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[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!
[For General Audience] Trivia & Fun Facts Quiz on the Olympics and Paralympics (1–10)
Women were not allowed to participate in the first Olympic Games.NEW!
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.
Doves always appear at the Olympic opening ceremony.NEW!
In the opening ceremony program, doves—symbols of peace—appear somewhere to emphasize that it is a festival of peace through sports.
The appearance of doves is stipulated in the Olympic Charter; it is both a tradition and an obligation in the program.
After an accident in a past Olympics, the practice shifted so that real doves no longer needed to be released, but they always appear in some form—used as a motif or shown on screen.
For this Olympics, it’s worth paying attention to when and in what form the doves will make their appearance.
The headquarters of the International Olympic Committee is in Switzerland.NEW!
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.NEW!
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.NEW!
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 was an athlete who competed in the Olympics at the age of 72.
Do you know of an athlete who competed in the Olympics at the age of 72? Oscar Swahn, a Swedish shooter, competed in the Olympics at 72.
He even won a silver medal at that Games, and at the Olympics he attended at age 64, he won a gold medal.
He is said to hold the records for the oldest gold and silver medalist.
Shooting is a sport where years of experience truly matter, so athletes can continue for a long time.
Except in cases where sports like soccer or gymnastics—or the respective international federations—set age limits, there is no age restriction for participating in the Olympics.
There is a marathon runner who took 55 years to reach the finish.
Speaking of the Olympic marathon, it is one of the marquee events befitting the conclusion of the Games.
The marathon is a discipline beloved by many in Japan, and it seems there was even someone who took 55 years to reach the finish line.
That person was Shiso Kanakuri, known as the father of the Japanese marathon for his significant contributions and achievements in the sport.
Kanakuri competed in the marathon at the 1912 Stockholm Games, but collapsed from the heat while running and was carried to a nearby farmhouse along the course.
At the time, his withdrawal was not reported to the event headquarters, so he was treated as missing.
Fifty-five years later, in 1967, the situation came to light, and upon being contacted, Kanakuri was finally able to officially complete the race.