How many countries participate in the Olympic Games and about how much money is usually spent on the Olympics?
550636
In last Olympics (2004) 202 countries participated.\n\nHowever, much to their surprise, hosting the 2004 Olympics has sucked $10-12 billion (in U.S. dollars) out of the Greek economy. That’s more than five percent of the country’s annual gross domestic product! When Greece bid on the games, it was before security was being beefed up around the world as a direct result of the 9/11 terrorist attack. \n\nSponsored Links\n\nTop 8 Stocks for 2006\n\nAmerica's 8 Leading Stock Experts Share their Top Picks. Free Report\n\nwww.NewsletterAdvisors.com\n\nMutual Funds\n\nThe Latest Online Source You Will Find It Here!\nimutualfunds.net\n\n$300 - $1,100 Every Day\n\nDeposited Daily Into Your Bank Start Now, No Experience Necessary\n\nwww.WaterhouseReport.com/Online.htm\n\nIt’s estimated that $1.5 billion is being spent on security alone. \n\nSecurity costs include the posting of 40,000 troops along the northern border prevent illegal entry. The new security system is so sophisticated that it can photograph people’s faces, intercept phone calls and deduce cell phone numbers almost anywhere in the city. \n\nTelevision rights, corporate sponsorships and ticket sales help the hosting country bear the burden of the costs, but $12 billion is a lot to come up with. NBC is paying about $800 million for broadcast rights to the Olympics in the U.S. NBC expects to net a record $1 billion in ad sales for its Olympic coverage. Indonesia's major networks decided a $1.35 million price tag was too much, though they are willing to dish out $10 million to air the 2006 FIFA World Cup. \n\nTicket sales for the 2004 Olympics have been disappointing, partly due to late construction and partly due to a lack of interest in attending the games among the Greek citizens. Just two weeks before the start of the Olympics, about 3.1 million of 5.3 million tickets remain unsold. \n\nWhat remains to be seen is if hosting the 2004 Olympics was worth it. Greek politicians are adamant that late ticket sales and long-term tourist dollars will pay for the costs over time, but many are skeptical. Since the Los Angeles Olympics in 1984, every hosting country has either broken even or made a profit on running the two-week event, but the costs are getting out of control. Breaking even on the Olympics this time around would be a tremendous accomplishment. \n\nWhat about the value of the new stadiums? Four years after the Sydney Olympics, under-used venues are costing taxpayers $32 million (in U.S. dollars) a year to keep afloat, and the government expects that some venues will need at least another decade to break even. \n\nIf you think the Greeks overcommitted, the Chinese have budgeted $23 billion for the 2008 Olympic games – seven times more than the Sydney games, and 32 times what Los Angeles spent for the 1984 Games!
312546
The Olympics games were not originally an international competition, they were held with in Greece.  They used to be male only competitions, and the men had to compete naked to prove they were male after a woman competed and beat some men somewhere back in history before they had to do it nude.\nThere are many more sports in the modern olympics than there were in the classic games, tho there are some that remain, mainly athletic events such as javelin, discus, jumps and running events.\nDuring the classical period the olympic movement did not have the same ideals as the modern one, and there were no winter olympics.\nThe 5 interlocking rings is a new symbol, though there was a torch in the classical period.\nThe games from classical greece were held to honour the gods, now they are used to spread a message about good sportsmanship and international co-operation.\nRules have become rationalised in the modern olympics, no doubt in the classic games the final decision was made by an important official, probably with a few favourites....
87031
I think that there will be a tight race between the USA,, Canada, Russia and probably Germany or something like that. However, my bets are on the USA, considering that we always have one of the largest amount of athletes participating in the Olympics than any other country.
756459
London 2012 Olympics\n------------------------------\n\nIn October 2006 the Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell, announced that the ODA budget may increase from £2.375 billion to £4 billion. [4]. for the London 2012 Olympics\n\nOn 21 November Tessa Jowell admitted the cost could rise to £3.3billion [5]. These figures were contradicted by London Mayor Ken Livingston, who pledged the Games would make a profit, and cost less than Ms Jowell's figures [6]\n\n\nThe lists are incomplete:\n\n\n[edit] Costs\n£560 million for new venues, including £250 million for the Olympic Stadium. \n£65 million for the Olympic village. \n£1.5 billion to run the Games. \n£200 million on security. \n\nBeijing 2008 Olympics\n----------------------------\n\nBeijing 2008 Olympiad involves an aggregate cost of US$1.625 billion of which the greatest part will be from market development, "on top of some central and local appropriations to be made a major part about 80 percent of the money needed will come from markets."
1109985
FIFA world cup.\n \n•There are 32 countries, these are divided in 8 groups of 4 (countries), then each country plays against the others inside their own group.\n\nExample:\nGroup A\n\nGermany – Costa Rica                  Germany – Ecuador  \nPoland – Ecuador                           Costa Rica – Poland\nEcuador - Costa Rica                             \nGermany – Poland \n \n•When this is all done, the FIRST and SECOND countries of each group that have more points go to the second part which in Spanish is called “Octavos de final”( 1/8 of the final).( FROM THIS PART  IF YOU LOSE  IN 1/8 OF THE FINAL THEN YOU ARE OUT)\n\n POINTS :  WIN A GAME  : 3 POINTS\n                    TIE                    : 1PT\n                   LOSE                  :  0 PTS\n \nWhat comes next is called ¼ of the final , then the semi final , then the game for the 3rd place, and the final.
395827
because only a few countries can keep up themselves to the big games
398102
The Olympic Games, or Olympics, are an international multi-sport event taking place every four years and comprising summer and winter games. Originally held in ancient Greece, they were revived by a French nobleman, Pierre Frèdy, Baron de Coubertin in the late 19th century.\n\n\nThe Commonwealth Games is a multi-sport event held every four years involving the elite athletes of the Commonwealth of Nations. The first such event, then known as the British Empire Games, was held in 1930. The name changed to British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1954, to British Commonwealth Games in 1978 and assumed the current name of the Commonwealth Games in 1978.
695778
the Olympics WAS a competition for AMATEURS ; Many countries support and train their athletes  some starting as children sent to boarding schools(training camps).\nEconomically there is no gain as to how many medals a country wins...the ONLY economic gain is the profits gained when a country is selected as the host.
1001039
They have not yet posted the prices for the 2008 Olympics, but there is a comparison chart so you can get an idea of how much you should put back. I myself am waiting for the 2012 Olympics in London...I lived there for 6 years and that is the perfect excuse to go back to visit!!!
1072069
More countries than are members of the United Nations!\n\nI'm so excited.............the World Cup\nTHE FIRST GAME BEGINS IN JUST 15 HOURS !!!!!!!
134953
Any nation can send as much athletes to the games as they want to send given some criteria:\n\n1) Certain events only allow for a certain number of athletes and therefore limit a nation to so much compeditors. A nation like Austria, rich in the skiing events, can send only as much as 3 athletes for some events though they can send 2 or three times the amount. \n\n2) They have a top ranked national team given so much sports for team events like Hockey or curling. \n\n3) Many sports have standards criteria that athletes need to meet or better in order to compete. \n\nThe only exceptions to the rule will be the host nation who can field athletes and teams despite their rank and calibre.
56473
In order to be in the games, it must be "practised by men in at least seventy-five countries and on four continents".\n\nAre there 75 countries where you can surf?\n\nAnother problem would be finding a venue for the event that is close to the host city. Not a whole lot of surfing going on near Beijing or London.
338224
AROUND HALF THE GLOBE!!!! 3 BILLION... CHECK THAT NUMBER!! AMERICANS... ITS THE BEST SPORT IN THE WORLD!!
1108340
the world cup is the largest and the most watch.  The olympics is very big as well
124961
Judo and Taekwondo are sports in the Summer Olympics.
391258
To repeat an earlier answer 31 plus Germany qualified but almost every country in the world participated, more than the Olympics.  Brazil was upset because as winners of the last cup they did not get automatic qualification but because of numbers they had to qualify.\nQualifying has been going on for two years now.
164279
The 2006 Winter Olympics by the numbers: \n252: Number of medals to be awarded \n\n2,500: Number of athletes participating \n\n85: Number of countries participating \n\n12: Number of countries that have participated in every Winter Games \n\n171: Number of medals won by athletes who work for Home Depot (including summer and Paralympics) \n\n1: Number of U.S. athletes known to have competed as a piece of meat (Chris Witty, who ran costumed as an Italian sausage in a Milwaukee Brewers Sausage Race) \n\n81: Highest mph speed limit on Italian highways \n\n80: Average mph speed of a downhill skier \n\n10,000: Number of credentialed journalists \n\n416: Number of hours of television coverage \n\n7: Number of NBC networks showing coverage \n\n13: Number of medals Italy got in 2002 Salt Lake City Games (four gold, four silver, five bronze) \n\n34: Number of medals U.S. got in 2002 Salt Lake City Games (10 gold, 13 silver, 11 bronze) \n\n42: The average weight, in pounds, of a curling stone \n\n90: Number of medals Italian athletes have won in Winter Games (31 gold, 31 silver, 28 bronze) \n\n191: Number of medals won by U.S. athletes in Winter Games (69 gold, 71 silver, 51 bronze) \n\n56: Number of medals won by the U.S. team in its best event, speed skating \n\n29: Number of medals won by the Italian team in its best event, cross-country skiing \n\n215: Approximate number of U.S. athletes competing at Torino \n\n2.2 million: Number of people who live in Torino, the largest city ever to host a Winter Olympics \n\n6: Events added to the 2006 Winter Games (men's and women's speed skating pursuit, men's and women's snowboard cross, men's and women's biathlon mass start) \n\n263: Medals won by Norway, the top podium-taker in the Winter Olympics (not counting the 300 medals won by East and West Germany when combined with the single Germany's tally or the 275 won by the U.S.S.R./Unified Team/Russia) \n\n1: Number of athletes competing at Torino who have also medaled at Summer Games (Clara Hughes, Canada, bronze in 5,000 meter speed skating, 2002, and bronze in time trial and road race cycling events, 1996) \n\n6: Number of medals won by speed skater Bonnie Blair, top U.S. medal winner at Winter Games (five gold, one bronze) \n\n32: The number of worldwide partners/official sponsors of the 2006 Winter Olympics