Olympics Trivia

Today it seems that every two years there is a flurry of excitement. That excitement is due to the fact that it is once again time for the Olympics. It varies as to whether the summer or winter Olympics are being held, but no matter which, there is bound to be a lot of enthusiasm surrounding the event.

The Olympics themselves originated in Greece back in the 8th century BC. Greek athletes would compete against one and other to achieve excellence in the eyes of the spectators. Most of the athletes came from the different city-states to compete against one another. The sports that they participated in were based in combat and chariot racing. As the years went by and the Romans became more influential in Greece the games themselves lost popularity. During the reign of Theodosius I the games were totally banned due to their pagan influence.

That was not the end of the Olympics. Baron Pierre de Coubertin had a dream of revitalizing the Olympics, and because of this he started the International Olympic Committee in 1894. Only two years after the origination of the IOC the Olympics were revived in Athens, Greece. However, the sports held at the Olympics are drastically different than those of ancient Greece. The IOC worked to adapt to the times, which included the establishment of the Winter Olympics. Even today the IOC is constantly evaluating what sports to include in the games.

The truth is that with the reestablishment of the Olympics came some hardships. In the Olympic games following the initial one in Athens the popularity of the event was waning. In actuality the World's Fair was far more popular than the Olympics that however, was a short lived bump in the road. Though the initial Olympic games in Athens hosted only fourteen different countries that number has swelled. In fact, the 2008 Summer Olympics was the host to over 10,500 athletes from more than two hundred different countries.

Perhaps, one of the reasons that the Olympics has gained in popularity is due to the fact that the location is constantly changing. Different cities from around the world petition to host the games. While that may be an expensive proposition, it can bring quite a bit of fame to the host city. This is in part due to the media coverage that the Olympics receive. Hundreds of different media sources broadcast the event, and their coverage allows the average person to see a city in the world that they may not have previously known about.

Speaking of the expense of hosting the event, there is a lot that a city must do to prepare for the Olympics to be held in their location. Of course there needs to be adequate sporting facilities; like Olympic sized pools, stadiums, and ski slopes. Additionally, there needs to be a dedicated Olympic village. The Olympic village is where all of the athletes are housed during their stay and is complete with food, clinics, and any other amenities that the athletes might require.

The Athlete's Oath

At each of the games one athlete recites the oath on behalf of all the competitors. The oath was written by Pierre de Coubertin, the man who initiated the revival of the modern games. The oath was first recited by fencer, Victor Boin at the 1920 Olympic games.

The athlete's oath is:

In the name of all competitors, I promise that we shall take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules that govern them, in the true spirit of sportsmanship, for the glory of sport and the honor of our teams.

The Olympic Creed

The creed was also written by Pierre de Coubertin. He got a lot of his ideas and thoughts from a speech given by his friend Bishop Talbot. The Olympic Creed reads;

The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not to win but to take part, just as the most important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle. The essential thing is not to have conquered but to have fought well.

The Olympic Motto

Swifter
Higher
Stronger

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• Both the summer and the winter games are only held every four years. To create more interest in the Olympics, winter and summer games are not held in the same year.


• When the modern games were first introduced only amateurs were allowed to compete.


• In 1981 the regulations are changed and professional athletes are given the right to go to the games, although they are required to meet the international standards and to follow all the rules and regulation of the IOC.


• The five rings represent the five continents that compete at the games; Asia, Europe, Australia, America and Africa.


• The colors of the rings and the background of the flag represent the colors on all the flags of the countries of the world at the time the Olympic flag was created.


• The torch is traditionally lit before each game at the site of the ancient games in Greece.


• The torch relay is a chain of athletes, celebrities, leaders and ordinary citizens who help bring the torch to the new host city.


• The Olympic flame is lit in the new host city at the opening ceremony.


• The flame remains lit throughout the games, in a specially designed holder that allows it to burn continuously.


• At the end of the games the flame is extinguished as part of the official closing ceremony.

Position your cursor over the question mark found beside each question for the answer.

Which winter Olympics' mascot was Copper the Coyote?

Which winter Olympic games saw Eric Heiden win 5 gold medals?

Where were the first winter Olympics held?

Who won the first ever gold medal at the winter Olympics?

Which figure skater won three gold medals?

Before the existence of the winter Olympics, which of these events was held during the summer games?

Which country won the first winter Olympics?

How many countries competed at the first winter Olympics?

How many sports were there at the first Winter Olympics?

Which of these events was not included in the first winter Olympics?



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What was the first year the Olympic flame remained ignited from the opening through the closing ceremonies?

Who was the youngest Olympian medalist?

Which year marked the only Winter Olympics that did not include a bobsled competition?

Who is the youngest athlete to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics?

Who has won the most Olympic medals of all colors?

When did gender testing begin at the Olympics?

The Olympic Creed says that athletes should

The Olympic Committee is based in?

Why are the colors of the Olympic Rings blue, black, red, yellow, and green?

Since they began in 1896, which country has NOT participated in every Summer Olympics?



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Olympic winter gold medalist Robin Cousins represented which country?

Where were the 1984 winter Olympics held?

Which winter Olympic host country had the mascots Hidy and Howdy, two polar bears?

Where were the 1960 winter Olympics held?

When the American hockey team won a gold medal at the winter Olympics it was called "A miracle on Ice." Where did this miracle happen?

In what year did the Canadian men's hockey team take the gold medal to end a fifty year drought?

Who was the first person from the Southern Hemisphere to win a gold medal?

The movie Cool Running was about which Olympic bobsled team?

Which country took the most medals at the 2006 winter Olympic games?

Which country was the overall winner at the 1994 winter Olympic games?



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• The goddess Nike has been depicted on the medals awarded at each of the summer games since 1928.


• The winter medals do not have a common theme, each host city chooses its own design.


• The Olympic salute is similar to that of ancient Rome. The arm is held out high with the palm down. The salute lost its popularity after WWII because of its close resemblance to the salute used by the Germans.


• The first Olympic mascot was first introduced at the Grenoble games in France. Since those games each nation has chosen a mascot to symbolize their nation.


• According to tradition, the teams enter the opening ceremonies in a specific order. The team from Greece always enters first and the host nation enters last. All other countries enter the stadium in alphabetical order.


• Woman first competed in the games in 1900. The games were held in Paris France.


• The games are actually awarded to a city and not a country.


• Due to the first and second world war the games were cancelled in 1916, 1940 and 1944.


• The modern games were first held in Athens, Greece in 1896.


• The Romans banned the ancient Greek games because of their pagan associations. The Roman Emperor Theodosius was responsible for the ban in 393 AD.