[For General Audience] Trivia & Fun Facts Quiz on the Olympics and Paralympics
How much do you know about the Olympics and Paralympics? Hidden behind this once-every-four-years festival are countless surprising stories you won’t find in textbooks.
We’ve gathered general-interest trivia and fun facts you’ll want to share—about the materials used for medals, the meaning of the Olympic rings, and unexpected events that were once official sports.
From tidbits that make watching more enjoyable to behind-the-scenes stories that will make you say “Wow!”, we cover a wide range.
Be sure to check it out before you watch the next Games!
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[For General Audience] Trivia & Fun Facts Quiz on the Olympics and Paralympics (11–20)
The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were the first Olympic Games to be held in Asia.
The Tokyo Olympics held in 1964 were the first to take place in Asia.
For Japan, which had been defeated in World War II, the Games became an opportunity to showcase to the world its remarkable postwar recovery and development.
For example, there was rapid construction of the Shinkansen bullet train and expressways centered around Tokyo.
The final torchbearer at these Olympics was Yoshinori Sakai.
Sakai was born on August 6, 1945—the day the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
His selection was said to reflect a wish to commemorate the victims of the atomic bomb and a hope for world peace.
Women were not allowed to participate in the first Olympic Games.
The Athens Games, first held in 1896, are remembered as a women-prohibited event in which female participation was not allowed.
This stemmed from the views of founder Pierre de Coubertin, whose ideal—rooted in the dynamism of the male athletes’ physiques in the ancient Olympics—led to this format.
Although women were allowed to participate at the second Games in Paris, it was limited to tennis and golf, indicating that the Olympics remained strict toward women for some time.
Looking at factors such as the ratio of male to female competitors may also reveal how the Games have pursued equality over time.
The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee is in Switzerland.
The Olympics involve many countries, including the host and participating nations; precisely because it’s an international event spanning multiple countries, the International Olympic Committee that oversees it is crucial.
The IOC is headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, and works for the Olympics as a non-profit, non-governmental organization.
Its location stems from Switzerland’s status as a permanently neutral country and as a politically stable hub for international institutions.
From various perspectives, you can sense a commitment to maintaining neutrality.
The beds in the Tokyo 2020 Athletes’ Village were made of cardboard.
The beds installed in the Athletes’ Village for the Tokyo 2020 Games were made of cardboard out of consideration for the environment.
Despite being cardboard, they performed impressively, featuring a structure capable of supporting about 200 kilograms, which really showcases the technology involved.
The bedding was made by Airweave, and after use, the materials could be recycled as paper—these beds embodied a variety of thoughtful ideas.
Through this, the Tokyo Games effectively highlighted their commitment to sustainability.
The country that enters first in the opening ceremony is Greece.
While the Olympics change in terms of host nations and participating countries, the one constant is that Greece always enters first in the opening ceremony.
First comes the Greek delegation, second the Refugee Olympic Team, third and onwards the other participating countries, and lastly the host nation.
This tradition relates to the origins of the Olympics: the first modern Games were held in Athens in 1896, and the Charter establishes Greece at the head of the parade.
It’s an interesting rule that lets you feel the history of the Olympics through the order of entry.
There were no gold medals at the first Olympic Games.
Olympic medals are awarded in the order of gold, silver, and bronze for first through third place.
However, at the first modern Olympic Games, the medal for first place was not gold.
At the inaugural 1896 Athens Olympics, a silver medal was awarded for first place, a bronze medal for second, and no medals were given for third place or below.
At the time of the Athens Olympics, gold was not adopted because its price was high.
Gold was first adopted at the 1904 Games held in St.
Louis.
From the St.
Louis Games onward, gold was awarded for first place, silver for second, and bronze for third.
Reasons for adopting gold include consideration of its value and rarity as a metal.
There also appears to be a theory based on the chronological ages in Greek mythology.
If you place 4th to 8th, you will receive a certificate.
Olympic medalists are the athletes who place in the top three, but those who come close also achieve excellent results.
Although athletes who finish fourth and beyond do not receive medals, those who place within the top eight are awarded certificates.
Because track sprint events in athletics and swimming are contested by eight athletes, eight competitors are considered finalists and are recognized as prize winners.
It’s a system that not only gives tangible form to their hard-earned results, but also serves as motivation for their future careers and for aiming for the next medal.
Equestrian sports are conducted without distinguishing between men and women.
Equestrian events pit humans and horses together as one to compete for victory.
At the Olympics, equestrian is the only sport conducted with animals.
Three disciplines are contested: dressage, show jumping, and eventing.
Equestrian makes no distinction between men and women.
Up until the 1952 Helsinki Games, only male military personnel could participate, but afterward, civilian men and women were allowed to compete.
Equestrian primarily relies on the horse’s athletic energy, while the rider’s role is to condition the horse and provide balance.
If a rider can control the horse skillfully, men and women can compete on equal footing.
Another hallmark of the sport is the wide range of athletes’ ages.
The name “Paralympics” was coined by a Japanese person.
The Paralympics is the world’s premier sporting event for athletes with disabilities, held in the same location and year as the Olympics.
The name “Paralympics” was officially adopted starting with the 1988 Seoul Games, and it is said to have been inspired by a nickname coined in Japan during the Tokyo Games.
Initially created by combining “Paraplegia” (referring to lower-body paralysis) and “Olympics,” the term later came to be associated with “parallel” and “para,” solidifying its meaning as another, parallel Olympics.
In the past, the Summer and Winter Olympics were held in the same year.
Speaking of the Olympics, the Summer and Winter Games are held alternately every two years.
This alternating schedule began with the 1994 Lillehammer Winter Olympics; before that, both the Summer and Winter Games were held in the same year.
There has been no official announcement explaining the reason, but a leading theory is that the change was made because the Summer Games draw more attention than the Winter Games.
It is also said the timing was shifted out of consideration for athletes who compete in both the Summer and Winter Games.