| Wenlock Olympian Games | |
|---|---|
 Wenlock Olympic Society Logo | |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | Sports event |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Location(s) | Shropshire, England |
| Years active | October 1850 (1850-10) |
| Founder | Dr William Penny Brookes |
| Website | www |
TheWenlock Olympian Games, dating from 1850, are a forerunner of the modernOlympic Games. They are organised by the Wenlock Olympian Society (WOS), and are held each year at venues acrossShropshire, England, centred on the market town ofMuch Wenlock. One of the twomascots for the2012 Summer Olympics was namedWenlock in honour of the Wenlock Olympian Games.
On 25 February 1850 the Wenlock Agricultural Reading Society (WARS) resolved to establish a class calledThe Olympian Class – "for the promotion of the moral, physical and intellectual improvement of the inhabitants of the town and neighbourhood of Wenlock and especially of the working classes, by the encouragement of outdoor recreation, and by the award of prizes annually at public meetings for skill in athletic exercise and proficiency in intellectual and industrial attainments". The secretary of the class and driving force behind the Olympian Games was DrWilliam Penny Brookes who was inspired to create these events through his work as a doctor and surgeon in the sprawling borough of Wenlock which consisted mainly ofMadeley,Broseley and Much Wenlock.[1]
The first meeting was held at Much Wenlock racecourse on 22–23 October 1850. These first Games were a mixture ofathletics and traditional country sports such asquoits,football andcricket. Events also included running, hurdles andcycling onpenny farthings.[2] Some of the early Games included "fun events" such as the blindfoldedwheelbarrow race and, one year (1851) an 'Old Women's Race' with the prize of a pound of tea.[3]
In 1859 Wenlock Olympian Class sent £10 toAthens as a prize for the best runner in the Long Foot Race at theZappas Olympics which was held in November that year – open only to Greek-speaking athletes. The Wenlock Prize, the largest prize on offer was won by Petros Velissarios ofSmyrna (nowİzmir) in theOttoman Empire, one of the first international Olympians.[4]
In 1860, Brookes introduced the Shropshire Olympian Games, with their first games held at Much Wenlock, despite 'vile weather'. Lieutenant ColonelHerbert Edwardes, who Brookes had invited to speak at the games, praised their founder and the WARS's work but disagreed with the Greek influence of the name 'Olympian' by publicly suggesting the games be called "'The Shropshire Class of British Work and Play', or anything else you will; but let it tell of English men and women, English boys and girls."[5] Despite this the Olympian name stuck.
Following a dispute with WARS, in November 1860, the Wenlock Olympian Class separated from WARS and changed its name to Wenlock Olympian Society.[6]
The first National Olympian Games were held in London in 1866 and were organised by theNational Olympian Association (NOA) which had been co-founded by Brookes in 1865. The NOA ceased its operations in 1883.
BaronPierre de Coubertin visited the Wenlock Olympian Society in 1890, which held a special festival in his honour.[7] He was inspired by Dr Brookes and went on to establish theInternational Olympic Committee. Brookes was named as an honorary delegate at the 1894 Sorbonne Congress at which the IOC was established, although he was unable to attend due to ill health.[8] The Wenlock Olympian Games continued intermittently after his death in 1895, with significant revivals in 1950 and 1977. The current series has been running since 1977, and has received official recognition from the IOC and theBritish Olympic Association (BOA), exemplified by visits from thePrincess Royal for the BOA in 1990 andJuan Antonio Samaranch for the IOC in 1994.
Themascot for theLondon 2012 Summer Olympics was namedWenlock after Much Wenlock where the Wenlock Olympian Society and its Games began. The2012 Summer Paralympics mascot was named Mandeville in honour ofStoke Mandeville Hospital, where the Paralympian Games originated.[9]
The medals awarded[10] featuredNike, the Greek goddess of victory, as doOlympic medals.
Following the unexpected death of President Roy Rogers, triple jump world record holder and Olympic gold medallistJonathan Edwards, CBE, was elected President of the WOS in 2011.[11]
In 2017 the games included the following:[12]
| Area | Awards |
|---|---|
| Music | Instrumentalist of the year Vocalist of the year |
| Speech and Drama | Verse speaking Reading for performance Creative verse writing Acting solo/Duo |
| Dance | Ballet Modern Tap Cabaret Song and dance Classical Lyrical Acrobatic |
