10 Extraordinary and Unusual Facts About the Olympics

Published on August 8, 2008 by Hein Marais in Sports

With the 2008 Summer Olympics about to start, here are 10 fun facts to wet your appetite for the spectacle about to happen.

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  1. The Olympic games has its origin in Ancient Greece and was a series of athletic competitions held between various city states of Ancient Greece. These Olympic games dates back to 776BC.


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  2. In ancient times females were forbidden to watch the games and the penalty for doing so was death. Only free males were allowed to participate in the games.
  3. The Olympic Flame is a symbol of the fire stolen from the Greek God Zeus. Months before the opening ceremony of the Olympic games the torch is lit at the ancient site of the Olympics in Olympia. A ceremony is performed by Eleven women called priestesses in which the torch is lit by a parabolic mirror which concentrates the rays of the sun.


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  4. The 2008 Beijing Games will feature 28 sports that will consist of 302 events. The following sports will be contested at this years Olympic games:
    • Aquatics
    • Archery
    • Athletics
    • Badminton
    • Baseball
    • Basketball
    • Boxing
    • Canoeing
    • Cycling
    • Equestrian
    • Fencing
    • Field Hockey
    • Football
    • Gymnastics
    • Handball
    • Judo
    • Modern Pentathlon
    • Rowing
    • Sailing
    • Shooting
    • Softball
    • Table Tennis
    • Taekwondo
    • Tennis
    • Triathlon
    • Volleyball
    • Weightlifting
    • Wrestling

    The International Olympic Committee has set up some great flash animations that explains the different sports.

  5. Fuwa is the Olympic Mascot for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. Friendship, peace and good wishes to all children around the world from China.


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  6. The 1920 Olympic games in Antwerp was the first games to feature Ice Hockey


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  7. The official distance of a marathon originally was 26 miles, but when the Olympic marathon was held in London in 1908 the organizers added another 385 yards in order for the royal family to have a better view of the finish line.

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  8. The 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome was the first games that was covered by US television.
  9. Africa, South America and Antarctica are the only continents that have never hosted an Olympic games.
  10. The United States has won the more medals than any other country at the Summer Olympics.
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11 Comments

  1. The Quail
    Posted August 8, 2008 at 10:15 am

    Namaste Hein my friend, great article filled with great information. Well done my friend.

  2. TheMyth
    Posted August 8, 2008 at 8:31 pm

    Great content^^ Great additive info thanks =]

  3. nobert soloria bermosa
    Posted August 9, 2008 at 3:31 am

    …and competitors of the ancient olympics were naked,,,nice list,,,interesting indeed,thanks

  4. L F Calland
    Posted August 9, 2008 at 8:46 am

    Great article, and great timing in posting it.

  5. BrianS
    Posted August 10, 2008 at 1:17 pm

    Interesting and informative thanks.

  6. IcyCucky
    Posted August 27, 2008 at 6:49 am

    Very interesting article, and great images

  7. Rask Balavoine
    Posted August 27, 2008 at 3:27 pm

    Thanx for a good article.

  8. yuuyiki
    Posted September 4, 2008 at 5:13 pm

    gjnkgjnkhjnf

  9. eddiego65
    Posted October 30, 2008 at 7:58 am

    Very interesting facts about the Olympics!

  10. Will Gray
    Posted November 11, 2008 at 1:39 pm

    Superb!

  11. Edob(:
    Posted December 11, 2008 at 8:55 pm

    Haha, I like the 7th one!

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