Some cool facts about the Olympics that you just may not believe. With hundreds of crazy Olympic facts and traditions from the days of the Ancient Greeks to the modern Olympics we enjoy today – let’s see how many of these you already knew and how many you don’t know about.
The Understated Hero in the Black Power Protest of Mexico City, 1968
Peter Norman stood by the duo in solidarity while displaying a human rights badge.
- Norman was attacked by his own country’s media for this display and barred from competing in future Olympics.
- His role has since been recognised as he was awarded a posthumous Order of Merit in 2008.
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How Many Of Our Crazy Olympic Facts Did You Know?
Whether you knew before or you know now, there is a multitude of inspirational sporting stories and quirky traditions that the Olympics have given us over the years – making it one of the world’s most prestigious, exciting, and eventful sporting events in history.
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A Symbol of Friendship
While black Olympic icon Jesse Owens was busy embarrassing Nazi Germany and making history at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin, two Japanese pole vaulters decided to decline the tie-break scenario and famously cut the two medals in half.
Naked Athletes
In Ancient Greece, nudity was one of the major Olympic traditions
- A runner called Orsippus changed the face of the games when he appeared naked, appealing to the nation as a symbol of ‘Greekness’
- Nudity was a sign of fearlessness, courage and power, and a tribute to the gods
The Tradition of Biting Olympic Medals
Olympians bite their medals during the awards ceremony.
- This tradition dates back to ages past, when merchants would check if the coin was indeed the precious metal they required and not a lead forgery.
- A lead coin would leave teeth marks, while a gold coin would not.
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 honored 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.
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.
A Marathon Without Shoes
Abebe Bikila won the Olympic marathon without the benefit of footwear.
Children & Amateurs Used To Compete
Rules have been put in place to make the Olympics the fairest and most level playing field possible, but that is not to say that athletes have not taken advantage of loopholes and such in the past.
- Young people were allowed to compete in the Olympics until 1997 when the International Olympic Committee ensured only those above the age of 16 could compete.
The Olympic Flame Is Always Lit
It has been around the world, on Concorde, winding whitewater and even in space and is virtually weatherproof.
London 2012 was a Historical Moment for Equality
The London 2012 Olympic Games was known as the Women’s Games because it was the first summer Olympics that showcased true equality.
- Women were not barred from a single sport and for the first time in history, each nation sent a female competitor.
The Longest Remaining Record In The Modern Olympics Is Now 50 Years Old
Bob Bearman won the long jump in the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico
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.
- Roman Emperor Theodosius abolished the Olympics in an attempt to rid his empire of paganism, in favor of the widespread adoption of Christianity in 392 AD.
- Amazingly it took 1503 years before the Olympics were to return.
