With the Olympics coming to London this summer, we thought we’d take a look at some amazing facts and traditions that make up part of this celebrated global event.
The first Olympics, which got started in ancient Greece, only allowed men to take part. These days, men and women from across the planet compete for Olympic gold. Athletic records have been set, heroes have been made, rivalries formed and even a few tragedies have occurred. Nations have gone at it every four years (with a few exceptions) in both team and individual events for more than a century now. Athletes compete for pride, fame and Olympic glory, and the desire to be the best. Here are a few stories surrounding the history of the Olympics.
This Is London’s Record Third OlympicsSum_of_Marc, Flickr
2012 is not the first time London has hosted an Olympic Games, nor is it even the second. In fact, London will become the first city to ever host a modern Olympics three times. In addition to that record, London also has the honor of being the first city to host the Paralympics, which took place in 1948 for wounded war veterans.
The World’s Youngest OlympianOli Scarff, Getty Images
Dimitrios Loundras was a Greek gymnast who took part in the Athens Olympics held in 1896. Young Dimitrios won a bronze medal for his efforts, and to this day he still remains the youngest Olympic competitor and medalist on record. Even more amazing, he was 10 years and 218 days old when he won his medal. That’s a lot of pressure for a kid, but Dimitrios did just fine. Later in life he became an admiral in the Greek Navy. Perhaps he held onto his medal when he was out to sea, for good luck.
The Barefoot MarathonerCentral Press/Getty Images
Running a marathon is hard work. Shoe companies market like crazy to all types of runners, but their advertisements would have been wasted on Abebe Bikila. Abebe, who hailed from Ethiopia, won the gold medal for the marathon in the 1960 Rome Olympics. He was the first African to win a gold, and he did so barefoot. That just goes to show you expensive footwear doesn’t always make the difference.
The Oldest Olympian EverOlympics.org
Oscar Swahn, a Swedish shooting expert, won his first Olympic medal in 1908, when he was a spry 60-year-olds. Apparently he got a taste for winning, even if it came later in life than most people. (He would go on to compete in two more Olympic Games.) After WWI, Swahn attended the Antwerp Games (his last) and won a silver medal. He was 72 at the time. It seemed his marksmanship hadn’t faltered in the slightest, despite his advancing age.
An American Won The First ‘Modern’ Olympic MedalOlympic.org
The American James Connolly won the fist medal given out (of the modern era) at the inaugural Athens Games, staged in 1896. In order to do so, he had to take a break from his studies at Harvard University and make his way to and through Europe. Luckily, his efforts paid off. Connolly competed in the triple jump and emerged victorious, becoming the first Olympic champion since the last Olympics were held, about 1,500 years prior. Instead of a gold medal, the top prize at the time was a silver medal and an olive leaf.
The First Olympics Ever Broadcast on TelevisionCentral Press, Getty Images
The 1936 Berlin Olympics (also known as the ‘Nazi’ Olympics) were the first Olympic Games to ever be televised. Before the advent of television, sports fans had to make due with radio commentary, and before radios were ubiquitous, you could only read about the results of the events in the newspaper.
These days, giant screens and HD televisions let fans live vicariously through their favorite athletes. Every glistening pore and bead of sweat can now be captured on camera. Back in 1936, you could only get a fuzzy black-and-white image, but that beat radio hands down if you happened to own a television and live in Germany (there was no global television then). Worldwide Olympic television broadcasts only became possible in the 1960s.
Gold Medals Aren’t Pure GoldOli Scarff, Getty Images
Names can be deceptive. Even though the top athlete in his or her field wins the ‘gold,’ the medals aren’t really made out of solid gold. In fact, they haven’t been pure gold for around 100 years.
The gold medals awarded now are actually silver, with gold plating. That probably doesn’t matter to the athletes who have dedicated their lives to winning one, as long as they aren’t planning on melting the medal down and pawning it off.