Do you know how to say "Olympics" in Spanish? How about "athlete" or "medal"? In this lesson, we'll explore the names of various Olympic sports, common verbs used in sports, and specific terms related to the Olympic Games. Let's dive into the exciting world of the Olympics.

How do you say Olympics in Spanish?

In Spanish, the term for "Olympics" can be expressed as los Juegos Olímpicos or las Olimpiadas. Both terms are commonly used and understood.

Esto llegó con la nominación de Barcelona como sede de los Juegos Olímpicos en mil novecientos noventa y dos.

This arrived with the nomination of Barcelona as seat of the Olympic Games in nineteen ninety two.

Captions 10-12, El Trip Barcelona

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y ahora estoy trabajando en las Olimpiadas de Londres del dos mil doce,

and now I am working on the 2012 London Olympics,

Caption 8, Álvaro Arquitecto Español en Londres

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Key Olympic Terms

Let's see some of the most important Olympic-related terms in Spanish: 

el atleta | the athlete
la medalla | the medal
el oro | the gold (medal)
la plata | the silver (medal)
el bronce | the bronze (medal)
el podio | the podium
la ceremonia de apertura | the opening ceremony
la ceremonia de clausura | the closing ceremony

Olympic Sports in Spanish and English

Here are some popular Olympic sports and their Spanish translations:

atletismo | athletics
natación | swimming
gimnasia | gymnastics
baloncesto | basketball
fútbol | soccer
tenis | tennis
voleibol | volleyball
ciclismo | cycling
boxeo | boxing
esgrima | fencing
lucha | wrestling
levantamiento de pesas | weightlifting
remo | rowing
tiro con arco | archery
equitación | equestrian
triatlón | triathlon
tenis de mesa | table tennis
bádminton | badminton

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Common Verbs Used in Sports

Let's look at some common verbs used in sports, both in Spanish and English:

jugar (to play)

El equipo juega al baloncesto. (The team plays basketball.)

competir (to compete)

Ella compite en natación. (She competes in swimming.)

ganar (to win)

Él ganó la carrera. (He won the race.)

perder (to lose)

Ellos perdieron el partido. (They lost the match.)

correr (to run)

Los atletas corren en la pista. (The athletes run on the track.)

nadar (to swim)

Ella nada en la piscina. (She swims in the pool.)

saltar (to jump)

El gimnasta salta alto. (The gymnast jumps high.)

lanzar (to throw)

Él lanza la jabalina. (He throws the javelin.)

How to Pronounce Olympic Sports in Spanish

Let's practice a little bit with some clips from our library:

Soy directora de Suma Deportes y hoy vengo a hablarles sobre la natación.

I'm the director of Suma Deportes, and today, I'm here to talk to you about swimming.

Captions 21-22, Víctor en Caracas La natación

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un deporte con características similares a la esgrima

a sport with similar characteristics to fencing,

Caption 22, Aprendiendo con Silvia Deportes tradicionales canarios - Part 2

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el ciclismo colombiano dio una muestra de su poderío en la montaña.

Colombian cycling gave a sample of its power on mountains.

Caption 18, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 5 - Part 5

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¿Vos qué vas a saber de boxeo?

What would you know about boxing?

Caption 10, La Sucursal del Cielo Capítulo 3 - Part 2

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More Special Olympic Terms

Here are some additional terms specifically related to the Olympics:

el anillo olímpico | the Olympic ring
el récord mundial | the world record
el Comité Olímpico Internacional (COI) | the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
la villa olímpica | the Olympic village
la antorcha olímpica | the Olympic torch
el relevo de la antorcha | the torch relay
el himno olímpico | the Olympic anthem

That's it for today. We hope this lesson helped you understand the basic terms related to the Olympics in Spanish. What's your favorite Olympic sport? Do you follow the Olympic Games? Please let us know, and don't forget to send us your questions and comments.

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