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The modern Olympic Games, often known as the Olympics (French: Jeux olympiques), are major international athletic events that feature summer and winter sports competitions that attract thousands of competitors from all over the world. With over 200 countries competing, the Olympic Games are regarded as the world's most important sporting event. The Olympic Games are held every four years, with the Summer and Winter Olympics alternated every two years within that time. The ancient Olympic Games, which took place in Olympia, Greece from the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD, were the inspiration for its inception. In 1894, Baron Pierre de Coubertin established the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which resulted in the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896. The Olympic Charter defines the structure and jurisdiction of the IOC, which is the governing body of the Olympic Movement. The Olympic Charter defines the structure and jurisdiction of the IOC, which is the governing body of the Olympic Movement.
The Olympic Games have undergone significant adjustments as the Olympic Movement has progressed. The Winter Olympic Games for snow and ice sports, the Paralympic Games for athletes with disabilities, the Youth Olympic Games for athletes aged 14 to 18, and the five Continental Games are just a few examples (Pan American, African, Asian, European, and Pacific), and the World Games, which are held for sports that are not part of the Olympic Games. Because of the increasing significance of the media, the problem of corporate sponsorship and general commercialisation of the Games has arisen. The 1916, 1940, and 1944 Olympics were canceled due to World Wars I and II; large-scale boycotts during the Cold War limited participation in the 1980 and 1984 Olympics; and the 2020 Olympics were postponed until 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The IOC decides on the program, which includes the sports that will be competed in at the Games. The Olympic flag and torch, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies, are all part of the Olympic tradition. In total, over 14,000 competitors competed in 35 different sports and over 400 events at the 2016 Summer and 2018 Winter Olympics. Olympic medals are awarded to the first, second, and third place finishers in each event: gold, silver, and bronze, respectively. The Games have risen in popularity to the point where practically every country is now represented. Athletes have the opportunity to achieve national and occasionally international fame every two years thanks to the Olympics and its media coverage. The Games also provide a platform for the host city and country to promote themselves to the rest of the globe.
On July 10–15, 2018, the 2018 World Under 20 Championships in Athletics, also known as the World Junior Championships, were held at Tampere Stadium in Tampere, Finland, for athletes qualifying as juniors (born no earlier than 1 January 1999). The IAAF first awarded the championships to Tampere in March of 2016. The city of Helsinki was the single bidder, and its bid to host the event was unanimously approved by the council. Helsinki has hosted the IAAF World Championships twice, however this was the first time Finland hosted an age-group IAAF championship tournament. Tampere set eight championship records, 11 area U20 records, and 90 national U20 records. There were 43 countries represented on the medals table, with 25 of them winning gold.
A total of 19 African countries took part in the event (35 absent). 7 countries in the placing table (at least one athlete in the top 8) and 4 countries in the medal table, with Kenya leading the medal table with 11 medals, Ethiopia in fourth place with 9 medals, and South Africa in sixth place with 4 medals.