What's That Olympic Sport? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Shooting

Various shooting events have been included in most modern Olympic Games since the first revived event in 1896, although some of the early sports (such as the "Live Pigeon Shooting" held at the 1900 Paris Olympics) are no longer included in the official record of "medal events".

Between 1988 and 2020, a total of six men's shooting events were included; air pistol, air rifle, rapid fire pistol, rifle three positions, skeet, and trap. Since 2000, all six have been women's events as well. In 2020, mixed teams were invited to compete in air pistol, air rifle and trap events.

Answer: Basketball

Men's basketball first appeared as an official Olympic event at the Berlin Games in 1936 and has featured at each subsequent Olympiad. Women's basketball has featured each year since 1976. The USA has dominated both the men's and women's competitions.

Answer: Madison

Although cycling events have been a part of every modern Olympics since 1896, the Madison is a relatively new addition. It was first included as a men's event in 2000 and reappeared in 2004 and 2008. It was then omitted in 2012 and 2016, before coming back again for 2020. It made its first appearance as a women's event in 2020.

It is a form of relay race, involving teams of two riders undertaking multiple circuits of a track, each of whom can relieve the other at any point in the race as many times as tactics dictate. The event was devised in America at the end of the nineteenth century, and is named after New York's Madison Square Garden, where the first such race took place.

Answer: Curling

Curling was included in the first Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France, in 1924, when a team from Great Britain took the gold. It then disappeared until 1998, although "demonstration" events were held in 1932, 1988 and 1992. In 1998 and subsequent years, men's and women's events were held, with a "mixed doubles" event being added in 2018.

Answer: Shot Put

The Shot Put requires the athlete to "put" (throw from the shoulder) a heavy metal ball (the "shot") in accordance with various precise regulations. As an Olympic event, it has been competed for by men since the first modern games in 1896, with a women's event added in 1948.

Answer: Canoe Slalom

The first official appearance of canoeing at the Olympics was at Berlin in 1936, although it had been a demonstration event in Paris in 1924. The canoe slalom event (in which competitors must paddle through a series of hanging "gates" in as short a time as possible) first appeared in 1972, although it did not become a regular event until 1992.

Answer: Modern Pentathlon

The concept of the modern pentathlon was devised by Baron Pierre de Coubertin, who founded the modern Games, and was modelled after the ancient Olympic event. That had been designed to test the main skills expected of a Greek soldier - long jump, javelin, discus, foot race and wrestling. Coubertin's modern version comprises fencing, swimming, riding, shooting, and running, which he saw as the key skills required of a "modern" soldier.

A men's event was first included in the 1912 Games in Stockholm, with a women's one added in 2000 (Sydney). The exact format of the five disciplines has been tweaked many times since 1912, with the riding changing from cross-country to show-jumping in 1988, and shooting changing from pistol to laser weapon in 2012 (London). In 2012 running and shooting were combined into one event, with competitors pausing to shoot during the run.

Answer: Javelin throw

The javelin throw is one of the few modern Olympic events which was also part of the ancient Games, where it was part of the pentathlon and was intended to test the spear-throwing skills of the athletes.

The modern version made its first appearance at the 1908 London Games, when it was won by Eric Lemming of Sweden. A women's event was added in 1932 (Los Angeles), when Babe Didrikson of the USA took gold.

Answer: Figure skating

The first official Winter Olympics took place in 1924 (Chamonix, France), although figure skating competitions had taken place as part of the main 1908 and 1920 Games. From those first Winter Games, both men's and women's singles events have been included, as well as a pairs event. In 1976 an "ice dance" event was added, followed by a "team" event in 2014, which combined all the main disciplines.

Answer: Snowboarding

Snowboarding is a relatively recent addition to the Winter Olympic programme. It became an official Olympic sport in 1998 at the Games held in Nagano, Japan, with the inclusion of both men's and women's events. In that first year two disciplines were included - giant slalom and half-pipe - with more events being added in subsequent years as it became more popular.

In the 2022 Games, a mixed team "snowboard cross" event was added.