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Don't Trip Up! Trivia Quiz

Many of the most memorable moments in sports come when things go wrong. This quiz has some funny, some tragic events - I hope you enjoy quizzing about falling stars.

A multiple-choice quiz by VegemiteKid. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
VegemiteKid

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
359,594

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
999

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. Which American runner tripped and fell heavily in the 3000 meters race in the 1984 Summer Olympics, as she attempted to overtake Zola Budd of Great Britain? Hint

Mary Checker

Mary Docker

Mary Wrecker

Mary Decker

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Elementary! Which Australian cricketer was felled by a ball in the face during the 1971-72 Rest of the World Series, and required 40 pints of blood and heart massage to save his life? Hint

Ricky Ponting

Malcolm Marshall

Graeme Watson

David Gower

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Question 3 of 10

3. In the 1951 Tour de France, Wim van Est became the first Dutch rider to earn the leader's yellow jersey, but capped off his Tour by doing what? Hint

Falling in love

Falling down a ravine

Tripping over his feet

Tripping over a dog

4. Steve Bradbury, in an almost comical sequence, became the first person from Australia to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics, when all his opponents tripped over themselves to let him skate past and win.

True

False

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Question 5 of 10

5. England's Prince Harry took a tumble from his horse in the inaugural Sentebale Polo Cup charity match, played in which former UK colony in the Caribbean? Hint

Saint Martin

Barbados

Falkland Islands

Jamaica

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Question 6 of 10

6. In 2012, Jo Wilfried Tsonga suffered a heavy fall and injured his finger while participating in what lead-up tournament to Wimbledon (which shares its name with a New York borough)? Hint

Staten Tennis Championships

Manhattan Masters

Queen's Club Championships

Charing Cross Cup

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. With a first name sounding like a famous cartoon character, which baseball player tripped and fell over an exposed drain pipe while endeavouring to get out the way of Joe DiMaggio, who had called for the ball? Hint

Donald Mattingly

Sam Snead

Yogi Berra

Mickey Mantle

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. In an amazing show of courage at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which diver hit his head in the 3m springboard preliminary rounds, but came back to win the gold medal by just 1.14 points? Hint

Mark Spitz

Greg Louganis

Klaus Dibiasi

Sammy Lee

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. The second man to break the four-minute mile barrier, John Landy, stopped to help fellow Aussie, Ron Clarke, who had been tripped in the 1956 Australian National Championships. What happened next? Hint

Landy caught the field and won the race.

They walked together to the finish line.

Clarke was taken away in an ambulance and Landy escorted him.

Both were disqualified.

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. By what name did the iconic film clip featuring a spectacular skiing mishap by Vinko Bogataj, played for many years by the US version of Wide World of Sports, become known? Hint

Vinko Takes a Fall

Falling with Style

That's Using your Noggin

The Agony of Defeat.

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which American runner tripped and fell heavily in the 3000 meters race in the 1984 Summer Olympics, as she attempted to overtake Zola Budd of Great Britain?

Answer: Mary Decker

Mary Decker tripped over Zola Budd's leg, after she had trodden on Budd's heel. (Budd was running in bare feet, as was her custom). Decker strained a thigh muscle and neither girl was able to continue. While Budd was initally disqualified, upon further reviewing the footage, the judges reinstated her.

2. Elementary! Which Australian cricketer was felled by a ball in the face during the 1971-72 Rest of the World Series, and required 40 pints of blood and heart massage to save his life?

Answer: Graeme Watson

I hope you got my 'elementary' clue!
The bowler was Tony Greig, and the ball was a 'beamer' (aka full toss), meaning it didn't hit the pitch before passing the batsman. This type of delivery is considered dangerous and can result in the bowler being 'warned' or excluded from the bowling line-up for the rest of the innings. As for Graeme Watson, he recovered and went on to have a solid though not spectacular cricketing career.

3. In the 1951 Tour de France, Wim van Est became the first Dutch rider to earn the leader's yellow jersey, but capped off his Tour by doing what?

Answer: Falling down a ravine

At the time he fell down the ravine, van Est was actually wearing the leader's jersey. Though it could have been a tragic event, he survived and was hauled back up with the assistance of spectators.

Answer: True

As part of a team, Bradury won a bronze medal in 1994 to become the first individual to win any medal for Australia in the Winter Olympics. The event he won so amazingly in 2002, the short track 1,000m race, was the first-ever Winter Olympics gold medal for Australia.

The final was a five-man field, and the other four skaters all collided and fell at the final turn. Bradbury, who was 15m behind, skated through for the gold medal.

5. England's Prince Harry took a tumble from his horse in the inaugural Sentebale Polo Cup charity match, played in which former UK colony in the Caribbean?

Answer: Barbados

The annual polo match event is a fundraiser for the Sentebale Children's charity. In the 2010 match, Prince Harry was frustrated with himself for falling off his horse, as a business man had promised a $100,000 donation if Harry could keep his seat for the entire game. In the end, the business man donated the money anyway.

6. In 2012, Jo Wilfried Tsonga suffered a heavy fall and injured his finger while participating in what lead-up tournament to Wimbledon (which shares its name with a New York borough)?

Answer: Queen's Club Championships

Though it was initally feared that Tsonga had broken his finger in the game against Ivan Dodig, he went on to play at Wimbledon, reaching the semi-finals (where he was beaten by Andy Murray in four sets).
As far as I know, the other three tournament names don't actually exist as a tennis competition!

Answer: Mickey Mantle

Severely injuring his right knee, Mantle was playing for the Yankees in the second game of the 1951 World Series. Mays had hit a fly ball to right-centre field.

8. In an amazing show of courage at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, which diver hit his head in the 3m springboard preliminary rounds, but came back to win the gold medal by just 1.14 points?

Answer: Greg Louganis

Louganis' prodigious talent secured him gold medals at both 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games, in the 3m springboard and 10m platform events, becoming the first man to ever to sweep both of these events at consecutive Olympic meets.

He won the 3m springboard gold medal in 1988 by 638.61 pts to 637.47 for the silver medallist (bronze was a long way back on 594.39 pts).

Answer: Landy caught the field and won the race.

This race, for the Australian mile title, was run just prior to the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. In commemoration of what is a very symbolic event in the Australian psyche, a bronze sculpture of Landy helping Clarke to his feet was erected in Melbourne.

10. By what name did the iconic film clip featuring a spectacular skiing mishap by Vinko Bogataj, played for many years by the US version of Wide World of Sports, become known?

Answer: The Agony of Defeat.

Bogataj had tried to steady himself during a competition jump, but too late; he suffered a mild concussion as a result of his fall. His mishap was captured on film and, by being shown repeatedly by the Wide World of Sports program, Bogataj became famous. He was unaware of his fame however, until he received a request to attend a Wide World of Sports anniversary.

Source: Author VegemiteKid

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ozzz2002 before going online.
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