Unbelievable facts
In the midst of the 22nd Winter Olympic Games in Sochi, it is not surprising that many people are taking an increased interest in the history of these sports.
Surely everyone knows that Greece was the founder of the first Olympic Games.
But not everyone is familiar with some other facts.
The first modern Olympics
1. At the first modern Olympic Games, held in Athens in 1896, first-place athletes were awarded silver medals and olive branches.
Oddly enough, the second places were awarded bronze medals. But those who took third places did not receive anything, medals or other incentive gifts.
Paris Olympics
2. Athletes who won first places at the Olympic Games in Paris in 1900 received paintings instead of gold medals. This prize was considered much more valuable for the winners.
3. St. Louis was the first Olympic city to award gold, silver and bronze medals respectively for first, second and third places. This happened in 1904.
Olympic flame
4. Every two years, women dressed in traditional Greek clothes light the Olympic flame in Olympia.
The fire is ignited due to concave mirrors and refractive sunlight. The Olympic flame then begins its long journey from Greece to the host country of the Olympic Games.
For several months, the torch is passed from hand to hand by athletes from different countries, until the fire finally arrives in the country a few days before the opening ceremony begins.
Olympic flag rings
5. The five rings on the Olympic flag represent five continents: Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and America. They are all connected to each other in a friendly but persistent fight for medals.
Blue, black, green, yellow and red colors appear on each of the national flags.
6. Women were not allowed to participate in the first modern Olympic Games. However, very soon in 1900, at the Paris Olympics, the organizers of the games included women in the national teams.
It should also be added that most of those present at the competitions were athletes, and not ordinary spectators that we are accustomed to in our time.
The composition of the Olympic gold medal
7. The last time the world saw medals cast in pure gold was at the Stockholm Olympics in 1912. Subsequently, gold plated medals for the Olympics have been produced to this day.
Berlin Olympics
8. Berlin has hosted the Olympics twice. For the first time, a German city hosted the Olympic Games in 1916. In 1936, the Berlin Olympics were first broadcast on television.
9. The Chinese national team did not win any medals until 1984. However, in Beijing, China won one hundred medals at home, including 51 medals of the highest standard. The Chinese national team was able to surprise the whole world with its perseverance and hard work.
10. The Winter Olympics were founded in 1924. Until 1994, the Winter and Summer Olympics were held every 4 years in the same year.
In the 1990s, the International Olympic Committee decided to alternate the Olympic Games every two years.
To fit into the new schedule proposed by the IOC, the Winter Games were held in 1992 in Albertville, France, and in 1994 in Lillehammer, Norway.
Read also: The most beautiful and charming athletes of the Sochi Olympics
And we are all used to seeing the best athletes in the world every two years. The Winter Olympics alternate with the summer ones.