The Olympics is the oldest sporting tradition in the world and has been the pride of our world since it first began in the 8th Century B.C. The modern day version of the Olympics is vastly different and is one of the most viewed events of all-time.
We take a look at some cool facts about the Olympics that you just may not believe.
There are many things you may not know about the massive spectacle, and this list features 10 such amazing facts.
10. The Olympic Gold Medals Are Actually Made Of Silver
Olympic medals are not made of gold but only finished with gold. They are mostly made of silver in this day and age.
The last time they were made entirely of gold was in the 1904 Olympic Games.
9. What do the Olympic Rings Stand For?
The five Olympic rings are symbolic of the five continents, and the colours were chosen because they all appear on the flags of all the competing nations around the world.
8. Winners Are Engraved on the Stadium Walls
Medal winners are not only inducted into their nation’s history and Olympic history, but they are also honoured at the Olympic stadium of that year’s tournament. Their names are engraved on the walls of the stadium – allowing their legacy to be written in stone.
7. Opening Ceremony
When the games were held in 1896, 1900 and 1904, the did not manage to catch the attention of the crowds during the era. In order to make things more appealing, the games in 1906 began with a lot of theatrics, and the world immediately began to pay attention. This is considered to be the first modern day Olympics.
6. Worthy Prize
The gold medals handed out during the 2012 games were the biggest and heaviest medals of all-time despite containing only 1.5% gold.
5. The Olympic Flame Is Always Lit
It has been around the world, on Concorde, winding whitewater and even in space and is virtually weatherproof. It can withstand extreme temperatures and roaring winds of up to 50 mph and somehow has not yet gone out during its lengthy relays around the world. If it should, a spare torch, lit from the mother flame in Athens, is never more than 30 seconds away.
4. The First Paralympics
The first Paralympic Games took place in Rome in 1960, designed to allow war veterans a chance to compete and rehabilitate. Before that, there were instances where physically disabled athletes competed in the Olympics themselves. Olympic gymnast George Eyser famously won six medals with a wooden leg in the 1904 Games.
Now the Paralympics offers a chance for people with an array of disabilities the chance to compete. In 2014 Ibrahim Hamato made history as he became a world champion in table tennis despite having no arms and playing with the racquet in his mouth.
3. A 1500-Year Hiatus
The original Olympic Games, staged in Olympia ran from 776 BC through till 392 AD and were held, like today, every four years in conjunction with a festival to honour the Greek god, Zeus. The Ancient Greeks also had three other Games in honour of gods, Apollo, Elis and Poseiden making room for a tournament every year. Roman Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympics in an attempt to rid his empire of paganism, in favour of the widespread adoption of Christianity in 392 AD.
Amazingly it took 1503 years before the Olympics were to return. Organised by Pierre de Coubertin who formed the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the modern Olympics were born and took place in Athens in 1896.
2. A Marathon Without Shoes
Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon at the Rome Olympic Games in 1960. Amazingly he did it without the benefit of footwear. Running barefoot for the painstaking 26-mile run, Bikila became the first African in history to win a gold medal.
1. London 2012 was a Historical Moment for Equality
London 2012 proved a landmark moment for the Olympics. Not only did 4 billion people tune in to watch the opening ceremony (more than half of the world’s population.)
The London 2012 Olympic Games was also known as the Women’s Games. Why? Because it was the first summer Olympics which showcased true equality. Women were not barred from a single sport and for the first time in history, each nation sent a female competitor.
How many of these crazy Olympic facts did you know?
The next Summer Olympic Games is scheduled to take place from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo.