The Olympic Games are the world’s foremost sports competition, and more than 200 nations participate. The Olympic Games are typically held every four years, alternating between the Summer and Winter Games every two years in the four years.
The evolution of the Olympic Movement during the 20th and 21st centuries has resulted in several changes to the Olympic Games. Some of these adjustments include the creation of the Winter Olympic Games for snow and ice sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with a disability, the Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 18, the five Continental games (Pan American, African, Asian, European, and Pacific), and the World Games for sports that are not contested in the Olympic Games. The IOC also endorses the Deaflympics and Special Olympics. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) organizes the Games and oversees the host city’s preparations. In each Olympic event, gold medals are awarded for first place, silver for second place, and bronze for third place. This tradition began in 1904 when the Winter Olympic Games were created after the success of the Summer Olympics.
Twelve countries have participated in every Winter Olympic Games – Austria, Canada, Finland, France, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. Six countries—Austria, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, and the United States—have won medals at every Winter Olympic Games. The only country to have won a gold medal at every Winter Olympic Games is the United States. Norway leads the all-time Olympic Games medal table for the Winter Olympic Games. When including defunct states, Germany (including the former countries of West Germany and East Germany) leads, followed by Norway and Russia (including the former Soviet Union).
The Youth Olympic Games (YOG) are an international multi-sport event organized by the International Olympic Committee. They are held every four years in staggered summer and winter events, consistent with the current Olympic Games format. However, they are held in reverse order, with the Winter Games in leap years instead of the Summer Games.