Editing Multi-sport event

{{Short description|Organized sporting event involving multiple sports}}
{{Distinguish|Multiple-stage competition (disambiguation){{!}}Multiple-stage competition}}
[[File:Olympic Park, London, 16 April 2012.jpg|thumb|upright=1.2|[[Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park]] in [[London]]]]
A '''multi-sport event''' is an organized [[sport]]ing event, often held over multiple days, featuring competition in many different sports among organized teams of athletes from (mostly) [[Nation state|nation-states]]. The first major, modern, multi-sport event of international significance was the [[Olympic Games]], first held in modern times in [[1896 Summer Olympics|1896]] in [[Athens, Greece]], and inspired by the [[Ancient Olympic Games]], one of a number of such events held in antiquity. Most modern multi-sport events have the same basic structure. Games are held over the 
course of several days in and around a "host city", which changes for each competition. Countries send national teams to each competition, consisting of individual athletes and teams that compete in a wide variety of sports.  Athletes or teams are awarded [[Gold medal|gold]], [[Silver medal|silver]] or [[bronze medal]]s for first, second and third place respectively. Each game is generally held every four years, though some are annual competitions.

== History ==
The [[Ancient Olympic Games]], first held in 776 BC, was the precursor to the [[Olympic Games|Modern Olympic Games]], although its first edition only featured a footrace and the number of sporting competitions expanded at later editions.

There were several other "games" held in Europe in the [[classical antiquity|classical era]]:

* [[Panhellenic Games]]:
** ''The [[Pythian Games]]'' (founded 527 BC) held in [[Delphi]] every four years
** ''The [[Nemean Games]]'' (founded 516 BC) held in [[Argolid]] every two years
** ''The [[Isthmian Games]]'' (founded 523 BC) held on the [[Isthmus of Corinth]] every two years
* The [[Roman Games]]&nbsp;– Arising from Etruscan rather than purely Greek roots, the Roman Games deemphasized footraces and throwing. Instead, the Greek sports of chariot racing and [[wrestling]], as well as the Etruscan sport of gladiatorial combat, took center stage.

Other multi-sport festivals emerged in the [[Middle Ages]] in Europe, including the [[Cotswold Olimpick Games]] in [[England]] in the 1600s, the [[Highland Games]] in [[Scotland]], and the Olympiade de la République in [[France]] in the 1800s.

In the late 19th and early 20th century, athletes at multi-sport events were almost exclusively male. As international [[women's sport]] began to develop, events such as the [[Women's World Games]] and [[Olympics of Grace]] were held to allow women to engage in sport on the international stage. Though short-lived, events such as these led to greater inclusion of women at multi-sport events over the course of the 20th century.<ref name="LeighBonin">{{Cite journal | last = Leigh | first = Mary H. |author2=Bonin, Thérèse M. | title = The Pioneering Role Of Madame Alice Milliat and the FSFI in Establishing International Trade and Field Competition for Women  | journal = Journal of Sport History | volume = 4 | issue = 1 | pages = 72–83 | publisher = North American Society for Sport History | year = 1977 | url = http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1977/JSH0401/jsh0401f.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100807201822/http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JSH/JSH1977/JSH0401/jsh0401f.pdf | archive-date = 7 August 2010 | access-date = 3 September 2011}}</ref>

Although the modern tradition commemorates the [[Mongolian Revolution of 1921|1921 revolution]], the [[Naadam]] festival in Mongolia is a continuation of ancient sporting practises amongst Mongolians.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/naadam-mongolian-traditional-festival-00395 | title=UNESCO – Naadam, Mongolian traditional festival }}</ref> The three events of wrestling, horse racing and archery are thought to date back centuries and represent the three most important pursuits of a strong man in nomadic society.<ref>{{Cite web | url=https://thediplomat.com/2016/07/the-naadam-festival-mongolias-games/ | title=The Naadam Festival: Mongolia's Games }}</ref> Alongside these sporting events there are other cultural activities such as dances and parades.

== Audience ==
Since the establishment of the Olympics, most serial multi-sport events have been organized for specific audiences and participating countries or communities. These affiliations include:

* Regional, such as the [[Asian Games]] and the [[Pan-American Games]]
* Sub-Regional, such as the [[South Asian Games]], [[Southeast Asian Games]] and the [[South American Games]]
* Political, such as the [[Spartakiad]] and the [[Games of the New Emerging Forces]] (GANEFO)
* Historic or historic cultural roots, such as the [[Commonwealth Games]] (for members of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]]), the [[Jeux de la Francophonie]] (for members of [[La Francophonie]]) and the [[Lusophone Games]] (for members of [[Community of Portuguese Language Countries]])
* Ethnocultural or ethnoreligious, such as the [[Pan-Armenian Games]] (for ethnic communities of Armenians both in Armenia and in other countries) and the [[Maccabiah Games]] (for communities of Jews of both ethnic and religious origins)
* Religious, such as the [[Islamic Solidarity Games]] and the previously mentioned Maccabiah Games
* Occupational, such as the [[Military World Games]], the [[World Police and Fire Games]], and the [[Universiade]]
* Physical disabilities, such as the [[Paralympics]] and the [[Deaflympics]]
* Intellectual disabilities, such as the [[Special Olympics World Games]]
* Age, such as the [[World Masters Games]], [[Commonwealth Youth Games]], and the [[Senior Olympics]]
* Gender and sexual orientation, such as the [[Women's Islamic Games]] and the [[Gay Games]]

==Historic events==

===Olympic Games===
{{Main|Olympic Games}}

The first modern multi-sport [[Sports competition|event]] organised were the Olympic Games, organised by the [[International Olympic Committee]] (IOC) (est. 1894) for the first time in 1896 in [[Athens]], [[Greece]]. After some celebrations (1900, 1904), the Olympics became very popular nowadays. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing.

===Paralympic Games===
{{Main|Paralympic Games}}

The Paralympic Games is the largest multi-sport event involving athletes with physical disabilities and is organized by the [[International Paralympic Committee]] (IPC). Arranged for the first time in 1960 in [[Rome]], [[Italy]]. The number of sports, initially only a few, is still growing.

===Special Olympics===
{{Main|Special Olympics World Games}}

The first Special Olympics International Summer Games were held in [[Chicago]], Illinois, in 1968. The most recent{{when|date=March 2022}} Special Olympics World Winter Games in Schladming, Austria involved 25 sports and approximately 2,277 athletes from 133 countries. {{citation needed|date=December 2021}}

===Others===
At the beginning of the 20th century, another multi-sport event, the [[Nordic Games]] were first held. These Games were held in [[Scandinavia]], and the sports conducted were winter sports such as [[cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country skiing]] and [[speed skating]]. The Nordic Games were last held in 1926, after which the 1924 Winter Sports Week in [[Chamonix]] was declared the first [[Olympic Winter Games]].
In the 1920s, all kinds of other multi-sport events were set up. These were usually directed for a selected group of athletes, rather than everybody, which was the case with the Olympic Games. The Soviets organized the first [[Spartakiad]] in 1920, a communist alternative to the 'bourgeois' Olympic Games, and in 1922 the University Olympia was organizedor in [[Italy]], the forerunner of the [[World University Games]], meant for students only.
Regional games were another kind of multi-sport event that was established, such as the [[Far Eastern Championship Games]] (1913), the [[Central American and Caribbean Games]] (1926) or the [[Pan American Games]] (1951).

==List of international multi-sport competitions==
{{Main|List of multi-sport events}}
The Olympic Games are still the largest multi-sport event in the world in terms of worldwide interest and importance (though no longer in participation), but several others also have significance.

=== Worldwide events ===
==== Multi-sport events for non-Olympic sports ====
*[[World Games]], held first in 1981, stage many sports (though not all) that are not Olympic sports.
*[[Mind Sports Olympiad]], first held in 1997 for [[mind sport]]s<ref name="MSO">[https://web.archive.org/web/20130731220353/http://edition.cnn.com/WORLD/9708/24/mind.olympiad/ Mental muscles flexed at Mind Sports Olympiad] [[CNN]], 24 August 1997, , retrieved 13 July 2012</ref>
*[[World Mind Sports Games]], first held in 2008 for games of skill (e.g. chess, go, etc.)
*The [[X Games]] and [[X Games#Winter X Games|Winter X Games]], which highlight extreme action sports.
*The FAI [[World Air Games]], first held in 1997, is the premier international multi-discipline air sports event. 
==== By occupation ====
*[[Universiade]], held first in 1959, for students at [[University|universities]] worldwide
*[[Military World Games]], held first in 1995, for military athletes from over 100 countries
*[[World Police and Fire Games]], began in 1985, for law enforcement officers and firefighters worldwide; third only to the World Masters Games and Summer Olympics in number of participants.
==== By organisation and language ====
*[[Commonwealth Games]], held first in 1930 (although a similar event was held in 1911) for all member states of the [[Commonwealth of Nations]].
**[[Commonwealth Youth Games]], began in 2000.
*[[Jeux de la Francophonie|Francophone Games]], held first in 1989, for [[French language|French]]-speaking nations and communities.
*[[Lusophony Games]], began in 2006, for [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]]-speaking nations and communities.
*[[Pan Arab Games]], held first in 1953, for Arabic-speaking nations.
*[[Islamic Solidarity Games]], first held in 2005, for all member states of the [[Organisation of Islamic Cooperation]].
*[[Women's Islamic Games]], began in 1993.
===== By political and historical allegiance =====
*[[Bolivarian Games]], began in 1938, for countries liberated by [[Simón Bolívar]]
*[[Games of the Small States of Europe]], first held in 1985, for small states of [[Europe]]
*[[Island Games]], first held in 1985, for teams from several islands and other small territories
*[[Goodwill Games]], first held in 1986, originally held as an alternative after the boycotted Olympics of 1980 and 1984 (The last edition was held in 2001)
*[[Spartakiad]], a defunct event involving athletes from the [[Soviet Union]]
*[[Games of the New Emerging Forces]], a defunct event first held in 1963, for the so-called "Emerging Nations" (mainly newly independent [[socialism|socialist]] states)
==== By national origin/descent or ethnicity ====
*[[Maccabiah Games]], first held in 1932, for [[Jews|Jewish]] athletes worldwide.
*[[Pan-Armenian Games]], began in 1999.
*[[Croatian World Games]], began in 2006.
==== Other ====
*[[Gay Games]] and [[World OutGames]], first held in 1982 and 2006, for the worldwide [[gay community]].
*[[World Masters Games]], first held in 1985, for mature athletes. Most participants of any multi-sport event, with approximately twice as many competitors as the Summer Olympics.
*[[European Masters Games]], first held in 2008, for mature athletes (generally for 30–35 years or older, dependent on the sport).

===Regional events===
*[[African Games]], held first in 1965, for all [[Africa]]n nations
*[[Afro-Asian Games]], first held in 2003 in India.
*[[Australasian Police and Emergency Services Games]], both by regional and by occupations.
*[[Baltic Sea Games]], for all nations bordering [[Baltic Sea]], first held in Estonia 1993, then in Lithuania 1997.
*[[Island Games]], for non-sovereign island communities of European nations, first held on the "Isle of Man" 1985.
*[[Pan American Games]], held first in 1951, for all nations of the [[Americas]]
**[[Central American and Caribbean Games]], held first in 1926, every 4 years for nations in the [[Caribbean]], [[Central America]] and/or bordering the [[Caribbean Sea]]
**[[Central American Games]], held first in 1973, for nations in [[Central America]]
**[[Caribbean Games]], proposed to be held first in June 2009 for countries in the [[Caribbean Sea]], was scheduled in Netherlands Antiles in May 2011. Rescheduled for 2013.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://canoc.net/content/view/12/2/ |title=The Caribbean Games |publisher=canoc.net |date=2008-11-07 |access-date=2011-05-20 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618095657/http://canoc.net/content/view/12/2/ |archive-date=2010-06-18 }}</ref><ref>[http://www.naoc.info/caribbean-games-hopefully-in-2011/ Caribbean Games hopefully in 2011 | Netherlands Antilles Olympic Committee] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214243/http://www.naoc.info/caribbean-games-hopefully-in-2011/ |date=2016-03-03 }}. Naoc.info. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.</ref><ref>[http://www.sportcaraibe.net/thefourthpillar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=924:no-caribbean-games-before-2013&catid=45:athletics&Itemid=106/ sportcaraibe Resources and Information] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904055226/http://www.sportcaraibe.net/thefourthpillar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=924%3Ano-caribbean-games-before-2013&catid=45%3Aathletics&Itemid=106%2F |date=2015-09-04 }} sportcaraibe.net. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.</ref>
**[[South American Games]], held first in 1978, for nations in [[South America]]
*[[Arafura Games]], held first in 1991 and hosted in the [[Oceania]] region.
*[[Asian Games]], held first in 1951, for all [[Asia]]n nations
**[[Southeast Asian Games]], held first in 1959, for nations in [[Southeast Asia]]
**[[East Asian Games]], for nations in [[East Asia]]
**[[West Asian Games]], for nations in [[West Asia]]
**[[Central Asian Games]], for nations in [[Central Asia]]
**[[South Asian Games]], for nations in [[South Asia]]
*[[European Games]], held first in 2015, for nations in [[Europe]]
*[[European Youth Olympic Festival]] (EYOF), for youth athletes from Europe, began in 1991 (summer) and 1993 (winter).
*[[Mediterranean Games]], held first in 1951, for all nations bordering the [[Mediterranean Sea]]
*[[Pacific Games]], held first in 1963 for countries around the [[Oceania|South Pacific Ocean]]
*[[Arctic Winter Games]], held first in 1970, an international biennial celebration of circumpolar north and Arctic sports and culture
*[[Indian Ocean Island Games]], held first in 1979, for all islands in the [[Indian Ocean]]

===National events===
* [[National Games of China]], among the oldest national games with a history dating back to 1910
* [[National Games of Colombia]], held first in 1928
* [[Korean National Sports Festival]], held first in 1920 for all provinces in entire Korea, but later for provinces in [[South Korea]]
* [[National Sports Festival of Japan]]
* [[National Games of India]], started in 1924 as "Indian Olympic Games"
* [[Palarong Pambansa]] in the [[Philippines]]
* [[Pekan Olahraga Nasional]] in [[Indonesia]]
* [[Thailand National Games]], started in 1967, [[Thailand Para National Games]]
* [[Canada Games]]
* [[SUKMA Games]] in [[Malaysia]]
* [[State Games of America]] in the [[United States]]
* AAU Junior Olympic Games in the United States, held first in 1967

==Disability==
Other Games are intended for handicapped or disabled athletes. The [[Deaflympics|International Silent Games]], [[1924 Summer Deaflympics|first held]] in [[Paris]] in 1924, were the first Games for deaf athletes. The [[Stoke Mandeville Wheelchair Games]], incepted in 1948 in England, were the first Games for wheelchair athletes. In 1960, the first [[Paralympic Games]] were held, connected with the [[Olympic Games]]. The [[Special Olympics World Games]], for athletes with intellectual disabilities, were first held in 1968.

== See also ==
* [[Commonwealth Games]]
* [[Invictus Games]]
* [[Islamic Solidarity Games]]
* [[Maccabiah Games]]
* [[Military World Games]]
* [[Mind Sports Olympiad]]
* [[Summer Olympic Games]]
* [[Universiade]]
* [[Winter Olympic Games]]
* [[World Air Games]]
* [[World Games]]
* [[World Mind Sports Games]]
* [[World Police and Fire Games]]
* [[X Games]]
* [[Youth Olympic Games]]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

{{International multi-sport events}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Multi-Sport Event}}
[[Category:Multi-sport events| ]]
[[Category:Sports terminology]]
[[Category:Sports competitions]]
[[Category:Sports events|Multi]]