Legends of the Olympics

15 Points Per Correct Answer - No time limit  

1. The first modern day Olympic games were held in Athens in 1896. Host country Greece won 10 of the 43 silver medals which were then awarded to the winners. Probably the most famous of the Greek winners was Spiridon Louis. Which event did he win? Marathon Discus throw 100 meters High jump

2. Over the years, some events were added to the Olympics, and others were removed. One event that is not held any longer was dominated by the American Ray Ewry, who won 3 consecutive gold medals in 1900, 1904 and 1908 (as well as the intercalcalated games of 1906 in Athens). Which event was this? Two handed discus throw Standing long jump 4000 metre steeple chase Triathlon

3. At the 1908 London Olympics, the first marathon runner to cross the finish line was Italian Dorando Pietri. However, he did not win because of a disqualification. What was the reason for this disqualification? During the race he had made a detour to greet Queen Victoria. Although the detour made his race longer, he was disqualified for not following the preordained route He had drank so much wine that he failed the doping controls because of the amount of alcohol in his blood After dropping down from exhaustion, he had gotten help in getting up again He was claimed to have had a ride in a car for some length along the route

4. Paavo Nurmi was one of the so-called 'Flying Finns'. In the 1924 Paris Olympics he gained 5 gold medals, in 1920 and 1928 another 4 gold and 3 silver ones. He also wanted to compete in the 1932 Olympics, but was unable to do so. Why? Because of an illness he could not get on the ship that was to transport him to the United States The race in which he wanted to compete, the marathon, was held on a Sunday, and the deeply religious Nurmi refused to do competitive sports on Sundays Because of the economic crisis, the Finnish Olympic committee had decided not to participate in 1932 The Olympic authorities claimed he was a professional runner, and thus not allowed to compete

5. American athlete Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals on the 1936 Berlin Olympics, at 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and 4x100 meters relay. However, he nearly missed the finals of the long jump, because his first two jumps had been declared fouls. He was saved when someone advised him to jump some distance before the official takeoff spot, so that his jump would definitely be valid, and because of his qualities enough to qualify for the last three jumps. Who gave this advise to Jesse Owens? Jana Hollmann, a teenage German girl filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl German co-competitor Luz Long Marty Glickman, a Jewish athlete

6. The star of the 1952 Olympics was Czech runner Emil Zátopek, who won the 5000 meters, 10,000 meters, and marathon. He was married to Dana Ingrová, who at the same Olympics also won a gold medal. At which event did she do this? 1500 meters 20 kilometers race walking Pole vault Javelin throw

7. In Rome in 1960, the marathon is won by the Ethiopian Abebe Bikila. Apart form being an unofficial world record, what is remarkable about this race? Bikila had run off from the pack after just 4 km, and ran the rest of the race solo Bikila had had an appendectomy just one month before Bikila ran the race barefoot Bikila had arrived in Rome just one day before

8. In Mexico City in 1968, the height of Mexico City meant that conditions were very favorable for sprinters, and the person that took the most advantage of this was Bob Beamon, who made a long jump that remained the world record for 23 years. What distance did he jump? 8.90 meters 8.35 meters 8.95 meters 8.91 meters

9. Nadia Comãneci was only 14 years old when the 1976 Montreal Olympics were held, but she became one of the stars of the Games, gaining 3 gold medals at the uneven bars, the balance beam, and the all around gymnastics title. Apart from her young age, what is remarkable about her Olympic participation and titles that year? She twice fell off the balance beam in the qualifications, but still scored enough points to qualify for the finals She was the first to score a perfect 10.0 at the Olympics After the Olympics she fled to the west, and in 1980 she competed for Canada Because he had not been sure whether she could stand the pressure, the Romanian coach had kept her out of the team for the team event

10. In Beijing in 2008, Michael Phelps gained 8 gold medals, setting a record for most won gold medals in a single Olympic Game. The old record (7 gold medals) was also held by a swimmer. Who was it? John Weismuller Mark Spitz Matt Biondi Michael Phelps