Lithuania’s basketball success was interrupted by Soviet annexation during WWII, leading to Lithuanian athletes playing for the Soviet team. After regaining independence in 1990, the Grateful Dead donated money and tie-dyed uniforms for the Lithuanian team to compete in the 1992 Olympics, where they won bronze. Lithuania has a long history of basketball excellence, including […]
South Korean archer Im Dong-hyun, who is legally blind, set a world record at the 2012 London Olympics by scoring 699 points out of a possible 720 in the men’s event. He has 20/200 vision in his left eye and 20/100 in his right eye, but he does not like to be referred to as […]
The modern Olympic Torch Relay originated in Nazi Germany in 1936 as a way to promote the myth of “Aryan” superiority. The torch’s path foreshadowed the path Hitler’s troops would take in WWII. However, the torch relay became a symbol of peace after the war. Jesse Owens won four gold medals, angering Hitler. The Olympic […]
Tug of war was an unusual sport included in the Olympics from 1900 to 1920, with the US and Great Britain both winning all three medals in a single year. Other suspended sports include motor boating, lacrosse, and croquet, while golf and rugby have returned. Host nations can include sports of local interest. Since the […]
George Eyser, a German-born athlete, competed in the 1904 Olympics with a prosthetic leg and won six medals in one day. Other amputees who competed in the Olympics include Olivér Halassy, Natalie du Toit, and Oscar Pistorius. American gymnast George Eyser was the first to compete in the Olympics wearing a prosthetic leg. In his […]
Croquet originated from a French game called paille-maille in the 16th and 17th centuries. It became popular in Britain as pall-mall during the reign of Charles II. Croquet was included in the Olympics once in 1900, with only French participants. Other strange events like tug-of-war and pigeon shooting were also briefly included. Croquet is thought […]
The Pierre de Coubertin Medal is harder to win than an Olympic gold medal and is awarded for outstanding sportsmanship at the Olympic Games. It has been awarded only a few times in history, with 26 recipients as of 2020. The stories surrounding the award are exemplary, including Canadian sailor Lawrence Lemieux who gave up […]
The United States won 46 gold medals at the 2016 Olympics, followed by Great Britain and China. Nine nations won their first gold medals, including Vietnam, Kosovo, and Fiji. Kuwait was suspended, and Puerto Rico competed independently, with Monica Puig winning gold in tennis. A record 59 countries won gold medals. For some nations, winning […]
Horses competing in the Olympics must be owned by a citizen of the country they represent for a certain amount of time. The deadline for nationality changes is 30 days before the event. The process of changing a horse’s nationality requires a formal request from the nation’s president or general secretary. Horses must be at […]
Several Olympic events demand great physical abilities, including decathlon, heptathlon, weightlifting, and water polo. Each event requires a specific skill set, but decathlon and heptathlon require overall physical ability, while weightlifting demands brute strength. Water polo also requires significant physical skill, making it a contender for the most demanding event. It would be impossible to […]
Despite the Great Depression, the 1932 Summer Olympics were held in Los Angeles, with many countries unable to send athletes. Brazilian Olympians sold coffee beans to afford the $1 per athlete disembarkation fee. The Olympics saw the beginning of the Olympic Village and the gold-silver-bronze podium. Babe Didrikson won two gold medals for the USA, […]
The Olympic Flame Relay involves passing a flame from torchbearer to torchbearer around the world, starting in Greece and ending at the Olympic Games. The flame travels in unusual ways and events are held to celebrate it. The tradition began in 1928 and anyone can be a torchbearer. The torch is used to light the […]
Over 10,000 athletes compete in the Summer Olympics, while around 5,000 compete in the Winter Games due to the number of participating nations and events. There have been over 27,000 Olympic medalists and about 500 athletes have participated in 5 or more Olympic Games. Although the numbers change with each Olympics, over 10,000 athletes compete […]
Olympic gold medals are mostly made of silver with gold plating and contain at least 0.21 ounces of gold. The composition varies, with the London 2012 medals containing 6% copper, 93% silver, and 1.34% gold. The shape and size of medals have changed over time. Contrary to what most people think, Olympic gold medals are […]
The 1904 Olympic marathon in St. Louis was a disaster due to the grueling course, extreme heat, and lack of water stops. Winner Thomas Hicks was given strychnine and brandy, while other runners suffered injuries and illness. The Olympic marathon, the centerpiece of the original games in ancient Greece, was a debacle when it was […]
Many countries award their Olympic medalists with money, with the US giving $37,500 for gold, $22,500 for silver, and $15,000 for bronze. Singapore gives $1 million for gold, $500,000 for silver, and $250,000 for bronze. Michael Phelps has won 23 gold medals, and the first gold medals were awarded in 1904. Competing and winning at […]
Olympic National Park in Washington state is a vast national park with over 920,000 acres of wilderness, including beaches, rainforests, and glaciers. Visitors can camp, hike, and explore the park’s many archaeological and historic sites. The park is divided into three main areas: mountains, forests, and the ocean. Scenic drives like Hurricane and Deer Park […]
An Olympic bar is a weightlifting bar with rotating sleeves that reduce torque on the athlete’s arms. It conforms to specific dimensions and is used in Olympic weightlifting competitions, as well as other exercises like squats and bench press. An Olympic bar is a type of bar used by athletes in Olympic weightlifting competitions. It […]
An Olympic-sized swimming pool holds 660,253 gallons, equivalent to over 42,600 kegs of beer. Americans consumed enough beer on Super Bowl Sunday 2011 to fill 493 Olympic-sized pools and nearly 800 on St. Patrick’s Day. The Czech Republic has the highest per capita consumption, while China drinks the most beer annually. The agricultural revolution is […]
