Not a sports fan? You’ll still love these interesting facts about the Olympics that we’ve rounded up for you! There’s something fascinating about the Games. Even if you don’t follow sports, you might find yourself cheering for your home team every time they compete. That’s because the Olympics are filled with electrifying moments that take you through a range of emotions. From shedding happy tears for the winners to vibing with strangers – you’ll feel it all.
What makes the Olympics so special, you ask? It’s a melting pot of superhuman achievements. Athletes, who’ve trained for years, push the boundaries of their potential. It’s a celebration of the human spirit that unites nations and brings people together like nothing else.
These fun facts about the Olympics will make your jaw drop and your curiosity soar. Did you know that the ancient Olympic Games were held to honor the Greek god Zeus? Imagine competing in front of a crowd of toga-wearing spectators, showcasing your athletic prowess to gain the favor of the mighty gods themselves. Talk about pressure!
So, let’s dive right into the cool Olympics facts — the unbroken records, the highest medal tally, and the unexpected tales that have unfolded throughout history. So, buckle up, and get ready to win a gold medal in Olympics trivia.
#1 The Legendary Ethiopian Marathon Runner Abebe Bikila Won The 1960 Rome Olympics Barefoot
His shoes were ill-fitting and gave him blisters. So he decided to run barefoot! He won a gold in the men’s marathon.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, commons.wikimedia.org
#2 The 2012 London Olympics Were A Defining Moment In Gender Parity
It was the first event where every country, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Brunei, sent female athletes. There were also more women referees and coaches.
Image source: olympics.com
#3 The Only Time When Michael Phelps Did Not Win A Single Medal Was At His Very First Olympics
Phelps was 15 years old at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly finals. He went on to win 28 medals in his career.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#4 In 1912, Jim Thorpe’s Medals Were Stripped Because He Was A “Professional Athlete”
Back in 1912, the Games allowed only amateurs to participate. Jim Thorpe was a professional minor-league baseball player. He won two golds at the 1912 Stockholm Games. However, the Committee stripped him of his medals for violating the rules. They were reinstated in 1983 after the rules were found to be unfair.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, Underwood & Underwood
#5 Cynisca, a Spartan Princess, Was the Very First Woman to Triumph in An Olympic Competition in 396 BC
Women were neither allowed to participate nor step foot on the sacred grounds of Olympia. However, the princess exploited a loophole. She entered her horses in the chariot race, where the medals were awarded to the owners instead of the chariot racers.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#6 Waldi, A Dachshund, Was The First Official Olympic Mascot
He featured in the 1972 Munich games.
Image source: olympics.com, shop.olympics.com
#7 The Opening Parade Is Always LED By Greece
It’s followed by the participating countries in alphabetical order. The parade ends with the host country.
Image source: olympics.com
#8 The Olympics Began As A Religious Festival
The Games are believed to have started around the 8th century BCE to honor the Greek god Zeus. They were organized at the sacred site of Olympia, where athletes performed religious ceremonies before competing.
Image source: history.com
#9 Five Nations That Never Missed Olympics
France, Britain, Australia, Switzerland, and Greece are the only five nations that have never missed the Summer Olympics.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#10 “Tarzan” Actor Johnny Weissmuller Bagged Five Olympic Medals
The actor was a champion swimmer who won medals in 1924 and 1928. He went on to star in the Tarzan movies in the ’30s and ’40s.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, MGM studio
#11 Three Olympic Swimmers From The United States Were Arrested For Vandalizing A Gas Station During The 2016 Rio Olympics
They first claimed they were robbed by gunmen. Unfortunately for them, Brazilian officials had video footage of their vandalism.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#12 The Five Olympic Rings Represent Five Continents
The five intertwined rings symbolize Africa, the Americas (North and South America), Asia, Europe, and Oceania.
Image source: olympics.com
#13 The Olympic Torch Traveled To The International Space Station
Cosmonauts from Russia, Japan, and America took the Olympic torch on board the Soyuz spacecraft all the way to ISS. The unlit torch was taken for a spacewalk as part of the Sochi 2014 Olympic torch relay.
Image source: nasa.gov
#14 The 2020 Tokyo Olympics Were Actually Held In 2021
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the Olympics to be postponed for the first time in the 21st century.
Image source: olympics.com
#15 In Gymnastics, Getting A Perfect 10 Is Uncommon
In gymnastics, a perfect 10 is practically never possible. Any athlete who comes close to achieving this can be considered as exceptionally talented.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#16 Coca-Cola Has Been Continuously Sponsoring The Olympics Since 1928
Image source: olympics.com
#17 Backflips Are Banned In Figure Skating As They Are Considered Dangerous
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#18 The Number 8 Is Considered Lucky In China
The Beijing Olympics were held in 2008 and began on august 8 at 8:00 p.m.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#19 A Horse Doping Scandal!
Norwegian equestrian Tony André Hansen’s horse tested positive for a banned substance in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. The athlete was stripped of his bronze medal, even though he claimed the drug came from treating his horse’s injuries.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#20 A Vault Set Two Inches Low Caused The Biggest Gymnastics Mistake In Olympics History
Almost every gymnast struggled to perform on the vault during the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was tumbling on the mat awkwardly. Eventually, an official complaint was raised and the vault height was found to be incorrect. The event was reorganized after replacing the vault.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#21 The Longest-Standing Olympic Sports Record Of All Time
Bob Beamon, an American track and field athlete, made a remarkable long jump of 8.90 meters (29.1 feet) at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. The record stood for 23 years until it was finally broken in 1991 by Mike Powell.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, commons.wikimedia.org
#22 The United States Has Won Over 2,000 Olympic Medals – The Highest Number For Any Country
In 1904 St. Louis Summer Olympics U.S.A won 231 medals!
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#23 The Russian Team Caught Itself In The Midst Of A Massive Doping Scandal In 2016
An investigation found a systematic cover-up of positive doping tests, which led to the disqualification of several Russian athletes.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#24 The United States Has Hosted The Games Eight Times
It has hosted four Summer Games and four Winter Games. It is set to host for the 9th time in 2028.
Image source: guinnessworldrecords.com
#25 Why Do Olympic Winners Bite Their Medals?
While the winners today commonly bite their medals to show their delight, champions have historically done so to determine whether the medals were made of genuine gold.
Image source: olympics.com
#26 An American Became The First Person To Win Both The Summer And Winter Olympics
Eddie Eagan won a boxing gold in 1920 and another gold in bobsleigh at the Winter Olympics of 1932.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, commons.wikimedia.org
#27 Famous American Figure Skater Tonya Harding Attacked Teammate Nancy Kerrigan To Prevent Her From Competing In The Olympics
If you’ve heard of the movie I, Tonya, then you would surely know about the controversy. Harding’s ex-husband attacked Kerrigan’s knee with a police baton just before the 1994 Winter Olympics. Luckily, she recovered in time and went on to win a silver.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, Mintaka Alnilam
#28 The Ancient Olympic Games Lasted Five To Six Months
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#29 Until 1912, Winners Received Medals Made Of Actual Gold
Now the winning medal is made of silver, plated with 6 grams (0.2 ounces) of gold.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#30 Medals Were First Introduced At The 1904 Games
Before this, Olympians were honored with olive wreath crowns.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#31 An Age Scandal: 14-Year-Old Chinese Gymnast Dong Fangxiao Pretended To Be 16 At The 2000 Sydney Olympics
16 is the minimum age to compete. She was stripped of her bronze medal when her real age was revealed.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#32 The Olympic Flame Is Supposed To Burn During The Entire Event
If it goes out, it’s lit by a backup torch, also lit at Olympia. As per tradition, it can never be relit with a regular lighter.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#33 Walt Disney Was The Chairman Of The Pageantry Committee For The 1960 Winter Games In California
He added Disney magic to the ceremonies. There were dramatic ice sculptures, an 80-foot Tower of Nations, and dazzling fireworks. 2,000 “peace doves” were also released during the ceremony.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org, Boy Scouts of America
#34 Several Nations Boycotted The Olympics In The ’80s During The Cold War
First, the US and 65 nations decided to boycott the 1980 Moscow Olympics as a protest against the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Next, the Soviet Union and 13 more countries boycotted the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#35 The 2002 Olympics Had A “Vote Trading” Scandal
It happened during the figure skating competition. First, the Russian team was found to be the winner. Later, the French judge of the competition claimed she was pressured to vote for Russia. After this, the officials decided to reward both the Russian and Canadian teams with gold medals.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#36 Artists, Sculptors, Painters, And Musicians Used To Compete Too!
From 1912 to 1948, the Olympic Games included art competitions to celebrate artistic expression. The winners were awarded medals, just like the athletes. However, it was discontinued after 1948.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#37 The Olympics Were Canceled Three Times!
In 1916 During WWI, In 1940, And In 1944 During WWII.
Image source: history.com
#38 The First Paralympics Took Place In Rome In 1960
Both Winter and Summer Paralympic Games are held immediately after the corresponding Olympic Games.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#39 An Athlete Was Stripped Of Her Gold Medal Because Of Her Cough Medicine
An interesting fact about the Olympics revolves around a doping scandal caused by a cough medicine. Romanian gymnast Andreea Răducan tested positive for pseudoephedrine during the 2000 Olympics. She was taking cough medicine at that time and claimed the substance entered her body because of that. The IOC stripped her gold medal and refused to reconsider its decision.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#40 Taekwondo Athlete Ángel Matos Was Permanently Banned After He Kicked A Referee In The 2008 Beijing Olympics
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#41 The Host City Also Gets The Privilege Of Designing The Medals
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#42 The Olympic Torch Travels Around The World
It is lit at Olympia in Greece. It then travels around the world for two years until it reaches the host nation, where it lights the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony.
Image source: en.wikipedia.org
#43 Golf Returns!
Golf made a triumphant comeback in 2016 — 112 years after the last tournament!
Image source: olympics.com
#44 The 1960 Rome Olympics Were The First To Be Shown On Television In The US
Image source: britannica.com
#45 Live Pigeon Shooting Was Part Of An Archery Event At The 1900 Olympic Games
Live Pigeon Shooting Was Part Of An Archery Event At The 1900 Olympic Games
Image source: npr.org
#46 The Olympics Began In The 8th Century BC
However, it is likely they began much earlier.
Image source: history.com
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