There are less than 200 days left before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics!  So without further ado, let’s dive straight into 50 fun facts about the Olympic Games!  You can thank me later when any of these come up in a pub quiz!

1.  Pierre de Coubertin instigated the modern Olympic Games
2.  There is a Pierre de Coubertin medal; awarded to athletes who display true spirit of  sportsmanship at the Games
3.  The Olympic motto is Citius, Altius, Fortius (Higher, faster, stronger)
4.  The first and second World Wars resulted in three Games being cancelled
5.  The International Olympics Committee organise the Games
6.  The Games are held every 4 years
7.  The colours of the Olympic rings symbolises each habited continent on Earth
8.  The Olympic torch is first lit in Olympia, months before the start of the Games
9.  The first modern Olympic Games was held in 1896
10.  The first modern Olympic Games was held in Athens, Greece
11.  The last Olympic Games was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016
12.  The 2016 Rio Olympics was the first time the Games were held in South America
13.  206 countries competed at the 2016 Rio Games
14.  Kosovo and South Sudan competed for the first time, at the Rio 2016 Games
15.  As of Rio 2016, there is a Refugee Team and they have their own flag
16.  The Refugee flag is orange with a black horizontal line to represent life vests worn
17.  After Tokyo, the next Games will be held in Paris, France in 2024
18.  There is a separate Games for athletes with disabilities or impairments which are called the Paralympics
19. The first Paralympics were in 1960, held in Rome, Italy
20. Opening ceremonies represent the commencement of the Games
21. Closing ceremonies represent the closing of the Games
22. During the closing ceremony, the current host country passes the torch to the next host
23. The Paris 1900 Games was the first to have competing female athletes
24. The athlete who comes first in their event has their national anthem played during the medals ceremony
25.  Athletes who come first, second and third are given medals (gold, silver, bronze)
26.  The gold medal only has 6g of gold plating in it
27.  The Tokyo medals are made from recycled metals from scrap technology
28.  The Tokyo medals are the first to have brail on for athletes with impaired vision
29.  At the age of 10 years and 218 days, Dimitrios Loundras is the youngest athlete to compete at the Games, where he competed at the 1896 Athens Games (gymnastics)
30.  At the age of 13 years and 286 days, Marjorie Gestring is the youngest athlete to win gold at the Games (diving)
31.  At the age of 60, Oscar Swahn is the oldest athlete to win gold at the Games (shooting)
32.  Oscar Swahn is also the oldest athlete to compete at the Games, aged 72 at the 1920 Antwerp Games (shooting)
33.  AND! Oscar Swahn is the oldest medalist at the Games, winning silver at the 1920 Antwerp Games (shooting)
34.  The London 2012 Games were the first where all competing countries sent female athletes
35.  U.S.A Swimmer Michael Phelps has won the most Olympic medals (28 total)
36.  U.S.A Swimmer Michael Phelps has won the most gold medals (23 total)
37.  Surfing is one of the many sports that have been added to the Games as of 2020
38.  With 2,522 medals, U.S.A have won the most medals from all Summer Games
39.  With 263, Norway have won the most medals from all Winter Games
40.  Gymnastics, athletics and swimming are the most watched events at the Games
41.  The 2008 Beijing Olympics is thought to be the most watched; 4.7billion viewers
42.  The most expensive Games was the Beijing 2008 Olympics, costing $40 billion
43.  Russia as a country have been banned from the 2020 Olympics due to a state-sponsored doping scandal
44.  Due to the scandal, Russian athletes who trained outside of Russia may compete under the Olympic flag (after approval)
45. The shortest running event in the Games is the 100m sprint
46. The longest running event in the Games is the marathon
47. Cyclist Laura Kenny is Great Britain’s most successful female athlete (4 golds)
48. Cyclists Sir Chris Hoy and Jason Kenny (Laura’s husband) are Great Britain’s most successful male athletes (6 golds and 1 silver each)
49. Laura and Jason Kenny will be battling to be Great Britain’s most successful athlete of all time at the Tokyo 2020 Games
50. Great Britain is the only team to have won at least one gold medal at every single Summer Olympics Games ever held!

Comment down below about which fact surprised you the most!  If you liked this blog, don’t forget to follow so you don’t miss out on my latest weekly blogs posted on Sundays.

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