After a great deal delay, the 2020 Olympics are subsequently in complete swing. And if there’s one superb element approximately the Games pushing via withinside the center of a pandemic, it’s that it has supplied a lot of us with a totally welcome distraction from over a year’s really well worth of stress. Amid the Tokyo Olympics, we’ve witnessed endless feel-precise stories: the Philippines’ first Olympic gold, a Filipina Olympian who went viral for the final display of sportsmanship, and quality buddies who determined to percentage first place. It’s clean that the Olympics are these days’s freshest topic — however how a great deal can we all certainly recognize approximately this distinctly expected multi-recreation occasion? We’ve amassed a number of the maximum thrilling statistics approximately the Olympics, a number of that you may have in no way heard earlier than! Also read: The Viral Olympics 2020 Fireworks Video Isn’t What You Think It Is 1. The first actual Olympics turned into held in 776 BC You may consider getting to know this for your Social Studies or World History classes — the Olympics dates all of the manner returned to historical Greece, especially 776 BC. Originally, the Games had been created as a part of an historical Greek competition in birthday party of the Greek god Zeus.
Olympia, Greece | Image credit: Babel
While the term “Olympics” is typically related to Mount Olympus, the primary Games without a doubt happened in Olympia, that's loads of kilometers away. For 12 centuries, the Olympic Games had been, like these days, held each 4 years. The occasions covered wrestling, boxing, javelin, chariot racing, discus, and lengthy jump.
2. In historical Greece, Olympians competed withinside the nude
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No, we aren’t kidding! While the first actual Olympians had been geared up in loincloths, they ultimately moved directly to compete absolutely bare. Apparently, nudity turned into a huge a part of historical Greek culture — a few even noticed it as the “final tribute to Zeus.” Some Olympic competition could even lather themselves in olive oil to expose off their physiques!
Another a laugh fact? The phrase “gymnasium” without a doubt comes from the Greek root phrase “gymnos,” which means “nude.” So, the literal translation of the phrase is without a doubt “faculty for bare exercise.” Mind = blown!
3. The Olympics had been banned in 393 AD
One of the not-so-a laugh statistics approximately the Olympics? In 393 AD, Emperor Theodosius I banned the Olympics attributable to it being a non secular competition. During this period, Christianity turned into the dominant faith in Greece, and the emperor taken into consideration the Olympics to be a pagan birthday party.
A whopping 1,500 years surpassed till the Olympics had been another time celebrated. It turned into in 1894 whilst a French educator via way of means of the call of Baron Pierre de Coubertin proposed that the Games be revived. Thus, the cutting-edge Olympics that we recognize these days got here to be, and the primary cutting-edge Olympic Games happened in 1986 in Greece!
4. Winners didn’t acquire medals on the historical Olympic Games
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When it involves the Olympics (or quite a great deal any athletic competition), we typically accomplice it with gold, silver, and bronze medals. But did you recognize that originally, Olympic prizes didn’t consist of medals at all? During the historical Olympic Games, winners had been without a doubt presented with wreaths made with leaves from Olympia’s sacred olive tree.
Additionally, winners additionally had the choice to erect statues of themselves withinside the sacred Altis Grove, additionally referred to as the sanctuary of the gods at Olympia. However, you furthermore may needed to be financially succesful to make this happen!
5. The youngest athlete in cutting-edge Olympic records turned into 10 years antique, at the same time as the oldest turned into 72
Image credit: plato-academy.com via HistoryAsia Official Twitter Page
Greek gymnast Dimitrios Loundras competed manner returned withinside the 1896 Olympics in Athens, and participated in incomes his group a bronze medal in group parallel bars. He ultimately went directly to serve a function on Greece’s Olympic committee.
Image credit: Olympics Official Twitter Page
Meanwhile, 72-year-antique Oscar Swahn gained a silver medal on the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp. Prior to this, the Swedish shooter without a doubt gained his first Olympic gold medal in 1908, on the age of 60.
6. Tug of battle turned into an Olympic recreation from 1900 to 1920fun statistics approximately the olympics
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Sounds a bit silly, doesn’t it? Apparently, maximum gold medals for this precise occasion had been presented to Britain, accompanied intently via way of means of the US. Besides tug of battle, different thrilling Olympic sports activities of yesteryear consist of rope climbing, warm air ballooning, and tandem bicycle.
7. Women had been first allowed to compete withinside the Olympics in 1900
It’s no mystery that ladies had been excluded from plenty of factors throughout historical times. So it doesn’t come as a marvel that they weren’t allowed to compete withinside the Olympics throughout its in advance days. Interestingly, a separate competition known as the Heraean Games — stimulated via way of means of the goddess Hera — turned into created for ladies.
Image credit: Hampton University
It was only in 1900 that they were officially permitted to compete in the Olympics. By the 2012 London Olympics, all participating nations had female representatives at the Games!
8. In the 1904 Games, gymnast George Eyser won a whopping six medals with a wooden leg
George Eyser is positioned in the center, wearing long pants | Image credit: Olympics Official Website
Here’s one in all our favourite a laugh statistics approximately the Olympics. Way earlier than the Paralympics turned into established, there had been activities whilst bodily disabled athletes nevertheless selected to compete withinside the Olympics in spite of their handicaps. Olympic gymnast George Eyster has long past down in records for bagging six medals in a unmarried day on the 1904 Games in spite of having a timber leg. You can take a look at out his inspiring tale here.
9. Artists also participated in the Olympics from 1912 to 1948
Image credit: Olympics Official Website
Creatives represent! For a period of time, the Olympics included not only sports, but also art competitions. Artists from fields such as architecture, sculpture, literature, painting, and music composition competed for medals in the Games, too. Today, art remains to play a large role in the Olympics, made evident in projects that range from Official Olympic Films to Olympic Art Posters and large-scale art installations.
10. The Olympic flag was designed to be inclusive
Image credit: Imágenes de Carolina Jaramillo via Canva Pro
We’re no strangers to the image of the Olympic flag — but does everyone know what it actually symbolises? Created by Baron Pierre de Coubertin (co-founder of the modern Olympics) in 1913, the flag incorporates five Olympic Rings to represent the five inhabited continents: Africa, America, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The six colours, including that of the background, were chosen because at least one of them was found in all national flags at the time.
Finally, the rings are depicted to be interlocking in order to symbolise the “meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Games.” You can check out the history of the Olympic Rings here.
BONUS: The first official Olympics mascot was a dachshund
Image credit: Olympics Official Website
Dog lovers here’s a fun fact about the Olympics that you’re sure to love: Waldi the dachshund was the Games’ very first official mascot! As the theme for the 1972 Olympics was “The Cheerful Games,” Willi Daume (the President of Munich in 1972) thought it only fitting to select a dachshund as the event’s official mascot. The former President actually owned a dachshund himself!
Waldi was designed by Otl Aicher — one of the designers behind German airline Lufthansa’s logo — and was based on an actual dachshund by the name of Cherie von Birkenhof. At the time, more than two million pieces of Waldi merchandise were sold all around the world.
Also read: Japan Created a Kimono for Every Nation at the 2020 Olympics!
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