In his Olympian Speech (33,2) the famous ancient orator Lysias described the region of Olympia as “the most beautiful place in Greece”.

It was a land the ancient world saw as “sacred”, because with the truce it proclaimed the city-states of that time had to stop fighting against each other during the religious and athletic activities of the Olympic Games.

For almost 1,200 years the Olympic land was glorified by divine legends and graced by the Olympic Games.

The holy grove of Olympia, the Altis, lies in the green valley formed by Alpheios, the 'king' of Peloponesian rivers, the river Kladeos, small and rapid in those days, and the small hill of Kronion.

This grove with its wealth of sacred monuments, temples, altars, votive columns, statues, buildings, etc. was the place where free people from all over the contemporary world gathered to admire beauty and strength in their purest and most brilliant form.

The strength and beauty of the contestants arose from a noble competitive spirit based on physical and mental contest. the fruit of this competition was the most coveted gift of life - health, physical well-being, mental and physical beauty: the things even simple visitors could feel and enjoy.

I feel that this is the ideal place to reflect on the evolution of our society. We are in a haven of peace and balance, where centuries remain engraved on the stones, the meanders of the Alpheios river, the beauty of the vegetation and the serenity which pervades this unique place, Olympia, where sport started on its most glorious and finest course.
Juan Antonio SAMARANCH
IOC Honorary President for Life