As the Olympic Games 2021 are finally taking place in Tokyo, it’ll be nice to learn some interesting facts. Some of the facts here are from Ancient Greek games, and others are from modern ones as well. Read further and learn some cool facts as you watch the Olympic Games.
1. Winners Names Imprinted on the Stadium Halls
After winning a medal, all the Olympic winners are honored at the stadium. Not only that, but their names are imprinted on the stadium walls, continuing their legacy.
2. Biting the Medal
Biting the Olympic medal is a tradition that you may have noticed in some of the games. So, you may ask yourself why? Well, this is an old tradition that was done to check if the coins were real, as a gold coin would never leave teeth marks. Most of the Olympic medals are now finished in gold and made of silver.
3. The Naked Athlete
During the ancient Greek games, many athletes would perform naked. It was seen as a symbol of courage, power, and fearlessness.
4. The Symbolic Olympic Rings
Curious as to what the olympic rings symbolize? Well, the colorful rings on the flag symbolize 5 continents and their flag colors.
5. The 1500 Year Old Hiatus
Pierre de Coubertin formed the International Olympic Committee, and it took almost 1593 years before for the Olympics to return. It originally ran from 776 BC to 392 AD.
6. The Medal Format
The ancient Greek Olympics only had only one medal, which was gold. Now, the modern Olympics have three medals; gold, silver, and bronze.
7. The First Paralytic Games
The first Paralympics games took place during the 1960s in Rome. This was initially for war veterans as a form of rehabilitation. The modern Paralympics consist of people with disabilities competing against each other.
8. Marathon Without Shoes
Abebi Bikila was the first African to win a gold medal in the Olympics. Not only did he win, but he won for competing in the marathon race barefoot.
9. Children and Amateurs were a Part of the Olympic Games
Until 1997, young people and amateurs were allowed to compete in the Olympics. However: the rules changed, and only above 16 can compete now.
10. A few Games are Not a Part of the Tug War
There are a few games not included in the modern Olympic Games, such as hot air ballooning, tug if warm plunge for distance, and dueling.
11. Rectangular Medals
The 1900 Paris games were the only Olympics games that offered winners rectangular medals.
12. First Female Participants
The 2012 London Olympic Games were the first ever in which each country sent female athletes.
13. Olympic Torch
The Olympic torch has been taken to save a few times!
14. Recycled Medals
The Tokyo 2020-21 games are the first in history to give medals made from recycled materials that were being handed out.
The Takeaway
These facts surely may have blown your mind, especially if you’re keeping up with the current Olympic Games being held in Tokyo right now.