Interesting Facts From The Olympics Quiz

Answer: The curves of the track were too tight

Achieving fast times in the running events was almost impossible in these Olympics because the elongated shape of the track featured extremely tight corners at either ends. Other interesting facts from these Olympics include the following. The crouch start was used for the first time in running, and an Australian, Edwin Flack, who'd gone along to watch the games, decided instead to run in the 800 and the 1,500 meters - and won both.

Answer: Hot air ballooning

Unfortunately, because this was considered an unofficial sport, the record of the winner can't be located. Other facts of interest associated with these Olympics however include the following. Women competed for the first time, pigeons were used for the first and only time in the shooting competitions, only one spectator turned up to attend the croquet tournament, and races were held on a Sunday for the first time.

The last of those led to a punch up between two rival American competitors who were discouraged from playing on a Sunday by their athletic clubs back home. Both men, Alvin Kraenzlein and Myer Prinstein agreed between themselves not to compete on the day, but Kraenzlein failed to honour the agreement - and won.

The enraged Prinstein, when he heard of this, punched Kraenzlein on the nose.

Answer: To see how they compared to white men

Truly hard to believe in this day and age, but that indeed is what happened then. Other unusual happenings from these games include the following. An American gymnast, George Eyser, who had a wooden leg, won six medals. The official winner of the marathon (British Thomas Hicks who was representing the US) took several doses of rat poison (strychnine sulphate) during the race as a stimulant, almost killing himself in the process.

A Cuban, Felix Carbajal, finished fourth even though he took a short nap along the way. African Americans competed for the first time, as did the nation of South Africa. Two black Africans, Len Tau and Yamasani, who weren't official competitors, but were in Paris as part of a Boer War sideshow exhibit, were allowed to race. Tau, however, the favourite of the two, failed to perform well because he was chased a mile off course by very determined dogs.

Answer: The eruption of Vesuvius

The city of Naples was particularly devastated by this eruption in 1906, and Italy's Olympic funding for the future games had to be spent on reconstruction in that city instead. Other interesting facts from these Olympics include the following. The length of the marathon was lengthened so that it would begin at Windsor Castle.

The Swedish team refused to take part in the opening ceremony because their flag hadn't been placed in the stadium. The oldest competitor in the Games, Swedish Oscar Swahn (almost 50 at the time) won a gold medal for the running deer shooting - fortunately not live animals. And, of all things, one competition sport involved pistol duelling between various opponents. You'll be relieved to hear wax bullets were used for this.

Answer: An arts competion

These included events for literature, sculpture, painting, music and architecture. Other interesting facts from these Olympics included electric timing of the races being used for the first time, boxing disallowed because the Swedes disliked the sport, and Japan competing for the first time.

The marathon's Japanese competitor, Kanakuri Shizo, stopped to have a drink half way through, and then decided to go home instead of finishing. Fifty years later, he was invited back to complete the race, and did so - recording a time of 54 years, 8 months, 6 days, 8 hours and 32 minutes.

Answer: Ottoman Empire

The Ottoman Empire broke up altogether by 1922, and Turkey was declared a republic in 1923. Other interesting facts from the 1920 Games included the introduction of the Olympic Oath and the Olympic flag, and doves released during the opening ceremony for the first time.

Answer: Marked Lanes

Prior to this, the swimming events had taken place in various venues, including lakes, rivers and the sea. Other interesting facts from these Olympics include the following. The Olympic motto of "Citrius, Altius, Fortius" (Faster, Higher, Stronger) was used for the first time, Ireland made its first appearance as a separate nation, little Uruguay won the gold medal in the football, and in the gymnastics, 23 men scored a perfect ten. That was for the sport of rope-climbing.

Answer: The lighting of the Olympic Flame

This linked the modern Games back to the Ancient Olympics when a flame was always kept burning during the course of those games. The flame was lit in Amsterdam, not at Olympia. That didn't occur until 1936 when there was a torch relay for the first time.

Other interesting happenings from these games included Greece heading the parade of athletes into the stadium for the first time, the 400 metres track standard used for the first time, Germany being allowed back in to compete, and the first sponsor of the games, Coca-Cola, making its appearance.

Answer: She had both male and female genitalia

Stanislawa Walasiewicz (1911-1980) won many races over her career, but it wasn't until an autopsy revealed after her death that the poor girl had both male and sexual components, and had hidden this all her life. Another matter of interest from these Olympics involved the steeplechase event. Due to an error by an official, this 3,000 metre race went for a lap longer than the requirement (finished at 3,460m).

Answer: London

Because of the severe economic crisis generated by the war, these Olympics became known as the Austerity Games. Other interesting facts from the competitions include the first gold won by an African-American woman, Alice Coachman, and the first defection after the games, one Marie Provazníková, who refused to go home to Czechoslovakia. An inspirational story from the games is that of Hungarian Karoly Takacs, who'd had his pistol hand mangled by a grenade during the war. He survived, taught himself to shoot with his other hand - and took out gold in the rapid fire pistol event at the Olympics.

Finally, just to finish off, when 17 year old Bob Mathias from the US won gold in the athletics, and was asked how he'd celebrate, he answered "I'll start shaving, I guess".