Interesting facts about the Olympics

Interesting facts about the Olympics Is a great opportunity to learn more about the history of sports. As you know, the Olympic Games are the most prestigious and large-scale sports competitions that are held once every 4 years. It is considered a great honor for any athlete to be awarded a medal in such competitions.

So, here are the most interesting facts about the Olympic Games.

1. From 776 BC until 393 A.D. The Olympic Games were held under the auspices of a religious holiday.
2. When Christianity became the official religion, the Olympic Games began to be seen as a manifestation of paganism. As a result, in 393 A.D. they were banned by order of Emperor Theodosius I.
3. The competition owes its name to the ancient Greek settlement - Olympia, where a total of 293 Olympiads were organized.
4. Did you know that the Olympic Games were never held in Africa and Antarctica?
5. As of today, only 4 athletes in history have won medals in both the Summer and Winter Olympics.
6. The Winter Olympic Games were established only in 1924 and were initially held simultaneously with the Summer ones. Everything changed in 1994, when the gap between them began to be 2 years.
7. Greece (see interesting facts about Greece) won the most medals - 47, in the first revived Olympic Games in 1896.
8. Artificial snow was first used at the 1980 Winter Olympics in the United States.
9. In ancient times, the Olympic flame was mined every 2 years, using the sun's rays and a concave mirror.
10. The Summer Paralympic Games have been held since 1960 and the Winter Paralympics since 1976.
11. An interesting fact is that for the first time the Olympic flame was lit at the 1936 Olympic Games in the Third Reich, while Hitler opened them.
12. Norway holds the record for the number of medals won at the Winter Olympics.
13. In contrast, the United States holds the record for medals in the Summer Olympics.
14. Curiously, the Winter Olympics have never been held in the Southern Hemisphere.
15. The famous 5 rings depicted on the Olympic flag represent the 5 parts of the world.
16. In 1988, at the competition, visitors were banned from smoking for the first time, since the stands were located near the athletes.
17. American swimmer Michael Phelps holds the record for the number of medals won in the history of the Olympics - 22 medals!
18. As of today, only hockey (see interesting facts about hockey) is considered the only sport in which teams from all over the world have won gold medals.
19. The organization of the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal caused serious damage to the Canadian economy. The country has been forced to donate $ 5 billion to the Olympic Committee for 30 years! It is curious that at these competitions the Canadians were not able to take a single prize.
20. The 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi became the most expensive. Russia spent about $ 40 billion on it!
21. In addition, the competition in Sochi turned out to be not only the most expensive, but also the most ambitious. 2800 athletes participated in them.
22. In the period 1952-1972. the wrong Olympic emblem was used - the rings were placed in the wrong sequence. It is worth noting that the error was noticed by one of the watchful spectators.
23. An interesting fact is that, according to the regulations, the opening and closing of the Olympic Games should begin with a theatrical performance, which allow the viewer to see the appearance of the state, getting acquainted with its history and culture.
24. At the 1936 Olympics, the first basketball competition was held on a sandy site, which, in the midst of a downpour, turned into a real swamp.
25. At every Olympic Games, the flag of Greece is raised, in addition to the host country, since it is she who is the ancestor of these competitions.

Watch the video: 10 FACTS ABOUT OLYMPIC HISTORY (May 2025).