The Summer Olympic Games are the largest international sports competition. Dozens of countries and thousands of participants perform in front of a billion viewers from all corners of the planet, and an enormous number of people are betting on their favorite athletes through the sports betting Mozambique site. The Olympic gold medal is considered one of the most important sports trophies. Today, we’ll take a look at this grand celebration from a slightly different angle, recalling ten lesser-known facts, from ancient times to 2024.
The First Olympic Game
The earliest reliable records of the Olympic Games date back to 776 BC. This is known thanks to a disk found in the Temple of Hera in Olympia. The names of King Iphitus of Elis and the Spartan statesman Lycurgus, who revived the tradition, are inscribed on the stone. Historians agree that the competitions have much older roots, stretching back to prehistoric times, and therefore lack convincing evidence.
International Olympic Game
The first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896 after more than a millennium-long hiatus. The event was held in Athens, symbolizing continuity. Only a few original photographs remain. The organization level resembled an amateur gathering. The exact number of athletes is unknown, but they represented 14 countries. At that time, women were not allowed to participate. Greece won the overall medal tally by a wide margin, but the USA collected the most gold medals.
Hosts Without Champions
The 1976 Olympics were the most expensive at that time, costing Canada five billion dollars. Today, that amount could be multiplied by four. Almost all African countries boycotted the games in protest of biased officiating in the rugby qualifying matches. Canadian athletes did not win a single gold medal, making it the first and only time in history that the host country did not receive any top honors.
The Dead Winner
Arrhichion is the only Olympic champion to win a victory posthumously. The story has clear legendary features, but these details are found in several Roman writers. According to Pausanias, in 564 BC, at the 54th Olympiad, the ancient Greek athlete was strangled by his opponent but managed to twist his opponent’s toe, causing him to surrender. Arrhichion, already dead, did not have a chance to surrender, so his victory was counted.
The Invalid Olympics
The 67th Olympiad is considered the most notorious, as it took place during the reign of Nero. At the emperor’s behest, the games were postponed by two years. Even after being thrown from his chariot, Nero still won by the judges’ decision. Considering himself a great poet and singer, Nero introduced musical competitions to the games, where he naturally took first place. After the emperor’s death, the judges admitted to being pressured and bribed. As a result, this Olympiad was declared invalid.
The Country With the Fewest Medals
More than 60 countries that have participated in the Olympic Games have never won a medal. These are usually small and poor nations, although there are exceptions, such as Bangladesh, with a population of nearly 170 million people. A unique record is held by Monaco. Athletes from the small principality have competed in 32 summer and winter tournaments but remain without a single award to this day.
Regular Participants
The history of the modern Olympic Games has seen many boycotts and exclusions. In most cases, these were the result of the Cold War, although precedents occurred both earlier and later. Nevertheless, as of today, there are only four countries that have participated in all the games held, regardless of the political situation. These are Greece, Switzerland, France, and Great Britain.
The Youngest Medalists
At the age of 10 years and 218 days, Greek gymnast Dimitrios Loundras won a bronze medal at the first Olympic Games in 1896. He only competed in team events on the parallel bars, but he still holds the record as the youngest winner in history. Later, he earned the rank of admiral and participated in both World Wars.
Marjorie Gestring, at 13 years and 268 days, won gold in diving at the 1936 Olympics. She competed independently and became the youngest Olympic champion in history. Gestring intended to participate in the next games, but they were canceled due to the war. Her subsequent career was less impressive, although in 1976, Marjorie Gestring was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
The Oldest Champion
Swiss shooter Oscar Swahn participated in three Olympic Games. His first gold medal was won at the age of 60, but, surprisingly, at the same games, Joshua Millner, competing in another discipline, also became a champion, being a few days older. Four years later, Swahn repeated the feat and became the oldest gold medalist. He holds another record: at the 1920 Olympics, at the age of 72, the shooter won silver, becoming the oldest medalist in history.
