Ask most Olympians how their story begins and they will answer, "When I was young, I always dreamed of going to the Olympics. . ." Some will then go on to tell of their great athletic triumphs. Others will recall agonizing near-misses. But for most, the very fact that they reached the Games at all was a dream come true. For the Olympic Games offer athletes something few others sporting events can: the chance to be recognized as the best in the world at a chosen sport.
With stories of great triumphs and great tragedies, the Olympics not only embodies the competitive human spirit, but also sets a stage stage for foreign relations and politics. Historical references combined with amazing sports stories give this book both an educational and exciting appeal.
(1)This series offers a unique journey through different periods in history. Detailed artworks tell the story of a specific location as it changes with time. As they explore each scene, readers learn about the people who lived in this place, looking at their beliefs and ways of life.
Tom Longboat was a hero. A member of the Onondaga Nation, he was born on the Six Nations reserve in Oshwegen, near Brantford, Ontario. Despite poverty, poor training, and prejudice, Longboat went on to become one of the world’s best runners. In 1907, at the height of his fame, he won the Boston Marathon and ran in the 1908 Olympic Marathon. Longboat was one of the best-known people of his day, and certainly the most prominent member of the Six Nations. Throughout his career he had to race against opponents, as well as rumors of illegal running activities. Nevertheless, he maintained his dignity, and his achievements still inspire people who understand the great pleasure of running, and running fast.
(4)FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. An inspiring story of the first American female athlete to win three gold medals at a single Olympic Games shares her triumphs over childhood illnesses to become a high school basketball player. A Childhood Of Famous Americans title.
(10)What does it take to win eight gold medals?
Napping away three summer vacations?
Eating enough broccoli to fill the back of a pickup truck?
Swimming the length of the Great Wall of China three times?
(4)The 2012 London Olympics offers up-to-the-minute information about this forthcoming world event, including the countdown to 2012, an overview of Olympic venues for 2012, athletes to watch, and sports that will be featuring. It also includes Going for Gold fact boxes, a map of Olympic venues and a timeline of Olympic history.
Rapid Ray Lewis was arguably the fastest man of his generation. He won medals in the 1932 Olympics and the 1934 British Empire Games, and countless races in North America. Remarkable achievements for any man – but all the more remarkable because Lewis had to race poverty and prejudice. The geat-grandson of slaves, he worked as a porter on the railway, and trained by running alongside the tracks when the train was stopped on the prairies.
Rapid Ray is far more than a sports autobiography; it is as much a history of one man’s battle for equality as it is a history of Olympic-level track. Throughout his long life – he is now in his nineties – Ray Lewis has fought discrimination not only in sports, but in every walk of life.
From humble beginnings and a childhood marked by disease and poverty, Jesse Owens sprinted to Olympic gold. His success in the 1936 Berlin games was a victory for equality--and an affront to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler’s view of Aryan supremacy. The story of this exceptional athlete will fascinate kids.
- Learn about his near-death experience at only 5 years old- Relive the perfect day when Jesse broke three world recordsAand equaled another- See how an act of kindness to an opponent cost him a race, but won fans’ hearts.- Follow his entire amazing Olympic triumph
How does someone turn ice into gold? They skate with the beauty, grace, and power of a champion. Features Dorothy Hamill, Sarah Hughes, Kristi Yamaguchi, Michelle Kwan, and many other skating champions.
Discover the event that brings together the world's finest athletes in a spirit of peace and internationalism. Here is an original and exciting new guide to the heroic world of the Olympic games -- from its ancient beginnings to the Sydney Games in 2000. Stunning full-color photographs of famous athletes, gold medals, colorful mascots and flaming torches provide a unique look at the greatest sports festival in the world. See: the ancient Greek site of Olympia, what an athlete wore in 1896, how a sports shoe is made, and the first Fosbuty flop. Learn: what an athlete in training needs to eat, what the Olympic symbol represents, how Smoky became the 1932 Olympic mascot, and what sports make up a modern pentathlon. Discover: how athlete are timed within fractions of a second, what special materials are used to make a modern swimsuit, what sports were included in the ancient Olympic Games, who has won the most Olympic medals, and much, much more!
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. You (the reader) are a small boy living near Athens during the mid-5th century B.C. Your father sends you off to school to learn about the arts and athletics. It is his hope that someday you will honor the family by competing in the Olympic Games. As you
(4)U.S. swimmer Michael Phelps more than met the world's expectations at the 2008 Olympic Games. He already had eight medals - two bronze and six gold - from the 2004 Olympics. He left Beijing with a history-making eight more golds - one for every race he entered. His fourteen golds are the record number for any Olympian - ever. In addition, he set seven world records at the Games. Follow this hard-working swimmer from his days as a talented seven-year-old through his amazing performance in Beijing.
FOR USE IN SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES ONLY. Offers a brief introduction to the history, techniques, equipment, and terminology of skiing, a sport that began thousands of years ago as a form of transportation.
(2)The Summer Olympics are chock full of epic athletic achievements across hundreds of disciplines, especially Track and Field, Gymnastics, and Swimming. These are the sports that gave us Jesse Owens and Carl Lewis, Wilma Rudolph and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olga Korbut and Mary Lou Retton -- tremendous athletes whose Olympic accomplishments thrill us now just as much as they did when they occurred. Now readers can relive those moments in this fact-filled volume just right for young sports enthusiasts.
And because it's Matt Christopher, young readers know they're getting the best sports writing on the shelf!
(1)Describes the accomplishments of the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team in the 1996 Olympic games.
