. Crawford, who had played Frank Spencer in British sitcom Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em and the title role in the musical The Phantom of the Opera, had become a mentor to the pair in 1981 and went on to help them create their Olympic routine. Crawford said he “taught them how to act". He was present with their trainer Betty Callaway at the ringside at Sarajevo as they created one of the most iconic moments in Olympic history.

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Pierre de Coubertin once said cricket has "practically no appeal for those who are not British". While he expressed doubts about the Olympic viability of cricket, lacrosse and baseball, Philip Barker wonders how the man who helped revive the modern Games would have reacted to new sports at Los Angeles 2028.

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The word "gymnasium" comes from the Greek root "gymnos" meaning nude. Athletes in the ancient Olympic Games would participate in the nude.

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