Special Sub-Topic: Olympic Games 1908 & 1912 Click Here To Play: Olympic Games 1908 & 1912

Where were the 1908 Olympic Games held?

London. A new stadium called White City was built in London for the Games. These Games were originally awarded to Rome, but the Italian's withdrew because of financial problems.

How many countries competed in 1908?

22. Countries competing for the first time included Iceland, New Zealand, and Turkey.

In 1908, there were five divisions in boxing in the 1908 Games. Incredibly, Great Britain won fourteen of the fifteen medals awarded. What country was the other medallist from?

Australia. Reginald "Snowy" Baker from Australia, won the silver medal in the Middleweight Division.

The 1908 Marathon was the first time, the now standard length of 42.195km (26 miles 385 yards) was used. Who was the winner?

John Hayes (U.S.A.). Pietri finished first, but was disqualified for receiving assistance from officials during his last lap of White City Stadium. The strange figure of 42.195km was set, because it is the distance from the Stadium to the nursery window in the grounds of Windsor Castle. Hayes was promoted to winner, with Hefferon second and Forshaw third.

Which country won most medals in the 1908 Games?

Great Britain. Great Britain, the host country won 145 medals, including 56 gold. U.S.A. won 47 (23 gold), Sweden was next with 25 (8 gold), and France won 19 (5 gold).

The 1912 Olympic Games were held in Scandinavia, the first time in that part of the world. Which city was the host?

Stockholm. The Stockholm Olympic Games were attended by 28 countries, comprising 2,500 athletes, of which 55 were women.

Jim Thorpe, a Native American athlete from U.S.A. won two gold medals in 1912, but these were stripped from him following the Games as he was considered to be a professional. Seventy years later the International Olympic Committee awarded the gold medals to Thorpe. What events did he win?

Pentathlon and Decathlon. The Pentathlon consisted of two running races (200m & 1500m), two throwing events (javelin & discus) and the long jump. The last time it was an Olympic event for men was in 1924.

Which country won the most medals in the 1912 Games?

Sweden. The U.S.A. won more gold medals (25) than Sweden (24), but overall the Swedes won 64 medals to U.S.A.'s 62. This was after adjusting the numbers following the reinstatement of Jim Thorpe's two gold medals. Great Britain won 41 medals (10 of them gold), and Finland 26 (9 gold).

In the 1912 Games, the longest ever Olympic Games cycling road race took place, over 320km. How long did it take the winner, South African Rudolph Lewis, to complete?

10 hours 42 minutes. A long race! Today's road race is usually over about 200km and takes about four hours.

A member of which royal family won the men's 100m freestyle swimming event in 1912?

Hawaiian. Duke Kahanamoku competed in four Olympic Games before becoming a film star. He won gold medals in 1912 and 1920 and a silver in 1924, all in the 100m freestyle. He also won medals in swimming relays and in Water polo and popularised surfing in his native Hawaii.