10 Surprising Facts of Olympics Day You Should Know
1. How old are the Olympics?The first recorded Olympic Games were held at Olympia in the Greek city-state of Elis in 776 B.C., but it is generally accepted that the Olympics were at least 500 years old at that time. The ancient Olympics, held every four years, occurred during a religious festival honoring the Greek god Zeus.
2. What is Olympic Day?Olympic Day is a celebration of sport, health, and being the best you can be. It invites everyone around the globe to be active.
3. Where does the word Olympic comes from?The ancient Olympics were held every four years between August 6 and September 19 during a religious festival. The Games were named for their location at Olympia, a sacred site located near the western coast of the Peloponnese peninsula in southern Greece.
4. What does the Olympic Symbol represent?The Olympic symbol (the Olympic rings) expresses the activity of the Olympic Movement and represents the union of the five continents and the meeting of athletes from throughout the world at the Olympic Game
5. What does the colours of Olympic rings represent?The six colours – blue, yellow, black, green, red, and the white background – were chosen because every nation’s flag contains at least one of them.
6. What is the Olympic Motto?The Olympic motto “Citius, Altius, Fortius” (“Faster, Higher, Stronger”) was coined by Father Henri Didon, who was a close friend of Baron Pierre de Coubertin.
7. What are the 3 core values of Olympics?Excellence, Respect and Friendship are the three core values of Olympism and are a central focus at the Olympic Games and Youth Olympic Games. Excellence means doing the best we can, on the field of play or in our professional life.
8. Why do Olympians bite their medals?Often we see Olympians biting their medals during the awards ceremony and wondered why they do that? Well, it harks back to ages past, where merchants would check a coin was indeed the precious metal they required and not a lead forgery. A lead coin would leave teeth marks, while a gold coin would not.
9. Did ever Painters and Sculptors take part in Olympics?From 1912-1948, artists participated in the Olympics: Painters, sculptors, architects, writers, and musicians competed for medals in their respective fields.
10. What was special about the London 2012 Olympics?It was the first summer Olympics which showcased true equality. Women were not barred from a single sport and for the first time in history, each nation sent a female competitor.
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