Olympic Games having the rich history that it does, it’s only fitting that this event is filled with collage of great historical facts that perhaps we’ve overlooked or have not heard much about. In this article, we discuss 10 amazing facts about the Olympic Games.
Oldest Olympic winner : Oscar Swahn, a Swedish shooter won his last medal at the Olympics in 1920 Olympics, at the age of 72 – which makes him the oldest to have won a medal at this sporting mecca.
Horse jumps : It’s shocking to note that the Olympic Games in 1900 included a few sports that you may not have heard of; including high and long jump for horses.
Duel fight : a real duel fight was fought at the 1924 games, as a dispute over scoring in the fencing competition.
I’m not going until lights out : well, this fact is a little kiddish for an Olympic participant. Korean boxer Byun Jung – II lost a bantamweight at the Seoul Olympics of 1988 after having points docked for head butting but he showed his dismay by not leaving the ring for more than an hour and only being forced to exit after lights were turned off and the stadium went dark. The shameful act is on display in video –
Winner at both Summer and Winter Olympics : in the rich history of Olympics, only one player has managed to win medals at both the summer and winter Olympics i.e. Christ Luding as she won gold in speed skating and silver in track cycling, Seoul 1988.
Dropping out of final : yes, sounds a bit weird, doesn’t it! You put in the hard work to reach an Olympic final and then drop out – well, if you drain yourself in the semis, this is quite understandable. Martin Klein, a Russian Wrestler was left drained of energy due to his 11 hour long semi-final at the 1912 Olympics and was forced to drop out of the finals.
One legged champion, a champion truly: while we do not want to discriminate amongst sportspersons but a story as inspiring as George Eyser is unheard. Eyser lost his one leg during a train accident in his youth and yet this inspiring individual did not let this hardship have any adverse effect on him as he managed the feat of six Olympic medals (3 gold, 2 silver and a bronze) in a single day, at the 1904 games – WE SALUTE THE GENIUS.
Drugs, not beer ban : The 1968 Mexico Games had a shocking elimination over drinking beer, yes beer – NOT drugs. The player banned was Hans-Gunnar, a Swedish Pentathlete.
Youngest Olympian in the world: Look around, you might see some 10 years old playing but are they of the standards of Olympics! Maybe not. But, be amazed to note that the youngest Olympian in the history of Olympics was a 10 year old Dimitrios Loundras, a Greek Gymnast who participated in the 1896 Athens Olympics.
Barefoot Marathoner: Running a Marathon is not easy, even in shoes. The uneven surface and the speed at which one has to run make it a nightmarish task but think about competing WITHOUT shoes. Abebe Bikila, hailing from Ethiopia won the gold medal at the 1960 Rome Olympics – NOT running in shoes but bare feet. Sports sure has it’s share of unique stories.
Also you can watch this view to know more Amazing Olympic Facts You Might Not Know
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