Olympian did not start as a sports term. It comes from Mount Olympus, which in ancient Greek myth was the home of the gods. An Olympian originally meant a being from Olympus, especially one of the major gods such as Zeus, Hera, or Athena.
Because of that origin, the word also developed a broader sense. It can describe someone or something that seems lofty, majestic, or almost godlike in calmness or power. In literary or descriptive writing, you might see phrases such as Olympian calm or Olympian grandeur.
Today, many people first think of sports. In modern use, an Olympian is also an athlete who competes in the Olympic Games. That meaning grew from the name of the games, not directly from the mountain itself, but both uses share the same ancient Greek root.
- Mythology: Zeus was an Olympian god.
- Description: She answered with Olympian calm.
- Sports: He became an Olympian at age 22.
So the sports meaning is newer, while the older meaning connects the word to the divine world of Mount Olympus.